Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, North Carolina

The “Sounds of Freedom” Golf Course is an 18-hole, Par 72 course that measures 6,842 yards from the back tees.  This is the first golf course ever designed by George W. Cobb.  This 18-hole championship course has a rating of 70.8 and a slope of 120 and the course opened in 1943.  Located in Havelock, North Carolina, the course was re-designed by Clyde Johnston and re-opened in 2003.

The course is located on the Neuse River and the course is packed with stunning scenic views of the river.  The fairways are lined with numerous mature trees and lush vegetation.  The greens feature Ultra Dwarf Hybrid Bermuda grass making them smooth and fast.

Known as one of the best in eastern North Carolina, it delivers a distinctive golf experience.  The course features character and undulations that are unrivaled in our area and difficult to find anywhere else in the country.

The golf course is open to the public.

Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida

The A.C. Read Golf Club is a 45-hole golf facility located on Pensacola NAS.  The facility has an Executive 18-hole course, a Par 60 at 4,268 yards, and three 9-hole, Par 36 course.  The courses have a parkland style layout with pine tree lined fairways over a flat land.  The greens are on the large side, a bit elevated, and there’s some water in play.

The Oaks Golf Course:   The course is 4,268 yards from the men’s tees and has a rating of 60.5 with a slope of 95.  The course opened in 1962.

The course is a demanding course with some long Par 3’s.  However, the tree lined fairways afford generous landing areas.  There are no water hazards, but there are several sand bunkers incorporated into the design.

The Championship 9-hole Courses:   The course has three 9 hole, Par 36 layouts.    The Bayou Course, the Lakeview Course, and the Bayview Course.  All three 9-hole courses can be combined to form different 18 hole combinations.  The three 9-hole courses first opened for play in the 1940’s and were designed by William Amick.  They were updated and redesigned in the 1990’s by Jerry Pate.

The courses are tight and have narrow well bunkered fairways.  there are many Oak trees lining the fairways and water hazards come into play on several holes.  The main challenge on these holes is the many well-placed greenside bunkers.  These courses are great for the low handicapper.  Tee shot accuracy is a must in surviving the courses.

Paris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot, South Carolina

The Legends Golf Course is an 18-hole, Par 72 course that plays 6,534 yards from the back tees.  The course was designed by George W. Cobb & Fred Findley and opened in 1947.  In 2000 the course was redesigned by Clyde Johnston and in 2005 Clyde Johnston upgraded it again and the current course has a rating of 73.3 with a slope of 131.

 

The Legends Course offers a unique golfing experience with a challenging layout.  The course has spectacular oak trees draped in Spanish moss that line the fairways.  It has small greens, beautiful marshland and plenty of water hazards not to mention the sand traps/bunkers.   The layout is fun for the beginner yet challenging for the most advanced.  The course has a beautiful setting near the Atlantic coast beaches.

The course truly is a legend, having been rated as one of the top military golf courses in the world.  Yet it is not known to the outside world because it is tucked away from the crowds and is a place of peaceful solitude.   No other golf course has both the beauty of nature and also the activity and sounds of Marine Boot camp.  This is the only course that has named each hole for a former Marine.

This course is restricted to the military only and their guests.

Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

Eglin AFB has two championship golf courses located in Niceville Florida.  The Eagle Course and the Falcon Course are both Par 72 layouts with Bermuda grass fairways and greens.

The Eagle Course is a very challenging layout that measures 6,652 yards from the back tees and has a rating of 71.8 and a slope of 126.  With many water hazards that come into play on five holes, the course is also hilly with very few flat lies.  The course was originally opened in 1925 and the designer is unknown.  The Eagle Course was re-designed in 2008 and is considered to be a much easier course to play.  It is suggested that golfers should play the Eagle Course first then play the much harder Falcon Course.

The Falcon Course was also opened in 1925 and it measures 6,869 yards from the back tees and has a rating of 73.8 and a slope of 135.  The layout was designed to be very challenging with water hazards, very hilly, few flat lies and there is an “endangered species hazard” that also comes into play a few times.

The Eglin AFB courses are highly rated; ranked the #1 in AFMC, ranked the #3 in U.S. Military course, and ranked 61^st in the state of Florida.  These courses are a must for the avid golfer.

Both golf courses are open to the public. 

Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Texas

The Gulf Winds Golf Course is an 18-hole, Par 71 course that plays at 6,410 yards from the back tees.  The course designer is not known but the course opened in 1955.  The current course rating is 70.4 with a slope of 114.

The original Gulf Winds course was a 6-hole layout which expanded to a 12-hole course.  In 1985 the course became an 18-hole course.  The military personnel, some of whom maintain the course in exchange for green fees, keep this course in excellent condition

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The golf course has forgiving, wide open fairways.   Your approaches to the small green must be accurate.  A two putt should not be exceeded.  Watch out for the south-east winds which tend to make play that much more interesting.  There are two ponds and a creek that come into play on six holes.  The rough is some of the the meanest, thickest, toughest that I have ever tried to play out of, unbelievable.

This course is for the military only.

Charleston AFB-Charleston NWS Joint Base, South Carolina

Charleston Joint Base has two 18-hole golf courses.  The Wrenwoods Golf Course at the Air Base and the Redbank Plantation Golf Course at the Naval Weapons Station.  Both courses feature all the hallmarks of a South Carolina golf course.  Fairly flat but a tranquil and pleasant golf experience.

The Wrenwoods Golf Course:   This 18-hole, Par 72 course plays at 6,634 yards from the back tees.  The course was designed by the legendary George Cobb and was opened in 1966 with a course rating of 72.1 and a slope of 134.  The Wrenwood is also the state bird.

The course has lush Tif-Way Bermuda grass fairways and rough, and Tri-Dwarf Bermuda grass greens, combined with a multiple array of teeing areas, allow golfers of all skill levels to enjoy the course.  Southern Pine trees lining the fairways and guarded greens along with sand bunkers make the course a real challenge.  There are 18 original and distinctive holes that complement the unique terrain.

The Redbank Plantation Golf Course:   This 18-hole, Par 70 course plays at 5,800 yards from the back tees and was designed by Military Personnel.  It opened in 1953 and has a course rating of 65.6 and a slope of 123.

The course was designed to use the rolling terrain nestled between the huge live oak trees and the bountiful wildlife.  Lush wide open fairways and natural marshland surround you as you play this challenging picturesque course with majestic water front views.

Both golf courses are open to the public.

    

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

The Paradise Point Golf Course located on Camp Lejeune has two 18-hole courses, the Gold Course and the Scarlet Course.   These two courses were built on fairly flat terrain and are considered challenging but easy to walk.

The Scarlet Course:   This course is an 18-hole, Par 70 course that measures 5,911 yards from the back tees and has a course rating of 67.7 with a slope of 114.  The course was designed and built by Fred Findley and was opened in 1943 and renovated in 2003/2004.

The Scarlet Course has narrow fairways and well bunkered greens but very playable.  Additionally numerous plaques have been placed around the course identifying various historical sites and events on or near Paradise Point.

The Gold Course:   This course is considered a much harder course.  This 18-hole, par 72 course measures 6,883 yards from the back tees.  The course was designed and built by the renowned golf course architect George Cobb and opened in 1945.  The course was re-designed by Ed Ault in 1979 and renovated again in 1996.  The current course has a rating of 74.2 and a slope of 129and measures 7,040 yards.

The Gold course was built on flat terrain also but the Bermuda fairways are a little tighter.  Greens are smaller and heavily guarded and there are some water hazards as well, so accuracy is a must.  The course rule is that the golfer must have a handicap of 25 or lower to play.

Both courses are now open to the public.