Many rumors have circulated concerning the Wizard. Recent news have been published. The Sun News revealed that a developer — this time Pitts’ G3 Engineering — is seeking to turn the 168-acre golf course into new housing. G3 is looking to build a total of 683 new units of housing on the land the course currently occupies, with 400 of those being single-family homes and 283 being apartments. Plans call for the single-family homes to be about 8,000 square feet each. Two other developers have pushed similar plans for the course over the past 15 years, both of them failing to win approval to rezone the land from Horry County leaders. The time will tell us if this other plan will have success or not.
Read more at: https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article255185132.html#storylink=mainstage_card3
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
The previous attempts to rezone supposedly failed waiting for
the Carolina Forest road to be widened. I think that is done now.
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My guess is as the Carolinas keep growing and the migration from the Northern part of the country continues there will be many more courses closing. The land is just to valuable. If that interstate is ever drawn up and comes to fruition more will close. i could see Myrtle have 4o or 50 courses at most one day.
Other courses will close in the future no doubt. However, many golf courses purchased by chinese investors in the recent years are still unused for residential development. In particular, i am wondering what will arrive with former Waterway Hill and Black Bear. The Witch and Farmstead will close for sure. But for the others, projects are in the air. Many will take time before to come a reality.
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
Other courses will close in the future no doubt. However, many golf courses purchased by chinese investors in the recent years are still unused for residential development. In particular, i am wondering what will arrive with former Waterway Hill and Black Bear. The Witch and Farmstead will close for sure. But for the others, projects are in the air. Many will take time before to come a reality.
Not sure, just guessing. I think rumors are some of those Chinese investors and the Chinese economy are in real trouble. Will be interesting if they default or sell them off. I thought I heard Waterway Hills was going to become a resort area.
Horry County is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. The population is expected to surpass 500,000 by the year 2040. The influx of new residents is stressing roads, public safety, schools and infrastructure in this sector. Highway 501 is already very busy, traffic jams are seen very often. Adding these new homes will not help to resolve the situation.
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
Having been in a traffic jam after playing Legends + KN, I wonder
how so many people have still not learned to travel to/from MB on
22 instead of 501.
The golf package business will help determine the volume of courses
staying open or closing.
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I wondered why nothing had been done at Waterway Hills. Didn't they try to make Black Bear/Myrtle West an RV Park? Our group does not play courses along 501 because of heavy traffic. We use Rts. 22 & 31 all the time.
Part of the reason so many people are moving to the area is the sheer number of golf courses -- as more and more close, I think it will also start to shift demand to other places. If you simply want to live at the beach and aren't interested in golf, I don't think Myrtle is an especially great option outside of the Pawleys area or Brunswick County in North Carolina.
If I was planning to retire at the beach and public golf wasn't something I cared about, I'd much rather be in Charleston or Savannah if I wanted a city, and if not, there are numerous smaller beach communities that are far more appealing.
Part of the reason so many people are moving to the area is the sheer number of golf courses -- as more and more close, I think it will also start to shift demand to other places. If you simply want to live at the beach and aren't interested in golf, I don't think Myrtle is an especially great option outside of the Pawleys area or Brunswick County in North Carolina.
If I was planning to retire at the beach and public golf wasn't something I cared about, I'd much rather be in Charleston or Savannah if I wanted a city, and if not, there are numerous smaller beach communities that are far more appealing.
What would you consider to be some of the preferred beach communities?
Charleston has always been on the short list but maybe a little less so since my daughter moved to Charlotte.
@brewcrew Although I already mentioned them, I love the Brunswick County beaches in NC. That area is growing a lot, but it's still not remotely like Myrtle. There's also Southport in Brunswick County, which is a nice little town and has some excellent restaurants. I also like the Pawleys area south of Myrtle.
There's the Outer Banks in NC or towns like Beaufort between Wilmington and the Outer Banks.
There are some smaller beach communities scattered up and down the coast in Georgia as well. There's also Hilton Head, which is a very nice area with plenty of good golf, although most of the best courses are either private or cost an arm and a leg -- and although it's not Myrtle, I think it stays pretty busy too.
It would be a shame to see The Wizard sold for more housing, so many good holes there, it would be missed by many.
