The massive multimillion-dollar remake of Sea Trail Golf Resort is continuing this spring and summer with the closing and renovation of the property’s Maples Course.
The layout at the 54-hole Sunset Beach, N.C., resort closed at the conclusion of play Sunday to begin the first phase of its renovation. It is expected to reopen in mid-September, weather permitting.
The project on the 6,374-yard, par-72 Dan Maples layout that opened in 1986 includes the changing of greens to TifEagle ultradwarf Bermudagrass and green collars to Tahoma 31.
Waste bunkers and natural areas will be added in multiple places, and additional landscape beautification will be done throughout to give the course an enhanced aesthetic.
Irrigation heads are being replaced, as are smaller items such as directional signs, bunker rakes, flagsticks, flags, cups, and tee markers.
A number of trees have been taken down around the Maples Course, which has several tight holes between tree lines and water hazards that include Calabash Creek running alongside a few holes. “We’re going to open it up,” said Parker Smith, one of the course’s four owners.
Smith said bunkers are still in good shape, and “the soil over there is phenomenal, it drains well.
“The layout there is pretty awesome with the elevation changes and being right near the water. The layout speaks for itself, we just need to make the conditions match the layout, which we’ll make a lot of headway there.”
Additional improvements also being done over the next few months including new signage on both the Jones and Maples courses, and new practice putting greens at both the Maples Course and behind the Jones/Byrd clubhouse. Both the Byrd and Maples courses will have new TifEagle Bermuda greens.
The Byrd Course, designed by Willard Byrd, reopened on Oct. 19 following five months of extensive renovations.
Some improvements are being done this summer as well to the Jones Course, designed by Rees Jones, and a significant renovation of that course might be coming next summer.
“Three golf courses, three years of renovations. Jones will be next,” Smith said. “They’re doing a lot of extensive work to the Jones this summer, though it needs the least amount of work.”
Course improvements are only part of tens of millions of dollars of investments being put into the 2,000-acre resort.
A redesigned clubhouse for the Byrd and Jones opened this winter and includes Sunset Prime steakhouse, the Overlook outdoor bar, and Sunset Cove at the Turn food and snack bar. A Village Activity Center has been renovated as well.
The Sea Trail Convention Center was fully refurbished and now contains 55 Bistro Bar, which includes a game room, and Sunset Slice pizza.
Condos for short-term rentals have been built over the past couple years, including 27 Sawmill Townhomes and the Villas at Seaside. Smith said in the coming months, Ryan Homes will begin construction on 72 multifamily units and some may potentially become short-term rentals available to golfers.
The Maples Course has its own clubhouse, which also closed Sunday, and what will become of it is still being discussed.
“We’re getting bids and quotes on what to do with the Maples clubhouse, but the interim solution is to shut it down because it’s not a good guest experience,” Smith said. “We’ve got such a big facility at the Jones-Byrd that seats 400 people, it’s not like we need a food offering over there. We’ve run through different options to see what makes most sense.
“But first and foremost the golf course is the superstar so that’s what we want to put all our money in there now to make sure the golf is top-notch, because we’ve got top-notch food with Sunset Prime, the Bistro, the breakfast, the Overlook looking over the course.”
The building and renovation projects began in earnest with the purchase of Sea Trail by a quartet of new owners in 2023.
The Sea Trail Golf Resort Management, LLC company is composed of Riptide Builders owners Robert Hill and Donald Bean, Golf Trek 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 – with Sharda coming onboard following the earlier purchase.
East Coast Golf Management oversees 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 more than 20 courses in its marketing cooperative that includes the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail.
Parker Houston of the Parker Plays Golf channel on Youtube recently shot a video while playing the Byrd and Maples courses.
