The Pines at The Pines at Elizabeth City

The Pines at Elizabeth City is a semi-private facility in northeastern North Carolina, designed by Ed Ault with contributions from Tom Clark. The course serves the Elizabeth City area, a historic port town situated along the Pasquotank River near the Albemarle Sound. The region's coastal plain topography typically features flat to gently rolling terrain with sandy soils and stands of pine, which characterize much of the layout's natural setting.

Ed Ault, a prolific mid-Atlantic designer active from the 1960s through the 1990s, built numerous courses across Virginia and the Carolinas, often working within modest budgets to create playable layouts for public and semi-private facilities. His designs generally emphasize straightforward strategic choices and accessibility for a range of skill levels. Tom Clark's involvement suggests collaboration on routing or specific design elements, though Ault's signature approach—practical bunkering, modest earth-moving, and integration with existing vegetation—likely defines the course character.

The Pines features a traditional par-72 routing that moves through corridors of loblolly pine and incorporates water hazards typical of the low-lying coastal environment. The layout serves both members and daily-fee players, functioning as a community golf resource in a region where courses are less densely concentrated than in larger North Carolina markets. The facility offers a straightforward test suited to recreational play, with conditions and maintenance reflecting its role as an accessible regional course rather than a championship venue.