 |
|||||||||||
|
Courses
|
||||||||||
|
|
Beau Rivage
Resort & Golf Club Elevations up to 72 feet and scads of bunkers (including
two waste bunkers) place this course among the more dramatically landscaped
in New Hanover County. It is a semiprivate par 72 course in which water
hazards come into play on eight holes. Hole 4 (206 yards, par 3) is notable
for its island tee box for women and a carry that is entirely over water.
The course's greens, made of a genetically engineered form of bermudagrass
called ultra dwarf TifEagle, are well maintained and quite pleasing to
golfers. Beau Rivage offers a fully stocked golf shop, PGA instruction and
club rental. Memberships are available. A bar and grill serving breakfast
and lunch provides an attractive setting for post-round analysis. A 32-suite
hotel adjoins the clubhouse. Formal banquet facilities accommodating up to
250 guests are popular for weddings, corporate retreats and family reunions. |
||||||||||
|
Country Club of Landfall |
|
||||||||||
|
|
Golfing on Landfall's two superlative courses,
designed by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye and situated along the Intracoastal
Waterway, is for members (and their guests) of Country Club of Landfall. The
rewards for golfing members include challenges unparalleled on the majority
of courses. The par 72 Nicklaus course has added another nine holes, giving it a total of 27. Overall, the Nicklaus course is perhaps the less forgiving of the two. It looks easier on paper than it really is, thanks largely to the many carries over marshes and water. The "Marsh" 6th hole, for instance, is a tough par 3 playing 190 yards from the back, with little more than marsh all the way to the ocean. "Ocean" 8th hole's island green is backed with a bunker with a 5-foot forward lip. Another island green is the signature hole on the Dye course. Completely waterbound, hole 2 slopes away from the sand trap that collars half its perimeter. The Dye course is a par 72. Plenty of uneven lies, marshes and pot bunkers demand that players push the envelope of their game to the utmost. Members also have access to Landfall's
elaborate sports center, which has 14 tennis courts (with grass, clay and
hard surfaces) and an Olympic-size pool. In addition, members enjoy a
fitness center, aerobics room and spa services, as well as a casual grill,
formal dining rooms and lots of exciting social activities.
|
||||||||||
|
|
Echo Farms Golf & Country Club Some of the best features of Echo Farms are
its stands of moss-draped hardwood and some of the finest Tif-Eagle greens,
installed in 2004 along with new drainage, in the area. Rolling hills and
bunkers make for a challenging game. A former dairy farm (the original
farmhouse near the 17th hole is still occupied), it's now a par 72
challenge. Lakes come into play on nine holes. A driving range, practice
greens, grill, bar and snack lounge are open to all. Echo Farms has
developed a fine teaching facility, offering clinics and private lessons.
The course is 5 miles south of downtown Wilmington off Carolina Beach Road
(N.C. Highway 421). |
||||||||||
|
|
Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation |
|
|||||||||
This magnificent, 27-hole golf plantation with
“always perfect” bentgrass greens is located just 5 miles south of
Wilmington. Magnolia Greens hosted the PGA Tour Qualifiers in 1998 and 1999.
