Dunes West, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Dunes West personifies Lowcountry living at its finest. From its perfectly manicured entrances to its unsurpassed neighborhoods, the security and serenity of coastal Carolina’s most scenic and enticing community welcomes residents home to its spectacular ponds, creeks, marshes and rivers. Situated along the pristine shores of the Wando River in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Dunes West is considered the Charleston area’s premier gated residential community. Stately homes in established neighborhoods border the championship golf course and Wando tributaries, Wagner and Toomer Creeks. Dunes West offers a superb country club lifestyle with unlimited recreational opportunities.

John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, which purchased Dunes West in 2002, introduced the community’s brand new amenities center during its grand opening event in June. The new center has already taken this premier community’s amenities package to a higher level.

Of special interest is The Club at Dunes West’s expansive new athletic clubhouse, located on Harpers Ferry Way just behind the gate. The clubhouse includes a state-of-the-art fitness center that features machine and free-weight equipment, an aerobics room where weekly classes are offered and meeting rooms ideal for everything from entertaining small groups to hosting large neighborhood get-togethers. Dunes West’s full-time activities director, Meg Keally, coordinates a busy schedule of events and activities for club members— everything from holiday parties for the entire family to karate, yoga, dance and aerobic classes.

Another major highlight of the new clubhouse is its all-new water park. With something for every member of the family, it features a zero-entry pool with two huge umbrellas that provide shade as swimmers ease into the water as they would at the beach. To the delight of children, the pool includes kiddie-friendly attractions such as a looped water slide and other squirting and spurting features that entertain the little ones for hours. Parents can join in the fun, relax in the screened porch and lounging areas amid tropical palm trees or head over to the competition and lap pools located behind Thomas Lynch Hall for an invigorating workout.

And, of course, tennis enthusiasts love the club’s nine lighted courts—six asphalt and three clay— complemented by viewing pavilions and a pro shop. The tennis center, managed by Director of Tennis Jack Miller, is a veritable hub of activity for all ages, with a variety of programs available, including camps, league play, group clinics and private lessons for all ages.

Recreational activities at Dunes West aren’t limited to the amenities center. In fact, Dunes West boasts what might be the Charleston area’s largest playground. Since it opened in 2005, it has been an instant winner among the under-12 club members, who enjoy hours of fun on slides, swings and jungle gyms.