
Nags Head Course
Nags Head Golf Links
About this course
Nags Head Golf Links occupies a distinctive position along North Carolina's Outer Banks, where the course sits amid the region's characteristic windswept dunes and maritime forest. Designed by Bob Moore and Jerry Turner, the layout takes advantage of the barrier island's natural topography, incorporating elevation changes uncommon for coastal Carolina golf. The routing moves through varied terrain that includes both open, links-style holes exposed to prevailing ocean breezes and more sheltered passages through stands of live oak and pine. The course reflects the design sensibilities of its era while working within the constraints and opportunities of Outer Banks geography. Several holes play along ridgelines that offer views toward the sound, while others descend into lower-lying areas where strategic bunkering and native grasses frame the playing corridors. The wind remains a constant factor in club selection and shot-making, particularly on the more exposed holes where firm conditions can produce ground game options. Nags Head serves both visitors to the Outer Banks resort community and local members, functioning as a year-round facility in a region known primarily for summer beach tourism. The course provides a golf experience shaped by its coastal environment, where sand, wind, and the maritime landscape define the character of play. Its location makes it one of the more accessible golf options for those staying in the northern Outer Banks area between Kitty Hawk and Oregon Inlet.
Rankings
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Best in USA
Best in NC
Quick facts
- Location
- Nags Head, NC, USA
- Access
- Public
- Year built
- 1987
- Holes
- 18
- Designer(s)
- Bob Moore, Jerry Turner
- Par
- 71
- Length
- 6,126 yards
- Difficulty
- 75.8/139
- Course Vaults score
- 7.3
Getting there
The journey to Nags Head Golf Links begins at Norfolk International Airport in Virginia, roughly ninety minutes north across the state line, though some travelers opt for the smaller Dare County Regional Airport on Roanoke Island when arriving by private aircraft. The drive south traces U.S. Route 158 through mainland farmland before crossing the Wright Memorial Bridge onto the Outer Banks, where the air turns salt-laced and the horizon opens to reveal barrier island sky. As the highway narrows and beach cottages multiply, the final turn onto Sea Oats Drive delivers you to the links itself - a windswept stretch of rumpled dunes and native grasses pressed between sound and ocean, where golf returns to its elemental form.

FAQ
Common questions about Nags Head
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Nags Head has a Course Vaults score of 7.3 out of 10 based on 51 logged golfers.
Nags Head was designed by Bob Moore and Jerry Turner.
Yes. Nags Head is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Nags Head is 71.
Nags Head plays 6,126 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Nags Head is 139.




