Surf Estates:
Custom Homes on Cherry Grove’s
Most Storied Corner.
East of Highway 17. Less than a mile to the ocean. Custom homes from 2,000 to nearly 6,000 sq ft on wooded lots — some with lake or golf course views. And bordering the oldest established course on the Northern Strand, designed by the same architect who built Augusta National’s par-3 course.
There is a detail about Surf Estates that matters before anything else: it sits east of Highway 17. On the Northern Strand, that distinction is the dividing line between communities that require a car to reach the beach and communities where the beach is a golf cart ride away. Surf Estates is in the second category. It is positioned just off Sea Mountain Highway in Cherry Grove — North Myrtle Beach’s northernmost and most residential neighborhood — with the Atlantic Ocean less than a mile to the east and the Surf Golf and Beach Club forming the community’s eastern border.
That golf club is worth understanding from the start. It opened in 1960 as a George Cobb design — the same George Cobb who designed Augusta National’s famous par-3 course. It was the first established course on the entire Northern Strand. Today it meanders across more than 200 acres of parkland terrain, with ancient oak trees, tree-lined fairways, and water and sand hazards on most holes. It holds a 5-star TripAdvisor rating for things to do in the greater Myrtle Beach area. Surf Estates was built around this course. Residents who want to golf walk or golf-cart to the club’s eastern border rather than driving to a course across town.
Atlantic Ocean
of home plans
opened — first on N. Strand
lot size
The Man Who Built Augusta’s
Par-3 Course Built This One Too.
Most neighborhoods near a golf course are near a golf course. Surf Estates borders a club that opened before most of the Grand Strand’s courses existed — and it was designed by one of American golf’s most respected architects.
The First Established Course on the Northern Strand
The Surf Golf and Beach Club opened in 1960 as a George Cobb design — the architect also responsible for Augusta National’s famed par-3 course, one of the most celebrated short-game layouts in the world. It was the first established golf course on the Northern Strand, predating most of the Grand Strand’s more famous layouts by decades. The Visit Myrtle Beach historical timeline records its opening as a defining moment for Cherry Grove’s development as a year-round destination.
The course was renovated in 1992 by John LaFoy, with greens later updated to Champion Bermuda grass. It plays to 6,709 yards from the tips, par 72, with a course rating of 72.8 and a slope of 134. The layout meanders across more than 200 acres of parkland terrain featuring ancient oak trees, gentle fairways, and water and sand hazards that challenge players with Atlantic winds on the tightest holes. While primarily a private club, Surf Golf does permit limited outside play — it is one of the Grand Strand’s most genuinely respected insider tracks for visiting golfers who know how to ask.
For Surf Estates residents, the club’s eastern border runs directly along the community. Golf carts and walking access to the club are part of daily life here in a way that buyers who’ve only experienced traditional golf communities — where the course is visible from windows but requires a car to reach — genuinely don’t anticipate until they live it.
The 5-star TripAdvisor distinction matters here. In a market where the Grand Strand has over 100 golf courses competing for attention, Surf Golf and Beach Club consistently earns reviews that emphasize the course’s conditioning, the setting’s genuine beauty, and the quiet dignity of a private-access layout that hasn’t been commercialized. Residents of Surf Estates live on the edge of something the broader golf market considers a discovery.
Custom Estate Homes and
The Cottages at the Surf.
Surf Estates offers two fundamentally different products under one community umbrella — custom estate homes on large wooded lots, and a gated, low-maintenance Charleston-style enclave with a community pool. Understanding both before you search matters.
Surf Estates Custom Homes
Custom-built homes on wooded lots typically around a third of an acre, with some waterfront and golf course view positions. Architecture spans raised beach, low-country, colonial, and Charleston styles. Lots feature mature trees for privacy; many have ornamental lake views. No HOA for the main Surf Estates section — meaning no regime dues, no HOA restrictions on exterior choices, and no management company. Buyers choose their own custom builder. Natural gas available. Golf cart to the beach and to the Surf Club from nearly every address.
The Cottages at the Surf
A newer, separately gated section within Surf Estates offering Charleston-style raised beach homes designed for buyers who want character and space without the maintenance burden of a large lot. HOA covers lawn care and landscaping — the full low-maintenance pitch is real and meaningful here, particularly for second-home buyers who want the property kept without managing contractors remotely. Community pool. One- and two-car garage options. Multiple floor plans and exterior color selections available. Positioned just off Sea Mountain Highway east of Hwy 17.
