Community profiles · Hilton Head Island & Bluffton, SC

Lowcountry Communities.

16 gated communities · island and mainland · golf, water, fees, and fit

This page compares the communities buyers ask about most when relocating to the Lowcountry: eight on Hilton Head Island, from oceanfront resorts to private clubs, and eight on the mainland around Bluffton, from river communities to the Lake. Each profile answers the same questions, what is there, what it costs, and what you give up, so you can compare honestly instead of by brochure.

Last updated October 2026 By Kim Striker

Hilton Head Island

Eight communities on the island

The island's communities divide into the oceanfront resort plantations, Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard, and Port Royal, and the private clubs on the sound, Broad Creek, and the Intracoastal: Hilton Head Plantation, Long Cove, Wexford, and Indigo Run.

Island

Sea Pines

Sea Pines is the resort community at the southern end of Hilton Head Island, best known for Harbour Town, the Harbour Town lighthouse, and Harbour Town Golf Links, the annual home of the RBC Heritage.

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Island

Palmetto Dunes

Palmetto Dunes is a 2,000-acre oceanfront resort community in the center of Hilton Head Island.

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Island

Shipyard

Shipyard Plantation is a mid-island residential community with 27 holes of golf, the Van Der Meer Tennis Center, and Atlantic beach access shared with neighboring communities.

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Island

Port Royal

Port Royal Plantation is a quiet residential community on the north end of Hilton Head Island with a mile of oceanfront, three golf courses, and tennis.

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Island

Hilton Head Plantation

Hilton Head Plantation is a 4,100-acre master-planned community at the north end of the island with four private golf clubs, deep water access near Windmill Harbour, and a network of leisure paths.

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Island

Long Cove

Long Cove is a mature private club community on Broad Creek with a single nationally ranked Pete Dye golf course as its centerpiece.

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Island

Wexford

Wexford is a gated residential and club community built around a 37.

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Island

Indigo Run

Indigo Run is a gated community on the north end of Hilton Head Island with two 18-hole golf courses, 46 lagoons, and marsh views over Port Royal Sound.

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Around Bluffton

Eight communities on the mainland

The mainland communities around Bluffton trade oceanfront for river frontage, larger acreage, and in most cases, more house for the money: Palmetto Bluff, Belfair, Berkeley Hall, Colleton River, Hampton Hall, Hampton Lake, Moss Creek, and Sun City Hilton Head.

Mainland

Palmetto Bluff

Palmetto Bluff is a large planned community on the mainland between the May and New Rivers, about 20,000 acres of protected forest, marsh, and waterfront.

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Mainland

Belfair

Belfair is a gated residential community on the mainland between Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, with two Tom Fazio golf courses and river frontage along the Colleton River.

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Mainland

Berkeley Hall

Berkeley Hall is a gated golf community in Bluffton with two Tom Fazio courses and a clubhouse set on the Okatie River.

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Mainland

Colleton River

Colleton River is a private club community on the mainland with two highly regarded courses, a Jack Nicklaus design and a Pete Dye design, and roughly seven miles of shoreline along the Colleton and Chechessee rivers.

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Mainland

Hampton Hall

Hampton Hall is a gated club community in Bluffton centered on a Pete Dye-designed golf course, a large clubhouse, and a row of lakes.

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Mainland

Hampton Lake

Hampton Lake is a gated community in Bluffton built around a 165-acre private lake.

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Mainland

Moss Creek

Moss Creek is a gated community on the mainland at the foot of the Hilton Head Island bridges, with two golf courses, a deep-water marina of 69 to 168 slips, and direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway.

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Mainland

Sun City Hilton Head

Sun City Hilton Head is a Del Webb active-adult community near Bluffton where at least one resident of each home must be 55 or older.

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Side by side

All sixteen communities, compared

The table gives the locating facts. Fees, dues, and price ranges change with each budget cycle and carry [VERIFY] markers on the individual profiles.

