COURSE REVIEW

Byrd course at Sea Trail Plantation: Target golf, sunlight in the Carolina pines

By Tim McDonald,
Contributor

SUNSET BEACH, N.C. (Dec. 05, 2005) - Sea Trail Plantation is just north of the South Carolina border, a green and sprawling, though sedate, development in an area a little reminiscent of Pinehurst, with some gently rolling terrain and all that sunlight slanting through the pines.

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There are three courses on the plantation, which is a one-lane, wood bridge from the ocean and the seaside, vacation town of Sunset Beach. They're named after their architects, Willard Byrd, Rees Jones and Dan Maples. The Byrd course is a bit of a hybrid.

"I'd say you're looking at a parkland-style golf course with a little target golf," said Director of Golf Eddie Pratt. "You hate to tell people to keep it in the fairway - that's pretty much true everywhere - but it's really true here. If you're playing from the member tees, and your short-iron game is good, play to the 150-marker and you'll play all day."

The fairways at the Byrd course are narrower than many Grand Strand courses, but not so much that it's a huge problem if you're reasonably accurate. But, you do have to hit to certain spots to gain an advantage into the greens.

The 391-yard eighth hole, for example, gives people fits. The hole bends right and the fairway narrows. If you can carry the trees on the right, you'll have a short iron in, or you can play safe to the right of the bunker on the left and get a roll. Either way, you're playing to a target with not much room for error.

Some of the holes require long draws if you want to be in position, like No. 4, a 407-yard dogleg left. There are some good risk-reward options, like No. 13, a mid-length par 5 with ponds right and left nearly intersecting with each other in the fairway. Your second shot will be over water if you want to reach in two.

It's mostly flat terrain, though there are some holes that roll and dip, and water comes into play frequently. In fact, water gives the course its aesthetics: After you get out of the huge parking lot that fronts the clubhouse serving the Bryd and Jones courses, you'll find a course that at times is downright beautiful.

The verdict

The course showcases its lakes and ponds more dramatically than many water-heavy courses, and the subtle landscaping makes it stand out. It winds through housing, mostly single-family homes, but with a few condos that mar the ambience a bit.

There are some large waste areas, nicely complemented with dead trees, but other than the water, the pine trees are the stars here, lining the fairways of almost every hole.

"It's a very pretty course," said Dick Heilman of California, who has since moved to Pinehurst. "It's very fair, not at all hokey."

It's also a women-friendly course, though there are some short, water carries.

"I'd say it was women-friendly, said Lynne Heilman, Dick's wife and, like him, an occasional course rater. "The only negative I thought was the women's tees were too short at 4,600 yards, so I played from the gold."

Stay and play

Sea Trail has one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom accommodations, as well as mini-suites and luxury suites from $72 to $386 a night.

It's on the southernmost coast of North Carolina, and most of the golf villas are on the fairways of the courses, within walking distance of the Byrd/Jones clubhouse and the Magnolia Restaurant. The villas have full kitchens and the plantation has tennis, swimming and fitness centers. It's a terrific place to play the plantation's three courses, as well as the other courses located here at the northernmost Grand Stand.

River Oaks Golf Plantation, just to the west of the Intracoastal Waterway, is also a good, centrally located place for golfers to stay and play Myrtle Beach. It's easy to go north or south via Highway 17, and it's close to Broadway at the Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

They have one-, two- and three-bedroom villas, many of them overlooking the fairways of the 27-hole golf course on the property. It's also within walking distance of both Fantasy Harbour and the Waccamaw Pottery shopping complex. There are also indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis and walking trails.

Dining out

Myrtle Beach has more than 1,600 restaurants and they aren't all fried fast food. In fact, the area has some nice eateries: Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Frank's Restaurant and Bar on Pawleys Island, Bella Napoli, Islamorada Fish Company, just to name a few. The buffet at Sea Trail Plantation is said to be excellent.

Fast fact

The Byrd course is fairly short at 6,750 yards, with a nice mix of par 5s and, especially, the par 3s. No. 18 is a short par 5 easily reached in two, even from the tips.

Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.