Nags Head Golf Links (Nags Head, NC on 05/05/18)

After two rounds on Friday, we took it easy on Saturday! We had an early morning tee time at Nags Head Golf Links and then found our way to the beach. There is always something so enjoyable about the sights and sounds of the ocean! And I’m proof that you are never too old to build sandcastles. But, I’m sure you’d rather read about the course than my work on a sandcastle!

The city of Nags Head was south of where we were staying, but it is still a pretty central location for those staying in the Outer Banks. Just looking at the map, Nags Head Golf Links appears to be the southernmost course in the area. So if you are staying in the southern part of the Outer Banks then Nags Head is probably your best choice, as you won’t have to deal with as much beach traffic!

Because we had an early tee time, there weren’t many cars on the road for our ride to the course. We got there in no time and after we checked in we had a little time to kill. I wandered around to the back porch to take a couple pictures and then rolled some putts. I’d highly suggest spending some time on the clubhouse’s porch as it highlights the wonder setting at Nags Head! The back of the clubhouse looks out across the 9th and 18th holes, which play along the Roanoke Sound. You’ll get plenty of time to take in the views on the course, but the deck would be a great place to spend an hour or two.

Even though the course isn’t on the ocean, it is a few blocks from the Atlantic and still gives off that coastal feel! Seagulls were chirping as they flew by, the wind was blowing and the water from the sound was lapping up against the sea wall. Even with the nearby homes from the community, I found Nags Head a very tranquil place. Compared to the other two courses that we played in the area, Nags Head offered that “beach” vibe which really put me in the vacation mood.

Prior to playing the course my friend and I scouted it out on the satellite. He had driven by the course previously and said that it looked super tight. Sure enough, the satellite gave us the same impression. In all honesty, I was expecting this to be a list checking type of course, just because it looked like as much target golf as anyone could want! As it turns out, I liked Nags Head so much more than I ever would have guessed!

The course is bordered by the sound on one side and the main road through the Outer Banks on the other. It also has to work its way through the community which means there isn’t a bunch of space for golf holes. As you might expect, Nags Head is a shorter course and it plays just 6,126 yards from the tips. The rating and slope are 70.2 and 128, respectively so it still has a few teeth when you consider it is a par 71. Throw in the normal stiff wind and some quirkiness, and I wouldn’t expect to play well here until you learn the course’s nuances!

The course opens with a potentially driveable par-4, which is under 300 yards. It is slightly downhill and was significantly downwind, so it was tempting. However, it is narrow with thick gorse on each and there is a large mound short of the green that you’d need to carry. So early in the round I think it would be prudent to lay up! I hit a 5 iron and a flip wedge so it didn’t give me any trouble. In essence the first hole is the type of golf that you’ll find at Nags Head. You can take the aggressive play, but laying up is probably the best course of action. I ended up hitting driver eight times as there are some longer holes, but if I was scoring better I wouldn’t have hit it that much. There is more room in certain spots than it looks, but when holes go through the dunes those areas get extra narrow!

The first three holes play among the dunes before you get your first view of the Roanoke Sound on the 4th hole. The 5th hole is a tricky par-5 that runs along the sound. It has a narrow lay up area and the wind was whipping off the sound. I tried to start my tee shot over the water and let it come back to the fairway, but that didn’t work! The 8th and 9th are also along the water before you get another four holes on the back nine that are nearby, or along, the sound. All the water views are the reason that Nags Head should be a course to visit on your Outer Banks trip! Periodically, I’ll mention community courses where the homes get the best land. I think Nags Head is unique because in this case, the course got the best land.

The conditions were good. Since it was a cold spring, all the grass was still coming out of dormancy and you could see that here a bit more than the other courses we played. That resulted in thinish bermuda lies and some patchy spots. The greens were smooth and rolled at a good pace, thankfully they weren’t as firm and fast as the courses were played on Friday! I could actually get some chips close here and hole a few putts. Off the fairways there were small lines of rough which didn’t stop much before getting to the gnarly rough and brush that covered the dunes.

There is no doubt that there are some goofy holes at Nags Head, which are a result of the coastal setting. Very few courses are perfect, but Nags Head has more to like about it than not to like! I ended up impressed with the course because it has a ton of scenery. And, that reason alone I’d suggest checking it while in the Outer Banks. For those curious, we played in four hours.

#1 (292 yard par 4):