The course was rated as a top-five golf destination on the Carolina coast by
North Carolina Magazine's Executive Leaders Poll and was recently
awarded a four and a half star rating by Golf Digest. This
signature golf course provides five sets of tees for various skill levels,
making it challenging yet fair for all golfers. Magnolia Greens provides a
complete practice range and golf instruction. The facilities include a fully
stocked pro shop, great food at the bar and grill, food and beverage service
on the course, and friendly starters and rangers. Magnolia Greens is open to
daily public play and offers stay-and-play golf packages. |
|||||||||||
|
Porters Neck Plantation and
Country Club |
|
||||||||||
|
|
 |
Porters Neck is an aficionado's course, aesthetically perfect
and strategically challenging. Designed by Tom Fazio, this is a championship
course (par 72) that emphasizes careful club selection. Impeccably
maintained fairways undulate in sometimes deceptive fashion. Enormous waste
bunkers and lakes abound, some of which span from tee to green (holes 11,
13, 14). Distinctive waste mounds planted with native grasses add to the
course's character. Each hole presents conditions to make the most accurate
golfer uncomfortable, yet leave no player unfulfilled. About 6 miles from
Wilmington, this course winds through a private residential development
adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway. Public play is invited but limited. A
full-service pro shop and PGA–trained staff are available. The entrance gate
is a little more than a mile in from the property limit on Porters Neck
Road. |
|||||||||
|
Wilmington Golf Course Located in the heart of Wilmington lies this 1926 Donald
Ross classic. Measuring 6,564 yards, the course is both challenging yet
enjoyable regardless of one's ability. The course features the area's
most affordable rates and allows golfers to walk at any time if they so
desire. Perhaps the most unique design feature of the course is the
grass-banked bunkering. Get in the wrong spot and you could be in for an
adventure! The course annually hosts the Wilmington City Amateur,
attracting both top local and state golfers. The next time you tee it up
in Wilmington treat yourself to a round at the "Muni." For tee times
book up to one week in advance.
|
||||||||||
|
|
River
Landing Country Club Home to six U.S. Open Qualifiers, the 2001 Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2005 North Carolina Open, River Landing was rated one of the best courses in the state by North Carolina Magazine. The 36-hole layout combines artful landscape design and horticultural diversity with a variety of challenges from its five sets of tees. The Clyde Johnston–designed course features bentgrass greens and bermudagrass fairways and roughs. It totals more than 7000 yards from the back, with mixed elevations and carries over a variety of water hazards, including creeks, ponds and a river. The 6th, 8th, 16th and 17th holes hug the banks of the northeast Cape Fear River, while the 9th features par-resistant ravines. The signature 18th is a 402-yard, par 4 with a multi-tiered green; it's a dogleg left sloping downhill that dares you to avoid the ball-hungry bunker on the right. The elegant brick bridge is one of many aesthetic delights. Also featured are a driving range, putting
greens and snack bar. Though River Landing is a private course (play is open
to club members and their guests) in a golf community, each day six tee
times are available for outside play. The management welcomes corporate
outings, group functions and fund-raisers. River Landing is located about 35
minutes north of Wilmington; to get there drive north on I-40 to Exit 385,
N.C. Highway 41 East. Paddle Wheel Drive is a quarter-mile ahead on the
right.
|
||||||||||
|
Bald Head Island |
|||||||||||
|
Bald Head Island Club |
|||||||||||
|
|
If your idea of heaven is an island golf course
that can be reached only by boat or ferry, where cars are banned in favor of
golf carts and the course extends across an expanse of dunes overlooking the
Atlantic Ocean, the Bald Head Island Club is bound to fulfill your fantasy.
Much of this George Cobb–designed course follows the natural terrain carved
by wind and water, like the first courses in Scotland. Exposed greens on its
ocean side contrast sharply with interior holes, where palms, maritime
forests and the natural wildlife habitats surround the holes, which are
separated from fairways with virtually no playable rough. Awarded 4.5 stars
from Golf Digest's Places to Play and extremely demanding,
due as much to the ocean wind as to the late George Cobb's brilliant design,
this 18-hole, par 72 championship course is among the scenic gems on the
East Coast. Four sets of tees yield course lengths up to 6804 yards. Tee
times are required, and there is rarely an occasion when a preferred tee
time is not available. A driving range and snack bar are available as well.
|
||||||||||
|
Designer P. B. Dye called this his most challenging
course yet. Its many carries over water hazards have been described as
heroic, while its multilevel fairways, bulkheads and variety of grasses
are stamped with the Dye hallmark. The final three holes play into and
over a series of marshes and lakes for a spectacular finish. Five sets
of tees present a variety of plays. Most greens are elevated. The
Founders Club and its companion course, the Members Club are 4 miles
outside Southport and offer fine views of the Intracoastal Waterway. A
complete practice facility, pro shop and lessons are available.
