The Bluff Spring/Summer 2023

the bluff

Spring / Summer 2023

Nestled in the heart of the Lowcountry, Palmetto Bluffs’ 20,000 acres and 32 miles of coastline are yours to explore. Roam through centuries-old live oaks canopied over Mother Nature’s inspired creations and historical landmarks. Here, the land pulls you towards something familiar and inviting – the discovery that home isn’t just a place to live; it’s a place that makes you feel alive.

THE BEST DISCOVERIES ARE MADE CLOSE TO

18

SUMMER SOIRÉE

Follow along as Executive Chef Rhy Waddington cooks a special summer dinner for the Marshall family.

28

TURKEY TROT

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40

REMAKING MEDAL PLAY

The partners of King-Collins Golf Course Design are reimagining the game of golf with Palmetto Bluff’s new nine-hole, reversible course.

54

RICE STORY

To understand the history of the Lowcountry, we must look to rice and its complicated origins.

64

ART AND THE WISDOM OF TREES

Inspired by an ancient oak, Palmetto Bluff artist Nancy Dwight paints history and nature into her work.

72

TO INSPIRE AND ENRICH LIVES THROUGH ART IN ALL ITS FORMS

A look back at the inaugural year of The Arts Initiative.

80

PALMETTO BLUFF

VERNACULAR

A visionary master plan shaped the architectural identity and authenticity of Palmetto Bluff.

88

WATER WAY

Whether cruising or fishing, Palmetto Bluff’s inland waterway offers a unique look at the landscape and wildlife by boat.

EDITOR AND DESIGNER

Hailey Wist

COPY EDITOR

Sunny Gray

MANAGING EDITOR

Maggie Hackett

PUBLISHER

Palmetto Bluff

CONTRIBUTORS

Joe Armeni

Lawson Builder

Joel Caldwell

Justin Hardy

Barry Kaufman

Patrick O’Brien

Luana Graves Sellars

Lindsey Shorter

Amy Anderson

Alejandra Jimenez Betanzos

Ashlyn Blakenship

Bryan Byrne

Rob Collins

Lucinda Detrich

Olga DiBartolo

Nancy Dwight

Jeff Ford

Stephanie Gentemann

Bill Glavin

SPECIAL THANKS

Lynda Glavin

Justin Hardy

Joe Herring

Will Howard

Ashley Johnson

Koa Johnson

Tad King

Allison Lane

Natalie Lankes

Alexandra Malloy

Paula Mangrini

Matt Marshall

Regan Marshall

Erica Martin

Dashae Middleton

Alejandro Gomez Moran

Mark Permar

Chris Randolph

David Sewell

Rhy Waddington

Jay Walea

Christine Wrobel

UPCOMING EVENTS

Palmetto Bluff Conservancy

Stories from Civil War Savannah

March 22

Palmetto Bluff Club

Anson Cup Golf Tournament

March 27

Palmetto Bluff Conservancy

Lowcountry Raptors

April 7

Palmetto Bluff Club

Easter Carnival

April 9

Songwriters in the Round

Moreland Crossroads

April 22

FLOW FEST

May 20

Palmetto Bluff Club

Summer Wine Dinner

June 12

Palmetto Bluff Club

Stars and Stripes

July 4

Palmetto Bluff Conservancy

Thomas Jefferson

July 5

Palmetto Bluff Conservancy

Sharks of South Carolina

July 26

Palmetto Bluff Club

End of Summer Bash

August 11

Palmetto Bluff Club

Rock the Bluff

September 1

As I spend more time at Palmetto Bluff, learning the land and chatting with residents, the sheer breadth and depth of its history has had a profound effect on me. Writing Art and the Wisdom of Trees (pg. 64), I thought a lot about Nancy Dwight’s angel oak and the centuries that have passed in its lifetime, the people it has shaded, the animals that have found refuge under its canopy. Luana Graves Sellars’ Rice Story (pg. 54) brings a long and complicated history to life, reminders of which still echo throughout the Lowcountry today. And in Palmetto Bluff Vernacular (pg. 80), writer Barry Kaufman explores a more recent history, the thoughtful planning by early visionaries that set the tone for the Palmetto Bluff we know today.

The ethos of the Conservancy is that this is but a moment in time, a single point in a long continuum. It is exciting not only to think of the past— the rich history of this place—but also of the future, how to steward the land responsibly into the unknown. Thank you for your readership. Enjoy!

