Blackmoor Reopens as Course Completes Post-Hurricane Recovery

Blackmoor Golf Club, the sole Gary Player design in the Myrtle Beach area, has reopened after recovering from the effects of Hurricane Florence. See how General Manager Bob Zuercher and his team worked feverishly to get Blackmoor back in great playing condition.

Bob Zuercher, Blackmoor General Manager: The issue really became the frequent rainfall that occurred after the storm as well as it meandered along the coast, so it really hampered cleanup efforts and trying to get the course reopened or in a playable condition. Probably about four days following the actual landfall, we started to see the water levels rise. Blackmoor is situated along the Intracoastal Waterway and is adjacent to a number of those wetlands.

Over a period of three or four days, that water rose certainly to the level of Hurricane Matthew a couple years ago and then continued to rise to really a phenomenal level. That’s something we’ve not ever seen here in the history of the golf course.

Jay Noyes, Blackmoor Superintendent: As far as the green that went under (water), we took soil samples to find out where we are and what corrective measures we needed to take to amend any soil needs that are there. We have since also aerified that green to try to open it up and get some gas exchange and air exchange down to the roots.

Bob Zuercher: Really, (Oct. 3) will be the finishing touches, the final raking of the bunkers. We have a little bit of water that is still receding, so we’re still cleaning some edges to some degree. But the golf course will be as clean as it’s been since the last time we had to bring in a chipper and clean every square inch of the golf course, so it’s kind of exciting to know that we can open with a golf course that will be very playable and that will be as well cleaned and maintained as it’s been in a couple years.