Hatteras, Sea Scape
and Superwo/man

Hatteras, North Carolina
Part 1

by Anthony Scaggs
Golf Clubs, Golf Resorts, Golf Courses

What do Hatteras, Sea Scape and Superwo/man have in common?

They all have capes.

In this case, Dare County, North Carolina has two of them—Cape Hatteras and the Sea Scape Links Golf Course.

Cape Hatteras also has the tallest brick lighthouse in the country and the only one relocated in the summer of 1999. This superwo/man-esque feat, moving the 4-ton obelisk in one-piece 2,900 feet, was covered by national television. The very ocean from which it was protecting seafarers was threatening the lighthouse.               

I visited Dare County’s beautiful area to eat fresh seafood, enjoy the sand and sun,visit the scenic areas and play golf. In my misspent youth, I lived on the Virginia coast and visited the Outer Banks frequently. Now that I live in the West and away from oceans, it was even more pleasurable to go back to a region filled with pleasant memories, to see the ocean and to play a game that I love. Life is good.

Art Wall, the 1959 Masters champion, designed the course and cleverly used the natural terrain to challenge the more experienced golfers while still making it fun for those newly addicted to this sport. Sand, dune grass and bushes awaited the errant swing or the improper address resulting in a misalignment. Mr. Goodwrench cannot help you here.

Sea Scape set the tone immediately. The first hole is their number one handicap. Standing on the 592-yard par five tee box, you need a pair of binoculars to see the green. The narrow fairway is huddled between miles of sand and bushes. First, you must drive over the sand, dune grass and shrubs that fill the first sixty yards from the tee box. One may say to themselves “at least there is not a water hazard.” Think again. If your ball lands in the forbidden zone, you will gladly take a two-stroke penalty just so that you do not have to go back in the sand with the razor like grass and needle sharp limbs that prick you at every turn.

The second hole is a short 415-yard par four lined with homes. If you can drive a straight long ball, your second shot is a short iron to the green. If you cannot hit a straight drive use a three or five wood and then your long to midirons. The green drops behind a ridge. Only the pin can be seen. Beware, the green is the size of a postage stamp and it slopes away.