Sea Trail Golf Resort, Sunset Beach, NC

Sea Trail Golf Resort basks in the sunlight of southern North Carolina, away from the calamity and commotion of Myrtle Beach.

Dan Maples, Rees Jones and Willard Byrd bring golfers three of the best layouts on the Grand Strand on this laid back island located just south of Wilmington and 20 minutes north of North Myrtle Beach.

Sea Trail is a 2000-acre golf-centric resort and residential community with three courses of distinction, all lauded as some of the top facilities in North Carolina by Golf Digest, with the largest convention facility on the North Carolina coast.

A popular location for meetings and conventions, Sea Trail has over 60,000 sq. feet of meeting and function space.

While Sea Trail has plenty of amenities and activities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa, licensed massage therapists, fitness center, biking and volleyball, the recreational heart of Sea Trail is its triumvirate of golf courses.

“Taken together, these courses make Sea Trail the perfect spot for a golf vacation,” said Sea Trail Golf President Tom Plankers. “It’s rare to find a resort on the Carolina coast that can offer three top courses and all the other amenities that we offer.”

The Rees Jones Course is a perennial favorite among locals and visitors and has recently been renovated with the renowned architect’s approval. The par-72 course features generous fairways and large mounds, both bordered on occasion by scenic lakes. In 2007, the Jones Course was awarded Golfweek’s America’s Best Residential Distinction.

This prestigious award was based on a variety of criteria including basic quality of condition, landscape and tree management, overall design and the “walk in the park” test.

The Willard Byrd Course is built around several scenic lakes – each ranging from 14-20 acres – and requires a patient and deft approach to attack its greens that feature undulating bentgrass greens guarded by strategically placed trees, bunkers and water hazards.

The Maples Course recently underwent a half-million dollar renovation project that included the installation of bentgrass greens, the refurbishing of existing bunkers and the completion of elaborate landscaping. The course is unique in its waste bunkering and scenery; five holes wind along Calabash Creek.

All three courses have received national attention and alone make the trip to Sunset Beach worth your while.