We made the move to eight miles to the border of S.C. – OIB – known as OCEAN ISLE BEACH!
Now in this expanse of eight to ten miles – in any direction except toward the ocean –
is about thirty golf courses!
Playing golf was one of the reasons we moved to Cameron Woods Community.
We both love to be out on the fairways and the trees and open air.
We purchased each year what is known as THE FIRST TEE CARD for $100.00 –
$90.00 if you buy it before Christmas each year.
On this card are 52 golf venues where you can make tee times –
but you can only make them sometimes 24 to 48 hours in advance and most are after twelve – noon!
We do not mind as that time most players want morning tee times-
thus it is not as crowded at 1:30 PM. Tee off!
So we play – mostly with our dear friends Buck and Cindy – once every week or two.
Other times – I have played with neighborhood friends –
and at times with my son-in-law when they visit.
There are times when our group of friends that we have known for years –
come to visit and we play guys vs gals and usually it ends up one stroke –
while we give them five strokes over eighteen holes.
Makes for a great afternoon – dinner and festive bantering!
We also chose this area because we are close to two beaches – here is the Sunset Beach Pier –
This is the beach I prefer to walk on as it is more level and easier for me to walk –
I have a sore hip joint – walking here in the surf is okay!
As you can see here – Sunset Beach at low tide is very wide – and not as rough as other beaches!
While I also am way past riding the waves – I do wade into knee-deep and that is enough for me!
Sunset Beach is known as its name suggests – brilliant SUNSETS!
A couple times a month they have live bands set up on the pier and everyone gathers in the sand
below for free concerts!
This is more of a residential beach and in less than fifteen minutes we are standing on the sand!
And then there is OCEAN ISLE BEACH – I like this beach because it has commercial places to eat and drink!
Also a very large open park with a covered stage for concerts – a mini golf course – and a playground with pickle ball courts – basketball – splash pool and various playground rides for kids!
Live free concerts begin at the end of May and run up past Labor Day!
Pelican Perch is one of my favorite bars and grills – my favorite draft is ‘RED OAK”!
There is also a second-level coffee shop and a wine and beer garden with appetizers!
Many surf shops and a community center with parking – a covered deck with picnic tables
and outdoor showers – and restrooms for the public.
We drive here often as in less than ten minutes we are standing on the beach –
we search for sea shells – sand dollars – starfish –
April is a big month to find Counch Shells!
Ocean Isle Beach pier – a lot of fishing from here – and you can see from the other pier on Sunset Beach-
it is rougher here!
We walk here also but it seems that my hip is more sore here than at Sunset Beach.
Both beaches have free parking for now – but both piers charge $10.00 to park in their enclosed lots
all day.
Living here near golf and beaches along with being warm in Spring and Fall is what we wanted.
Winter is bearable – no snow to shovel and hardly any ice – storms can be a problem but in four years we have survived that!
Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
We play scrambles with other couples – friends – guys vs. gals!
You take the total of your 18-hole score – then you get deducted one stroke for every par the other team made – and two strokes for a birdie and so forth.
Surprising – most scores then come down to one or two strokes – or even.
Buck Dottie Cindy Jim Papa Sherry – all these years friends.
We have tried other ways – giving and taking strokes – handicaps, etc.
And it all is in fun – but I will tell you – we tied the first nine and the guys won the second nine by one stroke while carding a 35!
THEY ARE THAT GOOD!
OH YEAH – I KNOW THE LAST ONE SO WELL!
DOTTIE
CINDY
SHERRY
Friends are priceless – all these years – song on 40-plus years.
We later went on the ICW on a pontoon boat – cruising up and down – a few drinks –
a lot of laughs and some singing.
Papa and Cindy – on the ICW – OIB to Holden Beach back to Sunset Beach and then OIB!
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A call came on Wednesday – can you make 4:30 pm. if I make tee times on Friday?
Of course, we can – make them and we will be there – and so we did.
Sherry and I left early as we wanted to do some things in Wilmington, N.C.
Unless we go for a certain thing or event – we do not get there all that often.
We were golfing at Magnolia Greens located some eleven miles from the city.
Our friends live there and I think it to be one of the better courses down here.
Twenty-seven holes – and we were playing just nine this late afternoon.
Now it looks like we are looking for balls in the water – but we were in a huge sand trap on a par three – Cindy was raking the sand and Buck and I were picking up my ball and going to play his on the grass.
LOL story of my life!
We once again played a scramble against the ladies and once again we lost!
We had a couple bad holes – but we also played well – here we are on in two – par four hole and a putt for a birdie – which we did not make and ended up with a par.
You can see where Bucks putt went and I had still had to putt – did not make it and we settled for a par.
I love golf on TV!
It turned out to be a great day – beautiful weather – no humidity – 80 degrees!
Thanks for reading Papa’s World – my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog
Papa’s World – Magnolia Greens – golfing with friends on a late Friday afternoon.
We all stay in touch – a group of friends from back in the days living in WNY and WPA!
All of us lived near each other or just across the Pa. line.
Slowly we all moved South – to now the N.C. region – Wilmington to OIB
with one couple in Va. Beach and the other couple still in WNY.
We golf together whenever we can – playing scramble guys vs gals – and one other couple – still lives back in WNY – sometimes they also make it down – this time they did not but they were here last year.
Jim – Buck – Papa – Mike
Mike and Carol still live back in WNY – own and operate a large painting business with crews traveling out to the midwest and everywhere in between – painting pipelines etc.
They have a lake house that we go up and stay with them.
The FOUR AMIGOS
Thanks for reading – to be continued – old friends coming together – going on 40-plus years!
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