NC’s Brunswick Islands is home to some of the most popular golf courses on the North Carolina coast, making it a perfect spot for your next golf vacation, and a little local knowledge can go a long way. Locals enjoy the same things you do, relishing the opportunity to play a great golf course and enjoy a post-round lunch with friends.
Before your next golf trip to the Brunswick Islands, here is a look at five courses locals love to play and a nearby restaurant you won’t want to miss.
Rivers Edge Golf Club
Among North Carolina’s most scenic layouts, Rivers Edge Golf Club offers stunning views of the Shallotte River and an unforgettable Arnold Palmer-designed course. Don't let the scenery distract you from smart course management, particularly on the par-5 ninth hole, where the conservative play offers the best chance to make par. Rivers Edge has been ranked among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses and it won’t take you long to see why.
Restaurant recommendation: Whether you want pulled pork, ribs or brisket, the Shallotte Smokehouse always delivers.
Olde Fort Golf Course
Everyone likes to post a good number, and Olde Fort Golf Course, which plays 6,200 yards from the tips, provides a great opportunity. While you will have the option to bomb away, the Rayford Trask design certainly doesn’t require it. This is a place to play a relaxed round and go low.
Restaurant recommendation: Check out Brunswick Beer & Cider to enjoy local craft brews and a quality menu. Try the chicken and waffles or the flank steak quesadilla.
Crow Creek
Calabash may be best known for its seafood, but don't overlook the area's golf, especially Crow Creek. One of the only courses along the North Carolina coast with bentgrass greens, the Rick Robbins design is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. The eighth hole, which plays almost entirely over water to a green defended by a beautiful cypress tree, is on the short list of the area’s best par 3s.
Restaurant recommendation: The choices are many, but after a round of golf, locals love The Oyster Rock, which overlooks the water.
Magnolia Greens Golf Club
This 27-hole, Tom Jackson-designed facility has hosted USGA and PGA Tour qualifying events, highlighting the quality of the layout. Located on the northern end of the Brunswick Islands, Magnolia Greens Golf Club is a longtime local favorite that visitors quickly come to appreciate as well.
Restaurant recommendation: In addition to enjoying the golf, make it a point to eat at Blossom’s, the onsite restaurant at Magnolia Greens, and order the Azalea, a burger with mushrooms, Swiss cheese and onions.
Panther's Run Golf Links
Panther's Run Golf Links is one of Ocean Ridge Plantation’s four Big Cat courses, and it makes golfers purr with delight. The Tim Cate design plays through a nature preserve that provides a scenic backdrop, and it features water on 16 of 18 holes, so the emphasis here is on precision as much as power.
Restaurant recommendation: The Boundary House located in Calabash is known for its quality, casual dining, which makes it a perfect spot for a post-round meal. In addition to the endorsement of locals, the Boundary House’s 4.6-star Google rating with more than 8,000 reviews tells you all you need to know.
Plan Your Brunswick Islands Golf Getaway
Ready to experience them for yourself? Start planning your next stay-and-play trip at www.NCBrunswick.com.