Sandpiper Bay Golf Club

Sandpiper Bay Golf Club sits in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, part of the Brunswick Islands region along the state's southern coast near the South Carolina border. Dan Maples designed the course, which opened in the late 1980s during a period when this stretch of coastline saw considerable golf development. Maples, a North Carolina native, built numerous courses throughout the Carolinas and became known for working with the region's characteristic coastal plain terrain—relatively flat land punctuated by wetlands, natural water features, and stands of pine and hardwood. The routing at Sandpiper Bay incorporates the area's natural lowland character, with holes playing through and around marshes, lakes, and tidal areas that connect to the Intracoastal Waterway system. The course features the kind of strategic design Maples favored, where water hazards and waste areas require thoughtful club selection and course management rather than simply overwhelming length. Several holes offer views across the marshland toward the waterway, providing a sense of the coastal environment without the course sitting directly on oceanfront property. Sandpiper Bay serves both resort visitors to the Sunset Beach area and local members. The club operates in a region known for accessible, year-round golf, where courses cater to a mix of seasonal residents, vacationers, and retirees drawn to the Carolina coast. The layout provides a representative example of Maples' work during an era when architects were shaping courses around environmental constraints and the natural beauty of coastal Carolina landscapes.