There is plenty of golf courses around the globe when you mention their names, straightaway has you are thinking ‘how did the course attract that name?”
Courses such as the famed Crooked Strick where John Daly won a PGA Championship while there is host of the not-so-knowns such as the Purgatory Golf Club in Indiana, Kissing Camels in Colorado and reminding me of that photo of Michelle Wie kissing a camel, Mad Russian Golf Club and also in Colorado and Devils Knob in Virginna.
What about the bizarre-sounding Usless Lake club in Washington State plus the Old MacDonald course in Oregon and Tobacco Road in North Carolina.
Welcome to Cape Fear National GC – Image GolfByTourMiss
Then you can tee-up at the Westward Ho course in Adelaide, Australia and also cross the world to play Eastward Ho in Massachusetts.
The stunning Cape Kidnappers course in New Zealand gets its name from way back in October, 1769 when an attempt by local Māori’s to, according to famed English explorer Captain James Cook, board and rescue what they thought was a young Māori boy being held captive on the ship HMS Endeavour, during a landfall. Those on board opened fire with two of the Maori’s killed and another wounded.
And last but by no means least is Cape Fear National Golf Club in North Carolina and the feature course of this article.
In the offer to play Cape Fear National one of my first thoughts was the ’90s thriller by the same named and directed by Martin Scorses, starring Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte. This movie was a remake of the 1962 movie by the same name, although neither movie was filmed at Cape Fear in North Carolina.
Each version full of scare and fright.
The name Cape Fear actually comes from the 1585 expedition of Sir Richard Grenville. Sailing to Roanoke Island, his ship became embayed behind the cape so much so, some of the crew were afraid they would wreck, giving rise to the name Cape Fear. It is undertstood to be the fifth-oldest surviving English place name in the U.S.
While Cape Fear was also the landing place of British General Sir Henry Clinton during the American Revolutionary War on May 3, 1775.
In featuring Cape Fear National at Brunswick Park (To give it’s full name) I am not referring to Cape Fear Country Club, a Donald Ross designed course also in the Wilmington region and founded in 1896.
Cape Fear National is a more recent design and opened in 2010. It was designed by Tim Cate, not so well-known in the bigger golf course designers family but well-respected for his work in the North and South Carolina’s region of south-eastern America.
Cape Fear National Golf Club is laid out within Brunswick Forest to the west of Wilmington and in a newly developed region, surrounded by many new dwellings, whereas Cape Fear Country Club was founded in 1896 and is much closer to the centre of the city.
Cate was asked to describe Cape Fear National.
“A challenging, visually-stunning golf course designed to use the natural areas encompassing the golf course to enhance the course aesthetics, and the golf course design to enhance the natural areas around the course”, he said in speaking with and with BrunswickForest.com
“Cape Fear National is a fun course to play and is aesthetically unmatched in the Wilmington area.”
It was the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship that took me first to Cape Fear National and the week the PGA Tour visited the Wilmington region at the Eagle Point club for the hosting of the championship given the normal host venue of Quail Hollow in Charlotte was that that year hosting the PGA Championship.
We teed-up at Cape Forest National early on the Saturday of the tournament that was won by fellow lefty Brian Harman, his second PGA Tour triumph though it would be six years before his third success at the 2023 Open Championship.
The course features several bridges through wetlands, three waterfalls and beach bunkers, all flanked by native grasses and wildflowers. It’s set also amid mature oaks, maples, pines and magnolias, the course’s aesthetics create the old-world ambiance of some of the Southeast’s most seasoned courses.
Image – GolfByTourMiss
Water comes into play on all but a couple of holes and notably very prominent bunkers that run the entire length of three holes – the 5th, 13th and 16th holes.
The course winds through heavily undulating land and features several bridges through wetlands, three waterfalls, and beach bunkers, all flanked by native Southeastern North Carolina grasses and wildflowers.
In addition to the championship golf course, the 7,000 square foot clubhouse features indoor and outdoor dining, as well as a proshop and locker rooms. The Forest at Cape Fear National is a full-service restaurant and bar located inside the clubhouse and is open seven days a week for lunch, dinner and a Sunday brunch. The Forest also caters to a variety of special events, including private parties, business meetings, luncheons and socials.
The course plays as follows:
Black Tees – 6,760 yards (Par 73)
Blue Tees – 6,346 yards (Par 72)
White Tees – 5,744 yards (Par 68)
So put your clubs on the back of the buggy, jump aboard and let’s head to the first tee.
Cape Fear National – 1st hole green. A par-4 of 394-yards off the Black tees. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 2nd hole off the tee. The first of the par-5s at 512-yards . It is a straight drive and the hole then dog-legs left. There is water all the way up the right in playing your second shot. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 2nd hole green (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – The par-4 third hole at 383-yards is a great-looking hole. Just keep it right. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 4th hole from the tee. A straight par-4 of 392-yards. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – The 6th hole from the tee. Keep it staight off the tee. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 6th hole into the green. Don’t be too long with your drive nor short with your second. – (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 6th hole from behind the green – (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 7th hole off the tee and with water all the way down the right side at this 410-yard challenge – (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – View of the 7th green from the 6th fairway – (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – 7th hole view into the green – (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – View off the 8th tee. A strong par-4 of 410-yards. It’s the No. 1 index hole. With water all down the right, it depends here how much you wish to bite off your drive. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – View from the 8th green. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Cape Fear National – Par-3, 9th hole. Playing at 186-yards off the Black tees, As you can see there’s no future left and/or short.- (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
One of the nice features at Cape Fear National. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Heading into the inward nine & view off the 10th tee. The first hole on the inward half plays 387-yards. It’s a straight enough shot before it dog-legs albeit slightly to the right. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
The 12th hole green in the foreground and the 13th behind – Note the long bunker that runs the length of the hole on the right but, as you notice it crosses to the left in front of the green, A feaure at Cape Fear National – Image Cape Fear National
View showing portion of the hole-long bunker at the 173-yard, par-3 13th hole. It first runs for about three-quarters of the way down the right, crosses the fairway short of the green and then runs up the left side of the green. The hole is the No. 18 index hole. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Par-4, 401-yard 14th hole. You can see the trouble shy of the green and there’s a long bunker front right of the green. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
The par-4 15th hole at 394-yards with in two places down the left at Cape Fear National. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Par-4, 352-yard 16th hole at Cape Fear National. Water to avoid left and you can see the sand that is in place all the way down the right to the middle of the green. (Image GolyByTourMiss)
The 16th green looking back down the hole and noting the stand how it extends in one unbroken line up what is the right side of the hole. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
The par-4 17th and the last of the par-5s measuring 535-yards. Water down the left side for the tee shot and then water right into the green. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
Just hangin’ about! Ted Koala (X – @Koala_Ted) finds his way to Cape Fear National.
Not too common but a par-3 at 170-yards and ranked No. 16 on the card to end your round at Cape Fear National. (Image – GolfByTourMiss)
The end of a great day’s golf and on a fine golf challenge.
No real fear at Cape Fear National as long as you keep out of the water and don’t spend to often in the sand.
Thanks to all at Cape Fear National for the opportunity to play the course. Look after it until we next get back to this super area of North Carolina.
