
Egret/Heron Course
Carolina National Golf Club


About this course
Carolina National Golf Club's Egret/Heron combination draws from twenty-seven holes designed by Fred Couples in collaboration with Gene Bates and Kipp Schulties. The facility opened in the late 1990s in Bolivia, North Carolina, positioned in the coastal lowcountry between Wilmington and the South Carolina border. The three nine-hole loops—Egret, Heron, and Ibis—allow for varied eighteen-hole configurations, with the Egret/Heron pairing representing one of the standard tournament rotations. The design reflects the natural characteristics of coastal Carolina terrain, with routing that incorporates wetlands, native grasses, and stands of longleaf pine. Elevation changes remain modest, typical of lowcountry topography, while water features and marshland areas influence strategy on multiple holes. The layout emphasizes playability from forward tees while presenting length and strategic bunkering for accomplished players from the back markers. Couples, a major champion known for his playing career, brought a player's perspective to the design process, while Bates contributed extensive regional design experience in the Carolinas. The course serves a daily-fee market in Brunswick County, an area that developed significantly as a golf destination in the decades surrounding the turn of the century. The Egret and Heron nines combine to offer a representative example of accessible resort-style golf in the Cape Fear region, with conditioning and pace of play suited to visiting golfers exploring the area's numerous public and semi-private facilities.
Quick facts
- Location
- Bolivia, NC, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1998
- Holes
- 18
- Designer(s)
- Fred Couples, Gene Bates, Kipp Schulties
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 7,017 yards
- Difficulty
- 75.2/146
- Course Vaults score
- 7.1
Getting there
Carolina National Golf Club is most readily accessed via Wilmington International Airport (ILM), situated approximately forty-five minutes to the southeast, a straightforward drive that carries you inland from the coastal plain through the quiet farmland and maritime forests of southeastern North Carolina. The route traces a gentle arc northwestward through Bolivia proper, a landscape of open fields and tree-lined country roads that signal your passage into the Lower Cape Fear region's golfing heartland. As you approach the club's gates, the surrounding terrain shifts subtly - the flat, sandy soil gives way to the manicured grounds where Carolina National's championship layouts unfold across pristine fairways framed by native pines and strategic water features. The arrival embodies the understated elegance of the Carolina coast: no fanfare, simply the quiet confidence of a destination built on the region's storied golfing tradition.

FAQ
Common questions about Egret/Heron at Carolina National Golf Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Egret/Heron at Carolina National Golf Club has a Course Vaults score of 7.1 out of 10 based on 11 logged golfers.
Egret/Heron was designed by Fred Couples, Gene Bates, and Kipp Schulties.
Yes. Egret/Heron at Carolina National Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Egret/Heron is 72.
Egret/Heron plays 7,017 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Egret/Heron is 146.





