Piper at Sandpiper Bay Golf Club

Sandpiper Bay Golf Club's Piper course sits in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, part of the Brunswick Islands stretch of coastal golf along the state's southern coast near the South Carolina border. Dan Maples designed the course, bringing his characteristic approach to working with the region's natural wetlands, maritime vegetation, and relatively flat coastal terrain. Maples, who designed numerous courses throughout the Carolinas from the 1970s through the 2000s, typically emphasized strategic bunkering and water hazards to create challenge on land that lacks dramatic elevation change.

The Piper course reflects the coastal plain environment common to this area, with holes routed through and around natural marshlands and tidal areas that define both the visual character and the strategic demands of play. Water features prominently on multiple holes, requiring careful club selection and course management. The layout incorporates the native grasses and vegetation typical of the Brunswick County landscape, with corridors framed by pines and live oaks.

Sandpiper Bay operates as part of the area's network of semi-private and daily-fee facilities that serve both residents of the Sunset Beach community and visiting golfers drawn to the Grand Strand region. The course provides a representative example of coastal Carolina golf design from its era, balancing accessibility for resort play with enough strategic interest to reward local knowledge and thoughtful shot-making around the water hazards that define the routing.