Oyster Bay Golf Links

Oyster Bay Golf Links occupies a coastal setting in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, a barrier island community along the state's southern coast near the South Carolina border. Dan Maples designed the course in the early 1980s, part of a period when he was actively developing layouts throughout the Carolinas. The routing takes advantage of the area's natural wetlands, tidal marshes, and maritime forest, characteristics common to courses built on or near North Carolina's barrier islands. The layout incorporates water hazards and marsh areas that reflect the tidal environment, with several holes playing alongside or over wetland zones. Maples typically worked with the existing topography rather than imposing dramatic earthwork, so the course features relatively modest elevation changes suited to the flat coastal terrain. The design includes strategic bunkering and green complexes that require careful approach play, particularly when wind becomes a factor as it often does in exposed coastal locations. Oyster Bay functions as part of a residential golf community, a development model common to the region during its construction era. The course serves both members and visitors, contributing to the collection of golf options available along North Carolina's Brunswick Islands coast. The setting provides views of marsh grasses and coastal vegetation typical of the Lowcountry environment that extends from the Carolinas into Georgia, offering a playing experience shaped by the natural features of the barrier island landscape.