GOOD WORKS
That same philanthropic spirit that led to the founding of the Muni many years ago now drives its makeover.
City Council to establish it as the only desegregated public or
expand the ponds that buffer the course from the river, using
private golf course in the state.
the excavated material to raise the fairways three to four feet
Throughout its ninety-year history, the Muni has
in some spots.
experienced its share of wear and tear. While the average
Additionally, they will restore the greens to their original
golf course hosts twenty to thirty thousand rounds a year, the
size and reconfigure the tee boxes to accommodate the high
Muni endures more than fifty-five thousand rounds. From the
volume of play. They will rebuild and relocate the bunkers
constant foot traffic to the impact of countless golf swings,
across the course to reflect the evolution of the game,
this overplaying has taken its toll.
equipping the Muni as a challenging test for golfers of various
And the Lowcountry’s day-to-day shifting landscape
skill.
adds to the impact. With each passing tide, the Stono River
“It’s what we in the golf business would call pure golf
swells and spills into surrounding marshlands, creeping ever
because there’s no other real estate around it,” says Leonard
so closer to a steadily sinking course. The deluges common
Long, one of the original developers of Kiawah Island and a
in the warm, damp spring and summer months inundate the
member of the Friends of the Muni. “It’s always nice to find a
course with even more water.
jewel like the Muni that can be brought back to life—where we
“The Muni is closed a lot because it’s so darn wet,”
can bring back an atmosphere that is free of distractions.”
says Atkinson. “Some of those holes along the river are just
That same philanthropic spirit that led to the founding
unplayable for weeks on end. We want to fix the drainage
of the Muni many years ago now drives its makeover. As the
problems the course is dealing with.”
tournament wraps up, the winning foursome high-fives on
That job falls to Troy Miller, head of Miller Golf Design.
the back lawn at the Clubhouse and everyone enjoys cocktails
Miller, a Charleston native, began his career working at
in the fading late afternoon light. Last night’s auction and
Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. Early on, he advocated for the
today’s tournament raised more than $190,000, pushing the
renovation of the Muni, and it’s his job to restore the course
organization closer to its $1.5 million goal and the ultimate
to its prime playing condition. To do so, his team aims to
mission of restoring the Muni to its former glory.
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