Palmetto Bluff Club
Bluffton, Beaufort County, South Carolina · Bluffton golf market
- Access
- membership optional
- Holes
- 45
- Architect(s)
- Jack Nicklaus, King-Collins Golf Course Design, Coore & Crenshaw
- Gated
- Yes
Thinking About Living in Palmetto Bluff Club?
Get connected with a local real-estate specialist who understands Palmetto Bluff Club and the surrounding Bluffton golf market.
Palmetto Bluff is a large, Montage-branded resort and residential development in Bluffton built around three private golf courses: the Jack Nicklaus-designed May River course (2005), the 9-hole King-Collins-designed Crossroads, and the newer Coore & Crenshaw-designed Anson Point. Its club-membership structure is unusually complex and, as of September 2026, unsettled: whether base club membership is mandatory for homeowners has been contested in multiple lawsuits since 2022, while golf itself sits in a separate, clearly optional Golf Club tier now priced up to $300,000 to join.
Golf & Course
May River, the flagship course, is a Jack Nicklaus design that opened in 2005. Crossroads is a 9-hole course by King-Collins Golf Course Design. Anson Point is a newer addition by Coore & Crenshaw. All three sit within the Golf Club's members-only structure -- effective May 2026, Tier I membership (full access) costs $300,000 to join (up from $200,000), Tier II costs $120,000 (up from $100,000), and Sports Membership costs $30,000 (up from $20,000).
Membership & Access
Does buying a home here include club membership?
Golf Club membership (Tier I/Tier II/Sports) is described by the club and press coverage as optional for homeowners -- the three courses are reserved for Golf Club members. Separately, and more contentiously, base Palmetto Bluff Club membership (covering non-golf amenities) has swung between mandatory and optional in recent years: originally required of all homeowners, waived by the developer for current and future residents in 2023, and now the subject of multiple ongoing lawsuits, including a February 2026 filing alleging a buyer was told membership was voluntary at contract signing in September 2025 but was later forced to pay a $50,000 joining fee or risk losing the property.
Living in Palmetto Bluff Club
Palmetto Bluff combines resort lodging (Montage Palmetto Bluff), a large residential real-estate program, and the private Golf Club into one development; a 2022 lawsuit also raised concerns about crowded amenities relative to the pace of residential growth.
Location & Surrounding Area
Located along the May River in Bluffton, at the resort/residential end of the Bluffton golf-plantation cluster, geographically separate from the Belfair/Berkeley Hall/Colleton River/Oldfield/Hampton Hall grouping closer to the Okatie and Colleton rivers.
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
Current$300,000
Tier I Golf Club joining fee, increased from $200,000 effective May 1 (per a March 13 club email to members, year of the increase not independently confirmed but reported in 2026 coverage). This is the optional golf-club tier, separate from the base Palmetto Bluff Club membership whose mandatory status is under litigation -- see membership_tied_to_property and buyer_notes.
Initiation (range low)
Current$30,000
Sports Membership joining fee, increased from $20,000.
Initiation (range high)
Current$300,000
Tier I Golf Club joining fee (top of the three-tier structure: Tier I $300,000, Tier II $120,000 (from $100,000), Sports $30,000 (from $20,000)).
Interested in Homes in Palmetto Bluff Club?
We can connect you with a local real-estate specialist who knows the community, nearby golf communities, and the Bluffton market.
What Buyers Should Verify
- Track the outcome of the ongoing Palmetto Bluff Club membership litigation before presenting current terms as settled -- multiple suits were unresolved as of this research date.
- Confirm current base Palmetto Bluff Club membership fee and whether it is, in practice, required at closing for new buyers (reports conflict: $0 per one 2026 source, $40,000 per another, $50,000 per a February 2026 lawsuit).
- Confirm current Golf Club annual dues -- not found this session.
- Confirm acreage, total homesite count, and confirmed amenity list (marina, spa, dining, pools) directly with Palmetto Bluff -- not independently re-verified this session despite being widely reported in general Palmetto Bluff marketing.
Notable
- Three private golf courses: May River (Jack Nicklaus, 2005), Crossroads (King-Collins, 9 holes), and Anson Point (Coore & Crenshaw).
- Golf Club Tier I membership rose to $300,000 to join effective May 2026, up from $200,000.
- The mandatory-vs-optional status of base club membership has been under active litigation since at least 2022, with a new suit filed as recently as February 2026.
Considering a Move to Palmetto Bluff Club?
Whether you're comparing Palmetto Bluff Club with another Bluffton golf community or you're ready to start looking at homes, US Golf Living can connect you with a local real-estate specialist.
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.