The Links at Cotton Valley Suits Tarboro to a Tee 

By LARRY JONES 

TARBORO — Eastern North Carolina golfers, accustomed for years to having to drive long distances to find a variety of daily fee offerings, are smiling thanks to the recent opening of a course in its backyard.

The thing is, it doesn’t look at all like a course that you’d find in that part of the state, which is just what designer Tom Johnson had in mind. When he drew up plans for The Links at Cotton Valley, a Scottish-style course that sits just a couple of miles off Hwy. 64 in Tarboro.

First-time visitors to Cotton Valley usually become repeat customers thanks to a challenging 6,773-yard layout that tests every club in your bag. Given a couple of years to mature, Cotton Valley figures to be one of the most popular daily-fee offerings within a 100-mile radius.

“We think it’s a good golf course that’s only going to get better with time,” said head professional Tim Smith. “It’s unique to this area and a course that’s playable, yet not without its share of difficulties. There are a lot of risk/reward holes that I think people will enjoy playing.”

Smith has several holes that he regards as his favorites, with the par-5 14^th among them.

“It’s an elevated tee box that gives you sort of a mountain feel,” he said. “You have a big landing area for your drive, so you can really grip it and rip it. And while it’s listed on the scorecard as being more than 500 yards, it plays shorter because it’s downhill — short enough that even some of your average hitters can get there with two good shots.”

There’s a penalty, however, if your second shot falls short of good. “You have to be pretty exact with it,” said Smith, “because there’s trouble on both sides of the green. It’s a great hole in that you can get rewarded with an eagle or you an make yourself a quick seven or eight.”

Another hole that Smith regards fondly is the sixth, a par 3 that plays to 193 yards and over water from the championship tees.

“It’s a good hole anyway, but if the wind’s blowing, it’s really challenging as far as club selection,” said Smith. “I’ll take par there every time.”

With fall rates of $25 during the week and $30 on weekends that includes a cart, Cotton Valley is also a course that’s easily affordable in these tight economic times. And some discounts are available, including rounds for $5 less than the above price when you tee off after 1 p.m.

Seniors won’t mind growing old there, either, as the 50 and over crowd can play for just $18 on Monday through Thursday. “It’s hard to find a better deal anywhere,” said Smith with a smile, “and we’re not too strict on checking IDs.”