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The 16th fairway of The Pearl's West Course runs along a marsh.
The Pearl's West Course GalleryCALABASH, N.C. | No matter what style of golf you enjoy, chances are it's offered at The Pearl's West Course. For at least a few holes.
The 1987 par-72 Dan Maples design transitions its way from open to tight, from tree-lined to marsh, from flat to elevation changes, and from Intracoastal Waterway to native grass fields. And the changes often occur from hole to hole.
"This course has a mixture," said Bob Pegram of North Myrtle Beach, a retired insurance agent who took part in a review of the course in late February. "It's kind of a links course for a few holes, then you have pines and forest, then you get out to the marsh. ... It's a great golf course. The holes have some style to them. It's not boring. There's always a challenge in front of you."
Joining me and Pegram, a 12 handicap, in a review foursome were former pro hockey player Marc Genest of Nichols, an owner of Accu-Brick Paving Systems and a 10 handicap, and Chuck Rosser of Mullins, an Accu-Brick project and sales manager with a 15 handicap.
"It seems like it's one extreme to the other but it flows well," Marc said. "I don't know how [Maples] did that, but it works."
Adding to the course's variety are five par-3s and five par-5s that create pars of 35 on the front nine and 37 on the back. "I don't think I've ever played a golf course with 35-37," Bob said. "I think it makes it interesting. I love that concept."
The course's difficulty comes from its length of 7,006 yards from the tips, 6,736 from the blue tees and a still-challenging 6,419 from the white, and from hazards combined with susceptibility to wind on most holes. The wind was blowing up to 30 mph the day we played.
"This is a course that requires you to play the wind," Marc said. "You need to be aware of it based on approach shots, to cut or draw the ball toward the green. ... Not taking the wind into consideration, I think it's a course anybody can play from a low handicapper to a high handicapper."
Par-5s present perhaps the most challenge. All five are at least 534 yards and two exceed 600, and three of the final five holes are par-5s. "I think you've got a better chance of making birdies on some of the par-3s and par-4s than on the par-5s, because even on a calm day they're still long," Marc said. "The par-5s stand out because from the tips they require three solid shots."
Likes
The group thought the course was in very good shape. In particular, Chuck thought the L93 bentgrass greens were in great shape and fairways provided good lies.
Marc liked the layout and greens, which were quick and had a fair amount of undulation, and overall appearance of the course. "It's a really good looking course," he said. "I think it's great. I can't wait to come back. It's appealing."
The course was ahead of its time with its length from all tee boxes, and Marc liked the option of five tee boxes. "I think you get a variety of looks of the course by playing the various tee boxes," he said.
Bob thought the course was a great bargain in February for the $45 local rate.
Dislikes
Both Bob and Marc thought many of the tee boxes were too small and not all were entirely level. "Some tee boxes leave a little to be desired," Marc said.
There are areas from hole-to-hole that are bulldozed but undeveloped, signs of a housing development on hold. "It seems like they're in between leaving it natural and development," Marc said. Added Chuck: "The surrounding area was a little rough outside the course."
There are no trash cans or water coolers at tee boxes.
Par-3s
Five par-3s range in distance from 147 to 215 yards from the tips and 134 and 183 from the white tees. "There are good short holes along with ones with longer distances," Chuck said.
The 205-yard second hole measures 180 from the white, plays slightly uphill and has trouble all around but well off the green, and the 167-yard fourth hole has a wide bunker front-right of the green and water to the left and behind it.
The 215-yard eighth hole measures 183 from the white and features a green sloping from back to front. The 147-yard 13th is a beautiful short par-3 with tee boxes set back in a forested enclave, a depressed area of wetlands and deadwood between the tee and green, and bunkers front-left and front-right of the green. "It's an interesting hole the way they've got it set up," Chuck said.
The 151-yard 17th has marsh along the right side and a slightly elevated tee shot to a deep green that slopes to the front and has bunkers on either side. "The par-3s are fun, challenging and very attractive," Marc said.
Par-4s
Four of the eight par-4s are less than 400 yards, and three are longer than 430 from the tips. The yardages are between 336 and 407 from the white tees.
The 391-yard first and 458-yard ninth holes are open to the wind, while the 431-yard eighth and 358-yard sixth holes have trees on either side of fairways that dictate shots.
The 394-yard 10th and 358-yard 11th holes both measure less than 350 from the white tees and offer birdie opportunities with good drives. The 10th has five bunkers and 11th has hazards nearly surrounding the hole, however. "It's appealing to the eye and it looks easy," Chuck said of the 11th, "but for a short par-4 you need to think and it causes you to make mistakes."
The dogleg-left 401-yard 12th has water at the bend on the left side backed by trees. The 443-yard 15th measures 407 from the white and curls hard to the right with a tight tree line on both sides forcing a fade. You're deterred from a safe choice off the tee because of the hole's length. The hole opens up after the drive and the green backs up to the Intracoastal Waterway. "You can't find any prettier scenery than this," Bob said.
"The par-4s required quality shot-making," Marc said, "but most of them were very fair and gave you a shot at birdie."
Par-5s
The last two par-5s are part of a scenic and tough four-hole finishing stretch that features the Intracoastal Waterway and marsh.
The 604-yard 16th is 556 yards from the white tee and has marsh down the entire right side. Marsh cuts into the fairway behind a landing area bunker on the right to force drives to the left and lurks just off the fairway through the green.
The 18th hole is a double dogleg, turning left after the drive that is forced right by a tree line, then right over water on the third shot to the green. A conservative drive is required because of a bunker and lake that are reachable on the right side, and the green slopes sharply from back right to front-left.
The 614-yard 14th is 571 from the white and has a water hazard fronting the green. The 556-yard third hole is a dogleg right that measures 531 from the white tee, and the 579-yard seventh measures 551 from the white, turns slightly to the left and has fairway bunkers on both sides of the landing area.
The back half of the green is surrounded by water and the approach is downhill beginning about 100 yards from the green. An approach outside 150 yards is blind. "It adds a challenge to the hole," Bob said. "You have to line up your shot with the trees behind the green.
The length and shape of a few par-5s, such as Nos. 14 and 18, take away the risk-reward option and force three shots. "The par-5s were tough and long," Bob said. "Most required a good drive to be inside the 150 marker after the second shot."
Favorite holes
Bob was partial to the par-5 16th. "It's a beautiful hole by the marsh," he said. "It's narrow and will lull you into a bad shot if you're not careful."
Chuck particularly enjoyed the scenic holes, including the 15th and 16th.
Marc liked the par-5 third hole because it required three good shots to reach an elevated green, and the par-3 eighth. "It's very attractive from the tee boxes and the pin was accessible," he said.
Least favorite holes
Bob's least favorite hole was the 358-yard par-4 11th, which played 313 yards from the gold tee. "It's a very short par-4 with water to the right and behind the green," Bob said. "It makes you want to drive it long but you really shouldn't."
Chuck also thought the 11th entices you to make mistakes, and would like to see the dead oak tree that encumbers approach shots from some areas of the 18th fairway removed. "There's not a hole out there I thought was unfair," Chuck said, "though 18 could be unfair with the dead tree in the way near the water."
Marc thought he was at a disadvantage as a left-handed player on the ninth, 17th and 18th holes. "From the tips these tee boxes put me at a disadvantage due to the trees overhanging both tee boxes with a left-to-right wind," he explained.
Contact ALAN BLONDIN at 843-626-0284.