Love Letter To: Anson Point

Sitting in the Lowcountry of South Carolina sits the 20,000-acre private community of Palmetto Bluff, here you’ll find Anson Point, a modern golf design by two of the great course architects of the 21st century. Last month, we got to spend 2 full days on property to film an episode of our First Out series, uncovering everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind property.

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s Anson Point is a par-71, 7,071-yard golf course that sits quietly on the south end of the Palmetto Bluff Island. Opened in the Spring of 2026, this place fells more like a nature walk than a golf course, a very deliberate experience that both Palmetto Bluff and the Coore and Crenshaw team wanted. It’s a world-class example of blending architectural creativity with a sensitivity and respect for the surrounding wildlife.

The duo’s resume speaks for itself, Kapalua Plantation Course, Sandvalley, Bandon Trails, Cabot Cliffs, the list goes on and on. So it didn’t come as a surprise when I saw how brilliantly this routing played. Using the natural contours of the land, the course moves through the towering pines trees and sand with ease. Wide fairways keep it very playable for every level of golfer but if you want to score well, it comes down to understanding the greens and seeing questions Coore and Crenshaw are asking of you. It’s how the green is angled to promote a draw or a fade, or how the bunkers sit in the perfect miss zones or it’s the bowls and slopes of the greens that require you to feed to ball to the pin rather than going straight at it. All of these technical approach shot challenges are present at Anson Point.

One of the big draw cards for Coore and Crenshaw was that they had the complete freedom to design any routing they wanted. With no intention to build real estate or commercial development around the golf course, Anson Point is surrounded by miles and miles of protected forest. The common golf architectural handcuffs of optimizing a routing for real estate gains were not a factor. Anson Point is what happens when you give a blank canvas with zero restrictions to two dudes who just downright love golf course design.

A major reason there has been very little development around Anson Point is the strong conservation approach maintained by both Palmetto Bluff and the state of South Carolina. Long before Anson Point was established, the local conservancy team actively managed the land through controlled burns, helping to maintain healthy undergrowth and create ideal habitat conditions for deer and turkey populations.

Those conservation practices continue today across the island, including in and around Anson Point. What the golf course adds to this environment is a network of open fairways that serve as additional wildlife hotspots. Much of the native vegetation has been preserved and continues to thrive, while the course's open landscape creates new opportunities for wildlife. As a result, a wide variety of species are drawn to the area, benefiting from both the existing natural habitat and the unique environment the golf course provides.

Anson Point is a modern design that caters to both the golfer and the environment in which it sits in. Very few golf courses I’ve traveled to have this same sense of purpose. Something beyond just a strip of grass in the earth for golfers to play on, but rather a celebration of nature and its incredible complexities. With time, I hope we see more courses like Anson Point. Courses that feature more bird boxes than real estate signs. It might be wishful thinking, but here’s your proof of concept.

This story is part of Skratch Golf’s Love Letter series—an ode to the places that make the game unforgettable.

Love Letter To: Rams Hill Golf Club, Borrego Springs

Love Letter To: Riviera Country Club

Love Letter To: The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass

Love Letter To: The Philadelphia Cricket Club

Love Letter To: Bandon Dunes

Love Letter To: Bethpage Black

Love Letter To: Scottsdale National

Love Letter To: Pebble Beach Golf Links

Love Letter To: Royal Melbourne

Love Letter To: Torrey Pines

Love Letter To: Queenstown Golf