Sea Trail is located in Sunset Beach, N.C., named in 1992 by Money magazine as one
of the best buys residential "buys" in the nation. Changing Times magazine has listed
Sea Trail among the top five retirement communities in the country and Retirement
Lifestyles called Sea Trail "an impressive development" and one of America's top
50 masterplanned golf communities based on polls of golf writers, marketing and
real estate professionals, average golfers and property owners.
Such accolades start with the golf courses. Sea Trail's popularity among
golfers is owed to Dan Maples, Rees Jones and Willard Byrd, who graced the
property with their unique design styles that bring out the best in the landscape.
Opened in 1989, the Jones course winds through towering pines and is populated by
clear natural lakes where sightings of alligators are not uncommon. A straightforward
design, it is the longest and arguably the most challenging of the three Sea Trail
courses. And, it has hosted numerous events, including a 2006 U.S. Open qualifier.
Its greens are L-93 bent grass. Like the other two courses, the fairways and tee boxes
of the Jones is planted with 419 Bermuda which is overseeded in winter with rye.
Located on the eastern side of the property and opened in 1985, the Maples
course winds through tall pines and live oaks. Its opening holes parallel
Calabash Creek. While definitely not a pushover, the course has the reputation
of being the most "user friendly" of the three layouts by many of the local
residents. In 2003, the course underwent a renovation that included converting
the greens from Bermuda to A-1/A-4 blend bent grass.
Opened in 1990 and laid out on the north side of the plantation is the course
designed by Willard Byrd, who designed many great courses including The Country
Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst. The Byrd course is marked by manmade lakes,
a number of doglegs and a finishing hole that threads through two ponds. The
greens are penncross bent.
The Jones/Byrd clubhouse overlooks the 18th holes of both courses and a long- and
short-game practice area. The clubhouse includes Magnolias Restaurant, a cozy place
that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Maples course is served by a separate
clubhouse that has a snack bar, and has the Sea Trail Custom Clubs shop.
Other property amenities include the members-only Maples Swim & Tennis Center and
the public Village Activities Center with indoor and outdoor pools and whirlpools,
tennis courts, and an on-staff licensed massage therapist. In addition, there are
activities for children, a nearby planetarium, bike and hiking trails, and the largest
conference facility on North Carolina's coast, the 62,000-square-foot Carolina Conference
Center.
Guests of Sea Trail have a choice of modern rental villas in private residences. Residential
property incudes condominiums, villas, and homes of varying architectural styles and sizes.
Sea Trail Golf Resort & Conference Center is the centerpiece of Sunset Beach, which was
founded in the late 1950's by Mannon Gore, a local farm owner who bought the timberland
upon which Sea Trail sits from International Paper Company. Gore's purchase included the
barrier island and the land west of the intercostal waterway that now comprises the
village of Sunset Beach. Gore himself ferried visitors to and from the island before
he had the first bridge built connecting it to the mainland. Today, Sunset Beach is
considered one of the finest beaches on the Eastern Seaboard.
The tradition of creating a paradise for vacationers and residents was continued by
Mannon's son, Ed Gore, who partnered with John Williams, Paul Dennis, Miller Pope
and Harris Thompson to develop Sea Trail into the resort community it is today.
For more information on Sea Trail, log on to www.seatrail.com or call 800-546-5748.
For home sales, contact the Sea Trail real estate office at 800-338-9672.