Opened in 1996, this Hale Irwin–designed, par 72 course
utilizes the natural lay of the land to good effect, forgoing flashy,
amusement-park landscaping. The course has been called user-friendly,
although its proximity to the Intracoastal Waterway means winds can be
deeply trying. Watch out for the 15th hole, a par 5 with lateral water
hazards squeezing the fairway into a bottleneck about 200 yards down and
more water in front of the green — potentially an express ticket to
bogeyland. Tim Cate designed nine holes that were added to this course. The
entire facility has all the amenities of the most exclusive clubs, such as a
bar and grill, pro shop, practice greens and sand traps, a driving range and
on-site professionals. The St. James Golf Academy golf school at The Members
Club welcomes all ages. The Members Club invites nonmembers to be "members
for a day."
Designed by Tim Cate, this 18-hole golf course is
friendly and difficult. Watch out for the 6th hole, regarded as the most
challenging. The course is very aesthetically pleasing, with wild
flowers and heather grass in bloom all around. The course is in
excellent condition year round. The Players Clubhouse includes a fully
stocked golf shop, bar and grill. Private lessons are available. There
is also a practice range close by. The Players is open to the public. South Harbour Golf Links Operated by the Town of Oak Island, South Harbour Golf
Links is an 18-hole executive par three course. This exciting course is
woven within South Harbour Village and nestled along the Intracoastal
Waterway between historic Southport and the beaches of Oak Island. Designed
for a challenging and fun experience, the course has a layout that all
levels of golfers can enjoy. Rental clubs and golf carts are available, as
are a pro shop, food and beverage, a practice area and a putting green.
Soft spikes only please. Memberships are available. Lessons for kids and
adults, tournaments and camps are offered. Caswell Beach One of Brunswick County's vintage courses, this George
Cobb creation on Oak Island was designed in 1962. It is a forgiving
course (6720-yard, par 72 from the back tees) that can be enjoyed by
players of varying skills. Its wide bermudagrass fairways are relatively
short, lined with live oaks and tall pines and not overly fortified with
water hazards. But that ocean wind! The clubhouse is less than 200 yards
from the Atlantic, and sea breezes can frustrate even the best players.
Hole 9 may send you to Duffers Pub and Grill early. Even so, the Tif-Eagle
greens, driving range, putting green and swimming pool make this course
quite popular. Lockwood Folly
Country Club Lockwood Folly is a Willard Byrd–designed "hidden gem."
The par 72, 18-hole course is carved in a magnificent setting from a
100-year-old private hunting preserve, bordering the Intracoastal Waterway
and the Lockwood Folly River, with an ocean view. Lockwood Folly received a
Golf Digest Four Star Award for Places to Play in 2000, 2002 and
2004; a Best Golf Course Community 2002; Most Picturesque Course 2002
(finalist); and Friendliest Golf Course Staff 2002 (finalist) by the
Myrtle Beach Golf Magazine golfer voter poll. The course sports
excellent greens and Bermuda fairways and is always well maintained. For
your convenience, you will find a well-stocked pro shop, cafe, practice
range and turn room. Thirty minutes south of Wilmington, Lockwood Folly is
semi-private and open to the public.
Brick Landing Plantation With 41 sand bunkers and water hazards on 17 out of 18
holes, this handsome waterfront course was rated by Florida Golf Week
magazine as among the top 50 distinctive golf courses in the Southeast. The
Brick's fairways wind among freshwater lakes and through salt marshes,
offering striking visual contrasts and championship challenges. The 18th
hole finishes dramatically along the Intracoastal Waterway. The course is
6,586 yards and a par 71. At this writing the course is in the process of
being updated by Dan Maples and Amy Alcott, however, this in no way
interferes with playability. Amenities include practice facilities,
a restaurant and cocktail lounge. Instruction is available, and memberships
are recommended for flexible play times. The public is invited but play time
reservations are required.
