A Milestone for Magnolia Greens: Celebrating 10 Years in Leland
By Linda Thomas
Published Fall 2008
Amid all the new construction and commercial establishments along U.S. Highway 17 in Leland, the entrance to Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation stands out. The white fence and attractive landscaping welcome you into a pleasant, well-groomed community of homes with an American-dream lifestyle. It’s all there—homes in a variety of styles, green space, neat sidewalks, gardens and lawns, pools, a clubhouse, tennis courts, play areas and more. It’s just minutes from downtown Wilmington in a growing community with low taxes and more and more services and conveniences coming in every day. In the center of it all is a gorgeous green golf course that has hosted the likes of PGA champions and Michael Jordan.
Flash back ten years. Once past the exit for downtown Leland, there’s nothing in the immediate area but a smattering of small single-family homes, a few industrial buildings and acres of woods and fields. No stores, no gas stations, no gardens, no restaurants. Lots of trucks and traffic heading down to Myrtle Beach, with few places to stop in between.
It took someone with an eye to the future to see the potential here. The leaders at Landmark Developers saw a beautiful piece of land in a great location, big enough to develop its most ambitious project to date, Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation.
Rex Stephens of Landmark recalls the start of the project. Landmark Developers had a solid track record in New Hanover County, with projects like revitalizing Carolina Beach and a string of other successful developments, including The Cape Golf Community, Laurel Ridge, Lord’s Creek, Georgetowne, Parsley Woods and more. The Landmark organization was responsible for thousands of homes over the years, always focusing on quality, customer care and value, covering the gamut from affordable to luxury homes.
With large land tracts in Wilmington becoming scarce, they looked just over the river for their next big project. In 1996 they struck a deal to purchase about 900 acres in Leland from International Paper, rounding it out with several smaller purchases for a total of more than 1,000 acres. With confidence in the continued growth of the area, they moved forward with a golf course community that would set the tone for a whole new era of development for northern Brunswick County.
Stephens notes, "There were already lots of high-end golf communities. We wanted to target it more towards Middle America, making it affordable with lots of amenities, and this property gave us plenty of room to do that."
Leland already had a water system in place. Landmark made an annexation agreement with the Town of Leland and paid to increase the capacity of the sewer plant. With Magnolia Greens as the catalyst, further development followed, resulting in the bustling corridor of residential and commercial development along Highway 17. In 1997 Landmark built roads and the golf course.
The first lot was sold on December 31, 1997, to local resident Johnnie Simpson, who used money from an inheritance to buy the lot. "I thought the idea of having a golf course community in northern Brunswick County was great," says Simpson. "It seemed like the right place and the right time. I’m living elsewhere now, but may still build on that lot some day."
In March 1999 the Wilmington Star-News introduced the new community with a piece titled "When the Dream Becomes Reality," which summed up Magnolia Greens this way: "The dream: create a luxurious, yet affordable golf course community close to Wilmington but away from the everyday hustle and bustle."
The Star-News article noted that when each of the carefully planned neighborhoods opened for sale, they were fully developed with underground utilities, paved streets, curbs and gutters, lights and sidewalks. Each neighborhood was designed for a particular size and style of home in a specific price range. Townhomes, condominiums, patio homes, single-family and estate homes appeal to a wide cross-section of buyers at various stages of life.
The article stated: "The property includes over 1,000 acres, two large conservation areas, and world-class amenities including an 8,000 sq ft recreational facility, three pools, bar and café, owner’s clubhouse, tennis, playground and picnic area. And, of course, the 18-hole golf course, with another 9 holes to be added later. Unlike many developments where amenities are only on the drawing boards, most of the Magnolia Greens amenities are already in place. Landmark has a list of preferred builders as well as protective covenants in place to preserve the character of the development. Homesites ranged from $30,000 to the mid-90’s. Home prices $120-$170K, with larger custom homes to the $300’s."
The article also noted plans for a commercial center near the highway with Low Country–style buildings offering a variety of day-to-day necessities and services.
Back to 2008. Ready to celebrate its tenth anniversary, Magnolia Greens will have 1,175 homes when complete. Sales have continued at a healthy pace over the years and they’re working on selling the last 70 homes and home sites.
The golf course was designed by well-known golf architect Tom Jackson. It rates 4.5 stars from Golf Digest magazine and its true-rolling bentgrass greens are widely recognized as some of the best in the Carolinas. This is a championship caliber course maintained to resort standards, but at affordable rates in keeping with the Landmark tradition. Magnolia Greens Golf Course is open to the public with special rates for property owners.
Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation opened for play in February 1998 and made quite a splash early on by hosting PGA Qualifying Tournaments in both 1998 and 1999. In October 1999 came another bit of excitement, a golf outing with basketball legend Michael Jordan and some Wilmington friends.
Jim Kenney and his wife, Troy, are the building and design team heading up Hagood Homes. Jim says, "We came in at the beginning and have built more than 200 homes at Magnolia Greens. The developers did a great job, the location is wonderful and it has a great sense of community. It has been nice to see the property mature through the years and we’re glad to be part of the Tenth Anniversary celebration."
Magnolia Greens is a lot more than just a pretty face. It’s a vibrant community where retirees, working families, singles, young couples and children share an active lifestyle. The Homeowners Association is very busy, with outings and interest groups nearly every day of the month. Here is just a sample of what keeps Magnolia Greens residents involved in their community: outdoor movies, dances, socials, card games, craft sessions, exercise classes, political discussions,
a bowling league, gardening, scrap booking, power squadron sessions, kids’ activities, flower arranging, quilting, Neighborhood Watch meetings, book clubs, a Bible study group, an investment club, a singles club, a newcomers club, The Red Hat Society, karaoke, tennis, basketball, and golf, golf and more golf!
The HOA newsletter has grown from a quarterly six pages to a monthly magazine with 50 pages full of Neighborhood News, welcomes for new residents, a calendar of events, volunteer opportunities, classified ads, photos, business and restaurant listings and advertising for local businesses. To keep everyone plugged in to what’s going on, there’s also a website and an email communications group.
In the past ten years, Magnolia Greens Golf Plantation has changed the face of Leland and has been a success for all of those who have been involved and chosen the community as their home. The community will celebrate its tenth anniversary this fall.
