I attended a wedding reception this November at the Shoals club, and it was, off the chain. The food, the service, the ocean views from every room, were off the chain. The ceremony began outside next to the Shoals club wooden pergola overlooking the ocean at sunset. This alone makes the shoals club special, it was gorgeous! Once the ceremony concluded we were shown to the patio area of the Shoals club, where there were several bars set up, staff was also passing glasses of wine and bottles of beer so the bar lines didn't get too backed up (why don't more venues do this?), and there was a seafood buffet on ice that would make King Neptune jealous. Crab, shrimp, mussels, bacon wrapped scallops, crab cakes, I died and went to heaven. Seriously. It was incredible. After the seafood appetizer buffet had been destroyed by the party, we moved inside for a sit down dinner, which was casual bbq fair. If there is a weak point at the shoals club, their bbq didn't hold a candle to it's fresh seafood. But that's okay, I was good. After dinner, we moved back outside for a DJ and dancing! It was a fantastic evening, and one of the best wedding's I've ever been too, and I've been to too many. Overall, the Shoals club is a special place on a special island and my husband and I are trying to get back there next summer. read more

Shoals Club - Seafood bar at wedding - Country Clubs Near Me - Bald Head Island, North Carolina

This is our 3rd year buying a temporary membership while renting a large house on BHI. We had a large multigenerational group which is typical. The rules about showing cards for everything are archaic and annoying. We had to show cards multiple times including entering the club area, requesting towels and requiring cards for the cabana chairs and umbrellas. Our approach was to send a couple of the adults out first to set things up before the children and older family members arrived, but that was not possible. You can't get in without a card and there is no electronic record the club utilizes to confirm that we have paid our membership and to keep track of how many towels, cabana chairs and umbrellas we had. At one point, we had 3 cards with us and needed 3 chairs and 2 umbrellas but were told we could only have one umbrella for 3 chairs even though the full sun was blazing overhead and one chair could not be shaded at all. We left feeling like we were an irritant to the staff and the rules and silly enforcement of the rules after paying close to $1000 for the week left a very bad taste in our mouths. read more

We purchased guest passes for our upcoming stay. The trip was canceled due to Tropical Storm Debby. We reached out to the club to ask about a refund and the guest services rep Stephanie Schmidt shared with us in an email response that they only offer refunds if the club closes for any particular reason (see attached photo). We did not hear back after the storm had passed and so I called to reach out. Stephanie shared with me the club closed for 2 days but that they would not be offering refunds. I referenced the email exchange and she continued to cite that the guest pass we purchased covered a 4-7 day range and since they only closed for 2 days, 7 minus 2 is 5, which is still in the guest pass range. This logic makes absolutely no sense. I said we would be happy to receive a 2 day prorated refund on the pass, that this would feel fair, and she told me no. She offered a 25% discount on a future pass (only good for 1 year) and did not honor her commitment in email. Beyond disappointing and just plain bad business, no sympathy whatsoever, no "I'm so sorry, this is just what we decided on," nothing. Very curt, rude and went back on their commitment. read more

Shoals Club - Country Clubs Near Me - Bald Head Island, North Carolina

We have owned at BHI since 2016 and love the Shoals Club. We prefer to go off season to beat the crowds around the pool but there is always room at the beach. The ocean views are amazing and we find the lunch menu items quite good! Service is also very good. read more

Shoals Club - Country Clubs Near Me - Bald Head Island, North Carolina

One of my favorite restaurants in North Carolina. . .if for nothing else but the ambience. As is the case with any club, there are regular menu updates. Staff, especially at the bar, are SUPER nice. Guy who runs the show regularly walks around and talks to patrons. I've seen him empty the trash pool-side, bring out food and fill an empty glass. AVOID THE WATER, get a bottle. BHI has better-than-average although still terrible tap H20. Best bets are the LOCAL seafood options. Apps the best bang for the buck. Pricey restaurant, especially if you include the member or temp member fees. read more

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In reality, I like the Shoals Club. It's fun. This review is about the services at the Shoals Club. When you go down to the beach, there is normally a group of 3-4 attendants that meet you. You give them your Shoals Club membership card and they then ask you how many umbrellas you need and chairs. They then follow you to the spot on the beach you want, you tip them for their service and you enjoy your time at the beach. When you are done, you put down your umbrella down, (so it doesn't blow away) you meet the 3-4 attendants on the boardwalk and tell them you are done, which in turn, they then give you your card back. This has been going on for years. Now, welcome to the summer of 2018. The 3-4 attendants now want you to drag everything down. And, when you are done, they want you to drag everything back. This may not seem like such a big deal but take a moment and ask yourself. . .what is their job then? Their job amongst the 3-4 of them is to take your card. That's it. There is nothing else for them to do during the summer of 2018. They have the best job ever as they refuse to pretty much do anything! There is a female ringleader who states, ". . .this is a new policy for this summer. Last summer we were almost passing out so a new policy was instilled where you have to bring everything down". When asked does the club really want its members to then bring everything down and pass out? Here answer was simply, "Yes.". The Shoals Club is fun. The service is not. read more

