Can an RV park save a controversial Bluffton golf course? Its owners are banking on it

The owners of a controversial golf course are banking on a luxury RV park sustaining the game at their Bluffton site — which they've said in the past is an unsustainable golf operation.

Scratch Golf LLC announced Friday plans to turn almost a third of the roughly 300-acre Hilton Head National Golf Course into a luxury RV "resort," a move allowed by its current rural zoning designation — which the company has tried to change to pursue commercial development, which met with fierce opposition from the public and county government.

Now, as new details emerge about the proposed RV park — and as the project's timeline becomes clearer — the question is how committed Scratch Golf is to its golf course, and whether that commitment will last.

Scratch Golf spokesman Tom Gardo said Wednesday that it's not yet clear when construction will begin but the park should be up and running by the end of 2019 or early 2020.

Beaufort County Attorney Tom Keaveny said a "traffic impact study" is needed before a full review of the project could conclude, and that it was too early to tell when construction could begin.

Beaufort County Planning Director Tony Criscitiello said a meeting has been scheduled for May 23 to begin reviewing the park.

"That's the plan, what you see is the plan," Gardo said, when asked if the project — which currently consists of 350 parking pads for high-end RVs, swimming pools, and other amenities — could change, given the park's distant projected opening date.

"We have every intention of the golf course staying and the RV resort staying," he later added, when asked about Scratch Golf's long-term commitment to the project, and whether the company's ongoing lawsuit against Beaufort County could alter the planned development.

Scratch Golf sued the county in October, contending it was treated unfairly when it requested a change to Hilton Head National's zoning designation to allow for, among other things, retail development.

In its complaint, Scratch Golf argued that the newly built Bluffton Parkway Flyover had damaged its business.

At a March 2017 town hall meeting, Scratch Golf President Bill Palmer said — in a statement issued through a spokesperson — that the property's “future as a golf course is not sustainable long term ... which is why we are planning to redevelop the land."

In September 2016, Martin Kent, president of Scratch Golf's parent company — the United Company of Bristol, Va. — said operating the course was "no longer sustainable from an economic perspective."

When asked Wednesday if the company's past position — given its current effort to prop up the course with the RV park — would confuse the public, Gardo responded that it would not.

"I don't think it's confusing," Gardo said. "The golf industry has gone through a shakeup just like other industries have."

He added that the owners were "correct" in saying that golf at Hilton Head National was not sustainable — on its own.

When asked if the lawsuit — in which Scratch Golf asks the court to bar the county from halting its development efforts — would affect or change future development plans, Gardo said the planned park and the court battle were "two separate tracks."

"We did get rejected," Gardo said, referring to the county's denial of the proposed re-zoning request. "That's a fact. Let's say we didn't do the lawsuit — we'd still have to find a solution."

Gardo called the RV park "the best-case business solution that fits the property" and said there is "no intention of not building the RV resort once it's approved under the current zoning."

Attorney Jeff Tibbals, representing Scratch Golf, said Monday that his clients were open to a negotiated resolution but were not presently engaged in any formal settlement discussions. He also declined to comment on what potential settlement terms could include.

The park, Gardo said, is intended to increase "everday usage (of the golf course) that will move the numbers up" and offer a "distinct competitive advantage."

He added that the idea is similar to that of a hotel, but with a much lighter footprint on the land.

Plans for the park currently reside with the Beaufort County Community Development Department, and they offer more insight as to it features.

Scratch Golf plans to connect two existing, smaller lagoons to form one large one on the property's south side to assist with stormwater runoff.

"The project also proposes an access entrance onto Malphrus Road, intended as a keycard gated access for guests who have already checked in, primarily used for their towed cars," according to a planning document.

Project documents indicate Scratch Golf began meeting with county officials as early as January.

On Monday, Beaufort County Councilman Rick Caporale — whose district is home to Hilton Head National — said he'd heard rumors of a developing project but was surprised to see Friday's announcement of the RV park.

"I think most people didn't see this coming," Gardo said Monday. "We kept it extremely quiet."

This story was originally published May 3, 2018 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Can an RV park save a controversial Bluffton golf course? Its owners are banking on it."