Pine Lakes Earns New Historic Distinction

Pine Lakes Country Club has added a new distinction to its historic lore, having now been declared a Legacy Business by the Horry County Board of Architectural Review & Historic Preservation.

James Thompkins, III, vice chairman of the Horry County Board of Architectural Review & Historic Preservation, and Horry County Council Vice Chairman Bill Howard were on hand to present the award to Pine Lakes, in recognition of its “continued contributions to the economic heritage of Horry County.”

Founded in 1927 as Ocean Forest Country Club and designed by first-ever PGA of America President Robert White, Pine Lakes endures today as the Grand Strand’s first-ever golf club and, as such, is commonly referred to as “The Granddaddy” of Myrtle Beach golf. In the early 1950s it was the setting where a group of Time Inc. executives, while in town on a corporate retreat, conceived the idea of a weekly magazine dedicated solely to sports coverage. Sixty-four years later, Sports Illustrated remains the standard bearer of weekly sports publications.

Pine Lakes was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996, and in 2009 unveiled the completion of an extensive course renovation project spearheaded by Craig Schreiner. The Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame was established at Pine Lakes at that time, to honor the men and women who have played a significant role in the development of “The Golf Capital of the World.”

“We just see ourselves as caregivers of this historic property,” said Steve Mays, president of Founders Group International, who accepted this award on behalf of the company that owns and operates Pine Lakes. “We want to make sure that we preserve it and keep it to the highest standards for future generations to enjoy as well.”