Lockwood Folly Country Club

It would be hard to pick a better place for a golf course than where the Intracoastal Waterway and Lockwood Folly River come together near Holden Beach, North Carolina. One of designer Willard Byrd’s best courses, the course lies on an old hunting plantation with many of the cypress trees and live oaks from plantation days still remaining

Golfers taking on this 6,836-yard (from the back tees) soon find out it is formidable indeed, not a course to be overpowered but one that requires some thought. And few of the Grand Strand’s courses require greater precision from the tee. Holes like the par-4, 380-yard No. 9 are typical of the challenge with a landing area that narrows to the size of a postage stamp. Too long or to the right and the water is waiting to swallow your ball.

Hit it to the left and bunkers and the woods await. Even the par 3s get in on the act, with the par-3 No. 2 requiring a 200-yard shot over a marsh thick with weeds. The par-4 No. 8 hole runs next to an island teeming with wildlife including herons, egrets and alligators. And the final hole, a par-5 500-yarder leads to a green next to the river and a gorgeous view across the Intracoastal Waterway. The course has a clubhouse with pro shop, practise facilities and a new terrace near the 18th with beautiful views of the Intracoastal.