Hailey Wist | Editor and Designer

The spring and summer months are wonderful at the Bluff. We are excited to open the newly renovated Buffalos restaurant, make progress on the new nine-hole golf course, and continue to enhance our programs and amenities. We hope this brings great joy to the Palmetto Bluff community. Thank you for your readership!

PATRICK, WILL, JORDAN, AND CHRIS SOUTH STREET PARTNERS

CONTRIBUTORS

LINDSEY SHORTER | PHOTOGRAPHER

Lindsey Harris Shorter is a travel and wedding photographer from Charleston, South Carolina. She has been featured in publications such as Brides, Condé Nast Traveler, and Vogue. This past year she became the mother to a baby boy.

JOEL CALDWELL | PHOTOGRAPHER

Joel Caldwell is a photographer and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina. For the past ten years he has been telling conservation stories from around the world with a particular focus on uplifting stories of ecosystem restoration.

JUSTIN HARDY | WRITER

Justin Hardy is a land and wildlife manager turned funeral director. Although he is no longer “in the business” of wildlife management, he remains an avid outdoorsman. There is endless beauty in the natural world, and Justin intends to find it.

BARRY KAUFMAN | WRITER

Barry Kaufman has been writing professionally for twenty years, when he first realized that other vocations involve actual work. He is the owner of local copywriting firm Kaufman Copy and blows minds in Bluffton as host of B-Town Trivia.

LAWSON BUILDER | PHOTOGRAPHER

Lawson Builder is a commercial photographer out of Charleston, South Carolina. His focuses include the outdoors, tradecraft, and food. When he’s not clicking buttons on cameras, you can find him fly fishing or busy in the kitchen.

LUANA GRAVES SELLARS | WRITER

Luana M. Graves Sellars is a cultural influencer and preservationist. Her writing focuses on Gullah culture, history, and people. She writes and produces cultural focused documentaries and is the founder of the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation.

YOUR LIFESTYLE. ELEVATED.

BLUFFTON CHARLESTON PALM BEACH

Best is Our Standard.

Dillard-Jones was founded in 2003 as a family-owned custom home builder with a deep commitment to providing exceptional service with an uncompromising level of integrity.

You can find our custom-crafted homes in just about every high-end luxury gated community around Lake Keowee, Greenville, Asheville, Cashiers, Highlands and the mountains of South Carolina.

Lynda and Bill Glavin

CLUB MEMBERS BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

How did you two meet?

Lynda: I’m from Massachusetts. My first week of work in Boston after graduating from college, I met Bill with some friends at a bar called Clarks. That was forty-one years ago. We got married very young and moved a lot. We have moved ten times!

Bill: I also moved a lot as a kid. My dad worked for IBM—I’ve Been Moved, as we called it. When I got out of college, I went to work for Proctor and Gamble, which we nicknamed Pack Up and Go.

Wow. And you have kids?

Lynda: Three girls and a boy. And eight grandchildren.

Bill: When they all come to visit, we need to rent another house!

How did you find Palmetto Bluff?

Lynda: We had never really spent any time in the Lowcountry. We have a condo in Florida and a summer house on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, so we were looking for a place where we could spend fall and spring. We had several criteria: we wanted to find a place with lots of activities, including golf, but also a vibrant community with lots of other activities. Bill also wanted to be by a racetrack. We looked at Amelia Island, Kiawah Island, and Ford Plantation. This was the last property we saw. We were on the drive in from the gate, about halfway to Wilson Village, and I looked at him and he looked at me.

Bill: She looked at me and said, This is the place. I was just about to say

the exact same thing to her! And we hadn’t even seen a single building yet! It just had this really cool feel.

And did you buy right away?

Lynda: On our next visit our son came with us because he and Bill were racing in Savannah. He loved it and confirmed our feelings about Palmetto Bluff, so we bought an existing house on Greenleaf. That was December of 2011. [Broker-inCharge] Bryan Byrne knew Bill had a passion for cars and that he was thinking of building a storage facility off property. He told us about this lot at Headwaters when it came on the market, and it was perfect for a house and a barn.

