Lockwood Folly is a Coastal Golf Destination

Lockwood Folly Country Club and Golf Course is a hidden gem in Brunswick County.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Mark Steelman

With acres of course winding through salt marshes, creeks, trees and fields, Lockwood Folly Country Club and Golf Course is the only golf facility in Brunswick County where players can experience the breathtaking trifecta of the Lockwood Folly River, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean while playing a naturally challenging round of golf.

Members and nonmembers alike can also get in a game of tennis or pickleball, sip drinks in the new clubhouse or enjoy a meal in the waterfront restaurant. Lockwood Folly Country Club is a major contender among other courses in the area, and with the recent addition of a new 14,000-square-foot waterfront clubhouse, it offers extraordinary club amenities and unmatched service as well.

“The new clubhouse has legitimized us as a destination golf course,” says Eric Morgan, head golf professional at Lockwood Folly. “The original clubhouse wasn’t very inviting so this one has put us on the map with a full-service bar, restaurant, banquet facilities and pro shop.”

The newly completed club house opened in March of 2017 and includes a state-of-the-art fitness center, a well-appointed pro shop with 1,300 square feet of golf apparel, equipment and premium club rentals, a library and the Oak & Anchor, a full-service restaurant that’s open to the general public.

“The restaurant features daily specials and specialty nights,” says Theresa Bryant, director of marketing for Lockwood Folly. “We’re recognized by the Brunswick County seafood industry as a Brunswick Catch restaurant, which means we serve local seafood.” Upstairs is the River Room, a venue space that seats 200 and has a balcony that runs the width of the room that overlooks the water.

The original clubhouse has been completely renovated and includes the pool house, a game room and a meeting room that holds 108 people. With the River Room, the beautiful waterfront backyard, the pool house and a gazebo, Lockwood Folly has a venue for all seasons and reasons from weddings to corporate meetings.

Centrally located between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, Lockwood Folly is just 4 miles from Holden Beach. Morgan describes it as a hidden gem, and that’s an apt description. Pass through the entrance gates, and there is an unexpected but welcomed color palette change from the tans of sea oats, sand and summer-dried vegetation to lush greens and stately oak-canopied streets and fairways. Prior to its development in 1988, the property was a hunting preserve. The natural setting of quiet ponds, salt marshes, creeks and trees provides a sanctuary for the abundant wildlife like bald eagles, deer and owls that still call the property home. “It provides such a feeling of serenity when you drive through the community,” Bryant explains. “We want to share our slice of heaven with everybody.”

The thoughtfully designed single-family residential community within Lockwood Folly boasts more than 600 properties, all of which are owned, and 300 homeowners with casually elegant, expertly designed and built homes. The properties all offer unmatched natural beauty with their massive oaks and grand pines. The close proximity to the beach attracts members to the community. Residents can spend a day soaking up the sun on the beach and be home in less than ten minutes with no lines of traffic. The tree-lined streets that meander through the property offer the perfect place for a shaded walk after dinner or first thing in the morning.

What also makes Lakewood Folly Country Club unique is that it is a member-owned golf course. The community members have a vested interest in the upkeep, maintenance and playability of the course. “Our members are what make this place a go,” Morgan says. “They’re a tribute to the success of Lockwood Folly.”

Lockwood Folly offers its community residents ample social opportunities and amenities, including a sewing club, cooking clubs, a private boat ramp and three fishing docks.

However, you don’t need to be a member to play the links-style course. The 18-hole, par 72 Willard Byrd designed course is naturally challenging but rewarding for all ability levels. The course measures 6,836 yards from the tips and has a rating of 73.9 with a slope of 140. The front tees have a distance of 5,029 yards, a rating of 71.1 and a slope of 122. Lockwood Folly offers competitive rates and golf specials to those who join their email club.

Last year Lockwood Folly closed the course for two months to install new greens and course surfaces, with plans for ongoing course enhancements to improve playability. They’ll host two high-profile tournaments in 2019, including the Women’s Southern Golf Association’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships and The Tarheel Cup, a tournament of some of the top rated high school senior boys and girls.

An oasis hidden among the trees on the way to the beach, Lockwood Folly Country Club and Golf Course is a destination golf course — a place that players purposely seek out for a respite from the ordinary. And that’s a good thing. “We want Lockwood Folly to be an open, welcoming place for members, visitors and the entire community of Brunswick County to enjoy,” Bryant says.

Want to go?
Lockwood Folly Country Club and Golf Course
19 Clubhouse Drive, Holden Beach, NC
877-562-9663
lockwoodfolly.com