2025 Carolina Golf

We arrived to our NC townhome for the upcoming season, so 2025 golf has begun.  Thus far, rounds have been recorded at Glen Dornoch, Barefoot Resort Norman & Pearl Golf Links (North & West).  Here's a summary of conditions and experiences thus far:

Glen Dornoch - Putting surfaces were excellent, rolling true, unblemished at a controllable speed.  Fairways & tees were sparsely overseeded but generally OK.  Bunkers had seen some maintenance so they played nicely.  Staff was polite and accommodating; we rode the fairways despite the recent snow accumulations.  The views @ Glen Dornoch are always scenic and nature abounds.  Pace of play was 4.5 hrs.

Barefoot Resort Norman - Putting surfaces were excellent, nicely maintained at a controllable speed.  Fairways & tees were also excellent, good lies everywhere.  There's lots of Bunkers here, fairways, cross & greenside; you can't miss them.  We had to play 1-4 as cart path only but the remainder of the course was full access.  The inside and outside staff were very nice, friendly. Pace of play was probably 4 hrs.

Pearl Golf Links (North & West) - Very friendly staff, right on time start.  Cart path conditions continue to be an issue here; very rough in patches and nonexistent in a few spots.  The course played very nicely; overseed fairways seemed to pinch the usual width, fairway lies were very good, putting surfaces were in excellent condition, a bit slow and very grainy (even 2 ft putts had a grainy break).

The weather has been terrific so far as the temps for all rounds topped out around 75.  Next up - Myrtlewood, Grande Dunes, Hackler, River Hills.  I'll add to this report as the months roll on.

The winter rolls on but signs of spring are everywhere...

Myrtlewood Pinehills - Played 02/11, cold & rainy greeting for the first 3 or 4 holes as temps were in the 40's.  Course was in nice shape, lush fairways, slow green speed as they had not been mowed due to rainy, wet weather. Staff was very helpful and friendly (despite the weather), actually one of group members opted to quit on the first tee so the starter obliged with a ride to the parking lot.  The course was firm enough that we still rode the fairways from start to finish.

Grande Dunes Resort - 02/13, nice weather greeted us, temps in the 60's, always thoroughly enjoy this course.  Generous fairways, huge greens, elevation changes, dramatic par 3 on the ICW, strategic run-outs in some fairways that can get you big additional yardage.  The trick on this course is to get approach shots & putts close to the hole; the size of the greens often makes 2 putting an unrealistic outcome. 

Sea Trail Byrd - 02/25, recently completed renovation to the greens, cart paths, tree removal and select bunker surrounds.  No big changes here but the experience of Sea Trail continues to elevate with big renovations to the clubhouse, parking entrance, and overall maintenance practices.  There remains some evidence of wear from the work to the greens however the surfaces are very smooth, seem to be a bit less undulating, surfaces remain very firm so getting a shot to hold was difficult.  The entire staff provided excellent service. Pace of play was good on the front nine but quite slow on the back.  

Hackler Golf Club - 02/26, my first time at the former Quail Creek now owned by Coastal Carolina University, conditions are OK, layout is challenging with many dogleg right holes, a few greens are quite small, some greens did hold and others were firm so chipping was a challenge, not much of a clubhouse as I've seen reports that CCU is going to blow up the current building and construct a state of the art building to include the PGA Management and Turf programs.  The course is located in an older, traditional MB neighborhood; one hole is kind of a Greek fraternity row with party tables outside the back door.

Rivers Edge - 03/04, always a much anticipated round here, terrific layout, no holes feel or look the same, conditions are very good, new bridging abounds, new bulkhead work on several holes including #9 Arnie's Revenge, the clubhouse has undergone substantial renovation inside & out.  This course is scenic with lots of Shallotte River views along the bluffs and traverses through dense maritime forest areas.  Excellent inside and outside staff, always helpful.  Pace of play can be an issue here, depends on who is front of your group; there are so many forced carries it can slow the pace considerably.  

