As development surrounds the town of Carolina Shores, its star golf course has newly revised plans for a proposed neighborhood.
Developers proposing to redevelop the spacious closed Carolina Shores Golf and Country Club property into a residential neighborhood have submitted revised plans.
The 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Jackson that first opened in 1974 now sits dormant. A driving range, pro shop, bar and grill, pool, pickleball court and practice greens are also on the 156-acre property.
The golf course permanently shut its doors in late 2024. Residents were later told the property is officially done being a golf course by the property owner’s attorney and G3 Chief Business Development Officer Felix Pitts in August 2025.
Owner Philippe Bureau at that time the told the StarNews there were no plans to sell the golf course or reopen it. However, around a year later, Bureau, an attorney, a developer and a few engineers presented to the public preliminary plans to build over 100 homes on the existing golf course.
The project was recently denied by the town, but developers are taking a second swing at approval.
Carolina Shores, NC, golf club owner shares reason why course closed
Carolina Shores Golf and Country Club owner Philippe Bureau explains why the business was unsuccessful and why he is proposing to build homes instead.
Original plans for the Carolina Shores golf course
The preliminary site plan, designed by G3 Engineering, was submitted to the town of Carolina Shores on Aug. 1. Submitted plans included 120 detached single-family homes on .80-acre lots and 82 acres of open space.
According to the preliminary plans, the engineers believe the property is in flood hazard zone x. This means the area is a moderate flood hazard area, per the Federal Emergency Management Agency website.
Plans to redevelop the property included requesting to rezone the property from its current zoning of Conservation Recreation District to Planned Unit Development. The Conservation Recreation District designation, per the town’s code of ordinances, is intended to preserve Carolina Shores’ open space areas and protect natural resources. Large lot zoning for single-family residential development is conditionally allowed, the code states.
Resubmitted plans for The Forest at Carolina Shores
After the town recently denied the proposed rezoning request, Town Administrator Chad Hicks confirmed, developers in November resubmitted an overall master plan and stormwater design. Plans state the name of the development, if built, will be “The Forest at Carolina Shores.”
The updated plans show a few homes rearranged from the first plan, additions to existing stormwater ponds and 119 single-family detached homes on .80-acre lots, only one less than the original submittal. Proposed open space decreased to 78.79-acres.
An amenity center has also been added to the project, said Hicks, noting the revised plans goes as far as addressing concerns the board presented to developers, such as flooding.
Next steps
Hicks said the revised plans are currently under review by town engineers. Once the engineers are completed with their review, the plans will be presented to the Carolina Shoes Planning Board, Hicks said.
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Savanna Tenenoff covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at stenenoff@usatodayco.com.
