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Cape Fear National Golf Course

Location icon 1281 Cape Fear National Drive, Leland, NC
Phone icon (910) 383-3283
18

Holes

72

Par

7,217

Yards

74.5

Rating

143

Slope

Yes

Driving Range

Description

Set within the Brunswick Forest community in Leland, Cape Fear National winds through coastal wetlands and longleaf pines with a polished, resort-style presentation. Fairways are generous enough to invite driver, but the course is all about angles—bolder lines open up the best approaches into contoured greens ringed by tightly mown runoffs and sculpted bunkers. Several holes skirt marsh edges or cross ponds, creating true risk-reward decisions, especially on the par-5s and a handful of cape-style par-4 tee shots. The par-3s offer real variety, from short, nervy carries to longer one-shotters that play differently with the coastal breeze. Conditioning is a hallmark here, with quick, true ultradwarf Bermuda greens and firm surrounds that reward imagination. A full practice setup—driving range, expansive putting green, and a proper short-game area—makes it easy to dial in before a memorable closing stretch back toward the clubhouse.

Tue, Feb 24

52.7

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Wed, Feb 25

57.7

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Thu, Feb 26

65.3

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Fri, Feb 27

61.7

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Sat, Feb 28

53.5

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Sun, Mar 1

68.9

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Mon, Mar 2

55.9

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This course doesn't offer online bookings.
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I played on Tuesday, September 23. The course was in phenomenal shape. The greens were rolling smooth and fair. I’m not sure that I’ve hit off of flatter tee boxes. The staff was really kind and helpful. The guys at the backdrop ensure that we had a good round.

Daniel

5

5 months ago

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This is unequivocally the best public golf course in and around Wilmington! There is literally nothing bad about this place. The greens are magnificent, the fairways are in top notch shape. It's a challenging golf course with lots of sand and water. Credit to the ground's crew for keeping all of the bunkers in great shape, particularly during covid. They have an amazingly extensive and scenic practice area including a perfect driving range with plenty of grass to hit off of, two huge chipping greens and a large putting green. Range balls are also cheaper than most golf courses. The clubhouse and restaurant look great, staff is friendly and the value is extremely high for what you pay. It's just a very scenic, well kept and well-designed golf course! Highly recommend!

Shaftamle

5

over 5 years ago

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One of the biggest things the coastal North Carolina area has going for it is a fantastic climate; outdoor recreational activities can be enjoyed year-round and the mild winter temperatures are perfect for golf. Renowned golf course architect Tim Cate has created a course that takes the area’s heavily undulating land and winds its way through wetlands, waterfalls, and beach bunkers. Although the course is carved from acres of forest, trees are not that much of a factor. Instead, North Carolina native grasses and wildflowers are often found bordering Cate’s signature feature – waste bunkers that run the entire length of a hole and sometimes serve as the cart path. This can be seen on holes 5, 13, and 16. Cape Fear National is all about golf and with that mindset comes outstanding practice facilities. In addition to a full-length driving range, there are several separate areas where you can work on your short game, sand game, and putting. If you are lucky enough to be invited to the club as a guest or on a discovery tour, I advise getting to the course early and taking advantage of all the club has to offer As you make your way around the course, you’ll find more than 1,500 feet of bridges, three separate waterfalls, several ponds, and strategically placed rock walls. Over 1.5 million cubic yards of earth were moved to create this golfing masterpiece with water or wetlands coming into play on every hole. The result is a gently rolling golf course that is as aesthetically pleasing to look at as it is challenging to play. What you see is what you get; there are no hidden hazards out here! Whether you’re a low-handicapper or are just new to the game, players of all skill levels will enjoy Cape Fear National. With six sets of tees, the course plays anywhere from 7,130 yards to 4,811 yards. From the Champion Tees, Cape Fear National has a course rating of 74.8 and a slope of 140. I found the Blue Tees (6,208/70.3/131) offered a fair challenge and still allowed me to leave with some dignity intact. Pick the tees that best suit your game and you’re sure to enjoy yourself. Bunkers steal the spotlight on Numbers 12 and 13. The 12th hole is a challenging and picturesque par 4 with beautiful bunkering in the fairway on either side and around the green, both in front and behind. You’ll need to fly your approach shot onto this green or risk hitting out of the sand. Number 13 is one of Cate’s signature holes with a waste bunker that you drive through framing the right side of the fairway and snaking its way up in front of the green. Be wary of the pond on the left side off the tee which you may well find if you’re paying too much attention to that bunker. Cape Fear National is a private golf club where the focus is on you, the member. After all, membership is a choice that often leads to changes in lifestyle. Cape Fear National offers a welcoming atmosphere in a peaceful, serene setting, where you’re certain to meet others that share your interests. As a member, you’ll enjoy a challenging golf course, fun social activities, and memorable dining experiences. There are no tennis courts, swimming pools, or fitness centers, just a world-class golf facility, a well-stocked bar, great food, and good friends. That’s really all a country club needs. Cape Fear National Golf Club was recently purchased by Heritage Golf Group, the fastest-growing golf club owner in the country. Heritage Golf Group currently has 25 public, private, and resort-style golf courses in 9 states that will challenge golfers of all skill sets and abilities.

David

5

almost 3 years ago

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First new golf course of 2019 and drove to . Cape Fear National to play 18 in the sun and what turned out to be a very strong wind, 1 or 2 clubs worth of wind if I'm honest. First impressions, this place looks great, staff were friendly. Tee-boxes were immaculate as were the greens. The bit in between nah. Now we have had some rain down in NC, nothing to heavy in the last week though, but man was this place sodden, virtually squelched everywhere you walked on the fairways. It's bad enough trying to hit drives in the wind but with soaking fairways it made your driving even more depressing with lack of roll out. Plugged balls everywhere! The only other bug bear was pace of play. Not busy today, but 4.45 hours for 17 (one hole closed for maintenance) was a bit on the high side, yes some of that down to cart paths only, but man, ready golf hasn't caught on down here in the Wilmington area 😨 Anyway, the course isn't an easy track, sand everywhere and water on a lot of all the holes. However it does play fair if you keep it on the short stuff. We will probably be back as it is a good $$, though only after a long dry spell and lighter winds.

D

4

about 7 years ago

google-icon

Loved this course. Beautiful scenery. Tee boxes in great shape. Greens absolutely perfect. You will spend some time in the sand, there's plenty. The clubhouse is Beautiful and pro shop has some really nice merchandise. I feel like at 80ish dollars it is priced just right.

Josh

5

almost 5 years ago

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