LATEST
NEWS

Renovations made to course at Brays Island Plantation in South Carolina
Sean Dudley
/ Categories: News

Renovations made to course at Brays Island Plantation in South Carolina

A series of renovations are taking place at the course at Brays Island Plantation in Sheldon, South Carolina.

Staff at the club are working with maintenance partner IGM to fix up the Ron Garl-designed course.

Before the current project began, the original TifDwarf bermudagrass had deteriorated and mutations had occurred across the greens.

“This led to inferior playing conditions compared to other courses in the area and fell well below the owners’ expectations,” explained Tyler Minamyer, IGM’s regional manager. “Also, the irrigation system was original and had to be replaced before addressing the turfgrass.”

IGM and Brays Island worked to plan the renovation and raise funds from 2009-2011, before an irrigation replacement process got underway in the summer of 2011. This was carried out hole-by-hole in order to minimise disruption to golfers.

Once this stage of the project was complete, attention shifted to the grasses. With the existing TifDwarf bermudagrass, new seed would not establish well in mutated areas, meaning those areas transitioned poorly back to bermudagrass come the spring.

The decision to adopt TifEagle bermudagrass was taken, and Minamyer said: “The owners wanted faster, more consistent greens that were comparable to competition. And TifEagle grass won’t require over-seeding, which means less disruption to play and better performance during spring and fall when the Plantation is busiest.”

The course closed on 1 June 2015 to allow the grass time to grow in, and is expected to reopen on 5 September 2015.

As part of the recent work, two greens have been redesigned in order to lessen slope severity and accommodate the new type of grass.

Minamyer added: “Everything has to be replaced at some point, but we’ll do everything we can to extend the useful life of the course and recommend investments in the course that will have the greatest potential for return.”

“Our relationship with IGM is a great partnership,” said Kevin Rhatigan, general manager of Brays Island Plantation. “It’s not just having a comfort level with a really good superintendent in Jeff Miller for day-to-day operations but more like having on-site consultants to manage a major project like this.” 

Previous Article Development of Tom Doak’s design at Tara Iti reaches completion
Next Article Tripp Davis’ firm to create masterplan for course at Willow Brook Country Club
Print
8288 Rate this article:
No rating
Sean Dudley

Sean DudleySean Dudley

Other posts by Sean Dudley
Contact author

Contact author

x
The April 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!
Magazine, News | Wed 16 Apr, 2025

The April 2025 issue of Golf Course Architecture is out now!

Includes reports from Maggie Hathaway and Apogee, interviews with Martin Ebert and Dave Axland and a feature on golf art

Spring 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now
Magazine, News | Fri 14 Mar, 2025

Spring 2025 issue of ASGCA’s By Design magazine is out now

New issue asks whether the golf boom has led to an increase in municipal golf investment

FEATURE
ARTICLES

Maggie Hathaway: A force for good
Stephen Barton – Second Collective
On site | Adam Lawrence

Maggie Hathaway: A force for good

The reconstruction of the nine-hole course in Los Angeles is the golf industry at its best, says Adam Lawrence

Designs for the big screen
Pizá Golf
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

The ties that bind
Crooked Stick
Opinion | Justin Olmstead

The ties that bind

Justin Olmstead of Profile Products talks about the relationships behind the renovation of Crooked Stick in Indiana

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz
Konrad Borkowski
Interview | Adam Lawrence

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Jim Wagner and Rusty Mercer discuss Kinsale design and build
Kinsale Golf Club
Interview | Richard Humphreys

Jim Wagner and Rusty Mercer discuss Kinsale design and build

Florida course is a tribute to the Golden Age designs of Raynor and Macdonald

Are bunkers getting too pretty for their own good?
Larry Lambrecht
Feature | Adam Lawrence

Are bunkers getting too pretty for their own good?

Is the beauty of bunkering being over-emphasised at the expense of its function, asks Adam Lawrence

Good Read: The Prairie Raynor
Grant Books Ltd
Good Read | John Moran and Rand Jerris

Good Read: The Prairie Raynor

John Moran and Rand Jerris share insight into their book about Seth Raynor’s design at Chicago Golf Club

Vinpearl Golf Léman: New pearls for Vietnam
Vinpearl Golf Leman
Report | Richard Humphreys

Vinpearl Golf Léman: New pearls for Vietnam

The first of two Golfplan-designed courses at club near Ho Chi Minh City has opened for play

Seven Canyons: Desert drama
Brad Klein
Report | Bradley Klein

Seven Canyons: Desert drama

Brad Klein reports on a Phil Smith Design renovation in Sedona, Arizona

Golf Club Föhr: Reinvented for a new century
Stefan von Stengel
On site | Adam Lawrence

Golf Club Föhr: Reinvented for a new century

Adam Lawrence reports on a visit to the far north of Germany where Christian Althaus has completely rebuilt the 27-hole course over the last 15 years

Nauka Nayarit: Welcome to the jungle
Harris Kalinka
Report | Richard Humphreys

Nauka Nayarit: Welcome to the jungle

Ten holes of a new Fazio Design course on Mexico’s Pacific coast have opened for play

Gopher Watch Competition – January 2025
Gopher Watch, News | Wed 16 Apr, 2025

Gopher Watch Competition – January 2025

Which course has Sandy the gopher visited this month?

MOST
POPULAR

FEATURED
BUSINESSES