Michael Jordan made Wexford Plantation his home away from home in the 80s and 90s

Celebrity connection: His Airness in paradise

If you find yourself on the 11th or 12th hole at Wexford Golf Club, you were in Michael Jordan’s line of sight for significant stretches of the 1980s and 1990s. The basketball legend owned a home that overlooked the course in Wexford Plantation at 11 Yorkshire Drive from 1988 until 1999. 

The 3,150 square foot home was built in 1985 for William Crotty, a businessman from Dayton, Ohio. Local architect Wayne Windham designed the home, which he describes as “in the British West Indies style,” a look popular in the region during the era. Like most British West Indies-style homes, the future abode of Michael Jordan included wide verandas and louvered shutters, which enhance ventilation and encourage natural cooling. The home also featured a fireplace and a large, rounded family room with large windows, allowing for abundant natural light. Area builder Randy Jeffcoat constructed the luxury property, which served as a vacation home.

Jordan’s friend Chuck McClintock, an executive with Marriott Hotels, helped him find the home. McClintock met Jordan several years earlier during a tee time at Findlay Golf Course at the University of North Carolina, both men’s alma mater. For years McClintock tried to convince Jordan to buy a home in the golf mecca that is Hilton Head, which is roughly a four-hour drive from Jordan’s hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina. Finally McClintock convinced his friend to look for a place in August 1988. He met up with Jordan at the Lee Elder Celebrity Pro-Am Tournament, held at Shipyard Golf Club. Jordan stayed on the island for a couple of extra days, playing golf with McClintock and looking into properties.

Jordan purchased the home in December 1988 for $550,000. His mother, Deloris, decorated the home and told the Island Packet in 1989 that the basketball star would visit the Wexford Plantation home “for some peace and quiet.” His parents, James and Deloris, were frequent visitors to the home, which served as a vacation home for the entire family.

M.J.’s great escape

While locals took notice of Jordan’s comings and goings almost immediately, the public did not associate the basketball star with Hilton Head until October 1991. 

Jordan stirred up some controversy by choosing golf on Hilton Head over attending the Bulls’ championship ceremony at the White House with President George H.W. Bush. While many of his teammates toured the Rose Garden, Jordan was embarking on 36 holes at Wexford Golf Club. 

In the Chicago area, the brouhaha was known as “Michaelgate.” Jordan was in the midst of one of his rites of autumn: a three-day vacation filled with golf, cards, family and relaxation before the winter-long grind of the NBA season. The card games of choice were typically poker or tonk, a fast-paced wagering game similar to rummy. Jordan ‘s guests during such weekends often included some of his closest friends, such as club owner Adolph Shiver, attorney Fred Whitfield and mortician Fred Kearns, all of whom resided in the Charlotte area.

Jordan didn’t understand all the fuss. He had, in fact, met Bush in 1988 when he was Vice President. The basketball star raised more eyebrows by arriving late for Bulls media day on October 3, as his chartered flight from Hilton Head got delayed. It didn’t matter in the long run. The Bulls boasted the league’s best record in 1991-1992 and went on to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals to earn their second consecutive championship.

A slam dunk for charity

Back on the Island, Jordan developed a much better reputation. Through his foundation Jordan supported many local charities. During the early-to-mid 1990s, the Michael Jordan Foundation made donations to more than 40 non-profits in the area. Beneficiaries included Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Beaufort County, The Children’s Center, Hilton Head Island High School, Hilton Head Hospital, First Presbyterian Day School and Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry. 

Over Labor Day weekend 1993, the Michael Jordan Celebrity Golf Challenge raised funds for local charities. Tournament organizers sold 3,000 tickets at $25 a pop. The 54-hole tournament was played at the Indigo Run, Harbour Town Golf Links and the Arthur Hills in Palmetto Dunes. Participants in the tournament included basketball greats John Havlicek, David Robinson and Charles Barkley; actors Don Johnson and Alan Thicke; and baseball legends Mike Schmidt, Jim Palmer and Ernie Banks.

Jordan’s charity of choice in the region was the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head. As a child, Jordan visited the Wilmington Boys & Girls Club frequently. When Jordan read of the Hilton Head club’s financial struggles, he organized benefits for the club in 1991 and 1992 at the Port Royal Golf and Tennis Club. In each instance more than 150 people paid to play golf and have some laughs with Jordan, take pictures with him and get his autograph. The benefits raised more than $20,000 each.

Giving without glory

In August 1991 Jordan visited the Hilton Head Boys & Girls Club on Sandalwood Terrace and spoke with a group of youngsters. He told them of his three keys to success: hard work, a good attitude and good sportsmanship. He signed autographs and took pictures after his talk. The local media presence at the event was limited at Jordan’s request to avoid a carnival atmosphere. Jordan himself came plainly, showing up with just one other person. 

At the time of the event, the sports media was trying to figure out whether Jordan would play in the 1992 Summer Olympics for the USA men’s basketball club, a group already being dubbed “The Dream Team.” Jordan announced the next day that he would be joining Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in Barcelona, Spain. 

The Jordan Foundation’s donation helped finance an expansion of The Children’s Center on Hilton Head. Building campaign chair David Ames remembers “without [the Michael Jordan Foundation’s] gift, we would have had to pare down the building plus some of the programmatic materials. I remember my elation!”

In 1995 Jordan’s foundation made a substantial donation to the Child Abuse Prevention Association. Deloris Jordan brought the donation in person. 

“His Mom [Deloris] was wonderful. She came and made the donation in person,” said Susan Cato, former director of the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA). Deloris came with dozens of tote bags filled with sports equipment for the children who received care from the organization. She recalls the foundation’s contribution being in the $15,000 range. CAPA had not sought out a donation from Jordan. The Jordan Foundation took the initiative and contributed to the Hilton Head non-profit.

Deloris made a couple of subsequent donations of her own and followed up on several occasions with CAPA.

A final fadeaway

Jordan seems to have become a less frequent visitor to Hilton Head in the back half of the 1990s. He sold the home on Yorkshire Drive in 1999 for $475,000 to a New Jersey-based investor who owned several properties in Wexford. The home eventually went into foreclosure but was renovated by a subsequent owner. It sold for $749,000 in 2017, its most recent sale. At the time of its 2017 sale, realtor Kelly Ruhlin said visitors still asked whether he lived in the area.

Although Jordan’s time on Hilton Head Island has long since passed, his legacy continues to resonate through the stories, charities and golf courses that once witnessed his swing. The home on Yorkshire Drive, though it has changed hands and fortunes over the years, remains a tangible reminder of the basketball legend’s quieter moments — a testament to how even the most iconic figures can find solace in the serene beauty of the Lowcountry.