Nearly a century after its opening, Pine Lakes Country Club has its sights set on an even brighter future. With its centennial approaching in 2027, Pine Lakes is in the midst of a tee renovation that will expand the course from four sets of tees to six, highlighted by the addition of a new set of forward tees and a blended “combo” option.

For architect Craig Schreiner, who is leading the effort, the goal is simple: make Pine Lakes more enjoyable for more golfers – now and in the future.

“Everybody will have the option to move up,” Schreiner said. “Not just older golfers, but juniors, women, beginners, everyone. When people move up, they start enjoying the course more, and they start seeing it on the scorecard.”

Schreiner, who oversaw Pine Lakes’ 2008 renovation, believes thoughtful tee placement is one of the most effective ways to improve the experience without altering the character of a golf course.

“The word I use is ‘spectrum,’” Schreiner said. “This creates a wider spectrum of players the course appeals to. You don’t have to rebuild greens or redesign holes, sometimes all you have to do is move people to the right tee.”

From an operational standpoint, the renovation gives Pine Lakes flexibility it hasn’t previously enjoyed. According to General Manager Kurtis Kuhn, the par-70 layout will feature six sets of tees with approximate yardages of 4,300, 4,800, 5,500, 6,000, 6,300 and 6,700 yards once finalized.

“It fills in the gaps,” Kuhn said. “Before, it felt like you either had a short par four or an extremely long par four. This smooths that out and gives players more options.”

While the front nine will see improvements, Schreiner believes the biggest impact will be felt on the back nine, where the new tees will shorten some holes enough to impact pace while softening the challenge for shorter players.

“Speed of play is going to pick up big time,” Schreiner said (pictured left). “Groups are going to move quicker because they’re not constantly struggling to cover impossible distances.”

The new tees, which should be ready for play this summer, will improve the Pine Lakes experience for golfers in the short and long term.

“We wanted to make sure it makes sense for the course and for the players,” Kuhn said of the project. “This gives us a set of tees for every type of golfer.”

As the oldest golf course in Myrtle Beach prepares to celebrate 100 years in 2027, the tee renovation reflects a thoughtful evolution, one that honors Pine Lakes’ past while embracing the modern game.

Photos for this feature from MyrtleBeachGolfTrips Instagram Account