Carolina National Golf Club Installing New Champion Bermuda Greens

Carolina National, the Grand Strand’s only Fred Couples designed golf course, will have greens as smooth as its architect’s swing for years to come.

The 27-hole facility will begin a greens renovation project on June 5, installing Champion bermudagrass. The project will be completed nine holes at a time, allowing Carolina National to have 18 holes open throughout the process.

The Egret nine will be the first to get new greens, followed by the Heron. Work will begin on the Heron nine in late July, allowing ample time for it to be in prime condition for the fall golf season.

The Ibis nine will receive new greens next year.

The new ultradwarf bermudagrasses, led by Champion, have become the preferred putting surface in the South, where the summer heat makes maintenance of bentgrass very difficult, at best. Bermudagrass thrives in the heat and the new strands mimic the best qualities of bentgrass, providing a smooth, fast putting surface throughout the year.

[Golf Course Review: Carolina National is a Hidden Gem]

“Our goal is to have the best greens on the Beach,” said Steve Lee, marketing director at Carolina National. “The new greens will be in peak condition during October, the height of the fall season, and the bentgrass greens on the Ibis nine remain outstanding. We are also pushing over-seeding back to November, so the course will be in excellent condition from tee to green.”

Located along the North Strand, Carolina National is set on a stunning piece of property and was awarded 4.5 stars by Golf Digest’s prestigious “Best Places to Play” guide.


The Fred Couples design is home to three nines – the Heron, Egret and Ibis, all named for birds native to the sprawling coastal property. Couples, who has 20+ designs to his credit, doesn’t force his vision on a piece of land, choosing instead to craft a golf course that plays to the strengths of the property.


Carolina National Golf Club is an Audubon Certified Sanctuary Golf Course and its commitment to preserving the natural environment surrounding the layout is obvious.

 Nature’s primary gift to players at Carolina National is the Lockwood Folly River. The facility has six holes that play along the Lockwood Folly River on the Heron and Egret nines and the visuals are stunning.

In 2012, seven Myrtle Beach golf courses installed new greens and all of them choose bermudagrass.