It has been a year since the final piece of a two-year renovation at King’s North was completed, giving golfers plenty of time to experience the transformed Arnold Palmer design.
The front nine was renovated in 2024, followed by the back nine in 2025, completing a project that touched nearly every part of one of Myrtle Beach’s most recognizable golf courses.
Now, with a full year of play on the completely renovated layout, we caught up with Ryan Ruddy, PGA General Manager at Myrtle Beach National, to find out how the finished product has been received, how King’s North has changed strategically, and which parts of the renovation might be even better than golfers realize.
For Ruddy, the answer to whether the project accomplished what it set out to do is an easy one.
“In my opinion, I believe that it exceeded the goals,” Ruddy said. “Obviously, we had plans in place to expand the greens and change some areas, especially areas in between holes, and the finished product now is unbelievable.”
A New Look Golfers Notice Immediately
For golfers who played King’s North before the renovation, the transformation doesn’t take long to reveal itself.
Ruddy said standing on the first and 10th tees provides an immediate indication of just how different the course looks.
The renovated bunkers, bright white sand and zoysia bordering bunker edges have helped create a cleaner, more modern presentation from tee to green.
“The feedback we’re hearing from most of the golfers is just how pretty it looks from tee to green with the new bunkering and the white sand,” Ruddy said. “They added zoysia to the edge of the bunkers, and it gives you that private-club feel. That’s what people are coming in and saying.”
But the transformation isn’t simply about aesthetics.
Bigger Greens Have Created More Possibilities
One of the biggest parts of the renovation was reclaiming putting surface that had gradually been lost as greens naturally shrank over the years.
Approximately 30,000 square feet of putting surface was restored as golf course architect Brandon Johnson brought greens closer to their original dimensions while also introducing new contours and strategic possibilities.
Johnson, who led the two-year King’s North renovation through Brandon Johnson Golf Course Design, spent 17 years with Arnold Palmer Golf Design. That connection made him a natural fit for a project that sought to modernize King’s North while remaining respectful of Palmer’s original vision for the course.
“We brought the greens back out to the original sizes, which, as you know, greens shrink over time and it was definitely needed,” Ruddy said. “But he also changed them a little bit, adding different slopes and backboards.”
For the maintenance team, the additional putting surface provides considerably more flexibility.
Instead of relying on many of the same hole locations, King’s North can now offer golfers a different look depending on where the flag is positioned.
“We can really get creative, especially for tournaments or even your normal play,” Ruddy said. “We can make sure the golfer hasn’t seen that same pin if he’s been playing.”
And for golfers, those expanded greens have introduced another element that is becoming increasingly noticeable a year into the renovation: creativity.
King’s North Isn’t Just Longer — It’s More Strategic
Look only at the scorecard and the challenge of the renovated King’s North can be deceiving.
From the back tees, the course remains under 7,000 yards. But Ruddy cautions golfers against using yardage alone to determine how difficult the course will play.
“It’s under 7,000, but you’ve got to remember there’s water on 17 of the 18 holes out there, so you can get in trouble relatively quickly,” Ruddy said. “Couple that with the new bunkers, and it’s a good test from back there even though it’s not your quote-unquote over 7,000.”
The renovation added more contour to greens, challenging hole locations, false fronts and runoff areas that put a greater premium on the short game and approach play.
A shot that narrowly misses its target might now catch a slope and move farther away from the hole — or even roll back toward a golfer’s feet.
That increased challenge is reflected in the course rating and slope, particularly from the back tees.
But King’s North isn’t intended to challenge every golfer in the same way.
The course features five sets of tees, giving players the opportunity to select a distance that best matches their game.
“The golfer can choose their adventure with the tee sets,” Ruddy said.
That combination — greater strategic challenge paired with multiple tee options — allows King’s North to test accomplished players without taking away the playability that has helped make the course a longtime favorite among visiting golfers.
More Ways to Play a Golf Hole
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the renovation is that not every approach shot has to be played through the air.
Johnson incorporated slopes, backboards and openings that allow golfers to use the ground to their advantage.
Ruddy points to the par-4 second hole as an example.
It’s the shortest par 4 at King’s North, but the renovated green complex provides golfers with options that didn’t previously exist.
“What he did with the green is he created so much backboarding where, if you want to get creative, you can run shots in,” Ruddy said.
That concept was an important part of Johnson’s approach throughout the renovation.
“I think that was Brandon’s biggest motivation,” Ruddy said. “How do we make it so you don’t have to hit your stock wedge shot into every hole? How can we run balls up and get creative?”
Those options can benefit accomplished players capable of intentionally using slopes, but they can also help higher-handicap golfers who prefer to play shots along the ground.
No. 13 Emerges as a Favorite
Ask golfers about King’s North and three holes have traditionally dominated the conversation: the par-5 sixth, better known as “The Gambler,” the par-3 12th with its
famous South Carolina-shaped bunkers, and the finishing hole.
But one year after the renovation, Ruddy believes there is much more to the course than its “Big Three.”
One hole that has become one of his personal favorites is No. 13.
The teeing area was shifted to the right, providing a better angle for golfers who want to challenge the corner. The green complex was also transformed, including contours that can funnel shots toward the target.
“One of my favorites now is 13,” Ruddy said. “The tee shot opens up a little bit more. We’ve taken the tee box and moved it to the right, giving you more of a shot to cut the corner.”
Then comes the approach.
“What he did with the green is he kind of created a punch bowl,” Ruddy said. “If you hit it long left or long, everything kind of funnels back, which is pretty cool. It’s something we never had before.”
It’s an example of how the renovation impacted holes that may not have historically received the same attention as King’s North’s most recognizable designs.
If You Want to Understand the Renovation, Stand on No. 12
If Ruddy could take a golfer who hadn’t played King’s North since before the renovation to just one spot to demonstrate the magnitude of the project, his choice would be No. 12.
Not simply because of the famous South Carolina-shaped bunkers surrounding the par 3, but because of everything golfers can see from there.
The SC bunkers are now more prominently presented from the tee. Look toward No. 13 and the redesigned teeing area and expansive waste area come into view. Look across the property toward No. 3 and even more of the bright white sand that now defines the course is visible.
From that vantage point, the scope of the transformation becomes apparent.
“You can really sit there and go, ‘Wow, you renovated this to this magnitude?’” Ruddy said. “And it’s like, yes, we did.”
More Than The Gambler
King’s North’s identity will always be connected to its signature holes.
The Gambler remains one of Myrtle Beach golf’s most recognizable risk-reward challenges. The SC bunkers on No. 12 remain unmistakable. And No. 18 continues to provide a memorable conclusion to the round.
But a year after the renovation was completed, one of the most significant accomplishments may be what happened everywhere else.
No. 2 asks golfers to think differently around the green. No. 13 offers a new strategic decision from the tee and creativity on the approach. Expanded greens provide more hole locations. New slopes can punish a miss or help funnel a well-planned shot toward the flag.
And throughout the course, the modernized bunkering and presentation have given King’s North a noticeably different look.
Even the course’s new logo was designed with an eye toward connecting its past and present. The spade and “KN” maintain the card-playing theme associated with The Gambler while giving King’s North a more modern identity.
“We wanted to really keep the Gambler theme,” Ruddy said. “The spade and the KN kind of keep that gambling feel, that playing-card feel, but now it looks like that private logo we were searching for.”
For years, a conversation about King’s North could quickly become a conversation about three famous holes.
A year after the completion of its transformation, there is a lot more to talk about.
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