Other than a great golf course, the best way to a golfer’s heart if through his or her’s stomach. The Outer Banks of North Carolina has all the components needed to fashion a five-star, five-course package full of food, fun and history.
The OBX, as it’s known, is one of the great golf destinations on the East Coast, with an outstanding collection of lodging options, restaurants, beaches and historic sites to fill anyone’s tables.
There isn’t a better recreational activity on the Outer Banks (other than maybe hiking up and down the Kitty Hawk dunes which the Wright Brothers used for glider test flights) than an 18-hole round out on warm, windswept links to build up an appetite. And there isn’t a better destination to quench your mounting hunger than along the Tar Heel Coast. So for those looking for the ultimate combination of each, look no farther than the OBX.
First Course: The Appetizer
The Pointe Golf Club in Powells Point because it is arguably the area’s most forgiving layout. This “wet-your-appetite” design located on the way into town features the best putting greens in the area and is a favorite among the locals.
Nestled along the Currituck Sound with a fairly-open design, The Pointe is a unique blend of traditional and links-style design. With the wind being the great equalizer for scoring along its fairways and greens, The Pointe provides a never-ending challenge and though located on the mainland is closest to the beach just west of the Wright Memorial Bridge at the gateway to the Outer Banks.
Second Course: The Soup
The Carolina Club, as the longest golf course in the region, receives this honor not due to its dimension, but merely by its being home to the only signature island green near the shore. The par-3, No. 7 hole highlights an outstanding 7,000-yard championship design featuring wetlands, water and bunkers galore.
Now in its 25th year, The Carolina Club in Grandy opened with its flow inspiration being drawn out of the minds of golf course legends Russell Breeden and Bob Moore. For those trying to finish with a low number on the scorecard, however, beware of the “soup” you have to hit over TWICE on the way to the 18th green.
Third Course: The Salad
Tree-lined and leafy green during the high season, Kilmarlic Golf Club is a mixing bowl of holes that will challenge all levels of golfers with its classic Tom Steele design located in Powells Point. As one of the more intricate layouts found anywhere across the state, Kilmarlic is continually looking to evolve its playing challenges and surfaces to keep up with golfer demand and intrigue.
The course plays through a maritime forest and across sprawling wetlands where golf and the environment exist in perfect harmony. Canopies of giant oak, pine and dogwood trees offer a unique setting for the game and several holes play in sight of the Albemarle Sound.
Fourth Course: The Entrée
As the OBX’s top-ranked layout according to statewide lists, The Currituck Club in Corolla is perhaps the main course for many golfers visiting the region. Though now more than 20 years mature, it will always remain the newest talk of the town as the sprawling 600-acre golf-resort property gives true meaning to “social spacing.” Its upscale ambiance situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Sound is also appropriate for both the OBX gentry and visitors alike.
Designed by famed architect Rees Jones, the course winds through a beautiful maritime forest and offers prime views along the nearby sound and even out towards the Atlantic Ocean.
Closing Course: The Dessert
As the last but certainly not least is what could be considered the sweetest flavor of all: The Nags Head Golf Links in Nags Head. Here you will be able to cap off your memorable five-course journey with a round of golf unlike any you will ever experience again.
As one of the area’s earliest designs, this iconic open space welcomes golfers to a wind-swept, sound-side experience that plays hard along the Roanoke Sound. The appropriately named “Links” features as true a Scottish links replica design, as there is without a plane flight across the pond, and playing the course well means a lot of local knowledge. And if you wait around long enough into the evening hours to finish your round, you may catch a summer sunset over the water from your perch off the perfectly situated clubhouse – making your OBX visit more than worth the wait for dessert.
Feature Photo: Nags Head Golf Links
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