Sand/Piper at Sandpiper Bay Golf Club

Sandpiper Bay Golf Club sits in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, a quiet barrier island community along the southern coast near the South Carolina border. Designed by Dan Maples and opened in the late 1980s, the course occupies a transitional landscape where coastal marshlands meet maritime forest. Maples, a North Carolina native whose portfolio includes numerous courses throughout the Carolinas, routed Sandpiper Bay to work with the natural wetlands and tidal areas that define this part of the Brunswick County coastline.

The layout features several holes that play alongside or across marsh edges, with water hazards and wetland carries appearing throughout the round. The terrain remains relatively flat, typical of coastal Carolina golf, though Maples incorporated mounding and strategic bunkering to create definition and challenge. Live oaks and native vegetation frame many holes, providing a sense of enclosure that contrasts with the open marsh vistas. The course serves both resort visitors and local golfers, fitting into the network of accessible daily-fee courses that characterize the Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach area.

Sandpiper Bay operates as part of the broader golf market along North Carolina's Brunswick Islands, a region known for offering numerous courses at various price points. The design emphasizes playability for a range of skill levels while maintaining enough challenge through its water features and green complexes to engage experienced players.