The no-HOA distinction in the main Surf Estates section is significant. Most custom home communities at this price point in the Grand Strand carry HOA fees, architectural review requirements, and restrictions on what you can do with your property. Surf Estates doesn’t. For buyers who want full ownership control — the ability to add a pool without committee approval, choose their own landscaping, or add a detached structure — this matters more than it might appear in a search filter. It’s a freedom-of-use advantage that compounds over time.
Wooded, Private, Golf Cart Ready —
and Still Under a Mile to the Ocean.
Surf Estates is still partially in development, which means it exists in a relatively rare position for the Grand Strand: an established, well-regarded neighborhood where vacant lots remain for buyers who want to build, alongside finished resale homes for those who want to move in.
The street-level character of Surf Estates is immediately distinct from most of the Grand Strand’s new-construction subdivisions. The lots are wooded — mature trees are preserved as part of the development philosophy rather than cleared for efficient building — which means privacy between homes, canopy cover on summer evenings, and the kind of landscape that looks like a neighborhood rather than a construction site. Lakes and fountains thread through the community, with some lots positioned to overlook the water. At the eastern border, Surf Golf and Beach Club’s fairways create a natural green edge that doesn’t require the community to maintain a buffer strip.
The golf cart culture in Cherry Grove is genuinely operational here, not aspirational. From Surf Estates, residents routinely golf-cart to the beach, to the Surf Club, to Sea Mountain Highway’s shops and restaurants, and throughout the surrounding Cherry Grove neighborhood. North Myrtle Beach’s infrastructure supports this — the area has paved paths, street crossings, and the low-traffic residential streets that make golf cart use practical rather than occasional.
Mature Wooded Lots
Approximately one-third acre per lot with existing mature trees preserved. Privacy between homes, natural canopy, and the kind of established landscape character that takes decades to grow and can’t be replicated in a cleared subdivision.
Lakes and Golf Course Views
Multiple lots with ornamental lake frontage. Eastern-edge positions back to Surf Golf and Beach Club’s fairways. Both view types are meaningfully different from interior lots and priced accordingly in the resale market.
Golf Cart to Everything
East of Hwy 17, less than a mile to the ocean. Golf-cart-accessible to the Surf Club, Cherry Grove Pier, Sea Mountain Highway dining and retail, and the beach. Buyers who relocate here from golf cart communities elsewhere immediately recognize the infrastructure.
Still Partially in Development
Vacant lots remain available for custom builds — buyers choose their own builder, their own floor plan, and their own timeline. This is increasingly rare for a Cherry Grove community this close to the ocean. No builder exclusivity requirement.
Natural Gas Available
Natural gas service runs through the community — relevant for buyers who want gas cooking, gas fireplaces, and gas water heaters rather than all-electric construction. A detail that matters for high-end custom builds and for buyers coming from markets where gas is standard.
Community Pool — Cottages Section
The Cottages at the Surf has its own gated entry and community pool for residents of that sub-section. The main Surf Estates section has no shared amenities — buyers build their own pools on their own lots, which most larger custom homes in the community do.
North Myrtle Beach’s Most
Residential Neighborhood.
Cherry Grove is the northernmost of North Myrtle Beach’s four historic beach communities — and consistently described as the quietest, widest-beached, and most family-residential of the four. Understanding what surrounds Surf Estates is as important as understanding the community itself.
North Myrtle Beach was formed in 1968 when four previously independent beach communities — Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, and Windy Hill — consolidated into one city. Each still carries a distinct character. Cherry Grove sits at the northern end, closest to the SC/NC border, and has the widest, most uncrowded beaches of the four. Its development pattern was shaped by the canal and channel system dredged from the 1940s through the 1960s, which created the inland waterway lots and salt marsh habitat that define the neighborhood’s most distinctive residential character. Surf Estates sits in the interior of this community, away from the oceanfront but connected to it by golf cart.
The Character That Sets the Stage for Surf Estates
Cherry Grove Pier — Nearly 1,000 Feet Over the Atlantic
First built in the 1950s, rebuilt after hurricanes, and home to the world-record 1,780-pound tiger shark caught in 1964 by Walter Maxwell of Charlotte — the only all-tackle world record ever caught in South Carolina. A genuine landmark, not a tourist amenity.
