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 It’s a new and exciting time for the residents and owners of Brick Landing Plantation in Ocean Isle Beach, NC. From the old bricks embracing the property to the buzz of energy surrounding the arrival of legendary golf architect Dan Maples to move the earth around them, the best kept secret in all of coastal golf won’t be a secret much longer.
Brick Landing
Maples has placed his feet firmly on the ground to begin the renovations of this old southern favorite. Purchased in a joint venture by Maples Golf Management, Inc. and CTC Brick Landing, LLC of Raleigh, NC, the course is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007, at which time the owners plan to take it private.
“We plan to not only make the course play better, but to enhance the natural aesthetics of the course to really bring out the beauty of the whole place,” Pinehurst native Maples claims.
In addition to the course being reshaped, the entire community has a rebirth. A major renovation of the plantation-style clubhouse will offer a second-story dining room to offer a vista like none other. Three-story waterfront condominiums will shoulder either side of the clubhouse. Units will feature 1,300 to 2,000 square feet of golf style living.
Owners will have full membership privileges including golf, dining, tennis, swimming and a full- service wellness center. With the addition of the new gazebo and docking area along the Intracoastal Waterway, the club will have an additional yachting element to enhance club membership.
Many course critics have described Brick Landing Plantation as a player’s course, very similar to other famous coastal courses like Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, where players must demonstrate an ability to find the fairways, and keep their ball in those fairways. The first hole plays away from that great plantation-style clubhouse along the Intracoastal Waterway before turning in to dense oak maritime forests and beautiful salt water marshes before returning to the clubhouse with the finishing hole also along the Intracoastal. The scenery along those two holes, and the 16 in between, is nothing short of breath-taking. Now the golf will match the views.
From an early sketch on a simple piece of notebook paper, a second grader drew the outline of a golf course. At the tender age of seven, Dan Maples was developing the imagination that would become a career, a lifelong passion and ultimately his legacy.
“I’d hate to have a real job,” Maples says, smiling as he drives his Land Rover along the cart paths of his newest re-creation at Brick Landing. A name that is well known on scorecards from Myrtle Beach through the Carolinas and around the world, Maples’ signature work is in full swing with a three to four million dollar revitalization scheduled to be completed by the end of 2007.
To create an atmosphere of change, Maples enlisted the members of the well established club to share thoughts, ideas and suggestions on the course.
“In the beginning stages of the designing process, we held focus group meetings with the homeowners and golfers that played the course often,” says Maples. “From likes to dislikes, we heard it all. If I can get one idea from the owners to help me, I get excited and they get excited.”
“One such concern, near universal at this course, was the frustration of the fourth hole, a 293-yard par-4. We have entirely reworked that hole. The hole is now is a par-3 instead of a par-4,” Maples said.
Dan Maples has a strong grasp of golf in the area. From his grandfather Frank Maples of Pinehurst fame, to his dad Ellis Maples who pioneered bent grass in 1958. The tradition will continue with Brad Maples, Dan’s son, who recently graduated from the School of Design at North Carolina State University.
Challenges for the redesigning of the course will include “blessings”, as Maples affectionately called them. These blessings are 16 holes that have water on them. From the Intracoastal Waterway to marshlands, to multiple ponds on each hole, Maples will make the most of the scenic beauty which is Brick Landing.
“Our mission is to make Brick Landing more playable and prettier, and also to bring about better scores, while still challenging the pros,” Dan said. “We’re going to make hundreds of shooters happy! The cool thing about it (redesigning Brick Landing) is we are creating a totally different concept, incorporating so many design elements, good land use and owner input,” Maples adds.
Maples is involved in the partnership as well. “I’m amazed by the opportunity. I never gave it a second thought. There is so much potential. It’s REAL potential. This has energized me! When you put your name on a course, it has to be right.”
It has always been Maples signature to not have a signature. Perhaps Brick Landing will be his is his greatest signature.
Brick Landing has declared privatization and during the transition period is offering Lease Memberships for interested golfers. Contact Donna Loftin, Director of Membership, at (910) 754-4373 extension 16 for more information. For more information on Brick Landing, visit online at www.bricklandinggolf.com.
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