May River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff
May River Golf Club Membership and Course Details
The one Palmetto Bluff course open to Montage resort guests, not just members — the community’s other two courses are members-only.
- Designer:
- Jack Nicklaus (Jack Nicklaus Signature Design)
- Phone:
- (843) 706-6580
May River Golf Club (Palmetto Bluff) Course Handicap Calculator
Enter your Handicap Index and pick a tee to see your Course Handicap at May River Golf Club (Palmetto Bluff), the number of strokes you get here.
See your strokes at every Hilton Head course →
How this is calculated
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to a whole number. For example, a 14.2 index on the Tabby Stones tees (75.4 / 141, par 72) is 14.2 × 141 ÷ 113 + (75.4 − 72) = 21.1, which rounds to 21. Some formats and events apply a percentage allowance on top of this number, so check your event’s rules.
Par, Yardage & Course Ratings
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handicap | 5 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 8 | |||
| Par | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 36 | 72 |
| Tabby Stones | 425 | 201 | 422 | 568 | 442 | 170 | 330 | 533 | 468 | 3,559 | 552 | 169 | 403 | 469 | 184 | 534 | 429 | 228 | 563 | 3,531 | 7,090 |
| Tee 1 | 404 | 185 | 377 | 538 | 417 | 150 | 309 | 506 | 443 | 3,329 | 517 | 146 | 366 | 407 | 170 | 469 | 391 | 196 | 527 | 3,189 | 6,518 |
| Tee 1/2 | 375 | 159 | 377 | 538 | 399 | 150 | 309 | 506 | 416 | 3,229 | 493 | 122 | 366 | 380 | 170 | 469 | 362 | 196 | 493 | 3,051 | 6,280 |
| Tee 2 | 375 | 159 | 359 | 515 | 399 | 139 | 287 | 489 | 416 | 3,138 | 493 | 122 | 344 | 380 | 147 | 437 | 362 | 166 | 493 | 2,944 | 6,082 |
| Tee 2/3 | 365 | 141 | 345 | 441 | 399 | 139 | 287 | 469 | 408 | 2,994 | 429 | 122 | 326 | 380 | 147 | 437 | 362 | 151 | 405 | 2,759 | 5,753 |
| Tee 3 | 365 | 141 | 345 | 441 | 322 | 116 | 270 | 469 | 408 | 2,877 | 429 | 111 | 326 | 295 | 136 | 406 | 293 | 151 | 405 | 2,552 | 5,429 |
| Tee 3/4 | 365 | 141 | 299 | 402 | 322 | 116 | 270 | 356 | 334 | 2,605 | 385 | 111 | 326 | 289 | 136 | 406 | 293 | 128 | 400 | 2,474 | 5,079 |
| Tee 4 | 348 | 131 | 299 | 402 | 312 | 108 | 222 | 356 | 334 | 2,512 | 385 | 96 | 282 | 289 | 108 | 374 | 286 | 128 | 400 | 2,348 | 4,860 |
| Tee | Par | Yards | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabby Stones | 72 | 7,090 | 75.4 | 141 |
| Tee 1 | 72 | 6,518 | 72.7 | 136 |
| Tee 1/2 | 72 | 6,280 | 71.5 | 135 |
| Tee 2 | 72 | 6,082 | 70.5 | 131 |
| Tee 2/3 | 72 | 5,753 | 68.8 | 129 |
| Tee 3 | 72 | 5,429 | 67 | 125 |
| Tee 3/4 | 72 | 5,079 | 65.6 | 120 |
| Tee 4 | 72 | 4,860 | 64.6 | 120 |
Yardage, par, handicap, course rating and slope by tee. Tees and yardages can change, so confirm with the club before you play.
Meet Palmetto Bluff’s Director of Golf Operations
May River Golf Club is a Jack Nicklaus-designed course inside the Palmetto Bluff community in Bluffton, South Carolina, a short drive from Hilton Head Island. It was named "Best New Course" in South Carolina by the South Carolina Course Ratings Panel in 2005. For the island’s other courses, see the full Hilton Head golf courses directory.
About May River Golf Club
May River Golf Club plays through the May River Forest neighborhood inside Palmetto Bluff, framed by century-old live oaks, with several holes running along the river itself. Nicklaus’s design uses eco-friendly Paspalum turf on the fairways and bunker sand imported from Ohio, chosen because its angular grain holds up better on sloped, sandy-based greens in coastal weather. The course, and its surrounding land, is managed in partnership with the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy and holds Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary certification.
May River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff Access
May River is one of three golf courses at Palmetto Bluff, and the only one open beyond its own Golf Club members — Montage Palmetto Bluff resort guests can also book tee times, while the other two courses, Crossroads and Anson Point, are reserved for Golf Club members and their guests. Contact the resort or club directly for current tee times and rates.
Part of Palmetto Bluff golf, which has three courses.
May River Golf Club (Palmetto Bluff) Reviews
May River averages 4.8. Reviewers describe a Jack Nicklaus Signature course that is most demanding around the greens, with elevated complexes and a layout that asks for different tee shots rather than the same one repeatedly. Because it sees less play than the public courses nearby, several reviewers say it stays in better condition as a result. Forecaddies are named and praised. Cost is the consistent reservation — this is a expensive round, more so with a caddy — and one recent reviewer dissented sharply, reporting poor greens and rude staff on a 2026 visit, which is out of step with the rest of the sample.
Praised
- A demanding Nicklaus Signature course around the greens
- Stays in condition thanks to low play volume
- Forecaddies
- Variety in the tee shots it asks for
Common complaints
- An expensive round, especially with a caddy
Our summary of 98 reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
Is May River Golf Club open to the public?
Not to the general public — but it is open to both Palmetto Bluff Club members and Montage Palmetto Bluff resort guests, unlike Palmetto Bluff’s other two courses, which are members-only.
Who designed May River Golf Club?
Jack Nicklaus designed May River as a Jack Nicklaus Signature course. It opened in 2004 and was named "Best New Course" in South Carolina by the South Carolina Course Ratings Panel in 2005.
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