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Sailing, fishing and water sports are popular along the North Carolina coast, but golfers have also discovered it as a desirable destination from the Brunswick Islands – known as “North Carolina’s Golf Coast” – all the way up to the Outer Banks. Water flows through courses abutting the beach or bounded by marshes and maritime forests, and an ocean breeze is a constant and often unforgiving playing companion.
1 Kilmarlic Golf Club
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1 Kilmarlic Golf Club
Powells PointSee on map
Play your way through canopies of oak, pine and dogwood on a course that embodies Outer Banks beauty across 605 acres of maritime forest and wetlands. Though not a long layout, Kilmarlic is a challenging one, expertly bunkered and laced with water hazards – like the pond at the second hole, which you’ll see again at the 11th, a par 3 with an island green.
2 Occano
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2 Occano
Merry HillSee on mapMore than half the holes on this recently updated Arnold Palmer-designed course offer cart-stopping views of Albemarle Sound and Salmon Creek, particularly the par-three 17th – good luck keeping your eye on the ball and the flagstick. Wide fairways and frequent breezes invite aggressive driving (à la Arnie’s hitch-up-your-pants style), but beware of challenging bunkers. The course is surprisingly rolling for the coast.
3 Leopard’s Chase at Ocean Ridge Plantation
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3 Leopard’s Chase at Ocean Ridge Plantation
Sunset BeachSee on mapBoth Golf Digest and GOLF magazine named Leopard’s Chase one of their "Top 10 Best New Public Courses" when it opened in 2007. The course design has made believers out of visiting players with its masterful use of natural and man-made water features, including a dramatic waterfall that fronts the steeply sloped 18th green.
4 Bald Head Island Club
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4 Bald Head Island Club
Bald Head IslandSee on mapMounds, waving native grasses and massive waste bunkers dynamically frame a Tim Cate creation that is visually stunning and delivers a resounding golf experience. Cate’s extensive reworking of the original George Cobb design was honored as one of America’s top five renovations in 2011 by LINKS magazine. Note: You'll need to register for a guest pass to play here.
5 Nags Head Golf Links
5 Nags Head Golf Links
Nags HeadSee on mapLike any good Scottish-influenced links course, this Outer Banks favorite lets its prickly edges show, and it relies on the steady wind off the ocean and sound for protection. The windswept holes along the Roanoke Sound have been singled out as among the most beautiful on the East Coast – but beauty can also be a beast with tees and greens often separated by dunes, water and sea grass that require well-executed shots.
6 The Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation
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6 The Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation
HertfordSee on mapDesigner Dan Maples had a talented collaborator – Mother Nature – in carving out this course along Albemarle Sound. Holes ease through statuesque pines and moss-laden cypress trees, crossing ages-old marshes and waterways. The last three holes are especially memorable, thanks to amazing views of the Sound. The entire right side of the par-four 18th borders the water, letting you finish with a splashy flourish.
7 Lockwood Folly Country Club
7 Lockwood Folly Country Club
SupplySee on mapBuilt on a former hunting preserve by respected architect Willard Byrd, the meandering links-style layout is bordered by Lockwood Folly River and the Intracoastal Waterway, and close enough to the ocean to hear the surf. The club’s off-the-beaten-path location also contributes to a pleasurable and peaceful outing.
8 Beaufort Club
8 Beaufort Club
BeaufortSee on mapThis local favorite was designed by Bob Moore and claims some of the best greens in the eastern part of North Carolina. Broad, pine-lined fairways beckon, but lurking always are water and fingered bunkers.
9 Sea Trail Golf Resort (Dan Maples Course)
9 Sea Trail Golf Resort (Dan Maples Course)
Sunset BeachSee on mapTwisted ancient oaks and tall pines frame what many players consider one of Dan Maples’ finest efforts. Though only medium in length by today’s standards, the layout demands accuracy for good scoring with well-bunkered, undulating greens the last line of defense. One testy stretch of five holes stretches along scenic Calabash Creek.
10 The Currituck Club
10 The Currituck Club
CorollaSee on mapCarved out by designer Rees Jones along the Currituck Sound, this rambling layout draws rave reviews from players and high rankings from influential golf pubs. This design combines a traditional approach with links-style features as it winds across coastal terrain and through a maritime forest.
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