Tiger's Eye at The Big Cats Golf Course of Ocean Ridge Plantation

Tiger's Eye occupies rolling terrain within Ocean Ridge Plantation, a residential golf community near Ocean Isle Beach on North Carolina's Brunswick Islands coast. Designed by Tim Cate and opened in the late 1990s, the course takes its name from the semi-precious stone and forms part of a collection of courses at the plantation, each named for a big cat species. Cate, a North Carolina-based architect who has designed numerous courses across the Carolinas, routed Tiger's Eye across land that features more dramatic elevation change than is typical for coastal Carolina golf, with several holes playing along ridgelines and through natural ravines.

The layout incorporates significant vertical movement, with tee shots often played from elevated positions to fairways below and approach shots climbing back uphill to greens perched on higher ground. Water hazards appear on multiple holes, and the design emphasizes strategic positioning off the tee rather than pure length. The course has developed a reputation among regional golfers for its conditioning and its distinctive topography, which contrasts with the flatter profiles of many Lowcountry layouts.

Ocean Ridge Plantation operates as a semi-private facility, with Tiger's Eye available for daily-fee play alongside resort guests and property owners. The course has hosted regional amateur events and remains a draw for visitors to the Brunswick Islands area seeking golf that incorporates more pronounced terrain features than oceanfront or marsh-adjacent courses typically provide.