Tell me about your racing career. Bill: When I bought my first BMW, a friend of mine told me about a track event where I could take my car and learn how to really drive it and understand car control. When my son was about to get his license, we talked about getting more serious about driving. We ended up buying a race car, which we still have. We started doing driving schools and progressed quickly to getting our race licenses. When he graduated from college, he went to work for Hendrick Motorsports in North Carolina and spent five years building Jimmie Johnson’s, Jeff Gordon’s, and Dale Earnhardt Junior’s race cars. Four years ago, we started our own race team, Jr III Racing. I am a Junior and he is the third. We run a vintage racing

program where our son and I, along with several other customers, race their vintage cars at tracks around the country. Two and a half years ago, we expanded into pro racing in IMSA [International Motor Sports Association], who run the premier road racing series in the country, including the Daytona twenty-four-hour race.

Tell me about your house.

Bill: This property sits on a peninsula and is surrounded by the May River and marshes. When we first bought the property, Jay Walea [Director of the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy] came out to meet with us. He told us that it was one of his favorite places at Palmetto Bluff. The lot had a buildable footprint of roughly two and a half acres, and we built as close as we could to the marsh and the river. The house sits on the end of the peninsula, so we get to watch sunrises in the kitchen and sunsets in the gathering room.

And how do you like living here?

Bill: One of the things we like most about Palmetto Bluff is that we have made many new friends over the past few years, but there are always new interesting people to meet.

Lynda: It’s so magical here. Moving down from New York and its hectic pace, this was a nice change to a slower, more relaxed pace. And there are so many different things to do here, whether it’s sports, music, the arts, or food.

Summer Soirée

CHEF RHY COOKS A SUMMER DINNER WITH THE MARSHALL FAMILY AT PALMETTO BLUFF

RECIPES by EXECUTIVE CHEF RHY WADDINGTON

Experience a Palmetto Bluff summer soirée.

PHOTOS by LINDSEY SHORTER

MATT AND REGAN MARSHALL COMPLETED THEIR HOME IN LATE 2019. FULL-TIME RESIDENTS OF VIENNA, VIRGINIA, THE MARSHALLS AND THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS, CORBIN AND EMERSON, USE THEIR HOUSE AT PALMETTO BLUFF AS A HOLIDAY GETAWAY, AN ESCAPE FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF EVERYDAY LIFE. IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, THEIR TRIPS STRETCH TO WEEKS AT A TIME. ON THIS BREEZY SUMMER EVENING, REGAN’S PARENTS, JIM AND BONNIE, ARE IN TOWN FOR A VISIT AND THE PALMETTO BLUFF CLUB’S EXECUTIVE CHEF RHY WADDINGTON COOKS A DINNER TO REMEMBER.

Carolina Ham and Burrata Salad with Fava Beans and Mint

INGREDIENTS

12 SLICES CHESHIRE HAM (SUBSTITUTE PROSCIUTTO)

3 PCS CHARLOTTE BURRATA

½ CUP COOKED ENGLISH PEAS

½ CUP COOKED FAVA BEANS

½ CUP THINLY SLICED SHALLOTS

½ CUP PICKED MINT LEAVES

½ CUP EVOO

¼ CUP LEMON JUICE

¼ CUP DEHYDRATED OLIVES

Join

DEHYDRATED OLIVES

PLACE KALAMATA OLIVES IN THE OVEN OVERNIGHT ON LOW OR IN A DEHYDRATOR.

TO SERVE

MIX THE ENGLISH PEAS, FAVA BEANS, SHALLOTS, AND MINT LEAVES, THEN DRESS WITH LEMON JUICE AND OLIVE OIL. PLACE THE CHESHIRE HAM ON A WHITE PLATTER AND SPOON THE PEA AND FAVA MIX ON TO THE PLATTER AND TOP WITH SLICED BURRATA. DRESS WITH SEA SALT AND OLIVE OIL AND GARNISH WITH DICED DEHYDRATED OLIVES.

COMBINE THE GARLIC, FISH SAUCE, LIME JUICE, CHILI GARLIC SAUCE, SUGAR, AND WATER IN A SMALL BOWL. MIX WELL. IF THE SAUCE TASTES

TOO SOUR, ADD MORE SUGAR. IF THE SAUCE IS TOO SWEET, ADD MORE LIME JUICE. IF THE FISH SAUCE FLAVOR IS TOO STRONG, ADD MORE WATER. OMIT THE CHILI GARLIC SAUCE IF YOU DON’T WANT A SPICY SAUCE.

