You tee off at the Bald Head Island Club with your back to the ocean, and you’re deep in the maritime forest by the time you reach holes five and six. The lush forest creates a cozy atmosphere on this pair of par fours, and you’re blissfully protected from the wind.

Because the first half dozen holes are fairly straightforward, you may head into seven with a low score and a lot of confidence. While you leave the dense trees behind you, it’s clear you aren’t out of the woods just yet. The wind is almost always a formidable factor on the last three holes of the front nine.

A favorite among many regulars, seven is a high risk/reward hole–with the payoff being a birdie if you play the wind just right. However, if you go for the green in two and don’t make it, you may find yourself facing an entirely different sort of birdie in one of the island’s primary roosting sites for white ibises.

The prevailing wind is right in your face on nine, one of the most difficult holes on the course. It’s a long par four with a small landing area, and it slopes right and left with lagoons on both sides. You’ll get a short break at the fairly benign ten and eleven, but beginning at twelve, you’ll have to mind your P’s and Q’s at the rest of the tees.

Fourteen is a tricky read and a tough driving hole because the fairway slopes towards the water. You’ll dogleg right, and if you hit it over the hill, two live oaks come into play. The elevated green slopes front and back, so it can be difficult to hold.

At eighteen you’re home free, where an exceptionally large green stretches out like an oversized welcome mat, inviting you into the clubhouse lounge where the drinks are cold and the stories are just beginning to heat up.

To reserve a tee time, call (910) 457-7310.