11/02/2023
A Promise Kept- Introducing Sea Trail Golf Resort
We take great pride in announcing that itโs officialโtoday, Sea Trail Investments--partnered by Riptide Builders owners, Robert Hill and Donald Bean, and Golf-Trek owner Parker Smith--closed on all remaining golf and commercial property formerly owned by Chinaway Corporation. In totality, with the March 2023 acquisition by Sea Trail Investments, we now collectively own the entire golf and commercial operations, Convention Center, VAC, and the adjacent 15-acre tract of land which will feature several key resort components, all of which will be anchored by Sea Trail Golf Resortโs future approved hotel site directly adjacent to the Convention Center.
As promised, we โve created a team integral in taking Sea Trail Golf Resort to the next level. We are happy to announce that we have hired a professional leading golf management team, East Coast Golf Management, who contributes decades of proven success in golf, food and beverage, and retail operations. Mike Buccarone, President, and Rob Mosser, Executive VP lead this well-oiled machine which will spearhead all day-to-day operations for the golf courses, clubhouses, the newly renovated Convention Center and the VAC. East Coast Golf will ensure that Sea Trail Golf operations will transform and flourish, realizing the vision of our ownership team to provide members and guests top-notch courses, facilities, and supporting operations worthy of resort status. We have provided East Coast Golf an operating budget that allows them to not only retain the current Sea Trail staff, but to a hire additional key personnel to guarantee the necessary outfitting of golf and commercial operations required to deliver results. This includes the purchase of new maintenance and operational equipment. Additionally, we have provided a multi-million-dollar capital improvement budget for massive improvements to the courses, clubhouses, and facilities. We are particularly excited to share that the Jones Byrd Clubhouse will straight away undergo a complete redesign and renovation that will provide our golf resort with one of the most premierโif not the premierโgolf clubhouse establishment within the Carolinas encompassing top-ranking food, beverage, and other full-service golf amenities. Our ownership team is committed to accomplishing this major feat in record time, with a March completion date to ready us for this upcoming golf season. We will share further details this week on how members and visitors can continue to access golf operations and services during the transition and ensuing renovations. While only temporary in nature, you can anticipate that these services will represent a significant step up from those you experienced prior to this transition.
We at Sea Trail Investments are thrilled to announce our new partner, Sandesh Sharda. Sea Trail Investments and Sharda have combined forces to form Sea Trail Golf Resort, LLC. Sharda has amassed an impressive golf portfolio recently with his purchase of Rivers Edge Golf Course in Shallotte and his pending closing on The International Club of Myrtle Beach. With this portfolio, he becomes a major factor and positive addition to the golf industry within the Carolinas. Sharda is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Miracle Systems, a global technology and consulting firm. He built Miracle Systems from the ground up to a company of 500 strong, establishing it as a leader in delivering cutting-edge IT to businesses worldwide. Under his leadership, Miracle Systems further diversified into various sectors, most notably, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data analytics which led to contracts with the US Department of Defense and other governmental agencies, where the technologies his company delivered were instrumental in contributing to homeland security. Sharda has successfully invested in and co-founded other ventures, ranging from fintech startups to sustainable energy initiatives, all of which reflect his commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and sustainability. He is also the driving force behind The Sharda Family Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged communities through education, healthcare, and social development initiatives.
With the combined talents of our ownership team representing decades of success within their respective industries, a shared commitment to the short and long game required to bring a project of this magnitude to fruition, and the โboots-on-the groundโ skilled day-to-day leadership of East Coast Golf, all the pieces are in place to make Sea Trail Golf Resort a juggernaut of golf in the Carolinas.
As we focus our efforts on the transition, we understand that you will have questions. This announcement marks the first of many to come. While it was important for us as new owners to share the good news of the purchase with you as quickly as possible, we also want to be sure to take the time needed to be thoughtful, detailed, and comprehensive. To that end, we will continue to share additional communications that will outline timelines and key dates, and to convey information in a FAQ format that we feel will be the most accessible to the majority, the first of which we will release by the end of the week.
We cannot wait to welcome you to the newly renovated Convention Center! Shortly we will share how you can take advantage of the opportunity to come and tour so we can tell you what has happened so far, what we can all look forward to, and to elaborate on these plans.
This purchase marks a major milestone for us and the Sea Trail community. We are grateful for the support and enthusiasm you continue to express, and we recognize that without the support of the Town of Sunset Beach, its leadership and staff, the residents of Sea Trail, our teams behind-the team (Riptide Builders and Golf Trek), and countless others, we would not be where we are nowโclosing on the remainder of Sea Trail Golf Resort. A special thanks to Chinaway Corporation, who collaborated with us these past few years to create a path forward to the opportunity realized today. Our team remains committed to the town, to the community, and to putting Sea Trail Golf Resort on the map as a leading sought-after resort destination and a vibrant, amenity-rich community to call home!
