Winding River Plantation

What Winding River Plantation does

Winding River Plantation is a self-governed homeowners association (HOA) managing a 1,002-acre gated residential community in Bolivia, North Carolina, situated midway between Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC along the Lockwood Folly River with access to Holden Beach. Founded in 1997 by Bluegreen Carolina Lands, LLC and transitioned to resident-controlled HOA governance in 2003, the community serves 1,133 property owners (2024) across single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums. Day-to-day operations are run by a small management team — a Community Manager plus administrative staff — operating from a Property Management Office at 1640 Goley Hewett Road SE, supported by the FRONTSTEPS HOA management software platform for resident portals, classifieds, and administrative workflows.

The community's core offering is a comprehensive coastal lifestyle bundle rather than a single product: a 27-hole Fred Couples signature Audubon-Certified golf course (Carolina National), a private Beach House at Holden Beach with oceanfront pool and parking, two marinas (Riverhouse Marina on the Lockwood Folly River and SeaSide Marina), a Property Owners Clubhouse with fitness center, tennis, pickleball, bocce, and swimming pool, plus 82+ active resident interest groups spanning hobbies, sports, and social activities. The infrastructure footprint includes 14 miles of roadway, 28 miles of curbing, 3 miles of walkways, and 16 ponds. Property sales are facilitated externally through third-party real estate agents (Sea Coast Realty, Intracoastal Realty, Coldwell Banker) and listings on MLS, Zillow, Flexmls, and VRBO; the HOA itself does not transact real estate.

The economic model is membership-funded: property owners pay annual HOA assessments of $2,032 in 2024 (billed at $508 per quarter), with no special assessments required, generating approximately $2.3M in annual assessment inflows. Customer segments are primarily active retirees seeking coastal lifestyle and golf, with secondary segments of young professionals and families, golf enthusiasts, and vacation home buyers. The entity is not a traditional revenue-generating business but rather an operating association funded by and serving its resident-owners.

Name

Winding River Plantation

Legal name

Winding River Plantation

Website

https://windingriverplantation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Winding River Plantation is a self-governed HOA managing a 1,002-acre gated residential community in Bolivia, North Carolina, serving 1,133 property owners with a 27-hole golf course, beach club, two marinas, clubhouse, and 82+ resident interest groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Community / Planned Gated Community with Golf and Beach Amenities

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Nature Lodges (THAGAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

River & Wetland Lodges (Delta/Okavango-style) (THAGAIAG)

Keywords

• Gated community living
• HOA management services
• Residential property community
• Golf course amenities
• Coastal retirement community

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolivia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. HOA Assessments/Dues: Annual homeowner association dues collected from property owners for community maintenance, amenities, and management. Properties pay yearly assessments to support community operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Winding River Plantation is a 1,002-acre self-governed gated residential HOA community in coastal southeast North Carolina offering single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums with comprehensive lifestyle amenities. Core offerings include a 27-hole Fred Couples signature Carolina National Golf Course (Audubon-Certified), a Property Owners Clubhouse with fitness center, tennis, pickleball, and swimming pool, the Riverhouse Marina on Lockwood Folly River with boat slips and kayak launch, and a private Beach House at Holden Beach with oceanfront access.

Product overview

Winding River Plantation is a residential community website serving as an HOA management platform. The community offers single-family homes, condominiums, and townhomes across 1,002 acres. Key products and amenities include the Property Owners Clubhouse (POC) with fitness and recreational facilities, the Riverhouse Marina with boat slips and kayak launch, the Holden Beach House with oceanfront access, and the Carolina National Golf Course (a 27-hole Fred Couples signature course). The community also provides a mobile app for golf course bookings. The website is powered by FRONTSTEPS HOA management software, which handles association management services including resident access, classifieds, and resource centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clear Water Place: Condominium community within Winding River Plantation featuring 50 condo units.
• Sandy Creek Village
• Carolina National Golf Course

