Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center

The Jones Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort & Convention Center is a Rees Jones design that opened in the early 1990s as part of the resort's multi-course complex near Sunset Beach, North Carolina. Greg Muirhead collaborated on the project. The course occupies coastal plain terrain characteristic of the Brunswick County area, where the landscape transitions between maritime forest and tidal marsh ecosystems. The routing takes advantage of natural wetlands and incorporates native vegetation that frames holes and defines strategic options. Jones employed his signature approach to strategic design, creating generous landing areas off the tee while placing emphasis on approach shot precision. The course features elevated greens with substantial contouring, a trademark of Jones's work that rewards accurate iron play and tests short game skills. Water hazards appear on multiple holes, reflecting the low-lying topography and natural drainage patterns of the region. Bunkers are positioned to challenge both tee shots and greenside recoveries. Sea Trail Resort developed as a residential golf community and convention destination during the coastal Carolina golf boom of the late twentieth century. The Jones Course shares the property with other layouts, providing variety for resort guests and members. The setting offers a quieter alternative to the more heavily trafficked Grand Strand courses to the south, with a character shaped by the coastal environment and the natural features Jones preserved in his routing.