Byrd at Sea Trail Golf Resort and Convention Center: #1
Aerial view of the 1st hole from Byrd at Sea Trail Golf Resort and Convention Center
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Rating Index Rating
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3.7
444 Reviews (444)
5 Stars
94
4 Stars
209
3 Stars
78
2 Stars
40
1 Stars
23
Conditions
3.6
Value
3.8
Layout
4.0
Friendliness
4.3
Pace
3.9
Amenities
3.9
68.5%
Recommend this course
340 out of 444 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
4.0
7 Reviews (7)
5 Stars
1
4 Stars
5
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.9
Value
4.3
Layout
4.3
Pace
4.4
Amenities
3.8
StaffFriendliness
4.6
85.7%
Recommend this course
6 out of 7 reviews
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
3.8
25 Reviews (25)
5 Stars
7
4 Stars
10
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
4
1 Stars
0
Conditions
3.8
Value
3.9
Layout
4.0
Pace
4.0
Amenities
4.0
StaffFriendliness
4.4
72.0%
Recommend this course
18 out of 25 reviews
Read Reviews

About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Par 72
Length 6658 yards
Slope 129
Rating 72.6

The Willard Byrd course at Sea Trail Plantation is one of three courses on the property, which covers 2,000 acres of creeks and wooded lots. It's in Sunset Beach, N.C., once named the top coastal destination in the U.S. by Money magazine, and in 2003, Golf Week named Sea Trail in America's best residential courses of distinction.

All three courses, by Dan Maples, Rees Jones and Willard Byrd got 4-star ratings from Golf Digest. The Byrd course is built around several, man-made lakes, from 14-20 acres and features nicely undulating greens and Byrd's trademark decorative sand and waste bunkers, constrictive treelines and greenside bunkers.

The Byrd course opened in the fall of 1990 to good reviews. No. 18 finishes between two ponds at the clubhouse. The course covers 6,750 from the blue tees with a slope rating of 128 slope. Watch for No. 2, a 174-yard par-3 over water, and No. 3, a long par-5, a dogleg right with water on the left.

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Course Details

Year Built 1990
Fairways Bermuda Grass
Greens Champion Bermuda Grass
Golf Season Year round
Architect Willard Byrd (1990)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - included in green fees
Clubs Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Golf School/Academy Yes - "The Mel Sole Golf School at Sea Trail Golf Resort"
Teaching Pro Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover Welcomed
Metal Spikes Allowed No
Single Allowed Yes
Walking Allowed No
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Reviews

3.7
444 Reviews (444)
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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 19
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Previously Played
Hot weather
Used cart

Beautiful course and very woman friendly

Course held up very well after hurricane Florence. Great shape!

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 56
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Top 1000 Contributor
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Course has come back well from hard winter

The reviews which talked about the condition of the greens earlier in 2018 would make one wonder if it would be worth playing. But, reading trip reviews on other sites said Byrd was in the best shape of the Sea Trail courses.

This was my 4th pre-World Am course to play. Conditions were good. Absolutely no complaints. Staff was friendly and helpful.

The course has come back well from the really bad winter.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 77
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
3.0
North Carolina Advisor
Top 500 Contributor
First Time Playing
Hot weather
Used cart

Good Price but Just Average Golf

We played on a special deal the course was running ($25 for lunch, two drinks, and golf), so for that deal, the value was there. But the course itself was very forgettable (or rather nothing stood out as very memorable). The layout is just average, with doglegs and lot of pine trees that make you drive accurately. Conditions were slightly subpar (most fairways and rough were very dry and the greens were inconsistent but mostly slow). I say I wouldn't recommend because there are many better options within a ten minute drive, but if you're just looking to play without breaking the bank, Sea Trail's not a bad option. Just don't come expecting top-notch conditions.

OVERALL: 5.8/10

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Fairly Easy
Response from on 10/15/2018:
Hello ddotson2, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Willard Byrd Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort, and for the 3 stars. We hope that you enjoyed playing our golf course and that you will see improvements in the course conditions the next time you are with us. It looks like you had a smooth round and a friendly experience with our staff, so we are glad to see that. We value your feedback regarding the conditions of the course and will look to make the necessary improvements. We hope you will come and join us for another round in the future.
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Great value!

Price included breakfast, lunch, and two beers. Fairways were a bit wet, 4 holes were cart path only. Fairways are pristine and the greens are very hard. Staff was very nice and helpful.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Disappointed :(

After booking this course from New Jersey, they informed me just at the starting line about how horrible the greens were without any type of reimbursement. No breakfast, no lunch, no heads up on the greens prior to and bathrooms were locked. The greens were so horrible that the ball would just bobble and stop. Only 1 green was patched and that looked like it was put together with spit and glue. 18th green was complete DIRT! We played another course the day before and greens were outstanding. After our round, we inquired about the damaged greens and they blamed it on the weather/frost however the greens in NJ are immaculate and we have much more frost. They didn't even offer any compensation or a free drink.....sadly, we will never play this course again. Don't waste your time.

