About Brunswick Isles Golf Trail

Imagine a golf trail that stretches out along the coast of the Carolinas, offering some of the South’s most award-winning golf courses.

You’ve discovered the Brunswick Isles Golf Trail.

The Carolinas' newest golf trail straddles the border of North and South Carolina with 360 holes of pure fun. If you're looking to be challenged by the best, this is where you'll find them.

Over the years, award after award has been heaped upon the Trail’s courses, from “Best New Course in America” to four-star ratings in “Places To Play.” Three of Golf Magazine’s  “Top 20 Courses In South Carolina” are part of the new Trail, as are five of Golf Magazine’s “Top 20 Courses In North Carolina.” And, Golf Digest’s list of “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses” includes three of the Trail’s courses.

Organized in summer 2008, the Brunswick Isles Golf Trail combines great golf courses with nearby accommodations to create a golf experience unlike any other on the East Coast. The Trail stretches 60 miles from Leland, N.C. to North Myrtle Beach, S.C., winding through the unspoiled coastal area known as the Brunswick Islands. Along the Trail, the courses are in such close proximity that golfers can easily play two or more different courses within a day. In fact, you can travel the Trail from end to end in just a little over 90 minutes.

The northernmost course on the Trail is the newest course along the Carolina coast, Cape Fear National at Brunswick Forest in Leland , N.C. Designed by up-and-coming architect Tim Cate, Cape Fear’s sculpted fairways  stretch out  over 7200 yards. The course has more than fifty sculpted bunker complexes, three giant waste bunkers and the same brilliant white sand used at Augusta National.

The next course is Carolina National Golf Club, a 27-hole Fred Couples signature golf facility set along the Lockwood Folly River. Carved out of low-country marshlands, the course offers golfers an endless variety of playing experiences. It has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the finest courses on the eastern seaboard. The course was designed to accommodate all skill levels through its innovative design and multiple tee placements. Just over 7,000 yards from the tips, the course will challenge the accomplished golfer, yet five sets of strategically placed tees offer an equally challenging test to golfers of all abilities.

Rivers Edge in Shallotte, N.C. is the next stop on the Trail, and one you won’t want to miss. An Arnold Palmer Signature design, this visually stunning course has 7 holes that play along the Shallotte River and the surrounding marsh. With generous landing areas and large greens, it delivers a tough but fair challenge. After you tee it up at Rivers Edge, you’ll understand why Golf Digest calls it one of  “America’s Top 100 Greatest Public Courses.”

Ride the Trail a little south and you can enjoy three distinctive and classic courses at Sea Trail Golf Resort. Sea Trail’s three courses have been praised as “America’s Best Residential Courses of Distinction” by Golfweek; ranked among the “Top 50 Courses In Myrtle Beach” by Golf Digest; and rated among North Carolina’s Top 20 courses by Golf Magazine.

Sea Trail’s Maples Course is named for its architect, Dan Maples. It features subtle bent grass greens, water on ten holes and massive waste bunkers; five holes lead along the scenic Calabash Creek, home to nesting ospreys and other native wildlife. The Jones Course, designed by “The Open Doctor” himself, Rees Jones, is an exciting layout with elevated bent grass greens, generous fairways, dramatic mounds and water on eleven holes. The (Willard) Byrd Course is built around several man-made lakes that come into play on 13 holes. It also offers bent grass greens, plus a scenic 18th hole that snakes between two beautiful ponds to a picturesque finish at the Jones/Byrd Clubhouse.

Just south of Sea Trail, The Pearl Golf Links offers a spectacular twosome of courses. Both were Golf Digest nominees for “Best New Public Course” when they opened. The East Course plays through pristine forests and finishes along the banks of the Calabash River. The links-style West Course is known for its dramatic 18th hole perched on bluffs overlooking the river.

A short drive away, The Pearl serves up a spectacular twosome of courses. Both were Golf Digest nominees for “Best New Public Course” when they opened. The East Course at The Pearl is a traditional parkland layout, carved through the pristine Carolina forest with its dynamic finish along the Calabash River. The East course features crowned greens, demanding tee shots and consistent conditioning. The links-style West Course features lots of open stretches complimented by thick displays of pampas grass. The last four holes feature a dramatic finish along the bluffs overlooking the tidal river basin. Attention to detail and meticulous grooming characterizes the course which has played host to a number of major tournaments. These courses are regularly rated 4 to 4 and 1/2 stars by Golf Digest “Places to Play.”

Next the Trail leads to Meadowlands Golf Club, a classic Willard Byrd layout that twists through groves of large native hardwood trees, over meadows, and along natural wetlands. North Carolina Magazine called this course one of the “Top Ten Best New Courses” when it opened.  It rapidly became a favorite with women golfers, capturing a spot on Golf for Women’s prestigious list of “Top 100 Women Friendly Courses.”

Right next door to Meadowlands is its sister course, Farmstead Golf Links. A Willard Byrd design, Farmstead literally straddles the North Carolina-South Carolina border and features the only par 6 on the entire Grand Strand. The mammoth 767-yard, 18th hole begins with a drive to a wide sweeping fairway in South Carolina and concludes on a large undulating green in North Carolina. It’s no wonder that North Carolina Magazine put Farmstead on its “Mighty 90” list.

The Trail ends at the spectacular Tidewater Golf Club in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Known as “the Pebble Beach of the East,” this superb test of golf sits high on the bluff of a magnificent seaside peninsula. It stretches out alongside the Intracoastal Waterway and saltwater marshes of Cherry Grove Beach Inlet, offering views of the Atlantic Ocean beyond.

As the most decorated course along the Grand Strand, Tidewater’s rankings are almost too numerous to recount and include Best New Public Course In America and America’s Top 75 Golf Resorts (Golf Digest); Top Ten Public Courses in America, Top 100 Public Places You Can Play and Top 20 Courses In South Carolina (Golf Magazine); and Top 100 Residential Golf Courses (Golfweek). You won’t want to miss this classic design modeled after storied courses such as Merion and Pine Valley. It delivers an exciting conclusion to the Trail.

Easy To Reach, Easy To Travel

Reaching the Brunswick Isles Golf Trail is easy. It’s within a day’s drive of most major East Coast and Midwestern cities, and a quick trip down Route 40 from North Carolina cities like Raleigh. Convenient air service is available via Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) located in downtown Myrtle Beach, or Wilmington International Airport (ILM). Located just minutes from the first stop on the Trail, the Wilmington, N. C. airport is one of the most dynamic, hospitable, and progressive airports in the Carolinas. The Wilmington Airport offers nonstop service to a variety of cities.

Golf Packages

Accommodations and golf can easily be arranged by one of the Trail’s exclusive golf packagers.
Coastal Golfaway • 866-781-7252
Myrtle Beach Golf Authority • 843 249-1406
Village at the Glens • 866-259-0558