Offering four seasons of playability, the South Carolina Lowcountry has become a haven for golfers from all over the world. And in Bluffton, that dedication to the game is on proud display across dozens of outstanding holes of golf.
You’ll find five public courses in Bluffton. The first, and perhaps most famous of these, is May River Golf Course located inside Palmetto Bluff. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, these 7,171 yards encompass some of the most dramatic scenery on earth, weaving through maritime forests and across the river’s bank. Once an open secret among locals, word has gotten out about Hilton Head National thanks to three straight years being ranked among the best in the state. And no conversation about local golf is complete without mentioning Old South Golf Links, just before you get to the bridge. A long-standing favorite among locals, this Clyde Johnson masterpiece tests your long and short games across beautiful creekfront vistas.
Many of Bluffton’s extraordinary communities are home to private golf courses, but a handful are open to public play. One that you must try while in town is the Davis Love III-designed Eagles Pointe Golf Club. Boasting wide fairways that let you take that new driver for a spin and challenging layouts that test your shot-making ability, this course perfectly balances challenge with natural beauty. Just up the road, the Arnold Palmer signature course Crescent Pointe Golf Club offers a true challenge with layouts that ripple like the waters around it. Carry it over the water to birdie one of the par 5s and feel the rush of a round well played.
And while we are proud of our courses here in Bluffton, even the staunchest local will begrudgingly admit that there are a few decent courses on Hilton Head Island, too. Obviously the crown jewel of the island would be Harbour Town Golf Links, home of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. The iconic 18th fairway, winding across the bank of the Calibogue Sound toward the famed lighthouse, is worth the greens fees alone. And that’s just one of the dozen public courses on the island that have set a new standard for golf in the south.