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Palmetto Dunes Golf: Three Resort Courses

Palmetto Dunes has three 18-hole resort courses, all open to the public and played pay-as-you-go. Golf is not part of your property owners assessment; ask the resort about current membership options if you plan to play often.

Robert Trent Jones Course. The community's original course, from 1969, and its signature: the par-5 10th runs to the edge of the Atlantic, one of only two oceanfront holes on Hilton Head. Wide fairways, big bunkers and the 11-mile lagoon reward position over power, and a 2002 renovation by Jones's protégé Roger Rulewich stretched it past 7,000 yards. Read our guide to the Robert Trent Jones Course.

George Fazio Course. The island's only par-70 public course, from 1974, and for most players the hardest of the three: just two par 5s, long par 4s and elevated, well-guarded greens. It was once listed among Golf Digest's 100 best courses in America. Read our guide to the George Fazio Course.

Arthur Hills Course. Built in 1986 through the Leamington section, it plays a modest 6,651 yards but asks for strategy, with lagoons on 10 holes and a constant ocean breeze. Read our guide to the Arthur Hills Course.

If you want the Arthur Hills at your door, also look at our Leamington community page.

Palmetto Dunes Fees at a Glance

Palmetto Dunes HOA fees are $2,000 a year as of 2026, or about $167 a month. For an oceanfront resort community of 1,826 acres with three championship golf courses, an award-winning tennis center and three miles of private beach, that number surprises people. The reason it is low is structural: Palmetto Dunes is resort-operated, so golf and tennis are paid for as you use them rather than funded by every owner through the assessment.

All figures as of 2026.

What the Palmetto Dunes POA Assessment Covers

PDPOA does not publish a detailed inclusion list, so here is what the community maintains. The assessment funds common infrastructure rather than amenity access, which is the key distinction to understand here.

• Nineteen beach access paths. Serving three miles of private Atlantic beachfront.

• The 11-mile inland lagoon system. The second largest in the United States, along with two freshwater lakes.

• Walkways, bike paths and bridges. Throughout the resort community.

• Guard gates and community security.

• Common area landscaping and upkeep. Across 1,826 acres and more than 2,000 residences.

What Costs Extra in Palmetto Dunes

• Golf. Three championship courses sit inside the community: the oceanfront Robert Trent Jones, the Arthur Hills, and the George Fazio, which is the island's only par-70. All three are resort-operated and played on a pay-as-you-go basis. Your assessment does not include play, and there is no equity membership to buy. For an owner who plays rarely, that structure is an advantage.

• Tennis and pickleball. The Palmetto Dunes Tennis and Pickleball Center has 17 clay courts and 24 pickleball courts. Court time is charged separately.

• Villa regime fees. This is the big one, and the number most often underestimated. Palmetto Dunes contains a large number of separate villa regimes, each setting its own fee. If you buy a villa rather than a house, the regime fee is frequently larger than the $2,000 POA assessment. It varies substantially from one regime to the next and none of them publish centrally.

• Marina slips. Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina has 178 slips for vessels of 30 feet and up, priced separately.

One-Time Fees When You Buy in Palmetto Dunes

Two charges apply at closing and they stack, coming to three quarters of one percent of the sale price between them.

• The community enhancement fee - 0.5% of the sale price. Half of one percent, charged by PDPOA. On a $1.5M purchase that is $7,500. An administrative fee is also charged alongside it; confirm the current amount.

• The Town of Hilton Head Island transfer fee - 0.25% of the sale price. A municipal charge on every island purchase. On a $1.5M home that is a further $3,750.

• Together, 0.75% of the price. About $11,250 on a $1.5M purchase.

Can Palmetto Dunes Fees Change?

PDPOA sets the assessment annually. Because the assessment funds common infrastructure rather than amenities, the things that move it are storm damage, beach path maintenance and lagoon management rather than clubhouse costs. On this stretch of coast that makes the reserve position worth asking about specifically, particularly after an active hurricane season.

What to Verify Before You Buy in Palmetto Dunes

Before you write an offer, here is what I would want confirmed in writing:

• If you are buying a villa: the regime fee, what it covers, and any charge the regime makes at transfer - this is usually the larger number

• The current administrative fee charged alongside the 0.5% enhancement fee

• What the POA assessment covers, and what is charged separately

• The reserve position, particularly for beach paths and lagoon infrastructure

• Whether any special assessment has been levied recently, particularly following storm damage

• Rental rules and registration requirements, since Palmetto Dunes is an active rental market

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the current HOA fees in Palmetto Dunes?

Palmetto Dunes POA fees are $2,000 a year as of 2026, which is about $167 a month or $500 a quarter. If you are buying a villa, expect a separate regime fee on top, and it is often the larger of the two.

Why are Palmetto Dunes POA fees so low?

Because the community is resort-operated. Golf and tennis are paid for as you use them rather than funded by every owner through the assessment, so the POA fee covers common infrastructure such as beach paths, the lagoon system, gates and landscaping rather than amenity access.

Does the Palmetto Dunes fee include golf?

No. The three courses inside the community, the oceanfront Robert Trent Jones, the Arthur Hills and the George Fazio, are resort-operated and played on a pay-as-you-go basis. There is no equity membership to buy, which suits an owner who plays only occasionally.

What is the Palmetto Dunes transfer fee?

A community enhancement fee of 0.5% of the sale price, plus an administrative fee, and the Town of Hilton Head Island's 0.25% transfer fee on top. Together the two percentage charges come to about $11,250 on a $1.5M purchase.

What are villa regime fees in Palmetto Dunes?

Palmetto Dunes contains many separate villa regimes and each sets its own fee, covering things like building insurance, exterior maintenance and pool upkeep. They are not published centrally and vary substantially, so ask for the specific regime's fee for any villa you are considering.

Can Palmetto Dunes HOA fees increase?

Yes. PDPOA sets the assessment annually. The $2,000 figure above is the 2026 amount.

In Palmetto Dunes the POA fee is rarely the number that matters most, particularly if you are looking at villas. Call me and I will get you the full annual picture for the specific property, regime fee included.