FEATURE

On the Tim Cate Trail: Ocean Ridge Plantation

SUNSET BEACH, N.C. (July 1, 2003) -- I am on the Tim Cate Trail at Ocean Ridge Plantation with none other than Tim Cate. Actually, Cate and I are in his loaner Land Rover driving along the dirt corridors that will one day become Leopard's Chase golf course. The dashboard says it is 95 degrees and the dust from the SUV's tires mixes with the humid air as we exit the vehicle onto the par-5 11th hole.

We are standing on the back tee box, and all I can think about is my 3 o'clock tee time at Panther's Run and all the refreshing sports drinks and shady golf cart time that come with it. All Cate can think about is the risk-reward aspects of a hole that probably won't see its first golfer until 2005.

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"Man, this hole is going to be fantastic," he says in his soft Georgia drawl. "I love a hole like this. You've got options, man, and that is what it is all about."

Such passion for his profession. But it's hard to figure from whence Cate draws his inspiration. He never saw eye-to-eye with his mentor, Willard Byrd, and after nearly a decade as an independent golf course architect, Cate is yet to join the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Always guarded, he is reluctant to laud any of his contemporaries out of a misguided suspicion that potential clients might opt for their services over his.

Misguided, if only because Cate rarely pursues projects beyond his backyard.

Yet, the fervor he displays for these unfinished holes at Leopard's Chase leads me to believe his muse is beyond reproach. And the talent on display at Tiger's Eye just around the corner lends credence to my theory that this guy is one of the best designers no one knows about.

"I think Leopard's Chase will have a premium on accuracy," Cate says as we walk back toward the future green of the par-4 10th. "The back nines really goes through a unique piece of land. It is routed over some wetlands and some holes will have a target feel to them. It will take Tiger's Eye to the next level."

"Man, see if you can get on Tiger's Eye. It is better," he says. "Panther's Run has all those homes on it now."

Indeed it does. Those are the breaks when you are a real estate driven golf community in the Sun Belt. But the design at Panther's Run is nothing for Cate to be sorry about. If nothing else, the 7,098-yard track is a respectable first draft of Tiger's Eye, replete with Cate's signature aiming bunkers, waste areas, and risk/reward opportunities.

"My other courses have a lot more detail," Cate says. "It is vastly different than Willard's course here (Lion's Paw). I had my own style but it wasn't developed yet. It is a forgiving golf course. There is some water on a few shots. If you are fairly accurate, you should score well."

If you are fairly inaccurate, all is not lost. Playing the course from the 6,700-yard blue tees, I was able to post a good number despite the hang dog heat and a short game that left much to be desired. Despite Cate's warnings to the contrary, I was summarily impressed with his craftsmanship. The majority of holes were well-thought out, and a handful were even visually stunning.

And empty, due in large part to the oppressive heat. Plenty of time left in the day to scoot over to Tiger's Eye for an extra 18.

I think I've played Tiger's Eye 10 times since it opened in 2000. To be truthful, at one point (not so long ago) I disagreed with Golf Digest's assessment that the course was the third best on the Grand Strand. Upon further review, I am eating crow.

The first three holes are enough to cement the layout in your mind's eye for life. The par-4 first sets the tone with its raised fairway and potato chip contoured putting surface. The par-3 second has become one of the most photographed holes at the beach -- a majestic one-shotter with a raised green complex and bunkering that smacks of A.W. Tillinghast. The third is a surreal par-5 that appears to go on forever from the tee box. A Sandhills-like waste bunker to the right lends an eerie feel to the hole.

It goes on like this -- one unforgettable hole after another -- until you call it a day back at the 20,000-square-foot clubhouse. Cate's been fortunate in his brief career to work with some generous budgets. He says he had more than $10 million to spend at Tiger's Eye, and Leopard's Chase easily will exceed that figure.

Only time will tell if Cate can work with smaller budgets and less inspiring sites. Based on my jaunt down the Tim Cate Trail at Ocean Ridge Plantation, I'm not betting against it.