Wild Dunes Resort is the place to go if you’re seeking a Charleston vacation, weekend getaway or a daytrip to the spa. It’s also a golf haven and the last eight months they’ve been putting all of their time and resources into massaging and manicuring the newly renovated Harbor Course.
On Nov. 13, the course reopened to the public following a grand reopening ceremony held at The Sweetgrass Inn. Resort leadership and golf staff were on hand to celebrate the course’s new makeover.
The pristine course, originally designed by legendary golf architect Tom Fazio in 1985, underwent a big-scale rebuild. The course hadn’t been upgraded since the aftermath of the infamous Hurricane Hugo that struck Isle of Palms in 1989.
After being closed since March and $8 million worth of renovations later, play resumed for members at the end of October just in time for the winter swing. The next time golfers tee it up they can expect enlarged greens and tee complexes, faster putting surfaces with more undulation, new pin placements, reshaped bunkers, refurbished cart paths and a new irrigation system.
“We were really careful to make sure the integrity, the environment and the beauty of the marsh and wildlife are intact,” said Jeff Minton, Wild Dunes Resort director of golf.
The most recognizable changes optically are the “monstrous” greens, which have been doubled in size, according to 30-year golf course superintendent Scott Ferguson. He estimated that the total square footage of all the putting greens has expanded each green from 3,000 to 6,000 square feet. In comparison, that’s the difference between an above-average home and a mansion.
The Harbor Course was Fazio’s second child in terms of its sister course, The Links Course, which was born five years earlier in 1980. The Links Course was Fazio’s first solo design and it was so wildly successful that the resort invited him back to construct the Harbor Course.
Since then, the course has been touted for its challenging design, beautiful views of marshes and lagoons. Golf Digest has previously ranked it among the ‘Best in State’ for golf in South Carolina, out of more than 350 courses statewide.
“The course has been reimagined not just as a golf experience but a celebration of the Lowcountry, its natural beauty, its resilience and endearing charm,” said Terri Haack, Wild Dunes Resort managing director.
The Harbor Course averages 35,000 golfers a year or approximately 100 golfers per day. Golf in the state of South Carolina is a $3.3 billion industry for tourism.
Wild Dunes Resort is recognized as one of the top 10 resorts in the South by Conde Nast Traveler. The resort and its partners have invested more than $150 million in property renovations since 2021 with its ownership partners, Lowe and Dart Interests.
By Zach Giroux
Leave a Reply