Conditions Fair
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Good
Amenities Poor
Difficulty Moderate
Response from on 10/15/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Willard Byrd Course at Sea Trail Golf Resort. We are sorry to see that you may have had a poor customer experience with us and that the greens may not have been in the best shape when you played. Any additional feedback is greatly appreciated so that we can improve your experience with us in the future. Thank you for choosing to golf with us and we hope to earn your business again in the future.
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Lovely course delivers great experience

Played the Byrd over the weekend and had a great time with my group of friends. The course has come to life, with beautiful fairways and quality greens that made this layout both challenging and fun to play.

We are all locals and took advantage of the special they run for those golfers in the area.

The staff was very pleasant and accommodating, from the folks at the pro shop to the guys at the bag drop. We also took advantage of the bar/lounge area inside the main pro shop after our round.

Looking forward to playing here again in the near future.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 6
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Under rated

I had a great time here. The greens are currently in really bad shape but once they come back it’s a can’t miss course.

Conditions Average
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 18
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Tough winter

The layout of the course is good, however with the cold winter the greens were in bad shape. With warmer weather they should come back.

Conditions Fair
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Response from on 05/24/2018:
Hello Jeffrey, thank you for sharing your review, We truly appreciate both your positive and constructive feedback regarding the course conditions and will be sure to pass it along to our team. We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our staff and sceneries at Sea Trail Golf Resort, and also appreciate your input on our maintenance. We hope to welcome you back for an enjoyable experience on the course in the near future.
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 25+
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
1.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Deceivingly Terrible.

The management of the golf course told us that we were golfing. To our surprise after driving hours to start our golf getaway and play this course we found that we were actually rolling golf balls on a parking lot into a cup. The greens were in horrendous shape, and the staff at this resort did not give us any indication that things were as bad as they were. There were modified greens on the course for several holes. From my vantage point, it looked to me that they should've modified the greens on every single whole.

The impression was made even worse when later in the week we played several other courses less than 10 miles away that were in pristine condition, with a seemingly endless amount of grounds crew staff working tirelessly to make our experience perfect. This course frankly did not care as I counted approximately 3 people working on improving the course, which was in the worst shape I've ever seen a golf course.

If you want to play golf do not play here. Especially if you are travelling a distance to get to the Golf Capital of the World, Myrtle Beach Area. Do yourself a favor and play any other course.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Average
Response from on 05/14/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Sea Trail Byrd, in the North Carolina area. We are sorry to see that you may have had a poor customer experience with us and that the course may not have been in the best shape when you played. Any additional feedback is greatly appreciated so that we can improve your experience with us in the future. Thank you for choosing to golf with us and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
1.0
First Time Playing

Worst Course Conditions Ever!

Came down on a golf trip and the course is in TERRIBLE condition. Not only did they not warn us that the course was in such bad shape but while checking in they were telling people who were calling in that there were only 2 or 3 bad greens. Sucks that they are totally dishonest about the state of the course. As part of our package we were to get free breakfast and lunch, they moved us to play other courses because the Jones and Byrd courses were so bad. We had to pay out of pocket for the meals we should have gotten for free. Whether you are booking a trip here or just looking for a decent track while on vacation stay away

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Poor
Pace Average
Amenities Poor
Response from on 10/15/2018:
Hello Steve, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Rees Jones at Sea Trail Golf Resort. We are sorry to see that you may have had a poor customer experience during your last round with us, and that the course was not in the best condition when you played. We appreciate the review and value any feedback you give so that we can improve your experience with us in the future. Thank you for choosing to golf with us, and we hope you will give us another chance to improve upon your golfing experience with us soon.
Default User Avatar
Commented on 05/11/2018

Thanks for the comments. I wish I had seen this before I tried to play this course with my buddies. I had a similarly awful experience.

You couldn't pay me to play at this establishment again.

