When the group texts start flying and it’s time to choose the location of your next golf trip, North Carolina’s Brunswick Islands should be at the top of the list. Home to outstanding courses, comfortable year-round weather and the beauty of the Carolina coast, the Brunswick Islands provide everything group leaders are looking for in a destination.
If you need more convincing, here are five (of many) reasons to make this corner of North Carolina’s southeast coast the home for your next trip.
Great Golf is Worth Traveling For
The most important component of any golf trip is the courses you play, and the Brunswick Islands have no shortage of compelling options.
Pictured: Sea Trail Golf Resort Jones Course #13; Photo courtesy of Sea Trail Golf Resort
At Sea Trail Golf Resort, a 54-hole stay-and-play property, the Rees Jones Course showcases “The Open Doctor’s” generous fairways and strategic mounding on a layout that is one of the area’s strongest.
Pictured: Thistle Golf Club Stewart #5
Just minutes away, Thistle Golf Club is home to 27 holes designed by Tim Cate. Inspired by the great links courses of the game’s ancestral home in Scotland, Thistle offers sweeping fairways, creative green complexes and a clubhouse filled with golf memorabilia that dates to the 19th century.
Cate’s work also shines at Ocean Ridge Plantation, where Tiger’s Eye Golf Links and Leopard’s Chase Golf Club are two of the property’s acclaimed “Big Cats.” Tiger’s Eye helped establish Ocean Ridge as a national destination with its dramatic use of native grasses, waste areas and locally harvested coquina boulders. Leopard’s Chase followed with a bold design highlighted by elevation change, sprawling waste bunkers and a waterfall framing the 18th green.
Pictured: Oyster Bay Golf Links
Oyster Bay Golf Links, a Dan Maples design, helped introduce Brunswick Islands golf to a national audience when it was named Golf Digest’s Best New Resort Course in America after opening in 1983. With marshland, water and a pair of island greens, Oyster Bay remains one of the area’s best layouts.
Golf Weather That Extends the Season
When golfers are planning a trip, weather matters, and the Brunswick Islands’ coastal climate is one of the destination’s greatest assets.
Mild winters, beautiful spring and fall temperatures, and long summer days make this a 12-month destination. There is no bad time to tee it up here.
Coastal Beauty Is Part of the Experience
The Brunswick Islands offer something even the most creative of architects can’t recreate: stunning natural beauty.
Pictured: Rivers Edge Golf Club
Saltwater marshes, Carolina pines, live oaks, and miles of Atlantic Ocean beach provide the backdrop for an unforgettable golf trip.
Accommodations Built for Golf Groups
Good group leaders know the importance of accommodations, and the Brunswick Islands offer options for groups of all sizes.
Want everyone under one roof? Vacation rental homes provide the conveniences of home while fostering the camaraderie that makes a golf trip one of the best weekends of the year.
Pictured: Sea Trail Golf Resort condos
Prefer the convenience of staying where you play? Golf resorts such as Sea Trail provide accommodations just steps from the course.
Whether you are planning a weekend for four or an annual getaway for 20, the Brunswick Islands makes it easy to find accommodations that fit the trip.
The Fun Doesn’t End with the Final Putt
Golf might be what brings you to the area, but what happens off the course matters, and the Brunswick Islands deliver more than a little fun.
Calabash is famous for its namesake fried seafood, while restaurants throughout the area serve locally caught shrimp, fish, oysters and other coastal favorites. Golfers can also spend an afternoon or evening along the waterfront, visit one of the area’s beaches, or simply settle into a deck chair at the rental house and relive the good times.
Outstanding courses, beautiful scenery, favorable weather, a variety of accommodations, and plenty to do away from the course make the Brunswick Islands a favorite for savvy group leaders. The most difficult part is deciding which course to play first.
Start Planning Your Next Golf Trip
Ready to experience the Brunswick Islands for yourself? Sign up for quarterly golf newsletters to keep the trip ideas coming and start planning your next stay-and-play trip at www.NCBrunswick.com.