Monday, Jun. 09, 2008

Heather Glen Golf Links (June 2008)

LITTLE RIVER | It's rare when you come across a public course that has existed for two decades yet has managed to avert the encroachment of housing along and around its holes.

But that's what you get at Heather Glen Golf Links.

The course has some Scottish characteristics including pot bunkers and mounding, combined with the shot-making requirements over and around hazards that are typical of many U.S. designs. What it doesn't have much of is residences. Nearly every hole is set apart on its own through a swath of hardwoods.

``There's a feeling of seclusion due to the lack of neighboring houses and the cathedral nature of the surrounding trees,'' said Rich Davis, who took part in a review of the course in late May. ``You feel you're in the middle of Montana or somewhere instead of minutes away from hustle and bustle.

``It's an enjoyable layout and classic design that gave rise to a fun day of golf,'' he added.

Rich, a retired auditor from Calabash, N.C., with a 17 handicap, was joined by me, his wife, Alcina, a retired accountant with a 19 handicap, and Monte Beebe of Sunset Beach, N.C., a retired computer programmer with a 6 handicap.

We played the 6,783-yard original 18 holes designed by Willard Byrd that opened in 1987, and consists of the Red nine on the front and White nine on the back. There were homes on just two holes. The course also has a 3,405-yard Blue nine that opened in 1990 and was designed by Clyde Johnston.

``I think it's right up there with the best courses in Myrtle Beach, and I hadn't heard that before [playing it],'' said Alcina, who believes the Red nine is more picturesque. ``It had so many interesting holes.''

Each hole generally has a different look, which is perpetuated by the diversity of hazards that are ever-present but not overwhelming. The course has water hazards as well as strategically-placed mounding, overhanging trees, grass bunkers, conventional bunkers, pot bunkers and waste bunkers that often contain vegetation and all are well-maintained.

``This course has been in great shape for the past two or three years,'' said Monte, a former seasonal member of the course's parent company The Glens Group who has played the course at least 30 times.

Heather Glen's greens are generally small and particularly shallow considering many pins could be placed behind penal bunkers. The Red nine has a new ultra-dwarf Champions Bermudagrass on its greens while the White has a larger-bladed TifDwarf, but all of the greens were in good shape and rolled similarly, especially since we were still putting largely on poa trivialis winter overseed. The greens had a fair amount of slope.

``They're challenging but they're not severe,'' Monte said. ``The greens held well, also. They weren't rock hard and you could get some spin on the ball.''

Likes

The entire group thought the course was in very good shape, and Alcina liked the aesthetics of the holes involving water.

Monte appreciated fairly generous fairways despite tree-lined holes, as well as the condition and challenge of the greens.

He also joined Rich in enjoying the fact there were homes along just two holes. ``One thing I've always liked about this course is there are only a couple holes where you can see housing,'' Monte said. ``You're communing with nature.''

Rich had another reason to appreciate the absence of homes. ``For a golfer of my ability, I like no homes because of the liability issues,'' he said.

Dislikes

Monte thought the pot bunkers were very penal, sometimes excessively.

Alcina thought a few holes were excessively long from the red tees, including the White nine's 335-yard, par-4 first hole and 462-yard, par-5 ninth hole.

Rich didn't like blind hazards from the tee, particularly bunkers, for players on the course for the first time. ``Some holes demanded prior knowledge which limited fairness,'' Rich said. ``Course knowledge helps. If not you have to study the yardage book.''

Par-3s

The 180-yard fourth hole on the Red nine measured 152 yards from the white tees and featured a green that was 26 yards deep. It was situated between a wide bunker behind it and waste bunker in front containing love grass, shrubs and small trees.

The eighth hole is a beautiful and long par-3 measuring 224 from the back and 191 from the white. It has a rock wall-lined water hazard fronting a green that offers no bailout, is shallow and slopes sharply to the front right with a plateau back left.

The 153-yard second hole on the White nine features a carry over a waste bunker and a single pot bunker in front of the green, and the 165-yard fourth hole has a pot bunker front right backed by a high mound that hides the shallow green behind it.

``The par-3s were fair and very lovely landscaped,'' Alcina said.