Played On
Reviews 9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Byrd

Fairways are great. Greens will be fine in a month or so Every course in the area is suffering. Don’t blame the courses, it’s Mother Nature. Challenging from the tips. Look forward to playing again this summer when the greens are back.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

Nice Course - Terrible Greens

The Clubhouse is great. The bag drop went well and the pace of play was acceptable - as were the fairways. The greens however were the worst I've seen. They appeared to be made of crumpled wet cardboard. There was very little grass evident and the spottiness of the grass made putting even more unpredictable. Something has to be done to correct these conditions before I would ever play this course again.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Response from on 04/27/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review us, Sea Trail Byrd in the North Carolina area, and for the 3 stars. We're sorry to hear the course may not have been in the best shape on the day of your round, and we appreciate your feedback regarding the greens so may work on any necessary improvements. Thank you for choosing to golf with us, and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
3.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Greens are Gone, Gone and Way Gone

Played April 13. The greens are gone. Where they are not rolled mud, they are spotted with patches of grass. Your golf ball literally bounces and is violently thrashed side to side when you putt. Depending on where the flag is positioned, you need to declare most of the greens an automatic two-putt. They had one temp. green where they should have had at least five for certain and the majority of the remaining greens were in poor shape. No idea if these greens are coming back any time soon, but if you pay more than $29 for a round here with the greens in this poor of a condition, you've been robbed!

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Difficulty Moderate
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/17/2018

Thank you for your review pertaining to your stay with us at Sea Trail. We value our guests' thoughts and feedback, which gives us an opportunity to address your concerns with the goal of delivering a first-class experience.

In reference to playing conditions on the Byrd course, numerous golf properties in the Carolinas have faced challenges due to the unseasonably cold temperatures that have plagued our region since the start of the year. It has been labeled it as a “winter kill” in North and South Carolina and we continue to work hard in getting our courses in pristine condition. Our head groundskeeper and his talented crew members are working hard to keep all three of our premier courses in top shape. With better weather now in the area, we are optimistic our playing conditions will improve as the season progresses.

We appreciate your comments and look forward to having you back playing our courses in the near future.

Played On
Reviews 5
Handicap 10-14
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Perfect weather
Used cart

terrible greens

Have played this course before, and always enjoy it .apparently the winter had a great effect on many of the greens, but it does not appear that anything is working as to date. Other signs of deteriorating maintenance are evident as well. Stay away until better reviews.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/19/2018

Thank you for your review pertaining to your stay with us at Sea Trail. We value our guests' thoughts and feedback, which gives us an opportunity to address your concerns with the goal of delivering a first-class experience.

In reference to playing conditions on the Byrd course, numerous golf properties in the Carolinas have faced challenges due to the unseasonably cold temperatures that have plagued our region since the start of the year. It has been labeled it as a “winter kill” in North and South Carolina and we continue to work hard in getting our courses in pristine condition. Our head groundskeeper and his talented crew members are working hard to keep all three of our premier courses in top shape. With better weather now in the area, we are optimistic our playing conditions will improve as the season progresses.

We appreciate your comments and look forward to having you back playing our courses in the near future.

Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
2.0
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Used cart

Terrible Green Conditions

The course was nice and a good layout, but the greens were in terrible condition. Weeds, fungus and overall bumpy conditions spoiled a good round. One green was in good shape. On the other 17, putts were literally bouncing across the green. They blamed it on a bad winter, but other courses in the area did not have this problem.

Conditions Fair
Value Fair
Layout Good
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Response from on 04/16/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Sea Trail Byrd, in the Sunset Beach, North Carolina area. We greatly value your feedback as we work towards any necessary improvements, and hope you will notice some of these improvements during your next round with us. Thank you for choosing our course, and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Terrible

They should be ashamed to charge a green fee for this course.

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Good
Friendliness Average
Pace Good
Amenities Average
Response from on 04/16/2018:
Hello, thank you for reviewing our course, Sea Trail Byrd. We strive to provide the best possible customer experience to our golfers, and we apologize if we missed the mark. Thank you for choosing to play our course, in the Sunset Beach, North Carolina area, and we hope to earn your business again soon.
Played On
Reviews 9
Handicap 20-24
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Greens/Fairways suffering from winter

Overall, a great course, but like so many in the area, the severe winter has left damaged greens that are taking time to come back.

Conditions Average
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
2.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Fair
Value Average
Layout Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Response from on 04/16/2018:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to review our course, Sea Trail Byrd, in the North Carolina area. We are sorry to see that you may have had a poor customer experience with us and that the course may not have been in the best shape when you played. Any additional feedback is greatly appreciated so that we can improve your experience with us in the future. Thank you for choosing to golf with us and we hope to see you again soon.
Played On
Reviews 12
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Very good layout but greens a little iffy

It was a very good course. Very busy start at 9am, the rangers had us all tee off at 1 and 10 for all 3 courses. Challenging with bunkers placed in just right places to catch bad shots. The greens need a little more tender loving care, little plants growth here and there and some bare and brown spots. We had fun playing the course.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Great staff and course

Booked this course through GolfNow and had a buffet style breakfast, lunch and 2 beers included in the $70 booking. The staff all the way around were fabulous and the course was in excellent shape. Would definitely recommend and I will be back for sure. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Default User Avatar
Commented on 04/09/2018

Thank you so much for your feedback and positive comments.

We hope to see you again soon at Sea Trail!

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