Maples uses imagination with Sandpiper Bay layout

Course architect Dan Maples chose not to be conventional with Sandpiper Bay Golf Club.

He designed one par-35 nine with three par-3s, and got creative with a second par-36 nine that has three par-3s, three par-4s and three par-5s.

The third nine built, the Bay nine, has the traditional two par-3s and two par-5s on the first and ninth holes.

“I really like the variety,” said MG Gaskin of Myrtle Beach, who took part in a review of the course in early July. “Having three par-5s and three par-3s on the Piper nine is odd but a lot of fun. I like it because those tend to be more interesting holes. I’ve never played a course with that setup.”

Joining me and MG, a Pavestone retail account manager with a 5.8 handicap, in the review foursome was the married couple Mike Hardin and Betty Calhoun-Hardin of Loris. Mike is an 8.8 handicap who is retired from industrial sales, and Betty is a 24.1 handicap and retired Nikon regional account manager.

Sandpiper Bay is 27 holes and one of many Maples designs on the Grand Strand. Maples built the original 18 holes in 1987 and added the Bay nine in 2000. Our group played the Piper and Bay nines, measuring 6,746 from the back black tees.

“This is a Myrtle Beach community golf course with the layout running through neighborhoods,” Mike said.

The course requires more precision than length, with tree- and home-lined fairways, several holes turning either left or right to varying degrees, water hazards in play on many holes, and bunkers in many landing areas and around almost every green.

“I like that you just can’t walk up and hit the ball,” MG said. “You have to think about where to hit your driver or irons. You have to have a target for every shot.”

Sparse trees with a base of pine straw and cleared underbrush allow for recovery shots. “Even when you hit the ball in the woods you usually feel like you have a shot,” MG said. “It’s not an overly difficult course, but it’s also not an easy track,” MG said.

The course and its surroundings were in very good condition for our round. “I thought it was very well maintained for a course that doesn’t get a lot of attention,” Betty said.

MiniVerde Bermudagrass greens have a fair amount of undulation. “The greens were in excellent condition,” MG said. “There were no brown or bad spots anywhere.”

And the greens had a fair amount of speed. “I thought the greens were great,” Mike said. “I like fast greens and these were pretty quick.”

Sandpiper Bay has six tee boxes. The women’s red tee is a moderate 4,829 yards, and there are two additional tees with shorter yardages. “For most women it’s pretty easy because there is not a lot of trouble they can get into or many carries,” Betty said. “I think it’s wide open and easy for women to play, which is excellent.”

Likes

The group found the indoor and outdoor staff to be “cordial, welcoming and accommodating,” particularly during a weather delay of more than an hour before we teed off.

Betty appreciated the practice facilities, including the quality of range balls, clearly marked distances to flags, a chipping and pitching area, large putting green and a bunker. “It gives you everything you need to practice and prepare,” Betty said.

The group was impressed by how well the course drained following heavy rain during the delay, as we were unrestricted with carts. “I was impressed how dry it was,” Mike said.

MG appreciated all bunkers being raked. “That’s a pet peeve of mine when they’re not,” MG said.

Betty made note of a busy clubhouse, reflecting active members and residents. “It seems like an active golfing community,” Betty said. “It would be a great place to have a membership. It’s a friendly place and a welcoming clubhouse and you can tell many members go to it.”

Dislikes

MG found the par-3s were too similar in length. “From the tips, every par-3 was around 190 yards plus,” he said. “It would have been nice to have played a hole shorter with more risk.”

Though Mike liked the pace of play for a Myrtle Beach area course, there were at least two twosomes sent out behind us that didn’t pair up. “There were too many twosomes let out too quickly behind us, and I felt a little ‘pushed’ at times,” Betty said.

Mike found the facility to be “slightly dated, needing some sprucing up.”

Par-3s

The five par-3s on the Piper-Bay nines measure between 185 and 200 yards, and between 157 and 181 from the white tees. “All of these par-3s are challenging from the tips,” MG said. “There are no [easy] 130-yard holes.”

The Piper’s 193-yard third hole has a bulkheaded water hazard fronting the green that gets longer along the right side, and a bunker left of a green that slopes to the front from a back middle mound. The green on the 185-yard sixth slopes slightly to the back and has a bunker front right, and the 194-yard eighth has water front left, left and behind a green that slopes left. Trees skirt a player’s ball flight on the right.

“Water comes into play on most par-3s but it is easily avoided with a decent shot,” MG said.