Community	Side	Gate	Golf	Water	Beach	Age rule	Prices	Fees
Sea Pines	Island	Yes	Harbour Town Golf Links (Pete Dye	Harbour Town Marina and South Beach Marina on Calibogue Sound, plus roughly five miles of Atlantic beachfront with beach clubs.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Sea Pines homes, villas, and townhomes]	[VERIFY: current Sea Pines property owners association annual assessment and gate fees]
Palmetto Dunes	Island	Yes	Three courses: Robert Trent Jones Sr. (oceanfront)	Palmetto Dunes Marina on an 11-mile interconnected lagoon system that reaches the Intracoastal Waterway; kayak and paddleboard launch points throughout the community.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Palmetto Dunes homes, villas, and condos]	[VERIFY: current Palmetto Dunes property owners assessment and recreation fee]
Shipyard	Island	Yes	Shipyard Golf Club	No marina inside Shipyard. The community is close to Shelter Cove and Palmetto Dunes marinas, a short drive north.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Shipyard homes, villas, and condos]	[VERIFY: current Shipyard annual property owners assessment]
Port Royal	Island	Yes	Port Royal Golf & Racquet Club	No marina inside the community. Port Royal Sound and Skull Creek are nearby on the west side, and the community has roughly a mile of ocean beachfront on the east.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Port Royal homes, villas, and townhomes]	[VERIFY: current Port Royal annual property owners assessment]
Hilton Head Plantation	Island	Yes	Four private clubs: the Country Club of Hilton Head	No private beach, but the community borders Port Royal Sound and the Intracoastal Waterway, with marina access nearby at Windmill Harbour at the community's entrance.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Hilton Head Plantation homes and villas]	[VERIFY: current Hilton Head Plantation annual property owners assessment]
Long Cove	Island	Yes	Long Cove Club	Deep-water frontage on Broad Creek with resident dock facilities; no marina or beach.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Long Cove homes and lots]	[VERIFY: current Long Cove membership structure and annual club dues]
Wexford	Island	Yes	Wexford Golf Club	A lock-controlled harbor of about 37.5 acres gives residents protected deep-water dockage just off the Intracoastal Waterway.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Wexford homes, townhomes, and harbor properties]	[VERIFY: current Wexford annual assessment and club dues]
Indigo Run	Island	Yes	Two courses: the private Golden Bear Golf Club	The community has lagoons and marsh frontage on Port Royal Sound; marinas are nearby at Windmill Harbour and Shelter Cove.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Indigo Run homes and villas]	[VERIFY: current Indigo Run annual property owners assessment]
Palmetto Bluff	Mainland	Yes	May River Golf Club	Wilson Landing Marina on the May River with deep-water access, plus miles of river shoreline, kayak launches, and a river house.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale and new-build price range for Palmetto Bluff homes and cottage lots]	[VERIFY: current Palmetto Bluff property owners assessment and club options]
Belfair	Mainland	Yes	Two Tom Fazio-designed courses at The Club at Belfair: the private East Course and the private West Course.	River frontage along the Colleton River on the community's western edge; no marina inside the gates.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Belfair homes and homesites]	[VERIFY: current Belfair annual assessment and club membership structure]
Berkeley Hall	Mainland	Yes	Two Tom Fazio-designed courses: the North Course and the South Course	Frontage on the Okatie River and a large central lake; no deep-water marina on site. [VERIFY: current dock and lake access rules]	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Berkeley Hall homes and homesites]	[VERIFY: current Berkeley Hall property owners assessment and club dues]
Colleton River	Mainland	Yes	Two private courses: the Nicklaus Course and the Dye Course	Roughly seven miles of river shoreline with deep-water dock opportunities and a private residents' marina on the Colleton River.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Colleton River homes, cottages, and homesites]	[VERIFY: current Colleton River property owners assessment and club dues]
Hampton Hall	Mainland	Yes	Hampton Hall Club	A chain of lakes runs through the community for views and light recreation; no marina. [VERIFY: current lake recreation rules]	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Hampton Hall homes and villas]	[VERIFY: current Hampton Hall annual assessment and club dues]
Hampton Lake	Mainland	Yes	No golf course in the community. Several nearby courses	A 165-acre private lake with boating, fishing, kayaking, a residents' boat ramp, and a lakefront beach at the lake house.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Hampton Lake homes]	[VERIFY: current Hampton Lake annual assessment and lake fees]
Moss Creek	Mainland	Yes	Moss Creek Golf Club	A private deep-water marina with 69 to 168 slips and direct access to the Intracoastal Waterway and Port Royal Sound.	Yes	No	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Moss Creek homes and villas]	[VERIFY: current Moss Creek annual assessment, marina fees, and club dues]
Sun City Hilton Head	Mainland	Yes	Three championship courses: the Okatie Creek	No marina and no deep-water access. Several neighborhoods front lakes and the Colleton River watershed for views. [VERIFY: current lake access rules]	Yes	55+	[VERIFY: current resale price range for Sun City Hilton Head homes]	[VERIFY: current Sun City Hilton Head annual assessment]

How to choose

How to narrow sixteen communities to three

Start with the trade-offs that will annoy you daily, not the ones that photograph well. Beach access is the island's reason to exist; boating favors Wexford, Moss Creek, Sea Pines, or Palmetto Bluff; golf-first buyers should look at the number and privacy of courses; a maintenance-free plan changes the math toward villas; and the fee structure decides how much the club actually costs you. Write down the three non-negotiables and let the table do the filtering.

Back to the Moving Guide

Three non-negotiables to pick

1. Water access ocean, deep-water dock, lake, or none of it matters to you.
2. Golf how many courses, how private, and what membership costs.
3. Fees assessment plus club dues, because they repeat every year.

Answers

Community questions, answered

The questions that come up before buyers start comparing profiles in detail.

Which Hilton Head and Bluffton communities are gated?

Every community profiled on this page operates a security gate, from the island resorts like Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes to the mainland clubs like Belfair and Colleton River. Gated does not mean private: most allow access for residents, guests, and on some, visitors with a pass or tee time.

Do all these communities have golf?

All but one. Hampton Lake is the exception, a lake community with no course. The other fifteen have at least one course; several have two, three, or four, with play ranging from fully private to semi-private or resort.

Which communities have marina or deep-water access?

Sea Pines (two marinas), Palmetto Dunes, Wexford's lock-controlled harbor, Palmetto Bluff's Wilson Landing, Colleton River, Moss Creek, and Hilton Head Plantation's neighboring Windmill Harbour. Long Cove offers deep-water docks on Broad Creek. Others have river frontage, lagoons, or lakes without docking.

How much do annual fees run in these communities?

Fees vary widely by community and by club membership. Property owners assessments plus optional club dues typically add a meaningful amount to the annual carrying cost, and each profile carries a [VERIFY] marker for current figures because they change with each budget cycle. Always ask for the current assessment, the resale fee, and the club dues in writing before making an offer.

Is Sun City Hilton Head the only age-restricted community?

Yes, of the sixteen profiled. Sun City Hilton Head is a Del Webb active-adult community where at least one resident of each home is 55 or older. All of the others are open to buyers of any age, subject to each community's occupancy rules.

Next step

Not sure which community fits?

Bring your three non-negotiables to a relocation call, and leave with a short list to tour.

Book a Relocation Call Read the Moving Guide