Bald Head is a barrier island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, and this part of the Carolina coast is noted for its fierce weather and dangerous offshore shoals that have been known to snag many an unwary mariner. But the short 20-minute private ferry across the quiet inlet to Bald Head Island is usually calm, and the island itself is an oasis from the cares and worries of life. With much of the island given over to preservation areas (loggerhead turtles return to the sandy beaches to lay their eggs), it’s a lovely place to get away from it all. And the golf course at Bald Head is worth the trip. After a start near the beach, the front nine plays through a maritime forest and it’s not until the 7th hole that one can aim for the top of Old Baldy, the 1817-era tabby lighthouse at the end of the island. The back nine is much more open to the wind and sea (there’s a magnificent 180-degree view on the 16th tee) and the holes play much like typical links: hard, fast and windy. After admiring the view on 16, one has to drive to a water-surrounded fairway on the par five, and continue to thread the needle to the green. 18 is another tough driving hole, but with an easier approach to its huge green, spread out in the shadow of the beachfront clubhouse. Very much a family-oriented resort, Bald Head has much to offer.