Construction on luxury RV park begins at this controversial Bluffton golf course
In the shadow of the Bluffton Parkway flyover, a luxury RV park alongside the Hilton Head National golf course could be open for business in less than two years.
Scratch Golf LLC, the owners of the property, announced Friday that developers had broken ground on the project after receiving final approval from Beaufort County in June.
The resort, which will occupy nearly a third of the 300-acre property, will feature over 300 rental RV stalls, an Olympic-sized pool, a playground, pickleball courts, a dog park, fitness facility and a three-mile trail, according to a news release. The Hilton Head National golf course will remain open.
Friday’s announcement comes after years of controversy and public outcry over what could, or should, be built on the property. Now, more than a year after the company submitted its initial plans to the county, it appears Scratch Golf’s dreams of creating a RV resort are becoming reality.
“We expect our new RV resort will soon be among the top-rated recreational vehicles parks east of the Mississippi because of its strategic location and wide number of preferred guest amenities,” Scratch Golf President Bill Palmer said in a news release. “We are looking to be ready for occupancy in approximately 18 months.”
Because RV facilities are allowed under the county’s existing zoning, the project only needed staff approval and did not have to go before Beaufort County Council.
The golf course, situated along Bluffton Parkway and Malphrus Road, was built in 1989.
In recent years, the owners of Scratch Golf unsuccessfully pushed for a massive new development on the land, featuring retail space, hundreds of apartments and homes and convention and performing arts centers.
The development would have required major infrastructure improvements such as a new public school, fire and police substations and and significant expansions to the county’s transportation network.
Local residents came out strongly against the proposal, citing concerns about Bluffton’s explosive growth, and local leaders eventually voted against it.
Scratch Golf and Beaufort County are still in the midst of a lawsuit stemming from the County Council’s decision to deny a rezoning application for the project.