Par-4s

There are a pair of par-4s at least 430 yards from the back tees, but there are also several shorter holes that don't require driver, at least from the white tees. ``They were interesting holes and still fair,'' Alcina said.

The Red's 363-yard first hole had one of the most severe greens on the course, sloping to the front with a plateau to the far back. The 366-yard dogleg-left second hole had an oak tree at the bend, in front of a wide creek that began at the bend and continued down the left side of the fairway to the green. Four bunkers lined the right side of the bend and the green was defined by three pot bunkers on the left and mounds on the right.

``I thought that hole was unique and really attractive,'' Rich said. ``It tends to avoid a downfall of many courses, which is sameness. It's truly discreet, which is fun.''

The 381-yard seventh on the Red course has a fairway bunker right and tree partially blocking out the left side of the green, which is protected by a trio of pot bunkers front right and a bunker back left. The Red nine's 447-yard ninth is a bear. It's long, uphill off the tee and was into the wind when we played it. A burn approaches the landing area of the soft dogleg left from the left side, and there are a multitude of bunkers on both sides of the fairway.

On the White nine, the 430-yard first hole is a dogleg right with a gaping bunker on the right side of the fairway, a series of pot bunkers on both sides of the fairway, and a deep and steep bunker in front of a crowned green. The 380-yard third hole is surrounded by a waste bunker that crosses the fairway about 120 yards from the green.

The 391-yard fifth hole has seven pot bunkers down the middle of the fairway that can barely be seen off the tee, including a couple that can be reached with a good drive.

The 409-yard, dogleg-left eighth hole affords a choice off the tee. The hole is shorter if you choose to carry a tee shot over a bulkheaded water hazard to the left about 200 yards from the blue tee and 175 from the white, though a waste bunker awaits to that side. A shorter carry over water to the right is safer but leaves a long iron into the green and brings greenside bunkers more into play. ``This hole will make you pucker up,'' Monte said.

Par-5s

The two par-5s on the Red nine are reachable, while the two on the White are more of a challenge, though they still offer options. ``The par-5s have good variety and each is risk/reward,'' Monte said.

On the Red, the 506-yard third hole has water down the left side after the drive, a narrow though deep green with penalizing bunkers on the right and left, and mounding in front of the green. ``It's one of the easier holes, but the design feature of this hole is they put mounds and hills before the green so if you go for it in two and don't get there, you may have a hillside lie,'' Monte said.

The 484-yard sixth was also very reachable in two, but a waste bunker that circles a tree midway down the right half of the fairway can catch tee shots from unsuspecting players. The waste bunker continues to about 80 yards from the green and is backed by a pair of short trees.

On the White course, the 527-yard sixth hole requires a drive over wetlands, and a burn crosses in front of a two-tiered green. The water can't be seen on the second shot. ``You can go for it in two, but there's not much future in it,'' Monte said. ``This hole is all about the third shot and the green.''

The ninth hole is 587 yards from the blue and 558 from the white and has a green to the right across a water hazard that runs along the right side of the fairway. Despite the length, a good drive affords a shot at the green, though the second shot may have to fade a bit to the right to avoid trees. ``I liked the way you had to place your shots on the par-5s,'' Alcina said.

Favorite holes

Monte thought the par-4 second hole and par-3 eighth hole on the Red nine are ``pleasing to the eye,'' while the par-3 second hole on the White nine is ``very pretty and Scottish-looking.''

Alcina's favorite holes were the par-3 eighth hole on the Red nine because ``the water made the hole so beautiful,'' and the par-4 eighth hole on the White nine because ``the layout was very different with bunkers, sand, water and wild grasses.''

Rich thought the 366-yard, par-4 second hole on the Red was unique in its setup, and the 587-yard ninth hole of the White was ``a classic risk-reward hole with a great layout.''

Least favorite holes

Monte considered both the first and eighth holes on the White nine ``scary and penal.''

Alcina's least favorite hole was the Red nine's par-5 third hole because of the difficulty of the bunkers around the green.

Rich believes the 430-yard, par-4 first hole on the White nine is ``a little too tough, perhaps, for the average player.''

Contact ALAN BLONDIN at 843-626-0284.