Ocean Isle's
Brick Landing Plantation -
the "Brick"

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

OCEAN ISLE, NC - "The Brick", as it has been dubbed by locals, may be as hard find as its namesake, but it's certainly not as hard to play.

The Brick is riddled with water, but this beautiful layout - designed by often overlooked architect H.M. Brazeal - will only put the screws to long hitters that tend to spray the ball all over the place.

• An overview of Ocean Isle Beach Golf Course • Past Myrtle Beach course reviews and features

Translation: bring your Jeff Maggert/Fred Funk/Colin Montgomerie game off the tee, and you will be able to score at Brick Landing.

"It is a shot makers course," adds Budwin. "Somebody that is long does not have an advantage here.

If you had to put a label on the Brick, stylistically, Budwin leans more towards traditional - although the course has a slight links-style aura about it, considering its location.

"It may look like a links style course from the pictures, but its not," says Budwin affirmatively. "The great thing about this course is that it changes everyday, with the wind - it makes it play like a totally different course."

But now matter which course its playing like, the Brick brings the same beautiful setting to the table each day - a landscape that includes Carolina Oaks, Pines as well as Willow trees.

And Brazeal had the foresight to realize that a course laid out along the water doesn't need a lot of "tricking up" up to be challenging layout.

"There is not a lot of mounding on the course," says Budwin. "The course is very well bunkered on both the fairways and greenside, but for the most part, they are target and not penal."

The signature hole at the Brick is the par-4, 400 yard 18th - a solid finishing hole and perhaps the prettiest on the course. From an elevated tee box looking out to the Atlantic Ocean, the tee shot is to a gradually narrowing landing area flanked by the clubhouse on the left and the Intracoastal Waterway on the right.

A good tee shot leaves a mid to short iron to a green that slopes mildly from left to right.

"The 18th is a gorgeous hole right along the Intracoastal," adds Budwin. The Intracoastal is on the right, a big pond is on the left, and there is another pond in front of the green so you can't roll it up."

Brick Landing Plantation opened back in 1985, when many Grand Strand courses were just ideas. The vegetation is refreshingly mature, and the greens are as established as Calabash seafood. All in all, it's just not another brick in the wall.

For tee times call (800)438-3006 or (910)754-4373 within North Carolina