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Rating Index Rating
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4.3
924 Reviews (924)
5 Stars
454
4 Stars
376
3 Stars
61
2 Stars
19
1 Stars
14
Conditions
4.2
Value
4.3
Layout
4.5
Friendliness
4.6
Pace
3.9
Amenities
4.1
93.4%
Recommend this course
882 out of 924 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.1
20 Reviews (20)
5 Stars
8
4 Stars
8
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
2
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.8
Value
4.1
Layout
4.5
Pace
3.4
Amenities
4.3
StaffFriendliness
4.4
90.0%
Recommend this course
18 out of 20 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.3
75 Reviews (75)
5 Stars
42
4 Stars
23
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.3
Value
4.3
Layout
4.5
Pace
3.9
Amenities
4.1
StaffFriendliness
4.6
90.7%
Recommend this course
68 out of 75 reviews
Read Reviews
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AI summaries based on real golfer reviews
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Course Highlights
Castle Bay's welcoming staff consistently make golfers feel at home, from the pro shop to the beverage cart. The links-style layout offers a fun challenge for all skill levels, with fairways and greens reliably well-maintained.

About

Holes 18
Type Semi-Private
Style Links
Par 72
Length 6698 yards
Slope 130
Rating 71.3

Although it is tucked away just north of Hampstead, Castle Bay Country Club will make you feel as though you've been transported to the British Isles. The golf course offers an authentic Scottish-links design that incorporates the natural wetlands of its coastal Carolina location, giving it a truly unique character. The landscape of rolling dunes is covered with native grasses but completely devoid of trees. Tall sand bunkers are strategically placed throughout and there are also expansive waste areas, both characteristics that are true to its links nature. Water hazards come into play on several holes as well. Accurate shot placement is the key to doing well on this course and just like any seaside links layout, the coastal breezes play a prominent role. Much of the difficulty of the golf course comes from negotiating with the prevailing winds.

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Castle Bay Country Club
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Course Details

Year Built 1999
Golf Season Year round

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Fivesomes Allowed No
Dress code Proper attire is required.

Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage

Available Activities

Swimming

Available Sports

Fitness, Tennis
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Reviews

4.3
924 Reviews (924)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
1.0
Previously Played

Greens are terrible

Course conditions are terrible for the money. It should be at least $20 cheaper considering the greens are just covered in sand. It is like putting in a bunker. They have too many tee times too close together and you will be waiting behind people A LOT for every shot.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Golf Now botched my tee time

Golf Now took my tee time over the phone and the person was unintelligible. She promised a confirming email that never came. I called the club to make sure our tee time was in the system and it wasn’t. Will never use Golf Now again.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Average
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Excellent

Was truly impressed by this course! From the friendly staff to the excellent pace of the greens. Fairways in good shape and a few very challenging holes. A must play and will certainly return.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 7
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Links Course Worth Playing

This is a links style course about 20 min from Wilmington. This course is a lot of fun and very forgiving. This course is a go to for me and my weekend group for a couple years now. Staff is super friendly, good greens, overall very worth the money. You can really go for it on this course and have some forgiveness being a links course. Would highly recommend this course in the Wilmington area!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Windy weather
Used cart

Worth a try

As a member of a private club, I review Castle Bay relative to its class as a public facility that's always fun to play. It has a somewhat linksy look that allows for shots to be run onto most greens and while the turf isn't anywhere near a true links, the winds that constantly sweep across the open terrain give it that feel and can require knockdown shots. The back nine is the more interesting of the two and demands both thought and distance control.The 12th hole is unique in being a short par 3 ranked as the No. 4 handicap hole. Water surrounds the green on three sides. It's difficult to hold and any miss is sent down the slopes toward trouble. The 18th is a fun hole that can be played as a drivable par 4. I recommend it as the by far the best of the three Hampstead courses.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 10
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played

Good value

A really good deal for the money, nice layout that’s very fair for the average golfer. The course is almost always in very good condition. The only criticism I would have is the sand traps, they use some very heavy sand that is not like most golf courses I play. The bar is just OK, it used to be much better.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Played On
Reviews 10
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Average
Amenities Average
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