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STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG RUTTER
GERMAN GOLFERS (from left) Thomas Schmidt, Helga Schmitt, Ralf Schmidt, Susanne Schmidt
and Heinrich Schmitt visited Ocean Isle Beach in June.
Foreign Golfers
I Flocking To Area
BY DOUG RUTTKR
Brunswick County's booming
golf industry rcccivcs a
boost every spring and fall
when golfers from the Northeast
and Midwest make their annual pil
grimage to the Southeast.
Golf courses will always depend
on that business to stay afloat, but
the local tourist industry is starting
to see great potential in a market
that went virtually untapped for
years ? Europe.
Golfers primarily from ;hc
United Kingdom have been visiting
for about five years. More recently,
Brunswick has started hosting
golfers from Germany, where peo
ple are wild about die sport but
have limited opportunities to play.
"I feel like we're the vanguard of
what's going to happen," said
Miller Pope, owner of The Winds
resort at Ocean Isle Beach.
"Everybody's going to participate
in this down the road."
The Winds will host an estimated
1,200 European golfers this year
and should take in about $5(X).(XX)
as a result, said Dale Chadwick,
sales director at the beachfront mo
tel.
Chadwick says European golfers
complement those from other re
gions of the United States who visit
in file spring and fall when it's loo
cold to play their home courses.
"We're always going to have the
Northeast business," Chadwick
(Continued On Page 28)
Local Links Offer
Natural Beauty,
Variety. Challenge
(Continued From i'age 24)
ber of breathtaking views over
marsh fiats.
Marsh Harbour is one of the
most popular courses for visitors
and golf packages in the area. The
links straddles the state line, giving
golfers a chance to play in both
Carolinas in one round.
Ocean Harbour
If it's water you want. Ocean
Harbour Golf Links is the course
for you.
The 7,000-yard layout sits on the
southern-most tip of Brunswick
County, a peninsula bordered by
the Calabash River and Atlantic
Intracoastal Waterway.
Play 54 Holes
At Sea Trail.
BY DAN MAPLES, REES
JONES & WILLARD BYRD
Maples or Bvrd
AM $30
AFTER 12 yreens fee A carl included
Jones Course
s OvJ AM $35
AFTER 12 greens fee <& carl included
$75
3-Pgy
Membership Card
Three rounds of golf on any Sea Trail
course, any time, including cart Card is
non-trans'errable must be presented at
check-in and used within a 7 day period
For tee Times
579-4350
272-21 85 (fromMyrtle Beach)
WSEAlfcAIL
Plantation &Golf Resort
211 Clubhouse Road ? Sunset Beach, NC
Architect Clyde Johnston used
the incredible surroundings to cre
ate 15 water holes. Grass and sand
bunkers and fairway mounds add to
the attraction.
The fascinating course demands
careful approach shots, because the
ample greens are an open invitation
to three-putts.
The entrance to Ocean Harbour
is located on N.C. 179 between
Calabash and Sunset Beach.
Ocean Isle Beach
Perhaps one of the best-kept se
crets in Brunswick County is
Ocean Isle Beach Golf Course, lo
cated on Four Mile Road just a
short drive from the Ocean Isle
Beach strand.
This excellent facility has been
visited by thousands of tourists
over the years who enjoy great golf
on a well-maintained course.
Rolling contours, tight fairways
and a meandering creek make
Ocean Isle a challenge and a fa
vorite among local seniors and golf
associations.
The Pearl
Located on Old Georgetown
Road near Calabash, The Pearl
Golf Links features two champi
onship course.
The East and West courses mea
sure 6,895 and 7,011 respectively
and have been acclaimed as two of
the best in the Southeast
They have been named among
the top 10 course in the Carolinas,
and The Pearl was nominated as the
"Best New Public Resort Course"
in 1998 by Golf Digest.
The Pearl has plans for two new
golf courses (North and South) at
its outstanding complex, which is a
leader in the area for hosting tour
naments.
Sandpiper Bay
Just a short drive from The Pearl
is Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country
Club, a championship course that
has gained many fans since it
opened a few years ago.
The forgiving Dan Maples cre
ation is topped off by a beautiful
Olde Fort
Located on N.C. 133 at Winna
bow, Okie Fort Country Club is a
layout intended for the beginning
golfer.
The course is an unintimidating
6,200 yards from the back tees and
has few sand traps or other hazards.
There are four water holes on the
par-72 course, which features wide
fairways and receptive greens.
Olde Fort is perfect for the aver
age golfer more interested in a fun
round than a stiff challenge.
Oyster Bay
Recognized by Golf Digest as the
"Best New Resort Course" when it
was built. Oyster Bay Golf Links
had maintained its standing as one
of the Southeast's finest facilities.
Architect Dan Maples used na
ture to create the hazards, incorpo
rating salt marshes and freshwater
lakes into his design.
The par-70 championship course
measures 6,695 yards. It's located
on N.C. 179 at Sunset Beach.
V Best Bent-Grass Greens on the StrandH.
BEFORE 12:(>0 PM, $30 GREEN FEE & CART
Annual
Memberships
$300 Per Person
$450 Per Couple
?Group rates available
on request
?Local rate $10 greens
fee (with Brunswick of Horry County
driver's license)
?Lessons available by
appointment
Enjoy dining in
Piper's Restaurant
Opf.n tor breakfast &
lunch 6:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m.
GOLF and COUNTRY CLUB
AT CALABASH
Q1993 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
3-Day
$75
Green fee and cart
included
AFTER 12:00 PM $25.00
AFTER 4:00 PM $20.00
Green fee & cart included
All fees good with this ad
for limited time only.
Call our Pro Shop for more information
_ 579-91 20_ j
plantation clubhouse and pro shop.
Sandpiper is a fascinating course
that feature wide fairways, a friend
ly cut of rough and some of the
best, bent-grass greens you'll find
anywhere.
Naturally-sculptured bunkers
guard elevated greens that are high
ly-receptive to approach shots.
Manv nf thp hnl^c rlpm^nrl n rlrivo
j ... ju ..
over or near water or marsh.
Sea Trail Plantation
Sea Trail Plantation at Sunset
Beach is the county's largest golf
resort, with three championship
courses and a new, on-site golf
school that is expected to open this
spring.
Dan Maples built the original
Sea Trail course, which features 40
foot elevation changes and tree
studded islands surrounded by wa
ter. Golf Digest recognized the
Maples course as one of the most
outstanding new resort courses in
1986.
Rees Jones and Willard Byrd fol- j
lowed Maples with two more
world-class courses. Each layout
measures approximately 6,750
yards.
On his course, Jones blended his I
magic with the best in natural ter
rain to suit both contemporary and
traditional tastes. His use of elevat
ed tees, mounds, bunkers and water
10 frame the holes and focus on the
natural beauty of land is outstand
ing. j
The Byrd course at Sea Trail fea
tures two expansive lakes and stun
ning scenery. It has many interest
ing changes in elevation and a vari-^
ety of challenging dogleg holes.
Oak Island j
Oak Island Golf Club is a 6,800
yard George Cobb design located al
Caswell Beach. 1
The course is carved out of I
maritime forest and features fairs
ways lined with towering pines aiKfe;
shading oaks.