I've read over and over not to level an Intex pool with sand. That being said, as we ready the ground for our new pool (16x48 Ultra Frame) I am astonished at just how sandy our yard is. No wonder the grass grows so poorly! I planned to put pavers down under the braces. Should I do anything else? I concerned I might be fighting a losing battle here.

Thanks for you suggestions?

They want the ground to be stable. Unless it is like beach sandy where the foundation may wash away it should be o.k. To be sure, dig down a little more until you hit firm soil and place your pavers there.

If your yard's not washing away you'll be fine.

The no-sand recommendation is to prevent people from building the area under the pool up with sand which would be prone to washing out from under tha pool making it unsteady.

And just to add my two cents...if you are worried about sand getting into the pool, put a little tub of water next to the ladder where swimmers can dunk their feet in before stepping onto the ladder

I'd consider a pad of some sort under the pool to avoid uneven spots (almost like footprints) that we have where we put ours over freshly dug dirt. Seemed mostly smooth at the time but the floor of the pool is far from smooth. Makes it hard to vacuum (at least with my little Aqua Broom). Some people get a foam pad like thing from Lowes, but I'm not positive what exactly that is. Pool pads are also marketed by, for example, Gorilla Pad and are not all that expensive - although I don't know if they can be re-used from year to year on an Intex.