Skillet Roasted B-Liner and Nuoc Cham with Sungold Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

6 5-OZ PCS B-LINER SNAPPER

1 PINT SUNGOLD TOMATOES

½ CUP PICKED MINT

½ CUP PICKED CILANTRO

½ CUP SLICED SCALLIONS

½ CUP OF NUOC CHAM

1/8 CUP TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

SEA SALT AND WHITE PEPPER

2 LIMES, HALVED

TO COOK

SEASON THE SNAPPER WITH SALT AND WHITE PEPPER. HEAT A PAN WITH OIL AND ADD THE SNAPPER SKIN SIDE DOWN, THEN PLACE IN A 375-DEGREE OVEN FOR 8 MINUTES. ADD TOMATOES, MINT, CILANTRO, AND SCALLIONS TO A BOWL AND DRESS WITH THE NUOC CHAM SAUCE. PLACE THE TOMATOES ON A PLATTER, TOP WITH THE SNAPPER, ADD THE LIME HALVES, AND SPRINKLE WITH SESAME SEEDS.

RIB-EYE

SET GRILL ON 400-DEGREES.

SEASON STEAK WITH ROSEMARY SALT AND CRACKED PEPPER, THEN PLACE THE STEAK ON THE GRILL AND CHAR EACH SIDE FOR 5 MINUTES. CLOSE THE GRILL AND COOK TO AN INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OF 115-DEGREES. LET REST FOR 10–15 MINUTES.

Tomahawk Steak with Roasted Eggplant and Sweet Corn Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 32-OZ BONE-IN PRIME RIB EYE

ROSEMARY SEA SALT

4 SPRIGS ROSEMARY

2 EGGPLANT

2 POBLANO PEPPERS

2 EARS CORN

2 CLOVES ROASTED GARLIC

1 SMALL RED ONION, DICED

½ CUP OLIVE OIL

½ CUP BASIL LEAVES

½ CUP CILANTRO

¼ CUP RED WINE VINEGAR

12 OZ VERTICAL ROOTS GREENS

ROASTED EGGPLANT

SALSA

ROAST THE POBLANO PEPPERS AND THEN PEEL OFF THE OUTER SKIN. CHARGRILL THE CORN. ONCE COOLED, SLICE OFF THE KERNELS INTO A BOWL. ADD IN THE DICED RED ONION, POBLANO PEPPERS, ROASTED GARLIC, BASIL, CILANTRO, AND OIL AND VINEGAR, THEN SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER AND SET ASIDE.

SCORE THE EGGPLANT AND SEASON WITH SALT, PEPPER, OLIVE OIL, AND ROSEMARY AND GRILL CUT-SIDE DOWN UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. PLACE IN THE OVEN OR ON THE TOP SHELF OF THE GRILL AT 350-DEGREES FOR 25 MINUTES.

TO SERVE

CARVE RIB EYE AND SERVE ON LARGE PLATTER, ACCOMPANIED WITH CHARRED EGGPLANT, POBLANO SALSA, AND FINISH WITH SEA SALT.

Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon and Thyme

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ CUPS BUTTER

ZEST OF 5 LEMONS

3 CUPS THYME SUGAR

¼ CUP SALT

2 TBSP BAKING POWDER

3 CUPS CAKE FLOUR

2 ¼ TBSP VANILLA EXTRACT

12 EGGS

1 ⅜ CUPS LEMON JUICE

2 CUPS BLUEBERRIES

THYME SUGAR

2 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR

30 THYME SPRIGS

REMOVE THE THYME LEAVES AND DISCARD THE STALKS. PROCESS SUGAR AND THYME IN A FOOD PROCESSOR. SET ASIDE UNTIL READY TO USE.

LEMON GLAZE

4 CUPS POWDERED SUGAR

1 CUP LEMON JUICE

MIX THE INGREDIENTS UNTIL COMBINED, THEN SET ASIDE UNTIL READY TO USE.

BUNDT CAKE

CREAM BUTTER, LEMON ZEST, AND SUGAR IN A LARGE BOWL. SIFT THE DRY INGREDIENTS TOGETHER IN A MEDIUM BOWL (SALT THROUGH FLOUR). ADD EGGS AND VANILLA TO THE BUTTER MIXTURE AND CREAM UNTIL WELL COMBINED. NEXT, ALTERNATE ADDING DRY INGREDIENTS AND LEMON JUICE UNTIL MIXED. FOLD IN BLUEBERRIES. BAKE AT 325-DEGREES FOR 60 MINUTES.

