Golfing bonanza on the Outer Banks

The next destination on the list was The Currituck Club in Corolla on the northern Outer Banks, the highest-fee course of the bunch. One of the reasons for the hefty green fee is he big-name architect, Rees Jones, the son of the famed Robert Trent Jones Sr., and another is the simple fact that it’s a pristinely maintained, great golf course.

Huge, multi-million-dollar houses are going up all over this bad boy, so you might hear some hammering and sawing while you tee it, but that’s about the only thing that might bother you about this place, which is pure links golf and a ton of fun. Highlights are the par-5 seventh, with the Currituck Sound all along the left side, the risk-reward par-4 ninth, with a dramatic climb to the green, and the long, classic par-4 12^th.

The wind wasn’t too bad at The Currituck Club, but that wasn’t the case at Nags Head Golf Links, which is right on the Roanoke Sound not far from Kill Devil Hills, the site of the Wright Brothers’ first flight. In fact, if you’ve got any money left — $4 is all you need — in your pocket after your round at Nags Head, you can stop at the Wright Brothers National Memorial and learn all about that historic 12-second journey.

Back on the course, it took less than 12 seconds for my round to go up in smoke. The wind was kicking up and Nags Head was having fun with my game. Despite my ballooning score, though, I gained a huge appreciation for the course. It’s only 6,126 yards from the back tees, but it’s more than enough for any golfer to handle, with strategic shots — I was lucky to be paired with some locals — all over the place, gorgeous holes along the sound and beautiful greens. And then there’s the wildlife. Within a three-hole stretch, I saw a family of red foxes and a snapping turtle loping along the fairway.

The last course on the itinerary was The Pointe Golf Club, and it was a perfect conclusion to a great week. The course was tough but fair, as well-cared-for as all of the Outer Banks tracks, and run by a super-nice pro shop staff.

The par-4 12th hole at The Pointe Golf Club offers a menacing, intimidating look from the tee, with a forced carry of 12-foot-high marsh reeds, but it’s a lot easier once you clear the hazard.

The par-5 eighth hole has one of the toughest tee shots on the Outer Banks, with a tight chute of trees that brings to mind one of those U.S. Open courses. I loved the par-4 12^th hole, which freaks you out a bit with a tee shot over a hazard full of swamp reeds that might be 12 feet high but opens up to an accommodating, rather playable approach and isn’t nearly as hard as it looks. Actually, I loved the whole course just as I loved the other five.

There’s so much more to do in the Outer Banks other than great golf — wild horses roaming free on the north end, historic lighthouses, state parks with some of the best beaches in the country, great restaurants, and much more. Maybe there will even be HBO in your rental if you research it enough.

On my next visit, I promise I’ll put away the clubs for a few days and check it all out. OK, maybe not.

MORE FROM GOLF TRAVEL

Golf Travel Section Front

PGA Tour-host courses for the traveling golfer Tee it up at these top casino golf courses Top 10 golf cities in America Making up for lousy Christmas gifts Now’s the time to hit the links in Sin City Best value golf in uncertain times Tee up and land the big one in British Columbia A St. Andrews golf vacation on three budgets Tee up for bachelor parties and golf Lowcountry golf comes to life near Myrtle Beach Golf Travel Section Front   Add Golf Travel headlines to your news reader: