New golf course openings are few and far between in the Grand Strand these days, so it’s pretty big news a shiny new course will open this week: The Founders Club in Pawleys Island, just south of Myrtle Beach. It’s the first to open in the Grand Strand since Leopard’s Chase to the opposite end of the Strand in North Carolina.

The Founders Club is located on the same site as the old Sea Gull golf course, a Myrtle Beach classic that opened in 1966. But this is no simple redesign job.

The existing course was blown up entirely, and Thomas Walker (former lead man for Gary Player Design) came in and created a 7,000-plus championship course. The Founders Club will compete among the South Waccamaw Golf Trail’s many fantastic, upscale golf courses like Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Plantation and the TPC of Myrtle Beach.

After course officials decided to hold of on opening the course this fall, The Founder’s Club opens to the public Friday.

Stay tuned to WorldGolf.com next week for a full review of Myrtle Beach’s only reported course opening for 2008.

To comment to this golf blog, click here.