Oyster Bay Golf Links The two signature holes at Oyster Bay Golf Links are sure
to push you to excel. The par 3 17th is one of two island greens and the par
4 13th has water on the right, which then becomes sand. This is an
exceedingly challenging and imaginative public course (par 70), featuring
stark elevations, deadly lakes and even a few trees smack in the middle of
some fairways. Oyster Bay is one of the area's five Legends courses. It was
voted Resort Course of the Year (1983) and among the top 50 public courses
in the country (1990) by Golf Digest. The notorious 3rd hole (460
yards, par 4) presents one of the course's toughest greens. Each cart is
equipped with club and ball cleaner, a cooler and ice. Beverage carts roam
the course. The management enforces a dress code, and fees tend toward the
medium-to-high.
Sea
Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center offers three golf courses and a choice of two clubhouses. Each clubhouse has a full-service golf shop. The Jones/Byrd Clubhouse is home to Magnolias Fine Food & Spirits, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the grounds as well are putting greens, a lighted driving range, a PGA–sanctioned Golf Learning Center and a Custom Clubs Store. More than 60,000 square feet of meeting and function space make it a great place for meetings, reunions or weddings. In fact, Sea Trail Golf Resort and Convention Center is the only N.C. resort to have been added to the prestigious list of America's Best Resort Courses of Distinction by Golfweek. Jones Course – This par 72 course opened in 1990 and, being a straightforward course with typical Rees Jones bounding, is a great course for all skill levels. Its wide emerald fairways with large mounds are surrounded by water. In fact, water hazards can be found on 11 holes. The large expanse bunkers make it an interesting and challenging course. Golf Carolina rates this course one of "100 Must-Play Courses of the Carolinas"; Golf Digest rates it 4 stars and "One of the Top 50 Courses in the Myrtle Beach Area"; Golfweek named it "2005 Best Resort Course" and it was a 2006 U. S. Open Qualifier Round course. The Jones course was also named one of the top ten courses along the North Carolina coast by the North Carolina Golf Panel. The Panel's rankings were reported in the April edition of Business North Carolina magazine in a special section spotlighting the state's best 100 courses. Maples Course – One of Dan Maples finest courses, this par 72 course sits among ancient live oaks and Carolina pines. Five of the holes wind along the Calabash Creek, where nature displays the beauty of southeast coastal wildlife. The course has A1/A4 bentgrass greens and is peppered with waste bunkers, one of which extends the full length of the fairway, adding to the challenge. This course is rated in the top 5 of the coastal region as "Best Conditioned Course" by NC Magazine; "America's Best Residential Course of Distinction" by Golfweek; and "One of the Top 50 courses in the Myrtle Beach area" by Golf Digest. The Maples Course was also selected by the North Carolina Golf Panel as one of the top 100 courses along the North Carolina coast. Byrd Course – The Willard Byrd Course, another par 72 course, is built around several very large man-made lakes in a beautiful setting. Strategically placed tee shots and exacting play is necessary with every hole requiring a different approach. The 18th hole is situated between two ponds and finishes at the Jones/Byrd Clubhouse. The Byrd Course is listed as "One of the Top 50 Courses in the Myrtle Beach Area" and is given 4 stars by Golf Digest. All three courses ranked among America's best in the
2007-08 edition of Zagat's Survey for "America's Top Golf Courses"
golfer's guide.
Carolina Shores Golf & Country Club Located near the shores of the historic fishing village of
Calabash, Carolina Shores achieved early recognition for its unique design
and was rated "#1 on the Grand Strand" by Golf Course Rankings of
America. One of the two courses on the new Shore Golf Tour, Carolina
Shores features rolling tree-lined fairways and well-protected Bermuda
greens. This is a shot-maker's dream with watery challenges and
strategically placed bunkers rewarding a player for skill rather than brute
strength. The clubhouse features a beautiful restaurant with 11 TVs, making
it one of the finest 19th holes anywhere.
