Charleston to renovate ‘the muni’ golf course

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Charleston is planning to renovate its municipal golf course for the first time in nearly six decades.

The $3 million renovation, set to begin next year, will include drainage projects; reshaped and expanded tee, greens and fairway surfaces; and a tree management program to promote the health of the course’s turf.

“At the end of the day, what this project should provide is a maintainable, visually appealing, playable golf course that will challenge players — fairly challenge players of every level,” said golf course architect Troy Miller, who created the renovation plans. “I hope in a few years, we’ll all be able to look back and look at this plan … and hopefully it’ll look as good, if not better as what we have envisioned today.”

The renovation to the course, known locally as “the Muni,” will be carried out nine holes at a time so that the course remains playable during construction. Work is expected to begin in December 2019 and take approximately 15 months to complete, Mayor John Tecklenburg said.

“It’s going to create a really lasting, beautiful course and … make amends for flooding and drainage that occurs down along the Stono River,” adjacent to the course, Tecklenburg said.

The city is planning to use $1.5 million in recreation bond funds to pay for half of the renovation, with the other $1.5 million raised through a private fundraising campaign led by former Kiawah Island developer Leonard Long and Jordan Phillips, partner at Kiawah Partners.

Tecklenburg said the city will ask private golf courses to donate a portion of their fees to the course renovations. Kiawah Island Club has already committed to donating, Phillips said, and Tecklenburg said other courses will be asked to donate $1 to $2 per round played.

“It truly can be a collective effort of the golfing community of Charleston,” the mayor said.