More to follow as the spring season approaches...

Ah, spring is in the air... no that's pollen!

03/11 Brunswick - Unfortunately we had some rain so it was CPO, course played nicely, lush fairways, no ongoing construction issues.  Some of the greens have an abundance of poa annua so the rolls to the cup are kind of bumpy; this is especially true on the Dogwood 9.  The 2024 bunker sand replacement is a complete success, maybe the best sand to play from down here.  Pace of play was good and customer service is excellent.  Nice, new golf carts.

03/12 Caledonia - This layout and appearance never disappoints, it's just beautiful everywhere, just wait for the azaleas to bloom. Fairways & tees were very good; greens are not... thin grass, light top dressing applied, bumpy putts made for some interesting breaks.  Bunkers were a bit unkempt as some earlier rain had caused some problems and they were not maintained.  Believe all but 4 holes were CPO so it was a long walk. The seafood chowder was outstanding at the turn! 

03/14 Leopards Chase - Love playing here, the design has many holes that give you the sandhills feel.  The bunkering is just terrific, so intimidating on approach shots, especially the par 3 holes.  Course is in good shape although there remains some worn areas and the dormant grass around the greens is real thin.  The clubhouse continues to be a modular building so not much ambiance there.  Excellent customer service.  This is one of Tim Cate's best. 

03/15 & 17 Thistle - Played all the nines, absolutely the best fairways this season.  The Cameron 9 has all new greens; completely redone with a new strain of grass, the surface is VERY hard so when hitting a green, the ball will finish at the back or over; if you are short it won't bump up as they are very soft in front.  All the stacked sod bunker work is essentially complete (except #9 on Cameron).  Green speed will be variable as Cameron has the new grass and McKay & Stewart continue to be the older surfaces.  The Hickory Stick Loyalty Membership @ Thistle is one of the best deals on the Strand; if you are a local its worth considering.  

03/18 Meadowlands - Lush greens and fairways here, always a dependable condition is presented.  Excellent customer service.  Range was closed due to heavy rains on the prior day.  Greens putted nicely, most locations were on a high spot due to recent rain so putting had an added challenge.  Kind of thin from the chipping areas so flop shots of any type were problematic (need some practice).  You get the feel that the ownership takes great pride in the place as everything is so neatly done.  

I'll keep making the rounds..........

03/20 & 04/08 Tidewater GC - All fairways, greens & tees are excellent; lush, full of grass, healthy, green speed is real good. Last fall thru the winter, Tidewater completed a renovation project focused on the surrounds of the greenside bunkers and green collars.  The result is an outstanding look; all greenside bunkers have been reshaped, some made smaller, some removed, better defined and more sand has been added.  The sodding has knitted into the ground but it has not matured at this time; it will take at least a few months for this to blend.  IMO the course is much better in appearance and will become a better playable quality.

03/25 Sea Trail Maples - Personally, I have always liked this layout; there's some elevation changes, blend of long and short par 4's, alligator sightings, and homes are kept comfortably away from the playing areas.  The course will be closing this summer for renovations and improvements so the extra maintenance touches are not being done at this time.  The course needs some updates; tree canopies need to be trimmed, cart paths are rough, chipping areas around greens need a boost, and bunker work is needed for some outdated shapes & erosion.

04/04 & 04/15 Sandpiper Bay - Played all nines, fairways & greens are full of grass, green speed is slow, these get a lot of play so common cart exit/entry areas show wear.  Cart paths are not good; very rough, rutty, lots of root upheavals.  Sandpiper still offers a very good experience in spite of the shortcomings, good customer service, friendly grill room.

04/10 Crow Creek - Really nice conditions, lush fairways & tees (with one or two exceptions), bentgrass greens are well cared for, excellent shape, good speed, and smooth.  A terrific layout that does not beat you up; generous fairways, plenty of grass in chipping areas, bunkers are well maintained.  Excellent customer service and pace of play was very comfortable.