PALMETTO BLUFF, S.C., January 2025 – The Palmetto Bluff Club is excited to announce the hire of 24-year Class “A” PGA Professional, James Swift, as Director of Golf Club Operations. Following the January 2024 opening of Crossroads, the reversible nine-hole course by acclaimed golf architecture firm, King-Collins Golf Course Design – and the recent announcement of plans for a new 18-hole course by the famed team of Coore & Crenshaw – James is joining the Palmetto Bluff Club team at a very exciting moment for golf at the Lowcountry community.
“James’ extensive experience within the golf world will add another layer of excellence to an already outstanding club. His reputation for hard work, creativity, and fostering a proactive, growth-centric culture, perfectly aligns with our vision for the future of golf at Palmetto Bluff,” said Rob Duckett, President of Operations for South Street Partners.
Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, James has enjoyed a 30-year golf career spanning three states at several prestigious clubs. He graduated from Queens University of Charlotte, where he was a four-year golf team letterman, followed by apprenticeships in the Queen City as an Assistant Golf Professional at Carmel and Myers Park Country Clubs from 1994-1999. This was followed by a position as the Director of Tournament Operations at Pittsburgh’s famed Oakmont Country Club, where James worked under PGA Master Professional, Bob Ford, and earned his PGA Class A Professional Membership in 2001. He moved to the West Coast to serve as Director of Golf at The Santaluz Club in San Diego for seven years before returning to the Carolinas for four years as Director of Golf at the Club at Longview in Charlotte. James then moved to the Lowcountry, first as Director of Golf at Belfair for ten years and then at Sea Pines Country Club for four years.
James and his wife, Calay – who is also a Class A PGA Professional at Moss Creek – are proud parents of their daughter, Delcie, a sophomore at Jacksonville University, and their son Andrew, a Hilton Head High School freshman. When James isn't at work, he enjoys spending time with friends and family at the beach or on the water, trying to catch anything with fins.
The Palmetto Bluff Club is excited for James to extend his broad experience in leading a premier golf operation, overseeing and directing all aspects including hiring, training, developing, and supervising staff; member programming and golf events; managing merchandising; overseeing major capital and club revitalization projects and delivering world-class amenities; food & beverage; providing the membership with a personal and unmatched level of customer service that ensures an exceptional experience for both members and their guests; and forming strong partnerships with the agronomy teams. With golf membership and rounds played at record levels at Palmetto Bluff, James and his team will be vital in supporting and accommodating the growth and future plans of the Palmetto Bluff Club.
About Palmetto Bluff
Palmetto Bluff is in Bluffton, situated between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The largest remaining entitled waterfront property on the East Coast, this extraordinary 20,000-acre community is defined by 32 miles of coastline along three rivers – the May, Cooper, and New. Guided by the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, protecting the land has been integral to Palmetto Bluff’s modern-day development, and its riverfront, Inland Waterway, and extensive nature trails are enriched by wilderness and wildlife. The community features two vibrant village centers, Wilson and Moreland; the private Palmetto Bluff Club which offers exclusive access to a range of best-in-class amenities including the newly renovated Shooting Club, the expansive Wilson Lawn & Racquet Club, a 12-acre working farm, the full-service Wilson Landing Marina, a 9-hole King-Collins reversible course, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course and a new Coore & Crenshaw 18-hole course slated to open in Winter 2025 - 2026; and the Forbes’ Five Star Montage Palmetto Bluff resort. The real estate offerings are as diverse as the land itself – the distinctive estates, homes, cottages, and homesites available at the Bluff are matched only by the wealth of activities enjoyed across its storied terrain. PalmettoBluff.com.