I feel horrible about saying this, but I am a very jaded BHIer. I have been coming to the island for 30 years and remember when there was only a bathroom facility on East Beach. If you wanted to spend the day there, you had to take everything you needed with you. Those were some packed golf carts. It was also a very long walk to get to the beach through the dunes. Whew. This is turning into one of those "back in my day, I walked uphill both ways to get there kind of story". Sorry. Enter The Shoals Club. Yes, it's new and spiffy and has a great pool area and restaurants, but I still can't get over the newness of it all. It is a beautiful spot for weddings and receptions and everything else. The food is fantastic. The pool is frigid even in July. The beach (the club is right on Frying Pan Shoals, hence the name) is gorgeous. I know I need to get over the fact that this island is changing and accept that The Shoals Club is an awesome place and makes East Beach more accessable to everyone. It truly is a great place on a small island! read more

I went to the Shoals Club as a working wedding photographer and must say - out of all the venues I've ever worked in this business, this place rocked! The food was superb, the staff was incredibly efficient, and the location was like something out of a movie. Because I was working during the wedding and the following reception that was held at the same location, I get used to being treated as just "another worker" but the staff was extremely helpful and I would not have gotten the shots I did without their help and suggestions. Many thanks from me to all the staff at the Shoals Club! I will be recommending you to future clients! read more

I'd been here previously for a wedding and was looking forward to returning. Unfortunately, our experience was rather lackluster. We ended up attending the pop-up event with steamed seafood (crab, clams, etc.). Basically - it was a run-of-the-mill buffet marketed as a fancier crab boil. The meal was overpriced and very underwhelming. There was lots of filler foods - cornbread, potato salad ---- followed by dry grilled chicken, chicken tenders, and fried cod. There was some andouille and 3 small pieces of overcooked crab to split by a party of 5 people. Service was slow (i.e., our waitress forgot to give us a few items and we had to ask). It's sad when the only tasty item offered is the potato salad. Additionally, 2 people in our party later felt sick later that night. In terms of the pool and beach aspects of the club, these are convenient amenities. While we were there, the pool was closed for much of 1 day, and the beach was closed for 2 days, so it's sometimes helpful to call ahead to make alternate arrangements. There is a kids pool, but it didn't seem like any of the kids were there because they were all in the larger pool playing games and jumping around. It would also be great if there were more umbrellas - it's VERY hot and sunny and it was hard to find lounge chairs with shade, particularly for those at risk of sunburn. A solid beach club, and with a few tweaks it could really elevate itself. read more

Went to a wedding here. Reception was held outdoors. Venue was nice and the reception was adjacent to the pool. Lovely surroundings. Got pretty hot underneath the tent, though. The bartenders were a ton of fun and enjoyed the crowd and music just as much as the attendees. read more

Incredible dinner at Aqua. Food may be the best on the island. Rack of lamb and cold asparagus soup with a soft shell crab ! yummy. Congrats to the chef. Yes...be patient with the service and relax and have a great gourmet meal read more

My family used to love coming here before their change in management three years ago. Since then everything has gone downhill. Food is now marginal at best. The menu used to be fantastic before they fired the previous chef. Now they attempt to experiment with no avail. Service times are upward of an hour even on nights when it's not crowded. The atmosphere is terrible - bright lights and no music. We can no longer bring guests here as it's an embarrassment. The only reason we continue to hold our memebership is for the pool and views. We tried to give the restaurant another chance last night but had no luck. Additionally during Easter brunch this past year, the food was not only terrible but it was cold as it was placed outside. Not entirely sure how one manages to make grits and waffles taste so awful. There were no decorations on the tables as the previous manager used to do. All in all, I hope something changes before they scare away tourists and locals alike. read more

Great for labor day and memorial day parties! The pool is clean and the seats are good for tanning. The staff is also super friendly!

Love the shoals club! I've been here on many occasions over the years and they have really stepped it up. Memorial Day and Labor Day parties are very fun. The Great Gatsby themed Labor Day party this year was incredible. Everything was done to the nines. Also a nice place on non holiday weekends when you want a nice place to relax by the pool. You can also take a stroll down to the beach and check out the shoals of cape fear. read more

Went here twice while on bald head island with six people for lunch, so it's safe to say that majority of the menu was tried. Crowd favorites were the chicken burrito and bacon/avocado macaroni salad. Mahi tacos were average (had to assemble them yourself) and shrimp/crab burger was very small. Jicama salad could use additional seasoning. read more

I am extrememly disappointed in Shoal's Club. I inquired about having a wedding ceremony and reception at the club next year. I simply sent an email asking about the fees, just to get an idea. I received an email back stating that the head count I mentioned wasn't enough because they charge a site fee and food & beverage minimum. This upset me because this Club basically counted me out because of a "head count." They don't even know how much money I would've been willing to pay to have my ceremony here. Before you inquire, make sure you have plenty of guests or they will turn you down. No matter how much you have apparently. read more

My family and I spent many days at the Shoals Club during our Summer vacation on BHI. We love the Club itself. There seems to be some issues with lunch service though. Usually lunch was to start at 11:30am (why don't they start earlier? most of the tables were full at 11am with families who were ready for lunch), and some days, they didn't start lunch until after 12noon (saying that they hadn't fully prepped in time for 11:30am). The food is all good, but overpriced. If you don't want to leave the pool, then eat here....but if you don't mind leaving, take a short ride and eat at the Maritime Market cafe. Much cheaper! read more