The King’s North course at Myrtle Beach National in South Carolina closed this month for the start of a two-part, two-year renovation that promises to modernize a layout originally designed by Arnold Palmer in 1973.
Brandon Johnson, a longtime lead architect for Arnold Palmer Design Company, has been hired to breathe fresh life into the public-access Grand Strand layout that was last overhauled by Palmer in 1996. Johnson started his eponymous firm this year after Palmer Design wound down operations.
Before the renovation, King’s North ranked No. 11 on Golfweek’s Best list of top public-access courses in South Carolina.
“We are looking to honor some of the things Mr. Palmer was trying to achieve here,” Johnson said in a media release announcing the work. “He always wanted his courses to be fun to play and pleasing to the eye and that’s what this course is, but there are some strategic and playability elements we can add to enhance the experience. We are looking to build upon what’s here by using the existing contours and landforms more effectively and incorporate them into everyday play.”
The first stage of work involves the front nine and is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 1. The second stage will be conducted in the summer of 2025, at which time the clubhouse also will be renovated. Course work will focus on:
- Greens will be restored to their original size, reclaiming 30,000 square feet of putting surface for a 36-percent increase. The greens will be grassed with TifEagle ultradwarf Bermuda.
- Each bunker will be renovated and will feature Capillary Concrete liners to improve drainage and playability.
- There will be significant changes to the layout with an emphasis on reimagining green surrounds. That includes removing artificial mounds that currently limit creativity and ground-game options.
- The course features rugged-looking bunkers that highlighted the naturally sandy soil, and Johnson plans to lean into that aesthetic for the renovation.
King’s North is one of three Palmer-designed layouts at Myrtle Beach National alongside the West Course and South Creek. The club is owned by Founders Group International, which owns and operates 21 courses around Myrtle Beach.