Products and services

• Winding River Plantation Residential Community A 1,002-acre gated residential community in coastal southeast North Carolina offering 1,134 properties including single-family homes, townhomes, and condominiums, with HOA-managed amenities including a clubhouse, marina, beach club, and golf course access for residents and prospective buyers.
• Carolina National Golf Course A 27-hole Fred Couples signature golf course located within Winding River Plantation, recognized by Golf Digest as one of the finest courses on the eastern seaboard. Features three nines (Egret, Heron, Ibis) and is Audubon-Certified. Open to the public with advance tee-time booking and includes the Winding River Grille restaurant.
• Property Owners Clubhouse (POC) Community clubhouse featuring meeting rooms, a catering kitchen, an outdoor pavilion with gas grills, a fitness center, tennis/pickleball/bocce courts, a swimming pool, and the Property Management office for residents.
• Riverhouse Marina Waterfront facility on the Lockwood Folly River offering 10 boat slips, personal watercraft slips, a boat and kayak launch, a fish cleaning station, and trailer parking. Also includes a gathering room with fireplace and a community lending library.
• Beach House (Holden Beach) Oceanfront beach facility at Holden Beach featuring gated parking, a private beach entrance, a gathering room with kitchenette, restrooms with showers, a swimming pool, and access to the adjacent SeaSide Marina for residents.
• SeaSide Marina Marina facility located adjacent to the Holden Beach Beach House, offering boat slips for day docking and a board walkway connection to the Beach House for residents.
• Clear Water Place Condominiums 50 condominium units within the Winding River Plantation community featuring amenities including a pool, fitness center, and proximity to the Carolina National Golf Course for residents.
• Carolina National Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 84% build-out of 1,066 single-family lots
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bluegreen Carolina Lands, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Original developer of Winding River Plantation golf community, established the community in 1997 on Carolina National Golf Club property. This partnership established the foundational development and community infrastructure.
• Carolina National Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner27-hole Fred Couples signature golf course located within the Winding River community. Recognized by Golf Digest as one of the finest courses on the eastern seaboard. Audubon-Certified Sanctuary Golf Course. Open to the public with advance tee-time booking. Includes Winding River Grille restaurant.
• Sea Coast Realty / Coldwell BankerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReal estate agents specializing in Winding River Plantation properties, facilitating property sales and serving the resident community.
• Intracoastal Realty CorporationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional real estate agency with agents active in the Winding River market, including Cameron Brand who represents the community.
• PMC Property ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProperty management company managing Sandy Creek Village Townhomes sub-community within Winding River Plantation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dataw Island: Private coastal SC island community near Beaufort with golf courses, marina, and club amenities for active adults. Directly comparable in coastal location, golf/marina amenity model, and retiree demographic focus.
• Brunswick Forest: Master-planned community in Leland, NC (coastal NC corridor) with golf, fitness, pools, and extensive amenities targeting active adults and families. Comparable in geography, target demographic, and lifestyle amenity model.
• The Landings on Skidaway Island: Coastal GA private community near Savannah with golf courses, marinas, and extensive amenities for active retirees. Comparable in coastal Southeast positioning, golf-centric amenity model, and retiree demographic.
• Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort: Hilton Head Island resort community with golf, tennis, marina, and beachfront amenities. Comparable in coastal resort positioning, multi-amenity lifestyle offering, and vacation/retiree buyer overlap.
• Kiawah Island Golf Resort: Coastal SC private island community with multiple championship golf courses, beach access, and resort amenities. Comparable in premium coastal positioning, golf-centric amenity model, and high-end retiree/second-home buyer pool.
• St. James Plantation: Coastal NC/South Carolina master-planned community in Southport, NC offering golf courses, beach club, marina, and extensive amenities for retirees. Directly comparable in geography, demographic focus, amenity model, and coastal/golf positioning.
• Grande Dunes: Myrtle Beach, SC master-planned community with golf, marina, and oceanfront amenities. Directly comparable in coastal Carolina geography, upscale retiree demographic, and amenity-rich positioning.
• Sea Pines Resort: Hilton Head Island, SC resort community with golf courses, beach access, and marina amenities. Comparable in coastal Carolina location, golf/beach lifestyle positioning, and resident/visitor model.

Regional players

• Compass Pointe: Coastal NC (Leland) gated golf community targeting active adults and families. Comparable in geographic corridor and target demographic, though newer and positioned differently on price point.

Broad incumbents

• Saddlebrooke / Del Webb Communities: National Del Webb brand of active adult communities with golf, fitness, and social amenities. Comparable in retiree demographic and amenity-driven model, though primarily located in AZ, FL, TX, and NC, not in coastal Carolina specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Winding-River-Plantation-122890154435220
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winding-river-plantation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Winding River Plantation