Written by Palmetto Bluff
Mar 24, 2026
At Palmetto Bluff, no two rounds of golf are the same. The tides, the wind, and the light shifting across the marsh all play their part. Three courses, each crafted by a legendary architect—each offering golfers a distinctly different story to experience.
Explore three standout courses—May River Golf Course by Jack Nicklaus, Crossroads by King-Collins, and Anson Point by Coore & Crenshaw and learn how each one plays, what sets it apart, and what golfers should know before stepping onto the tee.
The May River Golf Course brought golf to Palmetto Bluff. Opened in 2005 and designed by Jack Nicklaus, it is consistently ranked among the best courses in South Carolina.
May River winds through the May River Forest beneath centuries-old live oaks, with several holes playing directly along the river’s edge. The course plays as Nicklaus intended: water in play throughout, bunkers that demand respect, and greens that are fast and unforgiving.
The back nine balances three par 3s, three par 4s, and three par 5s, keeping the challenge varied and the decision-making constant from first tee to final hole. In partnership with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, the course holds an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary certification for wildlife and habitat management. Walking the course with a caddie is how most members choose to play—and the best way to fully appreciate everything Nicklaus created here.
May River is the perfect starting point for golfers who want a world-class 18-hole experience. It rewards precision off the tee, a sound short game, and the willingness to make decisions under pressure.
Crossroads is Palmetto Bluff’s vision of what golf becomes when design is completely unbound by tradition. Created by King-Collins, this nine-hole course is fully reversible, match play-focused, and unlike anything else in the Lowcountry.
The first thing golfers notice at Crossroads is the terrain. In the characteristically flat landscape of the South Carolina Lowcountry, elevation changes of 10 feet don’t sound dramatic until you’re on the course. Dune ridges reaching 40 feet high create a topographic profile that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else in this region, giving Crossroads a visual and strategic profile entirely of its own.
The reversible design ensures the course plays differently every time you step onto it. The Hammer and The Press offer two distinct routing experiences, each with a dramatic finish designed for intense match play. Crossroads has a meandering quality that feels less like executing a round and more like navigating an adventure.
Crossroads suits golfers who want to compete, experiment, and keep the game social. It is an ideal format for matches between friends or family members of different skill levels, and the shorter overall distance makes it accessible without feeling too easy.
The opening of the Anson Point marks the completion of Palmetto Bluff’s trifecta of legendary golf experiences. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw across more than 500 acres of managed Lowcountry landscape, Anson Point is defined by the philosophy its architects are known for: “the course was always here, waiting to be found.”
The bold visuals and demanding shotmaking of May River stand in contrast to Anson Point’s natural subtlety. The fairways follow natural ridgelines, and the greens settle into existing plateaus. Grand live oaks that have stood here for centuries aren’t obstacles; they’re partners in shaping strategy and framing views in a way only Mother Nature designed.
The setting unfolds across natural contours, coastal marsh grasses, and preserved woodland, stewarded by the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy. The decision to develop Anson Point without any residential component is both intentional and rare within luxury golf communities. The absence of structures keep the land center stage, wildlife corridors intact, and the experience purely about the game and place.
Anson Point is for golfers who see the game as something more than a scorecard. It rewards patience, attention, and the flexibility to let the course set the pace. Coore & Crenshaw are known for uncovering the game within the land rather than imposing it upon it, and Anson Point stands as their finest Lowcountry expression of that philosophy.
All three courses—May River, Crossroads, and Anson Point—are accessible exclusively through Palmetto Bluff Golf Club Membership. Here is what prospective members should know.
Montage Palmetto Bluff resort guests enjoy limited accessibility to the May River Golf Course, in addition to Palmetto Bluff Club Members. Crossroads and Anson Point are available exclusively to Golf Club Members and their guests. For those considering a discovery visit, resort access to May River is a natural starting point. Members consistently describe the full three-course collection as what makes a Golf Club Membership here feel different from any other private community in the Lowcountry.
May River is the championship test: demanding, beautiful, nationally recognized. Crossroads is a social course: reversible, built equally for competition and exploration. Anson Point is the meditative play experience designed for golfers who want to be present in a place as much as play through it.
For those considering life at Palmetto Bluff, the golf program is worth understanding not merely as an amenity, but as a reflection of the community’s values. The Bluff honors the land it occupies. The game never settles into routine—there is always a different course, a different routing, and a new reason to be outside.
If you want to experience Palmetto Bluff Golf every day, explore our available properties.
