Kilmarlic Golf Club

Kilmarlic Golf Club is Tom Steele's 2002 design in Powells Point, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks mainland side about 20 minutes before you reach the barrier islands. Steele routed 6,550 yards par 72 through coastal woodlands with a 72.2 rating and a notable 144 slope, the slope alone puts Kilmarlic in the harder third of American public courses. The layout runs tight, with mature pines and hardwoods framing narrow corridors and water coming into play on multiple holes. Five sets of tees offer access for mixed-handicap groups, but the back tees punish imprecise ball-striking. The course has a reputation for challenging approach shots into well-defended greens, slope 144 is a real number, not a marketing inflation. Kilmarlic hosted the North Carolina Open in both 2004 and 2009, and is consistently rated one of the top courses on the Outer Banks. For an OBX itinerary, it sits as the inland serious-test round between the beach-side courses (Nags Head Links, Pirate's Cove) and the marquee Currituck Club (Rees Jones). Worth the mainland detour for groups looking for a true architectural challenge during the week.