By Bill F. Hensley
SUNSET BEACH, NC - At five o’clock in the morning, it’s still pitch black at Sea Trail, but in an hour or two it will be a bright sunny day and a flurry of activity will begin.
The work at this popular coastal resort begins before dawn when a well-trained maintenance team assembles at 5:30 a.m. Their mission is to manicure three golf courses, putting them in top shape for a busy day at one of the South’s leading recreational communities.
The crew totals 33 men, and their task is formidable. They must cut 54 greens and 216 tees, rake countless bunkers, fill in divots and repair ball marks. At least four times a week, they mow the fairways and rough of the three-course layout. The work is done under the careful supervision of Paul Corder, the Golf Course Superintendent at the Brunswick County resort south of Wilmington.
Also before the sun comes up, a four-person restaurant staff arrives at the Jones/Byrd Clubhouse to make preparations for the many hungry golfers who will be having breakfast by six o’clock. There is coffee to make, bacon and sausage to fry, eggs to cook, and tables to set. And when breakfast is over, it’s time to get ready for a busy lunch period that lasts well into the afternoon.
At 5:45, five members of the cart staff begin work at the two clubhouses, lining up the approximately 250 carts they will need for the morning’s play. As players arrive, the staff will unload clubs from car trunks and put them on carts, check tee times and explain some simple course rules to make play easier and faster.
Three assistant golf professionals open the two golf shops and begin their day’s work at 6:30, followed by six starters and rangers at 6:50. For Golf Director Phillipe Bureau and his staff, there will be lessons to give, tournaments to conduct, a practice range to supervise, greens fees to collect, merchandise to sell, and friendly rules questions to answer.
The first tee times on the three courses are at 7:08, and on a busy day like today, about 900 rounds will be played. During the year, the total will hit the 140,000 mark at this golfing mecca that is part of the renowned Grand Strand area. For $117, golfers can play three rounds at Sea Trail during the summer and winter months.
Meanwhile, Dana Connelly, the hustling Sea Trail president, has made her early morning walk or bicycle ride around the property and is having an early morning cup of coffee with the restaurant manager and an assistant pro. They talk about the day’s activities, personnel matters and other business-related topics. She will be in her office attending myriad resort duties from 8:30 until well past the dinner hour.
Brian Griffin and his real estate staff of eight will begin their duties at 9:00. Throughout the day they will talk with a steady stream of prospective buyers who are anxious to have a dwelling on the North Carolina coast. The staff will show property, explain new construction projects, dispense literature and show video presentations, and sign contracts for permanent and second-home buyers.
Other key staff members such as marketing director Candace Pettit, Director of Resort Operations Kimberley Johnston, and group golf sales manager Jennifer Houthoofd are well into their duties by early morning as they promote the many Sea Trail assets to an interested public.
In a typical year, there will be more than two hundred groups—both large and small—that will meet at Sea Trail, utilizing a state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot conference center along with the outstanding golf courses to conduct successful work/play gatherings.
Top-rated chefs, food and beverage directors, waitresses and support staff bolster the Sea Trail family throughout the day to properly serve the members and guests at this coastal paradise.
On the 2000-acre property, which is less than a mile from the ocean, visitors stay in more than 500 rental condo units, and permanent residents--who occupy an equal number of private homes--begin their day with a walk, jog or bike ride around the beautiful complex, a workout at the fitness center, a brisk game of tennis, a swim at the recreation center, or make plans for a relaxing day at the beach.
From January to December, Sea Trail is a beehive of activity and gracious living. Peak seasons are March to May, and October through November when the weather is ideal.
“There’s seldom a slow day or a boring moment here,” said Bureau, a veteran golf professional. “There’s always something interesting going on. That makes it a special place to be.”
By darkness on this summer day, there will have been hundreds of golf balls lost, countless hot dogs and hamburgers eaten, and enough soft drinks and bottled water consumed to float a battleship. Then the activity switches from the golf courses to the lounges and restaurants at the two clubhouses for a relaxing drink and a casual dinner. For those who stray off campus, Calabash and Myrtle Beach are nearby.
“And the next day,” Bureau remarked, “it starts all over again. But it never gets monotonous because there are always new faces to meet and satisfy and new challenges to face.”
A day at Sea Trail is lively and enjoyable, just what summer is supposed to be. See it for yourself.