The Bay’s 206-yard third hole has water front and right, a small bunker right and a large bunker left of the green, and the 207-yard fifth has water and a bunker left and mounding right of a fairly flat green. “Par-3s are slightly longer than average but I liked them,” Mike said.

Par-3s measure between 80 and 140 from the red tees. “It’s nice to have three par-3s on the Piper nine, and all par-3s are fair from the red tees,” Betty said. “The third hole on the Bay was longer than average at 140 yards.”

Par-4s

The Piper-Bay par-4s can be scoreable, as just three are more than 400 yards. “The par-4s are wide open and not much trouble if played well,” Betty said. “Some par-4s are short and easy and offer birdie chances [from the red tees]. If I was on my game today I thought I’d have a lot of birdie chances. A lot of women I play with would have had wedges or chips onto the greens.”

The 379-yard Piper first hole has fairway bunkers right and a greenside bunker left and a green that slopes sharply to the right, and the 402-yard fifth turns slightly right with a fairway bunker left and bunkers left and front right of a rolling green.

The Bay’s 416-yard second hold has a fairway bunker right and water left beginning in the landing area and continuing past the green. The 345-yard fourth has a short carry over water off the tee, fairway bunkers left and bunkers front left, front right and back right of a green featuring a front-left swale.

The 362-yard seventh has water running along the right side of the fairway that cuts across the fairway in front of an elevated green protected by four bunkers front and left.

“The par-4s have generous landing areas,” Mike said.

MG found the course and particularly par-4s played somewhat right to left. “For a left-hander, you will need to play more cuts than draws, especially on the tee box,” he said.

Par-5s

Four of the five par-5s on the Piper-Bay nines measure more than 530 yards, and four measure more than 500 yards from the white tees. “There were two really good, solid three-shot holes on both the Piper and Bay nines,” Mike said.

The Piper 571-yard second hole doglegs right off the tees and has bunkers front left and front right of a rolling green, and the 504-yard fourth has a pair of fairway bunkers left water right off the tee that continues up the right side, and a relatively flat green tucked behind trees with bunkers left, front left and right.

The 567-yard seventh turns mildly around water and a thin tree line down its entire left side. Fairway bunkers and mounding are in the landing area off the tee, and a green that slopes to the water to its left has bunkers behind and front right.

The Bay’s 550-yard first hole turns slightly left and has water to carry off the tee and water to the left of a green that funnels to the middle. A bunker is situated 100 yards from the green on the left side of the fairway. The 555-yard ninth turns slightly left with water down the left side, a pair of bunkers in the bend of the fairway and three bunkers around a green that slopes mildly to the right and front. “I really like the par-5s,” MG said.

Par-5s measure between 408 and 459 from the red tees. “The par-5s are reachable for par or bogey but played long for many ladies,” Betty said.

Favorite holes

MG enjoyed the third and ninth holes on the Piper nine. The 404-yard par-4 ninth is straightforward with fairway bunkers left and right and a green that tilts slightly right with water to the left and a front-right bunker. “It looks tight but you have more room than you think,” MG said. Of the 190-yard third hole, he said: “There’s water to carry but the green slopes up and creates a nice backstop that allows you to fire at the flag.”

Betty’s favorite hole was the 362-yard par-4 sixth hole on the Bay, which measured 262 yards from the red tee. It has water to carry off the tee extending farther on the left, a left fairway bunker, water to the left of the green and a pair of bunkers short left of the green. “It’s an interesting uphill short par-4,” she said.

Mike’s favorite hole was the 429-yard par-4 Bay eighth, featuring an option off the tee. The hole turns sharply left around wetlands, and you can try to fly the wetlands with a carry of approximately 220 yards from the back tees to set up a short approach or stay to the right, leaving a long approach. The hole’s green is protected by bunkers left and front right, and water farther right.

“It’s a great risk-reward hole,” Mike said. “It doesn’t force you to cut that much off. You can still play the hole with a draw and still have a 160- to 170-yard shot and keep it over the short grass.”

Least favorite holes

MG’s least favorite hole was the 568-yard Piper second hole. “There was no way to get there in two due to the dogleg right,” he said.

Betty’s least favorite hole was the par-5 first hole on the Bay, which measured 443 yards from the red tee. “It’s a narrower par-5 with a treacherous green if you’re left or long, with steep hills running into the water,” she said.

Mike’s least favorite hole was the dogleg-right par-5 second hole on the Piper. “It doesn’t fit my shot shape because I usually hit a draw,” Mike said.

This story was originally published July 9, 2016 at 8:08 PM with the headline "Maples uses imagination with Sandpiper Bay layout."