The Dataw Island club in South Carolina has approved a renovation project covering both its golf courses.

The Cotton Dike course, originally designed by Tom Fazio, will close next March, with a planned reopening date of October 2010. The Arthur Hills designed Morgan River course will follow suit in 2011. The renovation will be handled by course designer Billy Fuller, formerly superintendent at Augusta National.

The project will see 35 of the two courses’ greens resurfaced with MiniVerde bermuda grass (Cotton Dike’s second green was renovated last year), all the teeboxes regressed with zoysia, and Celebration bermuda installed on a number of fairways. It will also include repairing of drainage and renovating of bunkers, replacing the irrigation system for both courses and installing pond erosion control measures in select ponds.

While the project is underway, the Dataw Island grounds crew will also focus on improvements such as aerification, top-dressing and grooming of all turf grass areas.

“Our main priority is to improve the quality and playability of our Fazio course,” said general manager Ted Bartlett. “Cotton Dike is in spectacular shape, but there is room to make an already challenging and unique course even more desirable for Dataw Island golfers and their guests.”

“Our intent is to bring the course specifications and strategy to par with modern golf standards and ensure the club remains competitive with the marketplace for the next twenty to thirty years,” said Fuller.