Here at Brays Island, we prides ourselves on our sporting and recreational amenities, including the 18-hole golf course designed by Ron Garl and surrounded by nature. With its current and future owners in mind, we have tee’d off a five-year plan to upgrade our beautiful golf course. Improvements to the scenic course include tree removal and fairway drainage, as well as course aeration in order to ensure that the owners can make the most of their time on the course year round.
During the first year of improvements, we’ve focused on tree removal, allowing for more sunlight to stream through the trees and illuminate the tees and greens. Enhancements including tree removal and improved drainage can be seen on holes 1, 5, 6, and 11. Canopy and root pruning, and drainage improvements allow for better air movement leading to enhanced turf growth as well as further leveling on the course. This part of the upgrades commenced in May of 2021 and owners are already seeing a positive impact on their golf game.
The second year of improvements will include a redesign of the 6th green, including an installation and rebuild process. These improvements will allow for this part of the panoramic course to attain USGA specifications, further enhancing owners’ experience on the nature-lined green. The third year of improvements will tackle multiple bunker rebuilds using the new “Billy Bunkers” drainage system. This system, regarded as the best bunker construction in the world, and its positive impact can already be seen on bunkers 11 and 14 and will soon be rendered for bunkers 7 and 9, as well.
The fourth and fifth year improvements will include further aesthetic enhancements to maintain and improve the beauty of our golf course. In order to incorporate a coastal, lowcountry feel, coquina, a rare form of limestone composed of the shell fragments, will replace mulch.
While golfers play through the winding course lined by oak, pine, and magnolia trees, they are already seeing a positive impact of these changes on their golf game. The improvements will maintain the integrity of the course, improve the infrastructure and upgrade playing surfaces in order to provide consistent playing conditions on our picturesque lowcountry golf course.