ON THE ROAD

The Southern Beaches of Brunswick County

By Shane Sharp,
Contributing Writer

OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. (July 6, 2003) -- As you drive north on U.S. Highway 17 from Little River, S.C. and over the Stateline, the neon lights and high rise condos of Myrtle Beach give way to the family run seafood restaurants and rustic roadside gift shops of Brunswick County. Anchoring the southern end of this costal region are Sunset and Ocean Isle beaches -- two barrier islands filled with white sand and green fairways.

Due in no small part to the golf offerings of these pristine beaches, the region easily lives up to its billing as North Carolina's "Golf Coast." Brunswick County accounts for nearly one third of the courses counted among the Grand Strand's 120 layouts -- no kidding. As for Sunset and Ocean Isle, a strong sampling of daily fee facilities awaits the traveling golfer with open arms, and reasonable greens fees.

Tiger's Eye at Ocean Ridge Plantation in Sunset Beach recently was tapped by Golf Digest as one of the best public access tracks in the country. The Pearl Golf Links and Angel's Trace -- two 36-hole facilities a gap wedge away -- have been showered with praise since opening in the late 1980s and early '90s. The Dan Maples designed Oyster Bay long has been considered one of the most scenic courses in North Carolina. This roll call of vaunted Golf Coast venues also includes the 27-hole Thistle Golf Club and Panther's Run (Tiger's Eye's sister cat).

• Tim Cate trail • Savannah Golf Overview • On the Tim Cate Trail, Part III - The Thistle Golf Club

Tee it up in Sunset and Ocean Isle Beaches -- The Must Plays

Tiger's Eye at Ocean Ridge Plantation: This Tim Cate design is among almost every golfer's top 10 tracks in the entire Grand Strand. The first three holes -- a deceptive par-4, a postcard par-3 and a surreal par-5 -- are enough to cement the layout in your mind's eye for life. Cate produces one unforgettable hole after another until the 19th hole in the course's 20,000-square-foot clubhouse beckons. Keep an eye on Cate's unique approach to waste bunkers, attention to detail between holes, and putting surfaces (once described as warped plywood.)

The Pearl Golf Links, East Course: This water-soaked layout has more character than a Dickens protagonist. The course was gutted and rebuilt in 1999, and it shows on in the conditioning. While not trumpeted as one of the area's best courses by the "experts," locals will tell you the Pearl East is pound-for-pound one of the best plays in Brunswick County. The 6,793-yard circuit is capped by one of the best finishing stretches at the beach.

Angel's Trace, North Course: Angel's Trace architect Clyde Johnston cut his teeth with Grand Strand mainstay Willard Byrd. The tutelage is less evident on the North Course, which gives a subtle nod to the design elements of Scottish links style layouts. Students of golf course architecture will notice some similarities in the bunker styles (the flat ones, not the pots) and routing tendencies (think dogleg). The 547-yard, par-5 opening hole -- with its approach shot over water -- is a bold statement by Johnston that the North Course doesn't exist for scoring purposes only.

The Thistle Golf Club: "Ferocious, yet Fair" has been the moniker of the Thistle Golf Club since it opened in 1999. The 27-hole hole, Tim Cate designed facility is under new ownership, but the song remains the same: sublime conditions, 12-minute tee times, and make-you-blush service levels. Toss in three, linksy nine-hole circuits with flawless bentgrass greens, thick patches of native grasses and rows of chocolate drop mounding and you have yourself a must-play. If available, opt for the North/South nine combination.

Solid Seconds

The Pearl Golf Links, West Course: The West Course is considered the 18-holes of choice for high handicappers. A little wider and a lot dryer, it has a linksy feel reminiscent of la Angel's Trace North. The 604-yard, par-5 16th is one of the longest holes on the Grand Strand.

Angel's Trace, South Course: A friendlier version of its Angelic sibling, the South Course is stocked with shallow, negotiable bunkers and behemoth, subtly contoured greens. The North Course is the "player's" course, but the South holds its own when it comes to aesthetics.

Panther's Run: This often overlooked Tim Cate design (his first solo effort) is a 7,098-yard, more-than-respectable first draft of Tiger's Eye, replete with his signature waste areas and risk/reward holes. The majority of holes are well-crafted, and a handful are even visually stunning. Panther 's Run is routed through the headwaters of the Shallotte River and wetlands are in play on a majority of holes.

Off Course

If you aren't golfing, you are fishing. If you aren't fishing, you are working hard at doing nothing at the beach. This is the way it works around these parts (complaints have been kept to a minimum, as of this writing). The Hurricane Fleet (910-579-3660) in nearby Calabash offers half- and full-day charter trips, as well as specialty tuna and shark fishing tours. For prices and availability, log on to hurricanefleet.com.

Chow - Eating Out

Both beaches are refreshingly devoid of characterless "all-you-can-eat" and chain restaurants. For seafood lovers, Calabash is a five-minute drive south. Fried Grouper, Snapper, shrimp and scallops are the regional specialties, and they are all straight off the boat. Fed up with fish? An impressive array of Italian eateries and plenty of "cheeseburger in paradise" style local taverns await.

Roberto's in Ocean Isle scratches the itch for hearty Southern Italian. The Giggling Mackerel opened on June 11 along the Ocean Isle Causeway and the beach hasn't been the same since. The three-story seafood grill features a rooftop deck with sound and ocean views.

Next door, Sharky's is a local standby with above-average seafood offerings and serviceable, thin crust pizza. After hours, Victoria's Sports Bar on the land-lubbing side of the bridge is the place to be. If in need of a lumberjack breakfast, southern style, Big Nell's serves up biscuits and gravy, country ham, and grits. If it's date night, opt for The Isles Restaurant and Beach Club and an aged steak or fresh seafood entrée.

Stay and Play

The Islander Inn offers a tasty menu of stay and play options in conjunction with FORE Travel -- a Wilmington-based golf package company specializing in Brunswick County courses. Half the rooms at the beachfront inn face the sound; the other half look out on the Atlantic. All include access to the Inn's tennis courts, indoor pool and hot tub, and outdoor pool and sundeck. For rates and reservations, log on to islanderinn.com or fore-travel.com.