Dunes West is located in Mt. Pleasant, SC off Highway 41.  The gated golf community is the only one of its kind in Mt. Pleasant.

You can enter Dunes West through one of two gates and once inside you are treated to some great neighborhoods with large oak trees, manicured street scapes, and lush Lowcounrty foliage.

There are several subsections inside of Dunes West to choose from.  There are upscale marsh view townhomes, large estate size homes, and smaller custom built homes.  The majority of the development is overseen by John Wieland an Atlanta based developer with a history of nice developments.

One of the things that sets Dune West apart from other areas in Mt. Pleasant is its private amenities center, which boast a junior Olympic size swimming pool with water slides, clay court tennis, and loads of walking and biking trails. Those of you with children will appreciate the play park and other kid friendly areas. Dunes West is also retirement friendly too.

The semi-private Dunes West Country Club, is set on the creeks and marshes, and anchors the development. The golf course is a Arthur Hill design, and its wide fairways offer the beginner a great place to learn the game.  Dunes West is one of my personal favorite courses in the area. The Dunes West clubhouse, which was built on the site of the antebellum Lexington Plantation, was specifically designed to capture the old southern charm of the Lowcountry.

Dunes West offers a lot and is worth a look for those wanting a gated golf community close to the beaches and Historic Charleston. 

History of Dunes West

Dunes West is a beautiful gated community that has been a part of Mount Pleasant since the early 1990s. The land that Dunes West sits on has a rich southern plantation history.

The first historical record is a grant of 1,000 acres made to Edmund Belinger Landgrave in 1696. Bellinger apparently never developed the Wando property and sold it to Major Alexander Parris in 1704. In 1712, the land was purchased by Captain John Vanderhorst, Joseph Vanderhorst and Thomas Lynch. Lynch was the grandfather of Thomas Lynch Jr., a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. During this time, the property was known as "Four Mens Ramble."

When John Vanderhorst died in 1738, he left his share of the land to Arnoldus Vanderhorst I. By 1754, Arnoldus Vanderhorst had acquired all of the land between the Toomer and Wagner Creeks. In 1765 when Arnoldus Vanderhorst I died, the estate was valued at over 16,000 pounds and included 61 slaves.

Arnoldus Vanderhorst II owned the plantation until his death in 1802. He was a Captain and Company Commander in the American Revolution and by the end of the war, a Colonel. The Vanderhorst family also owned a great deal of Kiawah Island. The plantation primarily manufactured bricks although there was some rice and cotton farming that also took place on the property. The main house and its outbuildings were established in the same area where the Dunes West clubhouse currently resides.

After the death of Arnoldus Vanderhorst III in 1827, the plantation was sold to A.S. Willington, the first editor of the Charleston News and Courier. The plantation then became known as "Lexington." Willington sold the plantation to Efingham Wagner in 1830. Wagner had 80 slaves housed in 20 quarters. Wagner died in 1837, and his wife Emma sold Lexington in 1861 to Paul Waring Jr., a fearless Confederate Army Captain who was later killed in battle in 1863. Emma Wagner repurchased the land following Warings death. Quite a history!

Today, the community also includes a gorgeous Arthur Hills designed golf course, a swim and tennis center. Nestled on the Wando River, Dunes West is a beautiful place to live with Lowcountry scenes that include 200 year-old oaks and pristine marsh settings.