The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants too.
2 Because God is the one who established it on the seas;
God set it firmly on the waters.
3 Who can ascend the Lord’s mountain?
Who can stand in his holy sanctuary?
4 Only the one with clean hands and a pure heart;
the one who hasn’t made false promises,
the one who hasn’t sworn dishonestly. – Psalm 24:1-4
For all you golf (and landscape) fans, this is the post you have been waiting for all week. Three days, three different locations, three distinct experiences. I’ll break this article into:
- “Carolina Colours” – New Bern
- “Star Hill” – just inland from Emerald Isle
- “Beaufort Club” – Beaufort
Just a short few paragraphs followed by a slide show for each golf course. Click on the first slide and advance the photographs at your leisure (there are three slideshows). All were beautiful in their own way, each showcasing the unique tracts of property where they sit. Enjoy!
Carolina Colours, New Bern:
I didn’t take my Nikon DSLR, so this collection is limited to eight iPhone shots. The Carolina Colours course is carved out of swampy land, so there are a lot of raised boardwalks and long woodsy drives between holes. If I played this again I would hit a lot of low hybrid “stingers” because the fairways ran hard and fast like a seaside golf links.
The layout featured a lot of surprises, so “local knowledge” would be a big plus worth probably five to ten shots once you know where to put the ball. There was a lot of, “If I’d have known about that (ditch… bunker… lake… slope…) I wouldn’t have hit that shot!”
I’d definitely play this course again, given the opportunity. What a great way to start our adventure!
Star Hill:
George described this course as “Old School.” He’s right, especially the first nine – The Pines – where the golf was designed for walking, with each new tee close by the previous green. The back nine for us was The Lakes, obviously a newer layout and extremely attractive.
This was the day I discovered why I suddenly started (Monday) hooking the ball out of bounds off the tee! After several inexplicable shots went radically left, Rick let me try his driver. Long and straight, immediately. He generously let me share the remainder of the trip.
Star Hill is a classic North Carolina track, tall pine trees and lots of sand. It was also very quiet and we had the course pretty much to ourselves. I enjoyed Tuesday’s golf a lot, and the day was helped by the fact that we woke up at the beach house, then got to stay a second night.
This was also my day to cook. But I’ll share more about that in another post. Enjoy these (27) photographs!
Beaufort Club:
Finally, Wednesday’s outing was to the Beaufort Club. Most definitely the more challenging of the courses. It’s possible that water came into play on every single hole. Rick certainly had an uncanny ability to find it!
However, it was here we found our first birdie of the trip (well done. George!). Also, I have the sense (that for a player striking the ball consistently) this course is absolutely manageable.
This was definitely my favorite of the three outings. I enjoyed them all, but Beaufort Club had a little something extra (yes, water…) that makes me anxious to go back. The greens are remarkably well maintained, and the layout is not only interesting but scenic too.
Again, this setup is all about “course management” (if I hadn’t leaned that lesson before, maybe I have this time).
So here is the “spiritual” take on all of this. To me there is an obvious message here about partnership between God and people. God has given us this good, beautiful, wild, sometimes untamed, Earth. When we get it right, we apply our imagination and industry in such a way that we do no harm to the environment while getting the most value possible from the raw materials. Golf may not always have been in the “no harm” category, but I believe it is one of those places where we can do well in partnership with our Creator.
Here are the photographs – 29 – from Beaufort Club. Again, click on the slideshow then scroll through at your convenience (or, if you prefer, I have set them out in a grid below this last slide-show).
In gratitude for this good life – DEREK
Oftentimes, the serenity and splendor of the golf course allows you to examine the full scale majesty of God’s green earth. Whether it be a course nestled besides mountaintops or a course interwoven with springs and woods, it really can take your breath away.
Absolutely. I feel so blessed to be able to have enjoyed those three days.