Improvements, renovations and new development are taking place at a rapid pace under new owners at the 54-hole Sea Trail Resort.
The latest happenings are the closing of the Byrd Course on Monday for a comprehensive renovation, and continued work on a new clubhouse for an anticipated reopening in the next couple months.
Both are multi-million dollar projects, according to the owners of the 2,000-acre resort in Sunset Beach, N.C.
The Sea Trail Golf Resort Management, LLC company is composed of Riptide Builders owners Robert Hill and Donald Bean, Travel Golf package company owner Parker Smith, and new Rivers Edge Golf Club and International Club of Myrtle Beach owner Sandesh Sharda.
They closed on purchases of the resort in March and November of 2023 – Sharda came onboard following the earlier purchase.
East Coast Golf Management was hired to oversee day-to-day operations for the resort’s three golf courses, two clubhouses, convention center and Village Activity Center.
East Coast also manages Rivers Edge, Wachesaw Plantation East Golf Club and International Club, and has a total of 23 courses in its marketing cooperative that includes the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail.
Course improvements ramping up
Golf course architect Tim Cate, whose designs include Thistle Golf Club and the Leopard’s Chase and Tiger’s Eye layouts at Ocean Ridge Plantation, where he’s been based, will oversee the renovations on the Byrd Course.
The Byrd Course is a 6,650-yard Willard Byrd design that opened in 1990. It is expected to reopen in September.
Essentially every part of the course will be impacted by the renovation.
Greens are being redone with TifEagle ultradwarf Bermudagrass, selected tee boxes are being leveled and expanded, bunkers are being rebuilt using the Better Billy Bunker method, Zoysia grass is being place along bunker edges for stability, a new irrigation system is being installed, new bridges are being built, cart paths are being replaced or repaired, waste bunkers are being improved, and new in-ground trash cans and hydration stations are being added.
All of the courses will receive renovated restroom facilities, new directional signage, landscape beautification, and new bunker rakes, flagsticks, flags, cups and tee markers.
“We’ll have a brand new golf course,” Smith said. “We’re redoing the cart paths, the greens, the bunkers, the fairways, the tees, irrigation is being done, new electronics. It’s going to be top notch.”
A new Tahoma Bermudagrass is being installed on the Byrd green surrounds to try to prevent the encroachment of fairway grass on the greens. Several area courses are battling encroachment from 419 Bermuda, and Tahoma is designed to serve as a barrier.
Fairways are going to be cut much wider to make the Byrd Course more playable, and approximately 1,500 trees are being removed on and around the 18 holes, Smith said.
“It just kind of opens it all up,” Smith said. “It’s more airy, it’s more playable, it’s easier to grow grass. Golf courses don’t need to be so dang hard.”
Several hundred trees have already been removed. Sea Trail has its own tree removal equipment, including stump grinders, to expedite the work.
Additional work on the Jones Course this summer includes expanded fairways and cart path repair.
Conditions on both the Jones and Maples courses will benefit this summer from increased funding that is being used to purchase brand new John Deere maintenance equipment, increase the maintenance staffs, and increase use of fertilizers and chemicals.
“Just doing the basic things you’re supposed to do on a golf course will go a long way with both of those golf courses,” Smith said. “We’ve got the right tools, the right staff, the right investments being made to really make it happen and do it right.”
Sea Trail has a practice putting and chipping green behind the clubhouse, but is without a driving range. East Coast president Mike Buccerone said he hopes to open a driving range along with the reopening of the Byrd Course at a location that is still being determined. He said it will possibly be a temporary location, but the longterm plan is to have a driving range.
“The plan is to create a practice area that would really be more of a temporary area where people could warm up, and hopefully it will be done by the fall so they can use some area until we get through some of these other projects and find a better place for it,” Buccerone said. “That’s what we’re working on.”
The closing of the Jones and/or Maples courses for renovation projects over the next couple summers is being considered.
Other changes abound
Most of the renovated and new food and beverage outlets will have a Sunset Beach name and theme complete with branding and logos.
The rebuilt clubhouse will host a daily breakfast buffet and house Sunset Prime steakhouse for dinners.
Prior to the full opening of the clubhouse, a turn house called Sunset Cove is expected to open in the next couple weeks within the bottom floor that has been completely renovated. It will provide food and drinks to golfers making the turn as well as restrooms.
Extensive renovations to the convention center, which includes the creation of the 55 Bistro Bar & Grill – a bar, restaurant, lounge and game room – have been completed.
“The bistro and convention center are done and they’re doing great,” Smith said. “In fact the bistro is better than I ever expected. It’s packed. It’s been supported really well. Golfers were loving it this spring, all the package guys because they don’t have to go anywhere.”
Space will open up in the convention center for another feature when the existing 2,000-square-foot temporary pro shop moves to the new clubhouse. It could become the golf simulator area that is planned for the complex, Smith said.
Renovation work on the Village Activity Center (VAC) that includes a pool, covered tiki bar called Sunset Tiki, and casual food, is expected to be completed in July. It will be the third separate place to get food in the resort.
“If you just want to kind of hang by the pool and have the big TVs in the tiki bar, that’s another option,” Smith said. “It may not be open year-round but we’ll just have to see. It could be private events in the winter, but surely summer, spring and fall we’ll see what the demand is and kind of how it all comes together. As we get more [housing and rental] units and more growth in the area and the demand for the courses . . . we’ll see.”
Home and infrastructure construction on what used to be the driving range is commencing.
New rental units have been completed in the past year at Sawmill within the resort near the clubhouse, and the Villas at Seaside just outside the resort.
Sawmill consists of 27 three-bedroom units that have six queen beds each, while Seaside consists of nine two- and three-bedroom units with multiple bedding.
Daily breakfast is included with each rental within the resort, and the resort is running a fourth night free promotion.
“With all the golf trips we’ve done over the years, we’re taking the best aspects of what we like as golfers for our customers,” Smith said.
A 150-room hotel is planned that will be adjacent to the convention center and that will be a future project.
