Sep 14, 2023

Outer Banks Golf: The Kilmarlic Golf Club

Presented By Katherine Schuster

Kilmarlic Golf Club 

Located just under five miles from the Wright Memorial Bridge and just two miles north of H2OBX waterpark lies the beautiful Kilmarlic Golf Club.

One of the things that I love about Kilmarlic is once you step foot on property you feel as though you have entered another world. There is no outside noise, no chaos, all you can hear are the elegant sounds of birds chirping paired with the sounds of golf… a golfer’s paradise. 

On property, there are eighteen championship style holes (Par 71/72) designed by golf architect Tom Steele. Kilmarlic sits on the marsh overlooking the historic Albemarle Sound. Also on property sits a beautiful clubhouse with a tap room that makes a delicious club sandwich that you can enjoy before or after your round of golf. After a minute cart ride from the parking lot lies a quiet driving range, as well as a large bent grass putting green. 

The layout of this course was very well designed. Each hole has its own unique style and there are no two holes that look similar or overlap with one another. In my opinion, this layout style is very nice because even if it is a crowded day on the course, it still feels like you and your group have the entire golf course to yourselves. Another bright side about the course’s layout is that there are a lot of loops that connect back to the clubhouse/parking lot which is very convenient in case you forgot something in your car, or want to grab something from inside. 

Kilmarlic Golf - From their website
Photo Credits: Kilmarlic Golf Club's Website

Katherine’s personal overview of the course: 

Off the tee, the fairways are pretty wide open for the most part. There are a few tee shots where you can choose to be a little more aggressive with your target line. For example, hole 4 is a challenging par 4/5. The closer you can be to the penalty area on the right side of the fairway on your tee shot, the shorter your second shot will be. In my opinion this is where the game starts to become a game of chess, always trying to set up for your next move. Just like chess, most of the holes on this golf course have some sort of obstacle that makes you have to think about where you want to place your upcoming shot. 

The greens at Kilmarlic are bent grass. The speed of the greens are quite comfortable – not too fast and not too slow. The grounds crew does a fantastic job keeping the speed of the greens consistent throughout the course. The greens are quite receptive and roll very true. There is not a lot of undulation, so if the putter is hot that day, then you are in for a great round ahead of you. The Par 5s are very scorable. Long ball hitters will have the option to be able to go for the green in two on the majority of them. However, I believe that the Par 3s can be considered the defenders of this golf course (especially from the back tees), they can be quite tricky. Holes 5, 11, and 17 show their teeth with water and/or marsh drawing your attention from the tee box. On the other side of things, holes 8 and 14 can be considered drivable par 4s for the long ball hitters out there with very little risk surrounding the greens. So the tricky holes are perfectly balanced with holes that can give you the opportunity to fight back. If you can survive the tricky holes and take advantage of the opportunities that you give yourself, then you have mastered this course (or any course for that matter). The more you play this course, the better you get at picking the right lines off the tee and the more fun it becomes. 

Kilmarlic Golf - From their website
Photo Credits: Kilmarlic Golf Club's Website

Kilmarlic is a great place to go with all your golf buddies during your vacation on the Outer Banks. The course is not only challenging and scenic, but it is also a fun track. After you put the flagstick back into the hole on eighteen, I can assure you that regardless of your score, you will want to come back and play it again the next day because of how fun, beautiful, and friendly the atmosphere at Kilmarlic truly is. Owner, Bryan Sullivan, and his crew do a fantastic job working extremely hard during both in-season and off-season to assure that your experience with them is one that you will enjoy for a lifetime, and will keep you wanting to come back next year. 

Kilmarlic also has a great variety of first class memorabilia located in the Pro Shop that you can take back home and rock the next time you hit the links. Kilmarlic also is home to some of the friendliest and professional employees that the Outer Banks has to offer. Also located in the clubhouse is the Black Tartan Tap Room which has a great vibe that takes you back in time with cozy leather seating – a great spot to grab an after round beverage or meal with your buddies. 

Kilmarlic has recently been named as a Top 100 Course You Can Play in North Carolina by Golf Styles Magazine. It is also home to the ODU/OBX Men’s Intercollegiate which is taking place Oct. 22-25th of this year (2023). 

Personally, Kilmarlic Golf Club is one of my favorite places to play a round of golf, and prepare for tournaments. Over the years, I have played in many tournaments across the country competing against top female golfers in the world. In doing so, I have experienced playing on many different styles of golf courses – links, mountainous, municipal, etc. I would consider Kilmarlic to be a championship golf course because it not only tests the players skill set, but it also challenges the players mind which those two things together makes for a great golf course.  

Book a Tee Time: (252)-491-4220

Address: 215 West Side Ln, Powells Point, NC 27966

tee time - Kilmarlic
Kilmarlic Golf - From their website
Photo Credits: Kilmarlic Golf Club's Website

Swing into your Dream Vacation

Check out these Twiddy homes with a K-Club Golf Discount! 

This exclusive amenity program offers guests:

  • Preferred green fee rates at Kilmarlic Golf Club
  • Special discounts on a variety of OBX adventures
  • A full-time concierge to assist in planning your activities
  • Convenient round-trip luxury transportation from your rental home to the golf course

For more information on the amenity, check out the K-Club benefits.

H2OBX Waterpark

Spend All Day In Powells Point

Another convenience that The Kilmarlic Golf Club has to offer is that it is conveniently located close to the H2OBX Waterpark. So after you finish playing your career best, you can celebrate by having a fun time with the family by making a splash at a fun-for-all OBX amusement park.

Outer Banks Golf Courses

A BLOG SERIES PRESENTED BY KATHERINE SCHUSTER

This summer I have partnered with Twiddy and Company to create a series of golf blogs that gives you the inside scoop on all of the courses located on the Outer Banks. When you and your family are on your way to your favorite vacation getaway, don’t forget to pack your clubs!

Read more course reviews Learn about me

Katherine Schuster

Katherine Schuster

Sep 14, 2023

Send this to a friend