Phase 2 of the highly anticipated renovation of King’s North at Myrtle Beach National is progressing on schedule. Led by architect Brandon Johnson, the acclaimed layout is slated to welcome golfers back for an early October reopening.
Johnson completed the front-nine redesign in the summer of 2024, and the Arnold Palmer original closed again on May 26, 2025, for the renovation of the back nine.
Drawing on his 17 years with the Arnold Palmer Design Group, Johnson is enhancing King’s North’s rugged aesthetic while reimagining its greens and surrounds. The result will be a course that offers golfers more strategic options on approach and recovery shots, in addition to striking new visuals.
“Players will discover familiar features that now stand out more prominently, both aesthetically and strategically,” Johnson said. “At the same time, several green surrounds have been completely reconfigured to introduce new challenges and greater variety.”
Among the highlights are significant updates to holes 10, 13, 15 and 16, where golfers will see dramatic changes in how the greens and surrounding areas play and appear. Johnson’s vision will also come to life most vividly on two of King’s North’s most prominent holes:
- The island-green par-3 12th – Johnson has expanded the putting surface and modernized the iconic “SC” bunkers, breaking them into seven distinct traps that still clearly form the letters.
- The par-4 18th – Once home to more than 40 bunkers, the hole will now feature fewer but equally impactful hazards, complemented by a green nestled against a linear pond edge on the right and a massive kicker slope on the left.
“One of the things that will be fun for players is seeing what’s brand new, what feels very similar, and what remains exactly as they remember it, but with a fresh look alongside the new elements,” Johnson added.
Founders Group International (FGI), which owns King’s North and 20 other Myrtle Beach-area courses, has fully backed Johnson’s vision.
“We have given Brandon free rein to renovate King’s North, and we were thrilled with the results on the front nine,” said FGI President Steve Mays. “We are equally excited about what’s taking shape on holes 10 through 18 and can’t wait to welcome golfers back to one of Myrtle Beach’s best courses.”
FGI has made significant capital investments across its 21-course portfolio, including recent work at Grande Dunes, Pine Lakes and TPC Myrtle Beach. With nearly a dozen renovations completed in recent years and more underway, the company continues to raise the bar for golf in the Grand Strand, cementing its place as the region’s premier course operator. For more information on King’s North, visit www.MyrtleBeachNational.com.
About Founders Group International
Founders Group International (FGI) is the foremost golf course owner-operator company in the Southeastern United States. Formed in 2014 through various purchases and the 2015 acquisition of National Golf Management, FGI owns and operates 21 golf courses (405 holes) in and around Myrtle Beach, S.C., America’s seaside golf capital.
Those courses include Pine Lakes Country Club, the “granddaddy” of Myrtle Beach area courses; TPC Myrtle Beach, host site of the 2019 NCAA Division I men’s golf regional and Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship; and Grande Dunes Resort Club, home of the Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center.
FGI administers www.MBN.com, a leader in online tee time bookings, as well as package outlet Myrtle Beach Golf Trips. With the help of Golf Insider’s 100 percent player-generated course ranking system, thousands of golfers plan and assemble their ideal golf itineraries through FGI’s assets, including “top 100 caliber” courses Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club, King’s North at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club, and more than 80 other Myrtle Beach area courses.
More information about Founders Group International is available at www.foundersgroupinternational.com, www.mbn.com or MyrtleBeachGolfTrips.com.
