Cat Island Club
Beaufort, Beaufort County, South Carolina · Beaufort & the Sea Islands golf market
- Access
- non equity
- Holes
- 18
- Architect(s)
- George Cobb, John LaFoy
- Gated
- No
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Cat Island Club sits on the southern tip of Cat Island within the city of Beaufort's Sea Islands, closer to Beaufort proper than the market's outlying private-island communities (Callawassie, Dataw, Fripp, Spring Island). It opened in 1985 as a George Cobb design -- reportedly Cobb's final design, completed by his protege John LaFoy -- operated for years as Sanctuary Golf Club, fell into disrepair and closed in 2019, and was renovated and reopened under new ownership (Resort Development Partners) in May 2023 as the renamed Cat Island Club.
Golf & Course
The par-71 course spans 6,673 yards from the back tees and is considered one of George Cobb's best designs; Cobb was passing design responsibilities to his understudy John LaFoy around the time of this course's completion. The course underwent a full renovation in summer 2022 after being closed and neglected since 2019.
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Cat Island Club is a freestanding private country club, not gated and not tied to a specific residential development or POA. Full membership provides access to golf, the practice facility, dining, pool, and tennis; current pricing (privateIQ) is reported at $10,001-$25,000 initiation with $10,001-$15,000 annual dues, though this session found conflicting historical figures from the club's 2022 relaunch ($10,000-$12,500 initiation with monthly dues) that should not be treated as current.
Living in Cat Island Club
Cat Island itself is a residential peninsula/neighborhood within the city of Beaufort rather than a single-developer gated community; the club functions as a private amenity within that broader, established Sea Islands residential setting rather than as the organizing anchor of a purpose-built development.
Lifestyle & Amenities
Reported amenities include the golf course, a practice facility, dining, a resort-style pool, and tennis courts -- a moderate, accessible amenity set relative to the market's larger island clubs.
Location & Surrounding Area
Located at 8 Waveland Avenue, Beaufort, SC 29907, on the southern tip of Cat Island within the city of Beaufort -- geographically the closest-to-downtown anchor researched in this market.
Costs & Fees
Figures below are labeled Current only when the source itself frames them as presently accurate. Everything else is labeled Historical — a source checked today does not make an old fee a current one.
Golf membership initiation
Historical — as of 2022-01-01$12,500
Historical figure from the 2022 relaunch (pre-opening initiation was reportedly $10,000 with $495/month dues, later $12,500 with monthly dues under new ownership). Current (2026) pricing is reported by privateIQ at $10,001-$25,000 initiation -- see initiation_fee_min/max. Confirm current schedule directly with the club.
Initiation (range low)
Current$10,001
Current third-party-aggregated range.
Initiation (range high)
Current$25,000
Current third-party-aggregated range.
Annual dues
Current$10,001
Aggregator reports a $10,001-$15,000 open range; floor value used here.
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What Buyers Should Verify
- Confirm current, official initiation fee and dues directly with the club -- sources conflict between 2022 relaunch pricing and current (2026) third-party-aggregated figures.
- Confirm current financial/ownership stability given the club's documented 2019-2023 closure and ownership turbulence.
- Independently verify latitude/longitude -- this session used a geographic estimate based on the club's street address, not a confirmed geocode.
Notable
- Confirmed to be the same entity as the formerly named 'Sanctuary Golf Club at Cat Island' -- a rebrand/renaming, not a distinct second club (resolves the entity-identity flag raised in the discovery pass).
- Closed from 2019 until a May 2023 grand reopening; an intermediate post-foreclosure owner was reported to have sold memberships before the course actually reopened, a notable operational-risk episode.
- Reportedly George Cobb's final course design, completed by his protege John LaFoy.
Nearby Golf Communities Worth Comparing
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US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.