TO SERVE

DRIZZLE THE LEMON GLAZE OVER THE CAKE, TOP WITH BLUEBERRIES AND SLICES OF LEMONS. SLICE THE BUNDT CAKE ACCORDING TO THE LINES ON THE CAKE (YOU SHOULD HAVE A BIG LINE AND A SMALL LINE PER SLICE). PLACE A SLICE OF CAKE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PLATE AND A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM BESIDE IT. SERVE IMMEDIATELY.

TURKey TROT

“A lot of people can go out at the right time in the season and make a turkey gobble and come in,” he allows, craning his neck to look at me in the back seat of the Conservancy work truck that former Land and Wildlife Manager Justin Hardy is driving. “But you have an elite few who have spent their lives out in the woods listening to these birds, who understand their intricate whines and whistles.” Walea turns back to the road. “When you learn to speak their language and they accept you as one of their own kind—that’s brilliant.”

Wild turkeys are fascinating birds. While ducks, for example, have limited “hail,” “feeding,” and “confidence” calls, turkey language is an incredibly complex and nuanced assortment of gobbles, yelps, purrs, kee-kees, cackles, drums, and wing thumps. Contrary to popular myth, North America’s largest bird is a strong flier, up to fifty-five miles per hour in short bursts, overnighting in trees, safe from predation. Their heads change colors— from red to blue to white—mirroring their emotions, their eyesight is three times that of humans, and they can see all the colors we do as well as some in the ultraviolet spectrum. Hold a turkey feather in your hand. As you rotate it you’ll notice a slight iridescence of purples, greens, and pinks. But what you cannot fathom is the glorious detail on display to the hypersensitive eye of a turkey.

A gobbler (an adult male turkey) flies down from his roost at dawn and patrols a series of “strut zones,” each maybe a hundred square yards in size. When a tom goes into full strut, he can bring in as many as twenty-five to thirty hens. The challenge for a turkey hunter of Walea’s caliber is to imitate a hen so convincingly, using the turkey’s own language, that he persuades the gobbler to do something he never does in the wild—abandon the adoring attention of his harem to go find this provocative stranger calling from nearby.

Story and Photographs by Joel Caldwell

When I ask Jay Walea, the director of the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy, why he loves hunting turkeys, his response is quick and confident, as if the importance of the turkey was paramount.

The art of calling in a gobbler is held in such high esteem that, according to Walea, it is the skill that defines a good outdoorsman, that which separates the accomplished from the amateur. It’s also what separates turkey killers from turkey hunters. “We don’t run and gun,” Walea tells me, meaning that if they have a turkey gobbling and he’s not responding to their calls, they don’t go after him. “We’re going to stay right there in place and use patience,” Walea says, stepping from the truck into a field of wildflowers. “And at some point during that day, he’s gonna remember that he heard…” Walea pauses a moment before his face lights up with a mischievous grin and continues, “Well, hell, the sexiest thing he ever heard in his life.”

Managing land at Palmetto Bluff for turkeys is about more than just the joy of the hunt. Turkeys are known as an “umbrella species,” meaning that if the turkey is thriving, everything else likely is as well. The diverse habitat and food requirements that must be present to satisfy a rafter of turkeys encapsulates the basic needs of much of the larger ecosystem. In a perfect world, turkeys have access to open grasslands, good forb-producing areas, and woodlands, all in a relatively small geographic range. They need upland mixed pine, but, according to Walea, really adore bottomland hardwood wetlands. “If you have all that in play,” Walea says, plucking a stalk of bushy bluestem from the diverse grasslands through which we walk, “you can’t help but benefit from everything else.”

Palmetto Bluff is roughly the size of the island of Manhattan. Of that twenty thousand acres, Walea and his team currently manage nearly three quarters. Turkeys are the quintessential omnivores, eating everything from acorns and a variety of nuts, to seeds, small reptiles, large insects, snails, and slugs. They also love plant foliage, especially tender young shoots and leaves. “We’ve found that to produce the maximum amount of bug protein you need to promote diverse, early successional plant habitat,” Hardy tells me. The Conservancy staff accomplishes this in two ways. In

the late winter, grassy meadows are plowed with a disk harrow on the back of a tractor. This releases the seed bank, generating new growth and preventing the next successional stage of pines, sweetgums, bushes, and shrubs. They also annually burn two thousand acres on one-, two-, and three-year rotations. Turkeys thrive in relatively open, recently disturbed areas, so a more hands-off approach, allowing meadows to become denser woodlands, would mean fewer turkeys.

