Here You'll Find Go If Courses To Suit Every Taste BY DOUG RUTTER There's no denying that, with 21 championship courses open this fall and several more in the works, Brunswick County is quickly becoming a golf mecca in the Southeast. The golf industry is thriving, par ticularly in the South Brunswick Islands area, where 16 of the coun ty's courses are located. Despite the high number of courses, each one offers a unique challenge and has a distinct person ality of its own. Brunswick County's courses also offer some of the most picturesque views in golf. Lakes, rivers, marsh es or the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway or ocean are visible on almost every course. The high quality of our local courses is no accident. Some of the top golf architects in the United States have designed them, includ ing P.B. Dye, Rees Jones, Willard Byrd and Dan Maples. Most of the area courses are open daily to the public, and sever al host professional and amateur tournaments throughout the year. More than half of the courses have popped up in the past 10 years. Here is a list of local courses and some pertinent facts and thoughts from the Beacon golf staff: Bald Head Island Golfers looking for a beautiful course off the beaten path need look no farther than Bald Head Island Golf Club. The remote is land off Cape Fear is accessible via a 20-minute ferry ride from Southport. Salt marshes, tidal creeks and more than 8(M) acres of maritime forests provide the backdrop for the island's George Cobb-designed golf course. The par- 72 measures 7,04() yards and navigates 15 freshwater lagoons, challenging players on every hole. Brick Landing Plantation With three holes skirting the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Brick Landing Plantation offers some of the most breathtaking views you'll find in Brunswick County. The course features one of the Course An Impressive Lineup Bald Head Island Brick Land i n< Brierwood Par 72 72 72 Brunswick Plantation 72 Carolina Shores Fox Squirrel Lion's Paw Lockwood Links Marsh Harbour Oak Island Ocean Harbour Ocean Isle St. James Plantation (The Gauntlet) 72 72 72 72 71 72 72 72 Olde Fort 72 Oyster Bay 70~ The Pearl: East 72 West 72 Sandpiper Bay 71 Sea Trail: Maples 72 Jones 72 Byrd 72 72 Yardage 7040 *3943 6700 6800 6757 6762 7003 6801 6690 6608 7004 6637 6200 6695 6895 7011 6503 6751 6761 6750 7068 Location Marina/Southport Ocean Isle Beach Shallotte Hickmans Crossroads Calabash Boiling Spring Lakes Sunset Beach Lockwood Folly Calabash Yaupon Beach Sunset Beach Ocean Isle Beach Hwy. 1 33, Winnabow Sunset Beach Old Georgetown Road Old Georgetown Road Old Georgetown Road Sunset Beach Sunset Beach Sunset Beach Southport most memorable par threes in the region. The short 17th hole requires a tee shot to a small green over looking the waterway. Balls hit too firmly from the elevated tee often end up with the fish. Accuracy is a premium at The Brick, located south of Shallotte and east o! Ocean Isle Beach on N.C. 179. The course folds naturally into the terrain and features bulkhead greens, pot ponds, marshland and more than 60 sand hunkers. Experience counts tor a lot on this course, so you may want to play it more than once. Brierwood Brierwood Golf Club located on N.C. 179 on the outskirts of Shallotte is the oldest course in the South Brunswick Islands, but it re mains a favorite among locals. Brierwood 's reasonable rates and well-conditioned fairways and greens make it a popular choice among area golf associations, tourists and senior golfers alike. Despite its age, Brierwood de mands a variety of shots and can still offer one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf in the county. Brunswick Plantation Brunswick Plantation & Golf Links is the new kid on the block. Although the front nine was opened last summer, this is the course's first full year of operation. The Willard Byrd layout features bunkers that flank the sloping land ing areas on par fours and fives, putting an emphasis on placement rather than distance. The green are large and undulat ing, which places a premium on ap proach shots and putting. An island green at the 15th hole highlights Brunswick's back nine. Brunswick Plantation is located on U.S. 17 about three miles north of the South Carolina state line. Carolina Shores If you come to the beach, you have to expect to get some sand be tween your toes. Caroiina Shores Golf & Country Club won't let you down. The Calabash course features an intimidating 96 sand traps. Com bined with fresh water lakes, Caro lina Shores is a challenging but fun layout at 6,757 yards. South Carolina architect Tom Jackson designed the par-72 course, which boasts lush fairways carved from tall pines. A large residential community surrounds the course. Fox Squirrel Located in the heart of Boiling Spring Lakes, Fox Squirrel Country Club combines water, mounded fairways, sand traps and receptive greens. Aggressive golfers will find sev eral holes that reward well-placed drives with opportunities for birdies and eagles. The Bermuda grass fairways are carved around huge freshwater lakes and towering long leaf pines. This 6, 272-yard layout got its name from its inhabitants ? the large, furry fox squirrels that often dart across fairways into the trees. The Gauntlet Golfers interested in a coastal course with a different look may want to check out The Gauntlet at St. James Plantation. The 7, 068-yard layout differs from most coastal courses but still offers views of salt marshes, thick woodlands and the inland waterway and ocean. The Gauntlet, located three miles from Southport on N.C. 211, is an unmistakable creation of renowned architect P.B. Dye and features his typical blend of imagination and fiendishness. Golfers can expect undulating fairways and greens, startling ele (Continucd On Following Page) Custom Golf Clubs BY "BOB Regripping ? Reshafting Repairing " Experienced " GOLF BALLS (919) 579-0944 Buy & Sell New & Used THE FIRST GOLF COURSE IN THE SOUTH BRUNSWICK ISLANDS BRIER WOOD :GrOLFrCLUi? A Golf Course Community 18 HOLE CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE Welcome to.. BRIERWOOD ...with our new full-service clubhouse. BRIERWOOD A place where we cater to old friends as well as new visitors, where locals and seniors are always welcome. A place to "hit the green" instead of a place to "spend the green." Call for starting time 24 hrs/day 919-754-4660 Real Estate Information 919-754-7076 Hwy. 179 at Shallotte City Limit