A 20,000-acre Lowcountry preserve with its own Jack Nicklaus course and no reason to leave the gates.
Montage Palmetto Bluff sits in Bluffton, roughly 30 minutes from the Hilton Head Island courses. It is not on the island and does not pretend to be. The resort occupies its own 20,000-acre preserve along the May River, and its positioning is deliberate: this is a destination property that happens to be within driving distance of Hilton Head's golf courses rather than a Hilton Head hotel with extra amenities.
The on-site May River Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design, is reserved for resort guests and Palmetto Bluff property owners. Access to a course of this pedigree without competing for public tee times is the primary golf-specific draw. Three pools, five restaurants, a full-service spa, a marina, and equestrian facilities round out a property that provides enough to fill a week without leaving the gates.
Nightly rates of $514 to $1,200 place Montage in a category that few Hilton Head-area visitors will consider, and the resort does not attempt to broaden its appeal. For golfers whose trip budget accommodates luxury-tier lodging and who value a self-contained resort experience over proximity to the island's public courses, Montage Palmetto Bluff operates at a standard that has no peer in the Lowcountry. The 30-minute drive to Hilton Head courses is the trade-off. For many guests, the on-site Nicklaus course makes that trade-off irrelevant.