Joe Eakes Park at Kure Beach

PROS:

- Very challenging, great layout, and extremely well taken care of.

- Wide variety of holes. Some you can air it out on, but many are extremely technical. There are even a few holes with signs that say, "No overhead throws from tee." This adds another degree of difficulties as the holes that sport these signs seem ideal for a hammer or a tomahawk.

- Some tight fairways, but quite a few that allow you to open up and let 'er rip. Definitely a course worth checking out if you're looking to improve your accuracy.

- Solid baskets and tee boxes. Benches on every tee and the baskets still have the price tag on them.

- Exceptional layout. Whomever designed this course was obviously determined to challenge the players.

CONS:

- Trees like to "eat" discs. Have had to shake my disc out of a treetop on more than one occasion. (But that's more my fault than the trees.) Errant shots can be punished very severely.

- If you've never played the course before, the maps on the tee boxes can be a bit misleading.

- No topless Hooters girls frolicking along the #8 fairway.

Other Thoughts: Having played all the courses in Wilmington, I have to put Joe Eakes at a close second to The Castle. It's a challenge and the area is very nice. If you're heading to the beach, do yourself a favor and remember your discs. You'll be glad you played this course.