Savannah Lakes Village, McCormick, SC

About Savannah Lakes Village

Savannah Lakes Village is in McCormick, in the Lake Keowee, Hartwell & Savannah River Lakes region of South Carolina. Developer: Cooper Communities, Inc.. Status: Open. Not age-restricted; it is included for retiree-oriented amenities.

Savannah Lakes Village describes itself as a recreation-inspired master-planned private lakefront community in western South Carolina's Freshwater Coast region, at the edge of the 71,000-plus acre Lake Thurmond. The association's member handbook says the community was established with the assistance of the State of South Carolina and developed by Cooper Communities, Inc. of Rogers, Arkansas, spans more than 4,000 acres, and put its first lots on sale on April 1, 1989. It counts 4,958 lots (the village history page says 4,954 home sites), 78 miles of paved roads dedicated to McCormick County, and amenities that include two 18-hole golf courses, two clubhouses with golf shops, a recreation center and access to the lake. The village's amenities page puts the population at more than 2,400 residents.

The developer handed control to the owners long ago. The handbook says the village moved out of developer control in 1998 and is governed solely by the Savannah Lakes Village Property Owners Association (SLVPOA); the history page gives 1999. A board of directors elected by the members and serving rotating three-year terms approves the annual operating and capital budgets, including assessments and fees, and the handbook says the board requires an annual audit of the association's finances. The village's community documents page lists the covenants and restrictions, the by-laws, architectural control standards and handbooks, and says the board is made up of property owners elected by the members.

The amenity package is built around golf, the lake and a large fitness-and-social center. The amenities page lists two lakefront golf courses, two club restaurants, a 23,000 square foot recreation center, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis and pickleball courts, a network of neighborhood connectivity trails, a community garden, dozens of clubs and interest groups, and fiber internet to all homesites. It says membership in both golf clubs is included with property ownership, and that the neighboring Hickory Knob Resort adds a third lakefront course nearby. The home page's reference to three championship lakefront courses therefore counts a course outside the village. The community is bordered by public land, including state parks and national forest, and the lake itself is managed under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rules, which the village says keeps the shoreline's character in place.

Marketing for the village leans on retirement and active-adult recognition. The amenities page lists awards that include an active-adult community honor from the National Active Retirement Association and inclusion in Retirement Lifestyles and Where to Retire rankings; these are the community's own listing of awards, not an independent assessment, and award programs differ widely in method. The community should be weighed as a lake-and-golf neighborhood that many retirees choose, not as a 55-plus community with an occupancy rule, and the handbook's rules for clubhouse dining, which address children and dress standards, are consistent with that. Because the recorded Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions is the controlling document, ask your agent for it and read it before you buy.

Location is the other big variable. The village sits about five miles from the town of McCormick, eight miles from Lincolnton, Georgia, 28 miles from Greenwood, 37 miles from Augusta, 82 miles from Columbia and 84 miles from Greenville, according to the distance table on its region page. That page also says Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood is less than 40 minutes away. Expect to drive for most specialty care, major retail and any commercial flight. The McCormick place page covers county property tax lines, the Lake Thurmond setting and hospital access in more detail.

Age restrictions at Savannah Lakes Village

The community's own materials, including the association handbook, describe a private lakefront community for property owners and members, and set no age qualification for buyers or residents; the handbook's rules for clubhouse dining include dress standards for children over 12. Occupancy rules, if any, would be in the recorded Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions; ask for it before buying.

Housing types at Savannah Lakes Village

• Single-family homes and homesites (lakefront, golf-course and interior forest-view)
• Townhouses (Shores of Tara, Southwind and Windwood, in a separate townhouse association)

Pricing at Savannah Lakes Village

The village's cost-of-living page says the community offers relatively low McCormick County property taxes and that homes are generally holding their value. Ask the village's sales team and a local agent for recent closed sales on lakefront, golf-course and interior lots, which differ widely.

South Carolina Department of Revenue guidance says homeowners over age 65 may receive a complete exemption of taxes on the first $50,000 of fair market value of a legal residence, temporarily raised to $75,000 for tax year 2026 only, with approved legal residence status (the 4% ratio) required first. The South Carolina retirement taxes guide explains the state-level rules.

HOA and fees at Savannah Lakes Village

Savannah Lakes Village is a common-interest community: the handbook says all property owners belong to the SLVPOA and pay assessments, and the cost-of-living page says there are also usage fees for the golf courses, club restaurants, recreation center and community docks, with Unlimited Play annual programs for heavy users. The SLVPOA is funded mainly through assessments, member user fees and non-member revenue from events, tournaments and catering, and the board sets the assessments and fees each year in its budget. Assessment amounts are reset with each year's budget, so request the current budget, reserve study and fee schedule from the association before contract.

Two sub-associations add assessments in their areas: the Savannah Lakes Townhouse Association, covering townhouses in Shores of Tara, Southwind and Windwood, and a Savannah Point assessment for maintenance of that subdivision's limited common property. Boat dock user and maintenance fees are also set yearly by the board.

The handbook says the Savannah Lakes Village Commission is a special tax district created on November 26, 1991, that provides fire protection and emergency medical services beyond the county's, funded by a special tax shown as a separate line on the county tax bill. The Association of Counties' 2025 table lists a Savannah Lakes Village public safety rate of 0.0095 in McCormick County.

The handbook also describes a separate state road-and-utility repayment (SCRUT) of $360.00 per lot per year plus a $12.00 administrative fee, collected on the property tax bill, which it estimated would be repaid between 2015 and 2020. Because that language is dated, ask the McCormick County auditor whether the line still appears for a given lot.

Amenities at Savannah Lakes Village

• Two 18-hole lakefront golf courses (Tara and Monticello)
• Two clubhouses with restaurants
• 23,000 square foot recreation center
• Indoor and outdoor pools
• Tennis and pickleball courts
• Neighborhood connectivity trails
• Community garden
• Boat docks and Lake Thurmond access
• Fiber internet to all homesites
• Dozens of clubs and interest groups

Healthcare near Savannah Lakes Village

The village's amenities page says a $3 million healthcare facility on site is owned and operated by Self Regional Hospital, and Self Regional's locations page lists Self Medical Center Savannah Lakes at 207 Holiday Road, McCormick. The association's region page says Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood is less than 40 minutes away. Self Regional describes itself as a not-for-profit system serving nearly 300,000 residents with 358 licensed beds and Level II emergency care. For emergencies, ask the Savannah Lakes Village Commission about response times for your street.

Airport access from Savannah Lakes Village

The village's region page lists Augusta, Georgia at 37 miles with a regional airport, Columbia at 82 miles with a regional airport and Greenville at 84 miles with an international airport, and Atlanta at 145 miles with an international airport. Treat these as distance guidance from the association and test the drive time before relying on a particular airport.

Why Savannah Lakes Village is included

Member-owned, golf-and-lake master-planned community of about 4,000 acres on Lake Thurmond with a 23,000 square foot recreation center, two championship golf courses, an on-site Self Regional clinic and a low-cost county setting that its own materials pitch to retirees and active adults; it carries no age restriction.

Alternatives to Savannah Lakes Village

• Keowee KeyA member-owned, 1,600-acre gated lake community on Lake Keowee in Salem, South Carolina, with golf, a marina, racquet and fitness facilities and its own water and sewer utility.

Guides relevant to Savannah Lakes Village

• 55-Plus Community vs. Conventional Neighborhood in the Carolinas
• South Carolina Retirement Taxes: Income, Property, Vehicle and Sales Tax