What's Next at Cherokee Valley: Four Things to Look for in the Near Future

If you’ve played Cherokee Valley over the past few months, you’ve likely seen a lot of work going on with the bunkers. P.B. Dye golf courses, and Dye family golf courses in general, require a lot of “TLC” when it comes to these sandy hazards. Especially in areas that receive plenty of rain. But there’s an enhancement plan for every bunker on the course, and the goal is to have them all completed (and a few eliminated) over the next 36 months.

The grandest plans pertain to the green on the par-4 18^th hole, perched just below the outdoor patio at Core 450. The entire green complex will be relocated to the left (if you’re looking at it head on, like you were playing the hole). New drainage will be installed under the green leading out to the other side (near the cottages) where there will be a water feature and small waterfall.

Golf courses contain anywhere from five to seven miles of cart paths. Concrete (especially the textured varieties) is the most expensive paving material, whereas chip and seal, asphalt (a.k.a. blacktop) and blended asphalt are the least expensive. There’s also a movement afoot for organic materials, like decomposed granite and crushed gravel, and some Florida courses even use crushed shells.

Cherokee’s cart path network is primarily concrete, a surface that while smooth when first installed, is inflexible and subject to hemming and cracking. Numerous young trees were planted alongside the paths during the course’s construction in the 90s. As they grew, so did their roots, which began to protrude up through the concrete. Plans call for replacing sections disrupted by roots with a flexible, asphaltic surface for a smooth ride around the course.

We’re fortunate that the terrain at Cherokee Valley is unlike any other golf course in the Upstate. It’s part of the allure. Especially on the back nine, which is a veritable roller-coaster ride through the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills. But with elevation changes come creeks and streams, and with creeks and streams comes the need for bridges. The cart bridge on hole No. 18 will be replaced, as will the cart and walking bridges on No. 14.

The supply chain challenges impacting the entire country due to the pandemic have been felt here at Cherokee Valley. Materials for repaving the entire parking lot have been on order for months, but Jennings says they’ll arrive soon and the project will get underway. If you’ve been inside The Venue lately (formerly the Event Center), you’ve noticed the new interior enhancements. And long-term plans call for creating a landscaped garden in the space occupied by the old tennis courts.