Most gated golf communities on the Grand Strand make you choose between the course and the beach. Tidewater Plantation is one of the few where you don't really have to. You live behind a staffed gate on one of the most talked-about golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area, and the owners' private beach cabana on Cherry Grove Beach is a few minutes away by car.
When buyers tell me they want "quiet, but close to everything" in North Myrtle Beach, Tidewater is one of the first places I think of. Here's what the community is actually like, and one home my team has on the market there right now.
A Golf Community That Comes With Its Own Beach
Tidewater Golf Club is the heart of the community. Ken Tomlinson designed it, and when it opened, Golf Digest and Golf Magazine both named it the best new public course in America. Golf Digest went on to rank it among its 100 Greatest Public courses for about ten years running.
What golfers remember are the holes along the water. Several play beside the Cherry Grove marsh with long looks toward the inlet and the ocean, and others run along the Intracoastal Waterway. For the people who live here, that same scenery is the backyard. Plenty of homes look out over fairways, marsh or the Waterway, and those views are usually what buyers bring up when they ask to see a house a second time.
Then there's the cabana. Owners have a private oceanfront beach cabana on Cherry Grove Beach, near 58th Avenue North, with its own parking, open and screened porches, restrooms, showers and a kitchen. You get golf-course living and your own spot at the beach, without circling for a parking space on a summer Saturday.
Where Tidewater Sits
Tidewater is in the Cherry Grove section at the northern end of North Myrtle Beach, off Sea Mountain Highway and Little River Neck Road. The community sits on a peninsula between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Cherry Grove marsh and inlet. That's why so much of it feels tucked away, even though Cherry Grove's beaches are less than two miles out.
Main Street, Barefoot Landing, groceries and medical offices are all an easy drive from the gate. If you're still weighing Cherry Grove against the rest of town, browse North Myrtle Beach homes for sale side by side with what's inside Tidewater.
Homes, Villas and Townhomes Inside One Gate
Tidewater isn't one neighborhood. It's a group of neighborhoods, each with its own feel, sharing the same gate and amenities. That matters, because a first-time villa buyer and someone building a custom home can end up in the same community.
- Single-family neighborhoods: Plantation Homes (custom builds), Courtyard Park (smaller, more affordable homes), The Bluffs (luxury homes on the course behind their own gate), Harbor Loft (Waterway homes with a community dock), Lighthouse Village (cottages and fairway homes) and South Island (larger homes with an amenity center of their own).
- Condos and villas: Clubhouse Villas, Lighthouse Point Villas, Heron Lakes Villas and Teal Lake Villas.
- Townhomes: Tidewater Ridge, a set of two-story patio homes.
Buyers who want the lock-and-leave option can look at Tidewater Plantation condos for sale on their own, apart from the single-family homes.
Life Inside the Gate
The entrance is gated and staffed around the clock. That's a big reason second-home owners feel comfortable locking up and heading home for a stretch of the year.
It's also a social place. Residents have clubs and groups, from bridge to men's and women's groups, and the clubhouse restaurant is where a lot of neighbors end up after a round. For families, the assigned schools are Ocean Drive Elementary, North Myrtle Beach Middle and North Myrtle Beach High. Assignments can change, so confirm them for any specific address.
The Amenities
For a community with this much golf, the list goes well past the course:
- Tidewater Golf Club, with a driving range, golf shop and discounted golf for residents
- Private oceanfront beach cabana for owners on Cherry Grove Beach
- Several pools and hot tubs
- Fitness center and amenity center
- Clay and hard-surface tennis courts, plus pickleball
- Clubhouse with an on-site restaurant
The Bluffs and South Island also have amenities set aside for their own residents, on top of everything the wider community shares.
A Home to Tour Right Now (Active as of November 2, 2026)
My team has 5016 Bucks Bluff Drive listed at $1,250,000. It's a custom home built in 2021, with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and 3,413 square feet on a 0.28-acre homesite. It shows the newer, high-end side of Tidewater: room to spread out, and views across the golf course toward the Waterway and the ocean.
- Built in 2021, two stories, attached two-car garage
- First-floor primary suite with walk-in closets, dual sinks, a garden tub and a separate shower
- Gourmet kitchen with an island, breakfast bar, pantry, stainless appliances and solid-surface counters
- Formal dining room with a tray ceiling
- Living room with beamed ceilings and a fireplace
- Family room with a wet bar and its own fireplace
- Sunroom overlooking the backyard
- Bonus room upstairs, plus generous attic storage
- Tile and wood flooring
- Whole-home generator
- HOA of about $231 a month, per the listing
Note: this specific property is a snapshot of the market as of today. If you're reading this later, availability and pricing may have changed. The broader points about Tidewater Plantation as a community stay accurate; the specific listing may not.
Who Tidewater Actually Fits
- Golfers who want a course this good outside the back door, not a 20-minute drive away.
- Second-home owners who like a staffed gate and a beach spot that's already theirs.
- Retirees looking for a social community with clubs, a restaurant and something on the calendar.
- Villa buyers who want gated, golf-course amenities without the upkeep of a house.
- Move-up buyers after a newer or custom home on a larger lot with golf or water views.
Who it may not suit: if you want to walk from your front door onto the sand, this isn't that. The cabana is a short drive, not a stroll. And buyers set on having no HOA at all should look elsewhere.
How to See More
Start with the current Tidewater Plantation homes for sale, which update as new listings hit the community. When something catches your eye, reach out to me and my team will set up a private tour of Tidewater, or of 5016 Bucks Bluff Drive while it's still available.
If you'll be financing, get pre-approved with Elite Home Lending before you tour. Having your Myrtle Beach home loan lined up first means you can move quickly when the right Tidewater home comes up, and in a gated golf community with limited turnover, that can be the difference.
Key Takeaways
Tidewater Plantation offers gated golf-course living on the Cherry Grove marsh, plus something most golf communities can't match: a private oceanfront beach cabana for owners. Housing runs from villas and townhomes to large custom homes, so one gate covers a wide range of buyers. The amenities and social life make it easy to settle in, and 5016 Bucks Bluff Drive shows what the newer, high-end side of the community looks like right now.
About Greg Harrelson
Greg Harrelson is a seasoned Realtor® with more than 30 years of experience serving the Myrtle Beach and Grand Strand markets. As the founder of Century 21 The Harrelson Group, Greg has built his career helping buyers, sellers, and investors achieve success in every corner of the coastal Carolina real estate market. His expertise spans residential homes, investment properties, land development, and coastal condos. Known for his deep local knowledge, innovative marketing strategies, and commitment to personal service, Greg consistently helps clients reach their real estate goals while navigating the ever-changing market with confidence and precision.