Shag Dancing Heritage
North Myrtle Beach is the birthplace of the Carolina Shag — South Carolina’s official state dance, born on Ocean Drive pavilions in the 1940s. Fat Harold’s Beach Club on Main Street still teaches it weekly. The SOS (Society of Stranders) festivals draw thousands each spring and fall.
Wide, Uncrowded Beaches
Cherry Grove consistently earns the “quietest beach” reputation among NMB’s four communities. Wide shoreline, gentle surf, low-rise oceanfront development compared to the busier sections south. Early mornings before 9 AM are a near-private beach experience for residents.
Salt Marsh Channels and Nature Preserve
Cherry Grove’s canal and channel system connects to the Intracoastal Waterway, creating kayak access, waterfront lot opportunities, and the salt marsh ecosystem that defines this end of the Grand Strand. Heritage Shores Nature Preserve is minutes away.
The practical geography for Surf Estates residents: Sea Mountain Highway connects the community directly to Cherry Grove Beach’s oceanfront, where the pier, beach shops, surf outfitters, and casual dining are concentrated. Ocean Drive’s Main Street — with its shag bars, restaurants, and Fat Harold’s — is about two miles south. Barefoot Landing (House of Blues, Alabama Theatre, 100+ shops) is approximately a 10-minute drive south in Windy Hill. Surf Estates sits in Cherry Grove’s quieter residential interior while remaining genuinely close to all of it.
“Ask anyone where to buy a home in Cherry Grove, SC and Surf Estates is sure to enter the conversation. These homes are among the most prestigious in the North Myrtle Beach area.”
A Wide Price Range That
Reflects a Wide Product Range.
Surf Estates’ price range spans more than most buyers initially expect — because the product range does too. The Cottages at the Surf section offers entry at the low $400s, while custom-built estate homes on prime lots trade well above $1 million. Active CCAR MLS listings have ranged from approximately $349,500 (a Cottages unit) to $1,475,000 (a custom estate home on Surf Pointe Drive), with the majority of resale activity in the $699K–$1.1M range for larger custom homes and $400K–$515K for the Cottages section.
The Broader Cherry Grove Market
median May 2025 (Redfin)
sale price (Redfin)
on market, May 2025
Sources: Redfin Cherry Grove Beach neighborhood market data (May 2025) · CCAR MLS Surf Estates active and sold listing analysis 2024–2025 · CRG Homes Surf Estates community profile · Barefoot Realty Surf Estates listing data · Jake Lee Real Estate Surf Estates community data · Right Find Homes Surf Estates community profile. Cherry Grove Beach’s broader median of $430K reflects the full neighborhood, including smaller oceanfront condos and cottage rentals; Surf Estates custom homes trade substantially above this figure.
The no-HOA status of the main Surf Estates section also affects the financial picture differently than buyers sometimes expect. With no monthly regime fees, the total cost of ownership is lower than a comparable home in an HOA-managed community at the same purchase price. For buyers running a 10-year ownership cost analysis, the absence of $200–$400/month in dues is a meaningful number.
- Cottages at the Surf ($349K–$515K): Gated, HOA-managed, community pool, lawn care included. 4BR/3BA configurations typical. Charleston-style raised beach. Best for buyers who want low maintenance and community cohesion. The entry-level Surf Estates product — still in the Cherry Grove east-of-17 premium position
- Surf Estates resale homes ($699K–$1.1M range): Established custom homes, 3–4BR, typically 2,500–4,000 sq ft, most with 2-car garages, many with screened porches, some with pools and lake or golf course views. These are the primary market for buyers seeking a move-in-ready custom home in this community
- Luxury resale and new custom builds ($1M–$1.475M+): Larger floor plans 4,000–6,000 sq ft, premium lot positions (waterfront, golf course border), highest finish levels. Active new construction still ongoing — buyers who want to build can purchase a remaining lot and bring their own builder
- Vacant lots (pricing varies): Surf Estates still has lots available for custom builds. Lakefront and golf-view positions carry premiums. No builder exclusivity — buyers work with any licensed SC custom home builder. Rare opportunity in Cherry Grove for ground-up custom construction this close to the beach
The 110-day DOM on Cherry Grove Beach is your negotiating context. This is not a market where buyers are competing in multiple-offer situations in most price bands. Sellers are negotiating. Concessions — closing cost credits, rate buy-downs, furniture packages — are active tools right now. Buyers who arrive with pre-approval and a clear offer are in a stronger position than at any point since 2020.
The Same Solid K–12 Pipeline
as the Rest of North Myrtle Beach.
