COURSE REVIEW

The Founders is a gauntlet by any other name

ST. JAMES, N.C. (Aug. 30, 2004) - Who wouldn't be psyched out playing a golf course named "The Gauntlet"?

The name conjures up narrow fairways, punishing obstacles and physical pain. Why not just name it "The Guillotine?"

So they changed the name of "The Gauntlet" at the St. James Plantation to a more sedate, kind of boring, "The Founders." But they didn't change the course, and thus it remains the hardest of the plantation's three courses, and one of the more difficult along the Grand Strand.

The course, which has a slope rating of 151, is located at the northernmost point of the Strand, close to the seaside town of Southport, which begs to be described as "quaint." That's pretty nasty for your average bogey golfer, assuming he can even get on to play; outsiders are allowed tee times only after members have had their fill.

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What did architect P.B. Dye have in mind? Was he reading "Crime and Punishment" when he laid it out?

"I think he was smoking something," joked Founders head pro Rob Brothers.

It isn't overly long, at 7,016 from the tips, and it isn't even narrow; in fact, most of the landing areas off the tees are wide open. But once you get to your tee shot, wondering what to do from there, the long, strange trip begins.

"It has very wide fairways and allows you to hit driver pretty much whenever you want," Brothers said. "But, unlike most hard courses, this one gets harder the closer you get to the green. It narrows and presents more obstacles. He's playing with your short game a whole lot, testing you around the greens."

Miss the green here and you'll have an uneasy time getting up and down in any sensible number. There are nasty bunkers, deep and foreboding, and many of the bent grass greens drop off sharply, some on all sides, into other nasty hazards, including an abundance of water on the back nine. Some of the greens wait for you with wild angles, and when you manage to hit them, the story is a long way from over.

"You can talk about undulation," said Barry Walters, head pro at The Members Club, one of the plantation's other courses. "The greens at The Founders have swales. They're easily puttable, but you have to be where the flag is. Otherwise, you're up and down hills."

Is this good architecture, or is it something out of a Dali painting? For some, it's too much.

"Gimmicks," said a plantation resident, who didn't want to be identified. "I don't like it. I don't play there anymore."

It's the polar opposite of The Players, the plantation's other difficult course, which places demands on your tees shots.

The Founders has a bully sidekick, in Mother Nature. When the tide rolls in off the Atlantic Ocean and into the Intracoastal Waterway, the marshes and tidal pools get bigger - it isn't your imagination. There's more water to suck in your ball.

Also, it can get very breezy, with the ocean about a mile away, especially in the afternoons.

The scariest hole is No. 17. If you don't play from the tips, try it here anyway, for kicks. It requires a carry of about 240 yards over water and treacherous, marsh growth, from the gold tees.

"That's an awesome hole," said course marshal Frank Popelars. "Most people don't do very well there."

The par-3, 16th is a deceptively nasty little hole. There is water in front of and to the left of the green, which slopes toward the water, with a deep bunker to the right.

"That's probably my favorite hole," said Brothers. "When you stand on the tee box, it's only about 135-145 yards, and you're using a 9-iron or wedge. Yet it's probably the most demanding approach shot on the course. There's water on the left, but you don't want to miss it right, either, or you'll be facing a bunker shot with water in front of you."

The verdict

Most, but not all, agree this is the hardest of the plantation courses, and it's easy to see why. But, you shouldn't avoid it just because it can be difficult. It's fun to cut loose with your driver on most holes.

It's an interesting course to play for the first time, but it could get old after it's penalized you one too many times on shots you thought were solid.

As far as aesthetics, The Founders isn't a particularly relaxing or idyllic place to play golf. The back nine offers some good views of the surrounding marsh, but it's a typical residential golf community course, with houses along every hole, and the ongoing construction can be grating, offsetting the pleasant hum of homeowners mowing their lawns.

Also, be prepared for slow play. Most of the play comes from residents, and that includes four- and fives-somes, often retirees who feel they've earned the right to take their time.

"Mostly, members play here, and I'd say the average handicap is in the 15-25 range," Popelars said.

Places to stay

The St. James Plantation is on the Intracoastal Waterway, near the Cape Fear River, about five miles outside of Southport. It's just north of the South Carolina border, with Wilmington a short drive away.

If you go for this sort of thing - a ritzy, gated golf community where all the homes seem to look alike - this one certainly has the accolades. The plantation was twice named one of the best retirement communities in the U.S. by New Choices magazine, and was named one of the "100 best master planned communities in America" by Where to Retire magazine four years in a row.

Golf is definitely the focus, with three courses, all of which boast the Audubon stamp of approval, and a fourth, Jack Nicklaus- designed track in the development stage. There is also tennis, swimming, a fitness facility, a beach club, walking and biking trails and a full-service marina. St. James marketers like to go on and on about how retirees can lead an "active lifestyle."

There are about 3,000 home sites, with homes costing between $220,000-$1 million and home sites going for $40,000-$400,000.

Owners of the club villas sometimes rent long or short term through the plantation's property office.

Places to eat

The Founders has good food at its clubhouse to go with the marsh view. Definitely try the blackened grouper sandwich - superb - and the homemade broccoli soup.

Nearby Southport has a few good restaurants, including the Sandfiddler Seafood Restaurant, Thai Peppers and The Whale.

Fast fact

The course recently added more water hazards to No. 12; it now has water on three sides of the green.