The Future of Myrtle Beach

Are you concerned with Vacation Package Golf or deciding where to live in MB?   
 
They are building all types of housing all over MB.   
 
You have seen the posts about Wizard + River Oaks, who are spared for now.   
Package golf volumes, affected by higher rates and if younger golfers are going to
be package golfers, could lead to occasional courses selling out.  There are also offers 
too good to turn down and owners wanting to retire.  
More local golfers are being added regularly.     
 
Waterway Hills land doesn't look developed yet.    

I am not a local but having been on golf trips to MB for the past 30 years.  I was in NMB the first week of October and was amazed with the amount of housing going up.  Travel on Hwy 31 and you can see hundreds of houses, townhouses and condos being built.  Everywhere you go there is building.  I wonder where new residents will come from and where they will work.  These can't all be for retirees.

I've been visiting the Grand Strand since 1987, I owned a condo there until 2006. I've seen the up and down times. The local joke was that the building crane was the state bird! I see an another real estate explosion going on with no end in sight. My concern is that more golfers living and visiting trying to play on less courses is a bad recipe and could have a big impact on the area. 

At the peak wasn't there around 100 courses in the grand strand area? I think I read somewhere the number is now around 75 possibly less.

I have written in the past about my appreciation for the Witch, just for the fact that I have never played anything like it. It was surprising that went because a good number of holes are in a swamp.

Posted by: @rugbygolf

Hello all:

I would just like any locals opinion on where MB will be in the next 10-15 years. My family has had a tiny place in North Myrtle for 40 years and it is amazing the amount the area has changed in that time. I remember when there was no Broadway and Barefoot Landing was just a few shops. Do you think some other courses will be on the chopping block to be sold for housing? Are there any other major developments planned? What ever happened to the land that used to be Waterway Hills (the second course I ever played after Possum Trot).

 

Thanks

Waterway Hills was purchased by L-Star, and it will be the newer section of The Grande Dunes Subdivision.

Posted by: @tadpole

I am not a local but having been on golf trips to MB for the past 30 years.  I was in NMB the first week of October and was amazed with the amount of housing going up.  Travel on Hwy 31 and you can see hundreds of houses, townhouses and condos being built.  Everywhere you go there is building.  I wonder where new residents will come from and where they will work.  These can't all be for retirees.

 

80-85% are retiree's and the rest are working remotely.

Posted by: @mborbust

 

I've been visiting the Grand Strand since 1987, I owned a condo there until 2006. I've seen the up and down times. The local joke was that the building crane was the state bird! I see an another real estate explosion going on with no end in sight. My concern is that more golfers living and visiting trying to play on less courses is a bad recipe and could have a big impact on the area. 

The dwindling supply of golf courses is a good thing, not a bad thing. We were overbuilt and the golf business here in general was struggling. I'm not sure of anyone in the golf busienss who is struggling now, if they are .. they are doing something VERY WRONG!  

With this explosion, we now have a strong supply of local players to support the courses throught the year. We used to run on a 70/30% split of golf package/local play, that ratio has change SIGNIFICANTLY in the last 5 years. Golf package people book 3-6 months prior for $100 a round, the locals book the unused golf package tee times 2 days prior for $40. We have about 3 good months of golf package play versus the 5 SOLID months we used to have. The courses have to rely on the locals for the other 9 months, the golf course operators are VERY HAPPY with all the new home owners retiring to our area. 

Also please remember that the courses are many times; an investment. The courses that have closed are all older courses, built in the 70 or early 80's ... it's 2022 and land back then was CHEAP and it is now EXPENSIVE AS F. The people who built and ran those courses for 40 years are now of retirement age. So they sell the course and retire with millions and millions off a relatively small investment from 40+ years earlier. So when some  of these courses close ... remember it's more than likely someone cashing in on their retirement account, aka IRA.

Posted by: @rugbygolf

At the peak wasn't there around 100 courses in the grand strand area? I think I read somewhere the number is now around 75 possibly less.

I have written in the past about my appreciation for the Witch, just for the fact that I have never played anything like it. It was surprising that went because a good number of holes are in a swamp. 

The peak was 2001 with 119 courses.  
I count 91.5 courses now.  12.5 are private.  
  
Brian explained about good package courses closing due to retirement
or taking profits, which explains Heather Glen, Farmstead, The Witch, etc. 
   
If people can sell their house in a northern state, they probably can move 
to MB with $$ left over.  I played golf with a guy who moved from NJ.   
He said his property tax went from $8,000 to $800 and his MB house 
is bigger.

@bnlongdriver 
 
That is interesting info about package/local golf split.  
Do you think younger generations are less likely to create golf package 
groups or they have more destination options?     
 
When today's older MB groups started 10-40 years ago, MB was cheap 
and gradual increases were a normal part of playing newer more
premium courses.   
 
At some point of reduced package play, courses might have to reduce 
maint, like not overseeding and/or increase local rates.

I'm up near Long Bay of 905  Over 1000 houses built or being built on 905 in my area. Several 1000 going up on HYW 9 including the former Black Bear golf  course. There is no shortage of people looking to move to Horry County and up through Wilmington. And I would assume that at least 30% of them are golfers many who think the dues at the Dunes Club are very reasonable in comparison to what they pay up north There's a 2 year wait list at Surf Club. 

The only thing that will slow down development and northerners moving here is the interest rates making it difficult to sell their current home. Busy is the wave of the future.

Positive article on MB.   The stats are miss-leading, when they  
compare to 2020, a closed down CV year.  It would be more interesting to
compare to the best years ever.  Local public and member rounds are no
doubt increasing, but I wonder about package rounds, compared to before CV.    

https://www.playgolfmyrtlebeach.com/news/rounds-renovations-restaurants-myrtle-beach-golf-market-heads-2023-roll/