Print
Real Estate - Residential

As One Gets Ready To Close, Other Area Golf Courses For Sale

By Cece Nunn, posted Sep 21, 2017
An entrance sign to The Cape neighborhood and Masonboro Country Club. The country club and golf course property are for sale. (Photo by Cece Nunn)
While the golf course at Echo Farms is set to close this fall, other golf courses in the Wilmington area are on the market.

Masonboro Country Club, at 535 The Cape Blvd. in southern New Hanover County, is for sale, including the golf course, club house, cart barn, maintenance buildings, practice areas and driving range, according to the N.C. Commercial Multiple Listing Service.

Listing agent Jim Rolquin, a commercial real estate broker with Coastal Properties, said up to 214 homes could be built on part of the property, which in total consists of more than 150 acres and is zoned R-15 residential. The list price for the whole offering is $3.8 million, according to the NCCMLS.

New Hanover County property tax records say Southern Destiny LLC is the current owner. Efforts to reach someone with Southern Destiny LLC for more details were not immediately successful Thursday. The golf course is currently open.

The golf course at Echo Farms Golf & Country Club is set to close this fall and is expected to be redeveloped into a new residential community called The Woodlands at Echo Farms. 

New Hanover County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield had worked with New Hanover County staff members on investigating whether the county could operate the Echo Farms golf course, if purchasing it became an option. But the county would not have been able to legally sell memberships, and without memberships, operating the course would have cost the county $700,000 to $800,000 a year, he said.

"So those numbers did not make sense," and it wouldn't have been a good fiscal move for the county to try to make, Barfield said.

He said that while "it's sad to see a course leave," at the end of the day, a property owner has to make a business decision. The owners of the Echo Farms golf course have said the course has been struggling.

Oleander Golf Center, a driving range at 5026 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, permanently closed during the summer.

"On behalf of the entire OGC staff, we would like to thank you all for your time and friendship over the last decade. Oleander Golf Center is officially closed for business. In the coming weeks/months the [MacRae] family will formulate plans for the future development of the land," a July post on the OGC Facebook page says.

The Oleander Company Inc., a MacRae family company, owns the property, according to New Hanover County tax records.

Brierwood Golf Club in Shallotte closed this summer for financial reasons, according to news reports.

In the Pender County community of Hampstead, the Belvedere Country Club and golf course are for sale as a country club and golf course investment. Listing agent Hamilton Hicks Jr. of Intracoastal Realty said the Broadbridge family decided to sell the enterprise after operator and owner Jeff Broadbridge died in May 2016.

Hicks said some golf courses are finding it a challenge to survive as younger potential players choose other recreational options.

"What’s happening in society now, the millennials etc., they don’t have an interest in playing golf because it takes four hours to play 18 holes, so they’re going to tennis, racketball, swimming, other things," he said.

But despite the fact that golf has been losing players in recent years, Barfield said he believes the area's courses remain a draw.

"I know that it’s an attraction for the people that live here and for the visitors that come here," he said. "To me it’s one of those tools in our toolbox as we are a tourist destination for many. You do have the beaches, you do have the historic downtown, but there are other activities people want to get into as well."
Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT
Georgiarowe

Salling and Tate Dentistry Launches Annual "Gunner’s Runners" Shoe Collection Event, Aiming to Surpass Last Year's Success

Georgia Rowe - Wide Open Tech
Gretchen roberts 2021

7 Secrets the IRS Doesn’t Want You to Know

Gretchen Roberts - Red Bike Advisors
Untitleddesign7

Getting Your Community Ready for Spring and Summer

Dave Orr - Community Association Management Services

Trending News

Conservation Group Signs $8M Deal To Buy The Point On Topsail Island

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Rezoning Could Bring 123 Townhomes To Growing Leland Corridor

Emma Dill - Mar 25, 2024

N.C. Ports Officials React To Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Audrey Elsberry - Mar 26, 2024

Engineering Firm Hires Four Employees

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

National Organization Bestows Top Award On Cape Fear Professional Women In Building

Staff Reports - Mar 26, 2024

In The Current Issue

Park Progress

The planning for Pender Commerce Park began in the early 2000s when the county wanted to create an economic driver on its largely rural west...


Q&A: Andrews Reflects On Leadership

Pender County Manager David Andrews is slated to retire this summer after 33 years in local government....


Berries, A Battlefield And More In Pender

The N.C. Blueberry Festival, founded in 2003, is one of several events in Pender County that have drawn more attention over the years....

Book On Business

The 2024 WilmingtonBiz: Book on Business is an annual publication showcasing the Wilmington region as a center of business.

Order Your Copy Today!


Galleries

Videos

2023 Power Breakfast: Major Developments