Ocean Ridge Plantation

Ocean Ridge Plantation is a gated, guard-attended golf and beach community spread across 3,000 acres of coastal Brunswick County, North Carolina, just minutes from Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach. Development began in 1990, and when complete the community is planned for approximately 3,000 single-family homes across more than a dozen distinct neighborhoods — roughly 700 homes have been built to date, with new construction and custom builds ongoing. More than 900 acres are dedicated to green space, parks, gardens, fairways, and preserves, giving the community a parklike, canopied feel with tree-lined streets, lakes, and protected woodlands. The golf portfolio is the community's signature draw: the 'Big Cats' — Lion's Paw, Panther's Run, Tiger's Eye, Leopard's Chase, and Jaguar's Lair — offer 72 holes of championship play with award-winning design, elevation changes, and first-class turf. Tiger's Eye alone has earned national recognition including Golf Digest Top 100 honors. The Tiger's Eye Grand Clubhouse is a 20,000 sq ft facility with a pro shop and Tiger's Eye Grille; Lion's Paw and Panther's Run share a clubhouse featuring Tamers Restaurant and Lounge. Golf memberships are separate from HOA dues. Beyond golf, amenities are built around The Plantation Club — a private residents' club set on a four-acre stocked fishing lake with indoor and outdoor pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, lighted tennis courts, wet and dry saunas, locker rooms, a lending library, and indoor/outdoor event space. A major expansion opened in early 2025 with the new Ridge Center & Campus, a 10,000 sq ft building adding another outdoor zero-entry pool, six lighted pickleball courts, an open event lawn with a band pavilion, and catering/meeting space for concerts and community gatherings. Residents also have exclusive access to a private three-story oceanfront Beach Club at Sunset Beach, complete with private parking, showers, dressing rooms, a full kitchen, indoor lounge, decks, and boardwalk access to the beach — about three miles from the gate. Social life is exceptionally active, with 60 to 100+ clubs and organizations covering golf, bridge, poker, Mah Jongg, Bunco, bowling, book clubs, Bible study, Pilates, weight training, gardening, the arts, and more. The Plantation Gardens offers 300 acres of woodland and irrigated garden plots where residents grow their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers on land farmed since the early 1800s. Over 6 miles of walking and biking trails wind through the neighborhoods, fairways, and nature preserve, complemented by a bocce court, horseshoe pit, nature park, pavilion, and kayak/fishing pier on the community lake. Homes are custom-built (Mark Saunders Luxury Homes is the primary builder, though owners may use any qualified builder) in European, French Country, Mediterranean, Lowcountry, and traditional American brick styles. Most homes have 3–4 bedrooms on generously sized lots, some up to a full acre, with many offering golf course, lake, or pond views. While Ocean Ridge is not deed-restricted 55+, the community skews heavily retiree and empty-nester and markets itself explicitly as an active-adult destination. Its location — 3 miles to Sunset Beach, 4 miles to Ocean Isle Beach, 25 minutes to Myrtle Beach, and 45 minutes to Wilmington — offers a rare combination of small-town coastal quiet and easy access to two full metro areas.