NSG_Winter2017

on my mind
CAROLINA
8 >>> WINTER 2017
Day 1
After an uneventful flight into Wilmington, N.C.,
we headed to one of the newer and most celebrated
additions to the Brunswick Islands, Cape
Fear National at Brunswick Forest in nearby
Leland, N.C. Opened in 2010, this par 72, 7,217-yard
gem meanders through the Brunswick Forest and is
just 10 minutes from downtown Wilmington. An unmistakable
trademark of Cape Fear are the long and
winding waste bunkers that elegantly frame so many
of the holes. The original footprint had no
natural water hazards, but you never would have
guessed that as renowned local architect Tim Cate
squeezed watery graves seemingly into every nook
and cranny, often outlined by the course’s wispy
signature fescue. With a slope of 138 there is certainly
enough to make Cape Fear as intimidating as Robert
De Niro’s character in the movie of the same name,
but it should not be missed and as I found out rather
quickly, you do get a great roll in those waste bunkers.
The first of three great dinners found us at The
Boundary House in nearby Calabash, N.C., where
the scallops and crab cakes easily lived up to the area’s
billing for sumptuous seafood and the Dogfish Head
IPA on draft quickly smoothed out any rough spots
on the day’s scorecard. After a day that had started in
the wee hours at Logan, this golfer was more than
happy to unwind in the spacious accommodations at
Brunswick Plantation Villas in Calabash.
Day 2
With three distinctly different nines, Brunswick
Plantation Golf Resort has long been a must-play
for golfers visiting the Ocean Isle Beach area. Want a
slice of Scotland? Try the Magnolia Course with its
extensive mounding and deep bunkers. Want to play
something more typical of the region? Try the
Dogwood Course, which serenely strays along the
Caw Caw River with many prodigious hardwoods
lining the fairways. My favorite of the three courses,
which were built in 1991 and extensively renovated in
2006, however, was the Azalea Course. Carved
through dense Carolina woodlands, the course
features a signature hole, the par-3 15th, where golfers
fire at an island green surrounded by oyster shells.
After managing to stay dry on that challenging
green, we decided to head for the water after the
round and found everything we were looking for at
the Ocean Isle Fishing Center at Ocean Isle
Beach, N.C. Whether you are looking to book a
fishing charter, rent a jet ski or take a leisurely sunset
cruise like we did, this all-in-one stop has you
covered. The best option, however, may be just
unwinding at the adjoining.
restaurant and tiki bar with your favorite libation and
watch the tide - and the charter fishing boats - roll in.
Inspired by the two large mahi–mahi I saw unloaded
on the dock below, I opted for the mahi-mahi fish
tacos and was not disappointed.
Day 3
The variety that we found at Brunswick Plantation
was only amplified at our third stop, the Sea Trail
Golf Resort, located in Sunset Beach, N.C. Just like
Brunswick, Sea Trail offers immaculate quarters with
a diverse array of suites and vacation rentals situated
on the pristine fairways of three championship
golf courses.
Tackling the scenic 6,740-yard Willard Byrd
Course was our first order of business in the
morning. Named for and designed by the
aforementioned prolific southern golf architect, this
shot maker’s course will not disappoint as you weave
through a multitude of lakes and tight tree-lined
fairways in pursuit of the course’s impeccable
championship Bermuda greens. Don’t forget to bring
a pair of binoculars either, as within the first three
holes I had already added a pair of sunbathing gators,
a great blue heron and a bald eagle to the photo
library on my iPhone.
If you have time to play only one of Sea Trail’s
triumvirate of alluring options, I recommend
the par-72, 6,761-yard Rees Jones Course, the
consensus favorite among residents and visitors alike.
With water coming into play on 11 holes, the course
offered a bevy of holes that will keep you coming back,
and with the recent conversion from bentgrass greens
to championship Bermuda, this gem has only
gotten better.
After two exquisite rounds, the perfect capper was
to head out to Sunset Beach and try Twin Lakes
Seafood where the fisherman’s platter, complete
with deviled crab for that southern feel, rivals
anything you will find on Cape Ann.
Day 4
Just like you hope to save your best drive for the
18th tee, it’s always great when you can wrap up a golf
getaway on an unrivaled track and we certainly did
just that at River’s Edge Golf Club in Shallotte,
N.C. Among the vast litany of golf gifts that the late
great Arnold Palmer left behind, this breathtaking
6,909-yard, par-72 signature design should not
be overlooked. Nestled amid the bluffs and tidal
marshes along the Shallotte River, this course >>>