How a historic Conway golf course could become a high-end housing development

The former Conway Country Club Golf Course is going to see new life as low-density housing off Sherwood Drive.

The land will be turned into a couple hundred homes with an average lot size of around 10,000 square feet on the 64-acre property. The rezoning request would change the property from Horry County SF20 to Conway’s low/medium density with a minimum lot size of 7.500 square feet.

If approved, the request also will annex the property into the City of Conway.

The early concept plans were presented to Conway City Council on Monday night for informational purposes only. The plans still require approval from Conway’s planning commission and city council.

According to Conway Planning Director Mary Catherine Hyman, the S.C. Department of Transportation said if this project moves forward, a turning lane will probably be needed on Sherwood Drive at the main entrance to the complex.

Developer Forrest Beverly said he looked to keep the existing clubhouse and pool, but decided it would be better to build a new one more central in the development.

Beverly said this neighborhood will consist of homes in the $300,000 range, on the higher end for homes in Conway.

“There is not a whole lot of that as far as volume in Conway,” he said. “I think that is going to allow us to do something pretty nice out there.”

During the flooding of Hurricane Florence, Beverly said he drove the whole property and it did not flood, a major concern for residents and the council. If developed, the land could actually be better for rain-event flooding.

The golf course closed last spring, before Beverly decided to buy it. Around the same time the previous owners were deciding to disband their ownership group, a voted-off golf course board member barricaded himself inside the clubhouse.. A standoff ensued and ended peacefully.

While the process to sell the course was long and involved some legal conflict, Beverly eventually bought the property.

Golf courses, especially older ones, are not designed to hold water, Conway Administrator Adam Emerick said. This particular golf course was completed in the 1950s, one of the oldest in Horry County. The ponds in this course are for scenery and hazards in the game. If this property is developed, it will be required to hold more water now than it currently does as a golf course.

Beverly said he hopes this project is among the nicest in Conway.

This project is a personal one for Beverly. He lives across the street from the property and is a Conway native. He thought the golf course was always going to be open, but when it was for sale, he thought to buy it and turn it into a well-made development. He didn’t want to see a national developer building across the street from him.

“It is something I have some attachment to. I want to be a good steward and partner with the city,” Beverly said.

In the new plans, there is open space and a pond for residents to enjoy. About 20 percent of 1 acre of the property is wetlands, and Beverly said his plans will not build on them.

Several council members praised Beverly’s other housing projects for their structural work and the type of homeowners associations set up in his projects.

“Conway is home for me, I spent a lot of time out there swimming and playing golf,” Beverly said. “When I saw it wasn’t going to make it, and that’s when I got involved.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2019 at 4:53 PM.