The Pearl Golf Links Winding through a 900-acre, low-country pine forest on the
banks of the Calabash River, The Pearl Golf Links is known as the jewel of
the Carolinas. These two, par 72, Dan Maples–designed courses are unique in
character and will challenge you at every turn. After your round, sit and
relax in the newly renovated clubhouse, sipping your favorite beverage while
enjoying one of the many big-screen TVs. The Pearl is open year round.
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Brierwood Golf Club Brierwood was the
first golf community built along the South Brunswick Islands. About 7 miles
north of Ocean Isle Beach, it is a player-friendly, par 72, championship
course distinguished by plenty of freshwater obstacles and surrounded by
residential properties. Fourteen holes present water hazards, including part
of a 3-acre lake that traverses the 10th fairway. The clubhouse includes a
pro shop and the Blue Heron Bar & Grill, with its superb outdoor balcony
seating above a lake. The entrance to this semiprivate course with
well-manicured, traditional greens is just off N.C. Highway 179 at the
Shallotte town limit. |
|||||||||||
|
|
Rivers
Edge Golf Club & Plantation At Rivers Edge Golf Club & Plantation, ideally located in
the heart of southeastern North Carolina, you will find an Arnold Palmer
Championship Golf Course. Named by Golfweek as one of the top
residential courses in America, these 18 holes of signature golf with five
sets of tees and bentgrass greens wind along the riverbank. Elevation
changes that include six holes on high bluffs provide remarkable views of
the course and the Shallotte River. For your convenience you will find a
full-service clubhouse, locker rooms and a pro shop with trained staff. |
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|
Carolina National Golf Club at
Winding River Plantation Carolina National Golf Club is a Fred Couples signature
golf facility. It features 27 challenging holes arranged in three nines —
Egret, Heron and Ibis — named after the wildlife that inhabits this Audubon
Certified Sanctuary Golf Course. Set along the Lockwood Folly River and
carved out of low-country marshlands, the course offers an endless variety
of playing experiences and stunning natural beauty that will enchant every
visitor. Through its innovative design and multiple tee placements, the
course will thrill players of every skill level. In addition, Carolina
National Golf Club features a 14,000-square-foot putting and chipping green
and 320-yard driving range, which provide a great warm-up for the challenges
to come. In the clubhouse you will find the pro shop and the Plantation
Grille. It's a great place to relax with a drink or a meal after your round
of golf. Carolina National Golf Club is located 2.5 miles east of U.S.
Highway 17 along N.C. Highway 211 in Winding River Plantation.
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
Belvedere Plantation Belvedere is a narrow, par 72, 18-hole course with small
greens and water hazards. The length is 6370 yards with a slope of 125. Hole
3 stands out for its carry over water to an elevated green. Greens fees
range from $25 to $45, depending on the season and time of day. Reservations
are available and can be made far in advance. Belvedere has a small pro
shop, clubhouse and driving range on the premises. It offers PGA
professional lessons and three- to four-day golf schools with accommodations
provided. A snack shop is on the premises. |
|||||||||||
|
Castle Bay
Golf and Country Club |
|
||||||||||
|
|
Castle Bay offers authentic Scottish-style links with a
rolling terrain and natural indigenous grasses. This par 72 course has
lengths ranging from 5466 to 6713. Open to the public year round, seven days
a week from sunup to sundown, Castle Bay is about 2 miles off U.S. 17 on
Hoover Road in Hampstead. You can't miss the castle gates at the entrance.
