The Players Club has its version of 'Amen Corner'

ST. JAMES, N.C., (Aug. 28, 2004) - Amen corner at Augusta has spawned many imitators, some ironic, some not. The Players Club at the St. James Plantation in this southern North Carolina town has its own version, Nos. 6, 7 and 8.

"If you can get through these three holes one-over-par, you're playing some good golf," Players assistant pro Tom Wagner said, moments before he would do exactly that.

The local amen corner shouldn't detract from the difficulty of the rest of the course, which is considerable.

The course was designed by Carolinian Tim Cates, who is known for assembling layouts with the back-teers in mind.

"A left-handed designer who likes to design his courses for left-handers," Wagner said. "He also designed it from the back tees. Hence: The Players.' "

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In fact, The Players' slope rating of 150 is just one digit lower than The Founders, the St. James course that routinely mesmerizes and frustrates with its complicated and unnerving green complexes.

The Players puts unsightly numbers on your scorecard for different reasons. It is demanding off the tee, for one thing, with narrow fairways and several long carries.

It is the third and newest course at the plantation, which lays out along the Intracoastal Waterway about five miles outside of Southport, not far from Wilmington.

The course is not overly long, at 6,940 yards from the back, gold tees. Nor does Cates throw smoke and mirrors at you when you hit it close, like P.B. Dye does at The Founders.

"The green complexes here tend to be pretty flat," Wagner said. "Bigger greens in general."

But it demands accuracy as well as length on many holes. Like in the aforementioned amen corner, which starts with the sixth hole, the No. 1 handicap hole. A dogleg right, No. 6 entices you to cut the corner.

"It's misleading," Wagner said. "Most people try to get it as close to the trees on the right as they can. But, you cut yourself off from the green. You're better off left."

The problem is, if you go too far left, you're faced with a whale of a second shot over a vast waste area to reach the green. This is a hole where you need to hit it right down the middle to have a chance at scoring well.

No. 7 is a 191-yard par-3 that requires another carry over a waste area, with deep bunkers to the right and behind the green. If you're going to miss it, miss it short.

No. 8, a 418-yard par-4, dogleg left, has trees on both sides, a big waste area on the left, and a fairway that narrows to a funnel.

The fun doesn't end there, though. Wind that comes sweeping off the Atlantic Ocean to the east is usually a factor.

The ninth hole, for example, almost always plays into the wind, sometimes a two-club wind if you hit the ball high, above the trees. The domed green has a false front, and, hit incorrectly, your approach will easily fall off.

No. 14 wreaks a lot of havoc, Wagner said. There is a bulk-headed pond to the right of the green as well as protecting bunkers.

The 534-yard, par-5 15th hole is just long: "It's only reachable by the stout of stick," Wagner said.

No. 16 is 444 yards uphill all the way, with a carry off the tee, the second-hardest hole of the course for men.

"This, I think, is one of the best holes on the course," Wagner said. "The carry is only about 140-150 yards to clear the gorse, but people tend to hit it right. You need to hit it left. This hole, for some reason, tends to give people fits."

No. 17 is another long carry from the golds, and even from the white tees it's about 190 yards. It's so intimidating, the local rule is to drop on the other side of the ravine if you don't hit it over.

They've softened the course somewhat for the women and seniors, of which there are plenty on the plantation. Women can play No. 6 and 17 as par-3s.

There is some debate on which course is the harder of the two, The Founders or Players. To some, they're equally as tough; it's just a matter if you want to struggle off the tee or around the green.

"I've played all three courses here," said Ron Matlock, a 15-handicapper from Pennsylvania. "This one and The Founders are the hardest."

The verdict

The Players is obviously harder off the tee than The Founders, and you have to be a strong hitter to reach some of the greens. It makes you think more off the tee than The Founders, whose treachery doesn't start until the green approaches.

Despite its high slope rating, it is imminently playable, even for bogey golfers, if they can get through those holes with the devilish carries.

The Players is the least developed of the plantation's three courses, opening in 1997, and so is saturated with fewer homes to intrude. The back nine, for example, has few houses built along the holes.

The club allows outsiders to play only when members haven't snapped up all the tee times. If you can get on, this course is definitely worth the $67 green fee.

Stay and play

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 and $1 million and home sites going for $40,000 to $400,000.

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

Dining out

The Players doesn't have a clubhouse yet; it's due to be finished the end of the year, but there is the good food at the nearby Founders clubhouse.

Nearby Southport has a few good restaurants, including the Sandfiddler Seafood Restaurant (457-6588), Thai Peppers (457-0095) and The Whale (278-7500).

Fast fact

The course recently renovated its irrigation system, tees, bunkers complexes and cart paths.