Brunswick Plantation Golf Resort

Brunswick Plantation & Golf Resort is a 2,000-acre gated golf resort community in Calabash, North Carolina, located just over the state line from Myrtle Beach on the northern end of the Grand Strand. Originally developed in 1994, the community blends coastal Carolina living with championship golf, resort-style amenities, and a mix of housing options that appeal equally to full-time residents, snowbirds, second-home owners, and investors. While not deed-restricted to 55+, Brunswick Plantation is strongly marketed as an active retirement community and has a predominantly retirement-aged resident base, with all ages welcome. The centerpiece is the 27-hole championship golf course designed by Willard Byrd and Clyde Johnston, voted one of the Top 50 golf resort communities in the United States. The course is arranged as three distinct nine-hole layouts — Azalea (carved through pine forest with lakes and Caw Caw Creek in play), Dogwood (hardwood-lined with creek hazards), and Magnolia (open links-style with mounds and large bunkers) — allowing golfers to play three different 18-hole combinations. The course features Bermuda greens after a 'million-dollar makeover,' a full pro shop, driving range, putting and chipping greens, and two on-site restaurants: Jasmine's Restaurant and the Champion's Grille (also known as The 19th Hole). Housing at Brunswick Plantation is unusually diverse for a single community. The development comprises approximately 814 homes across multiple enclaves and product types, including custom single-family theme homes, villas, townhomes, duplex homes, and 2- and 3-bedroom Energy Star certified condominiums. Notable neighborhoods within the plantation include The Lakes, the Hampton's Section (with its own first-class amenity area featuring pools, workout room, meeting space, kitchen, and pickleball/tennis courts), The Commons (with an exclusive Commons-only pool), and the newer Rich Square at Brunswick Plantation by D.R. Horton, which is adding two pickleball courts and a dedicated community pool. Lennar has also built within the community. Prices generally range from the low $200,000s for condos to the mid-$300,000s and above for new single-family construction, with a median around $300,000. Amenities are extensive and genuinely resort-grade. Residents enjoy indoor and outdoor swimming pools (including a salt-water indoor pool), multiple pool complexes throughout the community (with seven pools across the plantation), hot tubs, tennis courts, pickleball courts, a fitness center with workout rooms, a ballroom, card room, library, community kitchen, walking and nature trails, scenic lakes and ponds, a fishing lake, and a playground. The community operates multiple clubhouses, each anchoring a different amenity area. Residents have organized recreational groups around kayaking, biking, hunting, and fishing, and the surrounding area offers more than 100 additional golf courses for enthusiasts. Security is handled by a 24-hour gated entrance. HOA fees range from about $93 to $375 per month depending on the property type and section, and fees typically include water, sewer, high-speed fiber optic internet, cable TV, trash pickup, pest control, lawn maintenance, and access to common grounds and amenities (golf membership is an additional fee). Some condo sections allow short-term rentals (VRBO, Airbnb), making Brunswick Plantation a flexible option for buyers who want to rent their home when not in residence. Location is one of Brunswick Plantation's strongest selling points. Calabash — the self-proclaimed 'Seafood Capital of the World' — sits right on the North Carolina/South Carolina border, about 12–15 minutes from Sunset Beach (named by National Geographic as one of the top 21 beaches in the world in 2017), roughly 30 minutes to North Myrtle Beach, and around 30 minutes to Myrtle Beach International Airport. Daily necessities including Food Lion, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens are minutes away, and healthcare access includes Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center and McLeod Seacoast Hospital. The combination of coastal location, abundant golf, gated security, diverse housing, and proximity to both small-town Calabash and the full entertainment options of the Grand Strand makes Brunswick Plantation a compelling option for coastal Carolina retirement living.