Splendid Isolation – Bald Head Island
BY NICK NICHOLAS
All aboard. Next stop: Seclusion, USA.
The ferry to Bald Head Island, a peaceful refuge located two nautical miles off the North Carolina coast, instantaneously instills a new meaning to getting away.
This is a breathtaking destination where 10,000 acres are protected from any development. That leaves 2,000 acres for Hamptons-like housing, two social clubs, two restaurants, a marina and yacht club, a fully-stocked albeit pricey market with a pizza joint, and a quaint town center near Old Baldy, a 112-step retired lighthouse established in 1817.
Just as noticeable are the sensations you will feel all the way from your open-air shoes to the top of a floppy hat, both standard Bald Head attire. “You really do leave your troubles at the dock,” says Walter Buczek of Wyckoff, New Jersey.
Buczek, 44, is a Bald Head co-owner in The Hammocks where he, his wife, and three children can enjoy up to four seven-day vacations annually—rotating weeks during spring, summer, fall, and winter.
“It’s all my children talk about 24 hours a day: their vacation to Bald Head Island,” says Buczek, a former Wall Streeter who currently owns Dunkin’ Donut franchises in New York’s Rockland County. “They can’t wait to get there and don’t want to leave. It’s funny because there isn’t that much to do there, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s spending time on the beach, fishing, or seeing a Loggerhead turtle come on the beach and lay eggs.
“It’s the most relaxing vacation I’ve ever been on. No hustle and bustle. You’re on your own time. We’re busy doing nothing. You never sit idle.”
Indeed, Bald Head is a family-friendly island where even Fido is welcomed.
The island’s holiday calendar is for young and old with picnics, games, kayaking, kite flying, and even decorated golf cart parades. Family concerts, scavenger hunts, carnivals, bike races, ice cream socials, and sandcastle building are all activities on the Shoal’s Club yearly calendar.
Wildlife is abundant on the island, especially sea turtles. During summer nights there are tours designated as “turtle walks” while morning hours are allocated for alligator and bird walks, all sponsored by a local conservancy program.
Bald Head is an hour’s drive from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and 45 minutes from Wilmington, North Carolina, both with moderately sized airports. From there, you go to Southport, North Carolina, to take a private boat or 20- minute ferry to get to Bald Head.
Cars are not allowed on Bald Head, but sufficient means of transportations are available. The quickest way to get around is by electric golf cart, governed not to exceed 20 mph and equipped with horn, lights, extra seating, and space for groceries purchased at the Maritime Market and Café. The island’s paved roads are also ideal for bicycles, rollerblades, and soles of sneakers to get from Point A to Point B.
Fourteen miles of isolated beaches embrace an island entirely managed by Bald Head Island Limited, owned since 1983 by the same George P. Mitchell family that produced The Woodlands in Houston. It’s distinctive because a single beach chair venue can produce both sunrise and sunset vistas over the Atlantic Ocean.
Less than 300 residents live on Bald Head year round as weather conditions in December- February are hit or miss. Vacation home owners contribute to more than a thousand private residences, including former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher and his family.
Lots cost anywhere from $300,000 to $2.5 million, but architectural plans must be approved by the Limited group. Most of the current homes exceed $1 million, ranging from $500,000 to $4 million. Homes are nicely spread out, especially those with ocean and dunes views, complete with rustic walkways to maximum seclusion.
The Hammocks complex is located within walking distance of the semi-private 6,855-yard Bald Head Island Golf Club, the island’s lone course. Construction recently was completed on the last phase of the co-ownership property increasing the number of homes in The Hammocks to 23—each dwelling consists of 13 individual fractional interests.
Two- and three-bedroom homes are available at The Hammocks, starting at $150,000 for each interest. They include multiple bathrooms, full kitchen, family room, fireplace, porches with panoramic views, golf cart, and opportunity for membership to the Bald Head Island Club and Shoals Club.
The homes stay in prime condition because every several years the Limited group renovates each house, replacing furniture and carpet. Other special privileges include membership to The Hammocks community pool and gym and a reciprocal opportunity to substitute any of their weeks for a different destination in the Interval International network.
The golf course, which does not feature any ocean views, was designed by George Cobb, best known for his par-three layout at Augusta National and also a designer of many fine courses in the Southeast. The winding fairways and Bermuda greens neatly incorporate solid challenges along a maritime forest. The entrance to the Bald Head Island Club also takes you to a swimming pool, tennis courts, croquet greenswards, and a newly-opened modern clubhouse.
Located on the northeast side of the island, the private Shoals Club is conducive to outdoor fun. The $11-million oceanfront pavilion includes two swimming pools, beach entrance, and outdoor eating area. A large dining room and fitness center are inside the 20,000-square-foot cedar-sided clubhouse.
No matter whether you’re a fractional or full-time owner, renting one of 200 selected properties, or staying at one of two bed and breakfast accommodations, Bald Head Island residents and guests have the privilege of experiencing a unique place.
Just the Facts:
- GEOGRAPHY – Bald Head Island is the southernmost cape island off the North Carolina coast, accessible only by boat. The 12,000-acre island’s natural environments include ocean beach, river beach, salt marsh, and maritime forest.
- VIEWING NATURE – There are no cars on the island, so it’s a wonderful place for walking, in-line skating, or bicycling. During the summer, the island’s conservatoy conducts turtle walks at night and alligator and bird walks in morning hours. A nature trail winds through a maritime forest.
- NEIGHBORHOODS – The island has a trio of neighborhoods. Cape Fear Station features homes and homesites, The Hammocks has co-ownership homes, and Harbour Village is the place for townhomes.
- CONTACTS – For real estate inquiries, call 800-804-9826. For vacation rentals, 800-515-1038. Email: info@bhisland.com.
