The Jack Nicklaus course at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club near Myrtle Beach in South Carolina has reopened following a greens and bunkers renovation project led by Nicklaus Design’s Troy Vincent.

The course closed in May 2023 to enable the team to begin removing sprawling bunkers, which lined more than half of the layout’s holes, and restoring greens to their original specifications. This created more fairway space and native areas, providing nearly 40,000 square feet of additional putting surface.

The wider fairway corridors should make the course more playable for average golfers whilst also providing a challenge for more skilled players. New greens feature TifEagle bermudagrass, while the collars were resurfaced with Tahmo 31 bermudagrass. Several trees were also removed to enhance playing conditions.

Plans for the renovation project began in 2018 when Nicklaus visited the course to celebrate its 30th anniversary and provided detailed notes on how to best update the design.

“We followed Jack’s ideas from 2018,” said Vincent, who has worked alongside Nicklaus for 15 years. “It was our intention to make the course more playable, to give players more options, and we have carried that out. I think everyone will be happy.” 

Steve Mays, president of Founders Group International, parent company of Pawleys, said: “Pawleys Plantation opened in the late 1980s, and it was time to look at the layout and reimagine what it could be. When you have a golf course that is associated with an icon like Jack Nicklaus, of course you want to incorporate his input and use the Nicklaus Design team to ensure the course continues to fulfil its potential going forward.

“Working with the Nicklaus Group and Troy Vincent, who has done a fantastic job, has been a pleasure. I believe we have brought the vision Jack Nicklaus outlined in 2018 to life. I can’t wait for everyone to come out and see the new Pawleys Plantation.”