Nine holes of this Myrtle Beach golf course are closed after being sold to a developer
Nine holes of the 27-hole River Oaks Golf Club have been sold to a developer who plans to redevelop the property into about 200 single-family home lots.
Chris Manning Communities purchased the nine holes for $3 million, according to Manning and Horry County online records, and the sale was recorded with the Horry County Register of Deeds on Friday.
The Bear nine has been closed for the past couple weeks in anticipation of the sale and will remain permanently closed, Manning said.
River Oaks still includes the Otter and Fox nines, which combine to measure approximately 6,800 yards. The course is one of the most viewed in the market, as holes are visible crossing the U.S. 501 bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway into and out of Myrtle Beach.
Chris Manning Communities is a construction, development and realty company that owns and operates International Club of Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet through East Coast Golf Management.
Manning, a Grand Strand resident, purchased that course last November, and he was previously a partner in Diamondback Golf Club in Loris but sold his interests a few years ago.
River Oaks’ Bear nine set to become housing
The Bear nine consists of 66.6 acres and was rezoned by Horry County in 2019 to accommodate a housing project that was proposed but did not come to fruition.
The zoning changed from SF10, which allows minimum lot sizes of 10,000 square feet, to multi-residential MRD3.
“Which was what the county staff recommended in terms of residential development that they like to see in what they call their urban corridors of the unincorporated part of Horry County,” said River Oaks partner Wayne Gray in 2019.
The course is owned by a group of investors, including the Gray family of Myrtle Beach, and Wayne Gray said in December 2018 that the owners wanted to take advantage of a burgeoning housing market and sell part of the property.
The Bear nine was designed by Tom Jackson and opened in 1991, four years after the original 18 holes designed by Gene Hamm. The 3,432-yard Bear nine is on the east side of River Oaks Drive. It does not reach the waterway, though the Fox nine does.
Manning said he was interested in the property because it’s in the popular Carolina Forest area and is already zoned for housing. “Those are the two key factors,” said Manning, who said he’s not yet sure what homebuilder or homebuilders will be involved in the redevelopment.
Chris Manning Communities builds homes and Manning said he is currently building approximately 50 homes in North Myrtle Beach on what was formerly Robbers Roost Golf Course, which closed in 2003. “We’re building up there and we’re going to expand into some other areas next year,” Manning said.
Manning said he is not done purchasing area golf courses. He said he is negotiating with the owner of another course in Horry County that he plans to purchase in 2022 and close for redevelopment, though he declined to name the course. “It’s closing. It’s not going to be operating anymore. The owners have already made that decision,” Manning said. “It’s already zoned [for housing].”
“. . . Right now is a pretty good time for golf course landowners to sell land if they choose to do so. The golf market has recovered somewhat in the last year or so, but it’s still not a very lucrative business to operate a golf course relatively speaking, so for so many owners it’s easier to sell the land and close the operations.”
Manning said he’s not averse to purchasing another golf course to operate, however. He also owns and operates through East Coast the private Grand Harbor Golf & Yacht Club in Ninety Six, S.C.
Development at International Club moving forward
At International Club, Manning said he’s in the process of redeveloping the course’s driving range and some surrounding property into 45 single-family lots.
He said he worked with community members to reach an agreement on the project, and the homeowners association is also involved in the expansion of the community pool and renovation of the clubhouse, which includes adding an outdoor area.
“It’s just kind of meeting the needs of additional folks in the community,” Manning said. “We’re adding residents and the clubhouse needed some renovation work, so we’re going to add some outdoor space for the community and the club on the back of the clubhouse.”
River Oaks Golf Course is operated through a long-term lease by a group of investors under the name River Oaks Golf Club LLC that includes club general manager Scott Taylor.
The Bear nine joins The Witch Golf Links in Conway and Farmstead Golf Links in Little River/Calabash, N.C., as golf course closures in October and November, as course owners continue to sell to residential developers.
Farmstead is scheduled to close on Oct. 31 and The Witch is scheduled to close on Nov. 21. In addition, The owners of The Wizard Golf Links have requested a zoning change on the property to enable a sale to a developer.
This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 3:42 PM.
