Boat U.S. - March 2008 - (Page 27)

and Docks While the resort marinas offer the convenience of on-site golfing, many golfers may wish to play the 100 or so other golf courses in the area. With plenty of marinas to choose from along the ICW, chances are there is golfing right across the way from many of these alternatives. “You really are a stone’s throw from a golf course anywhere you stay in a marina along the Grand strand,” says Yvonne Gains, dockmaster at Lightkeepers Marina in Coquina Harbor at Mile Marker 346. “Just about every transient boat that stays more than a night or two here does so to go golfing.” snowbird boaters heading south for the winter often linger in Myrtle Beach to enjoy the attractions of the region. “Many transient boaters stay longer to extend their golf season,” adds Gains. “In the winter, the off-season, you get great green fees. Earlier in the fall when transients first come through fees are higher.” Lightkeepers Marina is also a Boatu.s. Cooperating Marina and offers a discount on transient dockage to members. The well protected Coquina Harbor is home to several marinas and yacht clubs, and is adjacent to Eastport Golf Club and across the street from River Hills Golf and Country Club. Coquina Harbor is in Little River, sC, on the northern end of the Grand strand, close to one of the more popular courses, Glen Dornoch. Often described as a little bit of scotland in south Carolina, this course meanders through ancient live oaks, marshlands and alongside the Intracoastal, providing spectacular views. Golf Digest gave this par 72, 6,890 yard-long course four-and-a-half stars in 2005. Towards the southern end of the Grand strand, where the Intracoastal runs through wilderness again, lies Osprey Marina, tucked away up a cut at Mile Marker 373. This little gem, situated about five miles from the golf courses of Arrowhead, Island Green Golf Course, Raccoon Run Golf Club and Heron Point Golf Club, offers very reasonable transient overnight rates and discounts longer-term stays of up to a month to just 25 cents, per foot, per night. This cooperating marina also offers Boatu.s. members a fuel discount. “Once people get here, they want to stay,” says sherry Harrelson, of Osprey Marina. “People call us a hidden treasure because you have to come down a channel to get to the marina.” In addition to being close to the airport, Osprey Marina is also nearby a unique attraction, the family-run Waccatee Zoo, a 500-acre property with a one-and-ahalf-mile walking trail that leads visitors past more than 100 species of animals. Formerly a private collection of exotic animals, this zoological farm is open to the public seven days a week. Docking at the Barefoot Resort Yacht Club, at ICW mile marker 354, gives visiting boaters access to four championship golf courses. While Myrtle Beach may not be the only place that offers great golf close to a marina, it certainly represents an enormous concentration of facilities that cater to both pastimes. so if your boating plans include an ICW excursion in ’08, keep in mind that you don’t have to choose. You can cruise the links while cruising the waterway. — By Michael Vatalaro More ICW GolfInG loCatIons Hilton Head Island Around Mile Marker 553, cruisers headed south will run into Hilton Head Island. This year-round resort destination has a dozen marinas on the shores of Skull Creek and Broad Creek, just off the ICW. Shelter Cove Marina, located far up Broad Creek, is part of the Palmetto Dunes Resort, and boaters can reach three championship golf courses, as well as tennis and the beach from the marina. Harbour Town Yacht Basin, at the southern tip of Broad Creek, also offers golf at the Harbour Town Golf Links. Bald Head Island Just north of the South Carolina border, accessible only by private boat or ferry, this island off the coast of North Carolina offers visitors the chance to get away from the crowd. The Bald Head Island Club Course was awarded four-and-a-half stars by Golf Digest, and was designed by George Cobb. The Bald Head Island Marina offers daily and monthly rates to transients and is about two miles from Southport, NC. Golf carts rule this island. No cars allowed. Survey Question: What boating destination offers great golf? E-mail us at Magazine@Boatus.com. Look for your favorites in the May issue. BoatU.S. Magazine March 2008 27 http://www.BoatUS.com/marinas

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Boat U.S. - March 2008

Boat U.S. - March 2008 Contents Behind the Buoy BoatU.S. Reports Member Forum Cap'n Drew Sailing the Sidewalk Aviators Ahoy Docking and Duffing Waterfront Living: Charleston Waterfront Marketplace Grady Right 2nd Time Around DIY: Keeping the Water Out Hot Tips Boat Smart Ask Chuck Foundation Findings Tangled Line At Your Service Good Foundations BoatU.S. Exchange Behind the Boat Where Our Flags Fly

Boat U.S. - March 2008

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