St. James Plantation: Southport, North Carolina

IF GOLF, CONVENIENCE, A COASTAL lifestyle and variety are what you seek in a home or a golf destination, you owe it to yourself to visit St. James Plantation, a sprawling 5,000-acre community in coastal Brunswick County, North Carolina, that is home to 81 holes of golf on four exquisite courses.

The Founders Club, opened in 1991 and designed by P.B. Dye, highlights the natural beauty of coastal Carolina and is considered to be the toughest of the four courses.

The Members Club, designed by Hale Irwin, opened for play in 1996, and another nine-hole layout was added five years later.

The Players Club, designed by native Carolinian Tim Cate, was completed in 1997 and is known for its challenging level of play, as well as for its spectacular views.

The latest addition to St. James Plantation’s golf experience is the Reserve Club, a project of Nicklaus Design. The course, opened in July 2006, will offer a competitive round of golf for players of all skill levels, playing at 7,212 yards from the championship tees and 4,925 yards from the forward tees.

Each course offers a character as unique as the pros who designed them. All golfers will find an enjoyable round—whether that means being challenged by narrow fairways and strategically placed hazards or being able to relax and aim at wide open fairways.

Aside from golf, St. James Plantation offers a fully staffed tennis facility, a marina, a beach club and the Waterway Park, complete with walking trails and a pier popular with fishermen and crabbers. Whatever you are looking for in a coastal residential destination, odds are you can find it at St. James Plantation.

For more information about golf at St. James Plantation, visit www.TheClubsAtStJames.com.