For many, home sweet home is on the fairway. In northeastern North Carolina Mother Nature makes relocation decisions easy with mild climate and abundant qualities for retirement life. Residents choose from golf, bay front, lake front and or marina-view home sites at Weyerhaeuser's picturesque Cypress Landing near Washington. People, naturally, are attracted to the golf and that is enhanced by the mild winters that pretty much make playing golf a year-round pursuit for those so inclined. They range from picturesque courses tucked into the peaks and valleys of the Blue Ridge, the undulating contours of the piedmont, and the intriguing marshlands to oceanside and tree-shrouded bird havens of the coast.
Many visitors are back again and again.
Some decide at some point that Carolina golf should be the life for them. In the past, golf courses have been suspect in terms of fitting in with the overall health of their surroundings. These days a combination of government requirements, environmental awareness by prospective residents and commitments by golf course designers and developers has turned that around. Fred Barnhardt, an environmental inspector with a Carolina health and environmental regulatory agency, says he seldom uncovers even minor infractions. The newer courses are designed better in keeping with environmental concerns.