Standard rates are $60 for weekend play between 7 AM and 1 PM; rates drop to
$55 in the afternoon. Weekday rates for play between 7 AM and 1 PM are $50;
tee off after 1 PM and the rate drops to $45. Reservations can be made in
advance. There is a practice complex, pro shop and restaurant on the
premises.
|
||||||||||
|
North Shore Country Club North Shore is among the best-conditioned
courses in the Topsail Island area, with a four-star rating from
Golf Digest. This course has 6866 yards, a 73.1 rating and a slope
of 135, with water coming into play on 10 of the 18 holes. Thick
Bermudagrass fairways and well-bunkered bentgrass greens place a premium
on accurate shots. This course is quite popular with Raleigh and
Triangle-area golfers, who come down to spend a day or two on the coast.
The course is built on both sides of N.C. Highway 210, and an
underground tunnel connects the two sides of the course. North Shore is
lined with homes and tall pine trees. Golfers can sometimes be surprised
by alligator sightings in the course waterways. The ninth hole is
memorable for its required 250-yard tee shot — anything less is in the
drink. Greens fees, including a cart, range from $40 to $78, and
reservations can be made up to a year in advance with a credit card.
Professional lessons, a driving range, a putting green, club repairs and
custom fitting are available. A clubhouse, bar and restaurant are on the
premises. A Holiday Inn Express is next door. Olde Point Golf and Country Club Olde Point is a mature, traditional
course, opened in 1975 and designed by Jerry Turner. Featuring
tree-lined fairways, scenic ponds and lakes, this 18-hole, par 72 course
is 6253 yards with a slope of 120. Greens fees range from $30 to $50
depending on the season and time of day. Fees include a cart. A reserved
starting time is required. The 11th hole is a long, narrow, 589-yard par
5 with a gradual dogleg that slopes laterally downward to the right into
the woods and consistently defies players' depth perception. It has been
recognized by amateurs and professionals alike as one of the toughest in
the area. Golf lessons are available and taught by a PGA pro. Olde Point
offers a pro shop, clubhouse, driving range, restaurant and snack bar. Paradise Point Golf Course at Camp Lejeune The golf courses of Camp Lejeune have recently been opened to the
public. These two military courses were built on flat terrain and are
considered easy to walk. The 18-hole Gold Course was renovated during
the summer of 1996 with new green resurfacing, fairway grass, bunkers,
five new ponds and only a few trees that can alter your shots. The
18-hole Scarlet Course has narrow fairways and well-bunkered greens.
Renovations were made in 2003-04. Additionally, numerous plaques have
been placed around the course identifying various historical sites on or
near Paradise Point. As an example, when hole 12 was being rebuilt 100
yards west of its original location, a suspected grave site was found.
Archaeologists searched the area and discovered an American Indian
burial ground. This area has been enclosed by a white fence and has been
designated and registered as a historical site. Green fees at this
course range from $26 to $28. |
|||||||||||
|
|
Rock
Creek Golf & Country Club Rock Creek is convenient to Emerald Isle, New
Bern, Jacksonville, Topsail Island and even Wilmington. This 18-hole, 7102
yard, Jerry Turner & Assoc.–designed par 72 features numerous water dangers
and pine tree–lined fairways with lush Bermuda carpeting. Onslow County's
first planned recreational community, the facility truly caters to its
golf-crazy residents. After a hot round of summer golf, the bar at the 19th
hole awaits you. The pro shop is open at 7 AM for all the early birds, and
lessons and clinics are available for every level of golfer. PGA Pro Rick
Morton calls Rock Creek his home, and you'll be tempted to do the same.
Topsail Greens is an 18-hole, 6200-yard, par
71 course featuring player-friendly, tight fairways, sand bunkers and
several holes with water hazards. The 17th hole, a 159-yard with a par 3, is
an island green playable only by a small bridge. The greens, similar to
those designed by Donald Ross, are cleverly contoured in a way that allows a
misplayed shot to roll off the putting surface. Greens fees range from $20
to $40 depending on the time of day and season. There are also special rates
for juniors, seniors and for play after 3 PM. Fees include a cart, and
reservations are accepted. A pro shop, snack bar, driving range, putting
green and chipping green are on the premises.
|
||||||||||
|
|
Continue to Driving Ranges |
||||||||||