Surf Estates is in the North Myrtle Beach school attendance zone — the same pipeline as Barefoot Resort and the other NMB communities. Consistent, well-regarded, with a meaningful college dual-enrollment program at the high school level.
Ocean Drive Elementary School
Niche grade A. Located approximately one mile from Surf Estates — one of the closer elementary schools to any residential community in the area. Part of Horry County Schools, which earned “Excellent” or “Good” SC State Report Card ratings for 38 of 57 schools in 2025.
North Myrtle Beach Middle School
Niche A-minus. Located a short drive down Sea Mountain Highway from Surf Estates — the same road the community sits on. One of the stronger middle school ratings in Horry County. Feeds directly into the PACE dual-enrollment pathway at NMB High.
North Myrtle Beach High School
Niche B+. Average GPA 3.56, graduation rate 81%, math proficiency 71%, reading 89%. PACE dual-enrollment program with Horry-Georgetown Technical College for college credit before graduation. AP courses, JROTC, and strong athletic programs. Both middle and high schools are a short drive down Sea Mountain Highway.
Not a Condo. Not a Resort.
A Custom Home Neighborhood Near the Beach.
Surf Estates has a specific buyer profile — and it’s not the same as Barefoot Resort or Market Common. This is a custom home neighborhood where the golf course, the beach proximity, and the freedom from HOA restrictions are the three primary drivers. Here’s who consistently finds what they’re looking for:
- Custom home buyers who want east-of-17 position without oceanfront prices — being east of Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach means golf-cart beach access. The price differential between Surf Estates and true oceanfront is substantial, while the daily-use beach proximity is nearly the same. This is the value calculation that brings serious buyers here
- Golfers who want to live next to their course — the Surf Golf and Beach Club is Surf Estates’ eastern border. The club is the first established course on the Northern Strand, designed by George Cobb, holds a 5-star TripAdvisor rating, and allows limited outside play. For a buyer who plays several times a week, this is a walk-to-golf lifestyle rather than a drive-across-town-to-golf lifestyle
- Buyers who want a large lot and no HOA at this price point — approximately a third of an acre, mature trees, no regime dues, no architectural committee, no HOA restrictions. The freedom to build your own pool, choose your own landscaping, and modify your home without committee approval is increasingly rare for custom home communities within a mile of the ocean
- Ground-up custom home buyers — Surf Estates still has lots available and no builder exclusivity requirement. For buyers who want to build their ideal coastal home in Cherry Grove, this community is one of the very few places in NMB where that is still possible at this beach proximity
- Buyers relocating from the Northeast who want the quietest North Myrtle Beach neighborhood — Cherry Grove’s wide, uncrowded beaches, residential character, salt marsh backdrop, and slower pace consistently appeal to buyers who want coastal South Carolina without the resort-strip energy of the areas to the south. Surf Estates sits in Cherry Grove’s most established interior section
- Second-home buyers who want The Cottages low-maintenance option — the Cottages at the Surf’s HOA covers lawn care and landscaping, the community is gated, and the price point ($349K–$515K) is the most accessible entry into the Surf Estates address. For buyers who will be here seasonally and want no management burden, this is the right product within the community
- Families who prioritize school proximity — Ocean Drive Elementary (Niche A) is approximately one mile away. Middle and high schools are a short drive down Sea Mountain Highway. The NMB school pipeline is consistent and well-regarded within Horry County
Who Surf Estates is probably not for: Buyers seeking resort infrastructure built into the community — there is no master amenity complex, no clubhouse, no fitness center, no resort pool within Surf Estates itself (aside from the Cottages section’s community pool and individual private pools). Buyers who want the Barefoot Resort model of organized amenities, or the walkable urban-village lifestyle of Market Common, will find a better fit in those communities. Surf Estates is for buyers who want a private custom home in an established neighborhood — where the beach and the golf course are the amenities, and the lot itself is the infrastructure.
“East of Highway 17. Less than a mile to the ocean. Bordering the oldest course on the Northern Strand. And still partially in development — which means you can still build exactly what you want here.”
Thinking About Surf Estates?
Let’s Talk Custom Homes,
Available Lots, and the Cottages.
Whether you want to build on a remaining lot, find a move-in-ready resale, or explore the Cottages at the Surf’s gated, low-maintenance option — we know this community and the Cherry Grove market well. Let’s find what fits.
Evangeline Raiskaya Ramos
Relocation Specialist · Keller Williams Innovate South
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