The Outer Banks: Another Underrated Golf Trip

We’re always on the hunt for the next best golf trip – domestic or International.  But tucked away in North Carolina, we found a budget friendly golf trip that has everything you could possibly need.  The trip is — The Outer Banks, in North Carolina.  Not only is the OBX an easy golf destination to get to, but you’ll also be able to stretch your dollars pretty far.  The food was just as good as the golf by the way.  

Let’s dive into the perfect itinerary.  Here’s how we did it:

Fly into Norfolk, VA 

If you’re flying in for this one, it’s simple flight into in Norfolk, VA then it’s a drive of about 1.5/2 hours south to the Outer Banks.  The drive is easy and pretty scenic and there are a lot of great food options along the drive in case you needed a quick post-flight (pre-round) meal. 

First Round of the Trip: The Carolina Club 

Carolina Club greeted us with immaculate fairways and greens that rolled insanely well for October. The weather that time of year is ideal and it should be on the top of your list for the time of the year to go.  This course is a great opener for a golf trip to set mood and a major plus is that it’s closest OBX course from the VA airport.

Seafood Dinner NC Coastal 

We had to go big on the first night, so we hit a favorite local spot, NC Coastal, which had a full-on seafood spread. Shrimp and grits stole the show, but honestly everything was so good and the boys enjoyed every bit of this meal. We enjoyed some great cocktails,  good laughs, and the celebrated what was next to come on this epic trip.  Try this spot for dinner one night – you’ll thank me later.

Second Round:  Kilmarlic Golf Club 

Kilmarlic was a strategic course, with tight lines, marsh views, and the round took a little bit of shot precision.  But other than that, this place was immaculate.  You got a country club feel you get out of it with an incredible greens fees of under $100.   It is located about half of a mile from where we were staying (Kilmarlic Golf Cottages), so the commute was ideal; especially for the earliest tee time. 

Third Round:  The Pointe Club 

We jogged across the street to The Pointe Club for round two, running on adrenaline and the killer lunch from the Kilmarlic clubhouse.  The Pointe is a fun golf course to play; and it can easily set the mood after a tough morning at Kilmarlic.  If you’re playing this 36-loop in one day, definitely keep the Pointe as your afternoon closer.  The prices of both of these golf courses are exceptional by the way, with the Pointe also under $100 for the round. 

Lodging: Kilmarlic Golf Cottages 

The Kilmarlic Golf Cottages might be one of the coolest places I’ve stayed on a golf trip. This place is definitely dialed for a four-man crew.  There are plenty of beds and space to spread out gear, kick back on the porch and BBQ, or hang out on your own backyard lit-up putting green with a beer in hand at night. At about $300 per night, these cottages split 4-ways makes for arguably one of the most cost effective stays in golf!

Fourth Round: Nags Head (on the Water) 

Nags Head brought wind, water, and a lot of the drama, but if you had to only play one track in OBX, I’d pick this one!  A ton of your tee shots are framed around the sound — you’ll be taking tons of photos, trust me. The wind will get you here so be prepared for that as well as the price — in a good way!  Believe it or not, off-season rounds here at just under $100.  You sensing a theme of OBX golf course rates yet?

Adventure: Wild Horses in Corolla 

A little north in Corolla, we slowed the trip down to go on a fun excursion; one we never thought in a million years we’d do.  The Wild Horse Adventure trail was such a cool experience — and it can give your body a break from all the swings.   Seeing the wild horses up close felt surreal and it made for a bunch of great laughs and photos.

Steak Dinner at JK’s 

JK’s is a must for the golf trip looking for meat.   This quaint, little restaurant offers some of the best food in OBX, with big cut steaks, great sides, and incredible drinks.  What’s cool about this place is that you can actually watch your steak being cooked through the window and it’s a pretty wild site — delicious too.  My steak tasted like a $100 steak from NYC at a price of about a third of that.

Final Round: The Currituck Club 

Currituck ended the trip with a proper test. This country-club style facility is well-maintained and the course even offers nice elevation changes, coastal breezes off of the sound, and big-shot moments.  Surrounded by water, this course does play tough, but as far as conditions goes, it may have some of the best conditions in the Outer Banks.   This Reese Jones gem also comes with an incredible off-peak price of under $90 for 18 holes.

Here’s the video version of our entire trip for a more in-depth OBX trip planning preview.