Bald Head Island Country Club

George Cobb, the architect behind Augusta National's par-3 course, laid out this seaside course in 1974 on the southernmost of North Carolina's barrier islands, reachable only by passenger ferry across the Cape Fear River. The eighteen holes wander through maritime forest, past freshwater lagoons, and along dune ridges, with saltmarsh and ocean views framing many corridors. In 2011 architect Tim Cate completed a two-year renovation, converting roughly 35 acres of rough into sandy waste areas planted with native grasses, widening fairways and rebuilding bunkers for a more natural, strategic look while respecting Cobb's original routing. Holes such as the ninth, pinched between inland ponds, and the closing hole reward precise positioning. Its car-free island setting makes it one of the most secluded rounds in the Carolinas.