The summer of 2010 is one that won’t soon be forgotten at Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club. The Sunset Beach, N.C., course just captured one of the area’s most prestigious honors, winning the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owner’s Association Course of the Year Award.
The good times at Sandpiper didn’t conclude with the announcement of the award. On August 2, Sandpiper will reopen the Bay 9, concluding a three-year project that saw the facility install new Miniverde Bermuda grass greens on each of its 27 holes. The Sand 9 received new greens in 2008 and the Bay 9 in 2009.
The project, which also included repaving cart paths, tree removal and a refurbishment of the clubhouse, underscored the commitment course owners Don and Blair Tanner have to providing a memorable golf experience.
When the Myrtle Beach Area Golf Course Owner’s Association begins sifting through nominations for its Golf Course of the Year award, each nominee is rated based on four criteria: exceptional quality of the golf course, exceptional quality of the ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the community, and significant contribution to the game.
“This is a culmination of about three years hard work,” said Tim Tilma, Sandpiper’s general manager. “It’s very satisfying and it reinforces the fact that we have a growing and improving reputation here at the beach.”
The new greens, which were installed by highly regarded superintendent Jay Varallo, were the cherry on top of the sundae for Sandpiper, which opened in 1987.
The Dan Maples design, located on Route 179 just across the North Carolina line, has long been an area favorite, earning 4 stars in Golf Digest’s prestigious Best Places to Play guide. Sandpiper is lauded by locals as a player friendly course.
“It’s a very playable golf course,” Tim Tilma, Sandpiper’s general manager, said. “We have a great attitude among our staff to try and help people. Customer service is a key to us.”
Sandpiper also opened its fairways to charity, raising $16,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer and donating $29,000 in greens fees and other gifts, bringing the facility’s total charitable donations over the past year to $45,000.
Sandpiper Bay is the 14th course to receive the MBAGCOA award.
The National Golf Course Owners Association implemented the award in 1996 and the MBAGCOA has since nominated courses from the Myrtle Beach area. Past recipients of the award include Shaftesbury Glen (2009), Grande Dunes (2008), Wachesaw Plantation East (2007), Burning Ridge (2006), TPC of Myrtle Beach (2005), Indian Wells Golf Club (2004), World Tour Golf Links (2003), Wild Wing Plantation (2002), Blackmoor (2001), Tradition Golf Club (2000), Bay Tree Golf Plantation (1999), Arrowhead Country Club (1998) and Myrtle Beach National’s King’s North (1996). Five of the Myrtle Beach regional winners also captured the state award; Burning Ridge, TPC, Wild Wing, Tradition, Arrowhead and King’s North. World Tour was named as the national “Golf Course of the Year.”
It's beautiful golf course. Great!
I will try to play Sandpiper Bay this August trip
Congratulations to Sandpiper Bay Golf Club.I've played and recommended many golf courses to our visitors and owners here at Ocean Isle Beach and I'm always proud to recommend this course. It's staff and course are among the very best on the Strand. B Wayne Melton--R H McClure Realty, Inc. Ocean Isle Beach, NC
I just played The Sand the Piper 9s on the 22nd of July. The course was in perfect shape, the green were the best we have played in Myrtle Beach in the Summer time! The staff and club house were great, this is a well deserved reward to a course you don't usually hear a whole lot about!
So glad to hear and congratulations on the great job and receiving the award. I look forward to playing the course again. We enjoyed it then, about 4 years ago, but it should be even better now. Our group all said that Sandpiper Bay was a good golf course.
Will definetly try to include it in our next Myrtle Beach Golf Trip.
Thanks
Good article, nice to know which course is the best! Already have Myrtle Beach golf trip planned for October 2010 with three other friends.
We have been to Myrtle Beach for a golf outing in the past, several times.
Have been going to Myrtle Beach area for the past dozen years or so with friends. We discovered Sandpiper Bay 8 or 9 years ago, and play it at least once every trip. We usually do a 9 hole replay on whichever 9 we didn't get to play in our 18 hole round. Very playable without being easy. The nines are distinctive. The staff has always been pleasurable. Would recommend for an ejoyable day of golf.
Yes, I have played Sandpiper Bay. When I first walked out and saw the course, for the first time, I could not believe how neat and trim it was! I got an image of Chinese Coolies on hands and knees trimming with scissors! Sandpiper Bay is one of my very favorite courses, not only in MB, but anywhere!