Golf courses in Sunset Beach, NC.

Sunset Beach, NC

Oyster Bay Golf Links is a public course in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, just across the state line from Myrtle Beach. It was the first course built in that part of Brunswick County and opened in 1983, designed by Dan Maples as his first course as lead architect. The layout stretches to 6,685 yards from the back tees and moves through a maritime forest and the marshes bordering the Calabash River, including two island-green par 3s on the 15th and 17th holes, with the 17th ringed by oyster shells. The course is open daily to public play and is commonly booked through Myrtle Beach area golf package operators.

Sunset Beach, NC

Thistle Golf Club is a public facility in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, near the South Carolina border along the Grand Strand golf corridor. Its clubhouse is built in a Scottish style meant to evoke a club that grew gradually over more than a century, and the grounds include a nature preserve with wetlands and wildflower areas. The club offers 27 holes across three nines, Cameron, MacKay, and Stewart, each designed by architect Tim Cate and rated separately at par 35 or 36. The combination allows golfers to mix and match nines for an 18-hole round with varied character across the property. Thistle operates as a public course open to all players, with a pro shop, pub, and event spaces used for outings and gatherings. Tee times can be booked online, and hours shift seasonally between summer and winter schedules.

Sunset Beach, NC

Leopard's Chase is one of four courses at Ocean Ridge Plantation in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, close to the South Brunswick Islands coast near Myrtle Beach. The course was designed by Tim Cate and opened in 2007 on more than 220 acres of coastal terrain that includes native grasses and wetlands. Water comes into play on most of the eighteen holes, and Cate used waste bunkers and coquina boulders to frame fairways and greens. The par 72 layout plays to 7,155 yards from the back tees with five sets of tees for different skill levels, including forced carries and elevation changes. The course is open to public play and offers rental clubs and tee time reservations through the Big Cats Golf group. Recent renovations converted the greens to TifEagle Bermudagrass.

Sunset Beach, NC

Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club is a 27-hole facility in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, about twenty minutes from Myrtle Beach near the South Carolina border. The three nine-hole courses, named Bay, Piper and Sand, were designed by architect Dan Maples and wind through the Carolina pines typical of the Grand Strand region. The club is open to the public while also offering membership programs for area residents and non-residents. It accepts regional golf passport programs common along the Myrtle Beach corridor. Sandpiper Bay's fairways are overseeded for cooler months and its greens are Ultradwarf Bermuda, kept in play through fall and winter with lighter overseeding. The pro shop handles tee times for both nine-hole and full 27-hole rounds.

Sunset Beach, NC

The Jones Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach is a Rees Jones design that opened in spring 1990. It plays par 72 at 6,717 yards from the back tees. The layout follows the typical Jones pattern of wide fairways framed by large mounds, with water in play on 11 holes and a mix of pot bunkers and big sand areas around the greens. It is one of three 18-hole courses at the resort, just over the state line from the Myrtle Beach area, and shares the Jones Byrd Clubhouse with the Byrd Course. Tee times are open to the public and to resort guests.

Last verified 2026-09-29

Sunset Beach, NC

The Byrd Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach was designed by Willard Byrd and opened in 1990. It now plays par 72 at 6,649 yards. The course closed in May 2024 for a five-month renovation led by Tim Cate, which brought new TifEagle greens, rebuilt Better Billy Bunkers, new waste bunkers, drainage work, tree clearing, new cart paths and replaced bridges. The layout mixes tree-lined holes with more open stretches beside small lakes, so accuracy off the tee matters on the wooded holes. It shares the Jones Byrd Clubhouse with the Jones Course and is open to the public and resort guests.

Last verified 2026-09-29

Sunset Beach, NC

The Maples Course is the original course at Sea Trail Golf Resort in Sunset Beach, a Dan Maples design that came about five years before the Jones and Byrd courses. It plays par 72 at 6,374 yards after a 2025 renovation that rebuilt the greens with TifEagle, updated the bunkers, improved drainage and opened up sightlines while keeping the original routing. Calabash Creek runs alongside four holes, including the left side of the first two, a pair of short par 4s. Golfers check in at the Golf Shop in the Jones Byrd Clubhouse. Tee times are open to the public and resort guests.

Last verified 2026-09-29