Brunswick Forest, Leland, NC

About Brunswick Forest

Brunswick Forest is in Leland, in the Wilmington & Cape Fear region of North Carolina. Status: Currently selling. Not age-restricted; it is included for retiree-oriented amenities.

Brunswick Forest is a master-planned community in Leland, in northern Brunswick County, North Carolina. Cape Fear National Golf Club, whose own website calls the course the centerpiece of the Brunswick Forest community, is located at 1281 Cape Fear National Drive, Leland, NC 28451. A directory listing for the community gives its sales address as 1007 Evangeline Drive, says it has been under development since 2007 and describes roughly 4,500 acres; those scale figures come from a directory, not the developer, so confirm the current build-out plan with the sales office.

The golf course is the best-documented feature. Cape Fear National describes an award-winning 18-hole championship course designed by Tim Cate, with long bunkers that run the length of the hole on holes 4, 7 and 14, bridges through wetlands, three waterfalls and beach bunkers flanked by native grasses and wildflowers. The clubhouse houses The Forest Restaurant, a roughly 7,000-square-foot dining and bar space with a back patio overlooking the natural habitat of Brunswick Forest. The club states that golf memberships are available to Brunswick Forest residents as well as residents of nearby communities, and that the course is owned and operated by Heritage Golf Group.

Away from golf, the directory listing describes a set of resident amenities: saltwater pools, fitness and wellness centers, pickleball and tennis courts, about 50 miles of walking and biking trails, a canoe and kayak launch on Town Creek, dog parks and about 65 social clubs. It also describes the Villages at Brunswick Forest, a commercial center inside the community with a grocery store, pharmacy, coffee shop, veterinary office and other businesses, so many errands can be done close to home. Treat these as marketing descriptions and tour the facilities you would actually use.

The area around the community is growing quickly. The Town of Leland reports that Brunswick County's population rose 24 percent between April 2020 and July 2024, and that Leland's certified population count of 33,065 is a 44.33 percent increase from 22,908 in 2020. A buyer in a large community that is still building out should expect continued construction and traffic on the surrounding roads.

Brunswick County's property tax rate for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) is 0.3420, or 34.20 cents per $100 of value, according to the county tax office. The county's tax page lists municipal and district rates in separate tables, and the Town of Leland contracts with Brunswick County to bill and collect its taxes, so look up the rate for the exact parcel and check the county's revaluation schedule before budgeting.

Age restrictions at Brunswick Forest

Brunswick Forest is marketed to buyers of all ages, with an active, amenity-focused lifestyle that appeals to many retirees; it is not marketed as a 55+ community. Individual neighborhoods and builders can differ, so ask the sales office and the association which rules apply to the specific home you are considering.

Housing types at Brunswick Forest

• Single-family homes
• One-level townhomes
• Homesites for custom building

Pricing at Brunswick Forest

Prices in Brunswick Forest vary widely by village, home type and lot, and the community offers homes, townhomes and homesites. No price range is stated here because the figures available are undated listing snapshots; check current listings and recent closed sales with a local agent.

HOA and fees at Brunswick Forest

Brunswick Forest has a homeowners association and neighborhoods with different features, and the directory listing notes that most neighborhoods include yard care and that townhome neighborhoods offer maintenance-free living. Golf is a separate club membership. Ask the association and the sales office for the current assessments, what each neighborhood's fees cover, the golf club's membership terms and the governing documents before you buy.

Amenities at Brunswick Forest

• Cape Fear National, an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tim Cate, with The Forest Restaurant in the clubhouse
• Saltwater pools and fitness and wellness centers, per a directory listing
• Tennis and pickleball courts, per a directory listing
• About 50 miles of walking and biking trails, per a directory listing
• Canoe and kayak launch on Town Creek, per a directory listing
• The Villages at Brunswick Forest shopping and services center, per a directory listing
• About 65 resident social clubs, per a directory listing

Healthcare near Brunswick Forest

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center in Bolivia, on Highway 17, has been part of the Brunswick community since 1977 and offers 24/7 emergency care, heart and vascular care and maternity services. Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington is a Level II Trauma Center verified by the American College of Surgeons. A directory listing says Novant Health operates a medical facility of about 40,000 square feet inside the Villages at Brunswick Forest; confirm current services with Novant Health.

Airport access from Brunswick Forest

The Town of Leland states that Wilmington International Airport is 11 miles from Leland and that downtown Wilmington is about 10 minutes away. The airport's home page maps 25 nonstop destinations served by American, Avelo, Breeze, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country and United.

Why Brunswick Forest is included

Large master-planned community in Leland built around Cape Fear National golf course; the club's own pages quote a member who chose Brunswick Forest for a retirement home, and the community sells to buyers of all ages.

Alternatives to Brunswick Forest

• Compass PointeA gated resort-style community in Leland, minutes from downtown Wilmington, with the Grand Lanai amenity center, a private golf club, wellness center and custom-built homes.
• St. James PlantationA gated golf-and-marina master-planned community inside the incorporated Town of St. James near Southport, with 81 holes of golf, a beach club on Oak Island and a large retiree population but no age restriction.
• Del Webb at RiverlightsA 55+ Del Webb neighborhood within the Riverlights master-planned community on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, sold out of new homes and available only through resale.

Guides relevant to Brunswick Forest

• 55-Plus Community vs. Conventional Neighborhood in the Carolinas