Island Green

Island Green is a large established community on the south end of Myrtle Beach, tucked into the Burgess section of Horry County just off Freewoods Road. Built around a former golf course starting in 1984, it has grown over 40+ years into a collection of more than 20 distinct neighborhoods — including Island Green East, Island Green South, Green Springs, Oak Estates, Dogwood Estates, Treetop Oaks, Tree Top Villas, and Fairwood Lakes — all sharing a single guarded entrance on Sunnehanna Drive. The community now totals roughly 1,200 homes ranging from compact 480-square-foot one-bedroom condos to 3,100-square-foot five-bedroom single-family homes, giving it one of the widest price ranges of any community in the Grand Strand. The original golf course has been closed and redeveloped with residential housing, but much of the green space, ponds, and marshland has been preserved — giving residents scenic water views, fishing ponds, and walking paths throughout the neighborhood. Older sections (1980s-2000s) offer established single-family homes averaging around 2,000 square feet with three to five bedrooms, mature landscaping, oversized lots, private pools, screened porches, and Carolina rooms. A newer section built by D.R. Horton added approximately 400 homes starting in 2022, offering ten floor plans from 1,360 to 2,594 square feet with three to five bedrooms, modern open-concept layouts, stone countertops, and the Home is Connected smart home package. Condos are concentrated in sections like Tree Top Court, Tree Top Villas, and Fairwood Lakes, with one-bedroom units frequently selling in the $100K-$160K range — among the most affordable entry points to the Myrtle Beach market. Island Green is governed by 25+ independent sub-HOAs operating under the umbrella Island Green Community Services Association (CSA), a volunteer council that coordinates community-wide issues and security. Because each sub-HOA sets its own fees and services, HOA costs vary considerably across the community — from under $50/month in some single-family sections up to around $300/month in condo sections where fees often include water, sewer, trash, cable, internet, lawn care, and pest control. The community has underground utilities throughout and is fully gated with a guard at the sole entrance. While Island Green is frequently marketed as a retirement-friendly or active adult community, it is NOT a deed-restricted 55+ community — families with children live here and it is zoned for the award-winning St. James school district (Burgess and St. James Elementary, St. James Middle, St. James High). The mix appeals to retirees who want retirement-style amenities and low-maintenance living without age caps, to snowbirds who value the range of condo price points, and to families drawn by schools and affordability. Location is a major draw. The community sits about 15-20 minutes from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach, and Murrells Inlet's MarshWalk, and roughly 20 minutes from Myrtle Beach International Airport. Kings Highway, Highway 17, and Highway 544 put residents minutes from grocery stores (Food Lion, Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Walmart), healthcare (Grand Strand Medical Center, Tidelands Waccamaw, McLeod Seacoast), and dozens of Grand Strand golf courses, restaurants, and attractions including Brookgreen Gardens, Ripley's Aquarium, and Broadway at the Beach.