The Panthers don’t own Rock Hill’s Waterford Golf Club anymore. Here’s what’s coming
Waterford Golf Club, which the Carolina Panthers’ bought as part of their plan to bring their headquarters and amenities to Rock Hill, now has a new owner.
York County land records show the golf course and clubhouse on more than 205 acres sold on Aug. 21 for $3.4 million. Waterford 8 LLC of New Jersey bought the site from a company affiliated with the Panthers and Tepper Sports & Entertainment, which bought it in March 2020 for $2.25 million.
Real estate developer Steven Schorr and Pinnacle Golf Properties announced the latest acquisition as a new chapter for the golf club, which will elevate the experience for members and guests. Schorr said in the announcement that Waterford will remain a top destination for golfers of all levels.
“I am thrilled to include Waterford Golf Club in my portfolio of real estate as well as my growing portfolio of golf courses,” Schorr said. “I am fully committed to enhancing the experience at Waterford and look forward to being a part of such a wonderful community.”
Pinnacle Golf Properties of Charlotte will continue to manage Waterford. Pinnacle has operated Waterford for six years. Pinnacle lists Waterford and Tega Cay Golf Club among its full service property management courses. The company also lists River Hills Country Club in Lake Wylie and Rock Hill Country Club among its courses where it provides financial services.
Schorr has almost three decades in real estate development with acquisitions of 1 million square feet of retail, 1 billion square feet of office, and 340,000 square feet of industrial space to go with a recent turn toward golf and leisure assets, according to the developer. Other golf courses include Kenmure in Flat Rock, N.C, and another course in Michigan.
“Waterford has become a prized asset of the Rock Hill community and I look forward to making further investment to ensure the facility earns the brand of the best golf course in the area,” Schorr said.
The Carolina Panthers bought Waterford three years ago through its development arm that at the time aimed to build a new team headquarters and practice site off I-77 in Rock Hill. In fall 2019 team COO Mark Hart confirmed a months-long rumor at an economic development retreat in the city, that the team intended to acquire the course.
Hart said then the team intended to keep running Waterford as a golf course and that it could add Panthers branding or other potential improvements. Upgrades would coincide with what at the time was a headquarters site on more than 200 acres.
“It’s already a great asset,” Hart said at the 2019 economic retreat. “It’s a great course. It’s a great layout.”
With the new headquarters and a new I-77 interchange to serve it well under construction, the team cut ties on the project in the spring of last year. A dispute arose with the city over allocation of $225 million in public infrastructure financing. Through bankruptcy proceedings, the city now owns the former headquarters site.
Land records show Waterford Golf Club sold to The Link at Waterford in 1999 for almost $6.3 million. It then sold in foreclosure in 2014 for $2,700 before Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation worked to clear land options to facilitate the Panthers sale in 2020.
This story was originally published September 1, 2023 at 11:18 AM.