The next time you see a gaggle of turkeys feeding at the Bluff, notice that one or two in the group will always have their heads up. That’s because turkeys have extremely powerful eyesight, and they trade off lookout responsibility as they feed. At birth, hatchlings immediately key in on their mother’s call, but unlike other gallinaceous, ground-feeding birds, turkeys also pay close attention to each other’s eyes. When a predator approaches and the adult hen makes the “putt” alarm call, all the turkeys in the flock will look at her. If her eye is looking up, they instantly know it’s an avian predator like a great horned owl or red-tailed hawk, and they’ll break and run. If the eye is looking level, they’ll fly to avoid a ground predator like a bobcat or coyote.

While the turkey season in South Carolina begins in March, the Conservancy waits until the second week of April for all guided hunts at Palmetto Bluff. This ensures that as much breeding as possible has successfully taken place, removing hunters as a limiting factor on turkey reproductive success. In addition, new research coming from the University of Georgia challenges the long-held belief that harvesting the largest, most dominant tom creates an opportunity for subdominant males to reestablish the pecking order. On the contrary, research shows that if the dominant tom is killed after the spring pecking order is established, none of the subordinate birds will breed. “If you’re a good hunter, you’re good at harvesting those big adult toms,” Hardy tells me. “But then there’s no breeding year after year, and you start to see a nosedive in the population. This science informs how we hunt at the Bluff.”

The next time you see a gaggle of turkeys feeding at the Bluff, notice that one or two in the group will always have their heads up. That’s because turkeys have extremely powerful eyesight, and they trade off lookout responsibility as they feed.

LEARN MORE

Learn how the Conservancy works every day to maximize our natural resources.

We load into the truck and leave the meadow. The October morning sun shines gently through the trees as we drive along gravel roads dusted in pine straw. Back at the shop, Hardy and Walea pull out their turkey hunting kits. Turkey calls—more specifically, pot calls, scratch boxes, friction calls, and diaphragms—half antique toys and half obscure musical instruments by the looks of them, spill across the table. One, made of wood, is hinged and makes a whine when opened and closed. Another is made of cherry topped with hard glass. Scratching its surface just so with a corresponding wooden dowel, produces, against all odds, a peculiarly birdlike yelp. “Now, there’s two notes in that yelp,” Hardy tells me. “It’s an “E-ya! E-ya!” And if you don’t get that second note, you sound like an idiot and the turkeys won’t come.”

These bizarrely specific instruments are as important to the turkey hunter as is his shotgun—analogous to the fly-fisher’s fly—but may take a lot more practice and precision to perform. What I enjoy the most is witnessing the pleasure these grown men, extremely knowledgeable and dedicated land and wildlife stewards, derive from these bits of wood and glass. It’s as if they speak another language, initiated into the mysteries of the turkey.

the Outdoorsman

BY JUSTIN HARDY

The night was cloudy and shrouded with a heavy fog. No stars. No moon. Only a black, impenetrable darkness and a gnawing chill. Three faces are illuminated by the light of a fire. As they pick the dried blood from underneath their fingernails, they tell stories of the successful hunt just hours earlier. Now that the work of cleaning meat is done, they are free to discuss it.

The hunting story, and the telling thereof, is timeless. Most hunters, fishermen, and outdoorsmen are exquisite storytellers. It’s a necessity. Hunters experience some amazing things, most often alone. And if they wish to share that experience, details are everything. Articulating details is an art form shared across generations.

Mind you, not all hunting stories are created equal. Some hunts are downright boring. Some hunters are downright boring. That’s just the way it is. Some hunts and hunters are the opposite. Lots of action! Big gestures! Twists and turns! They’re all respectable.

Hunt and hunter aside, the type of game is crucial. Doves and quail are simple. You’ll hear how many are in the bag, how the birds flew, how wonderful it is to watch a dog work, and how everyone was shooting that day. That’s about it.

Ducks are a bit more detailed. You’ll likely hear about the different species in the bag and the rare species that didn’t decoy or were missed. Whether or not the rare species was actually present is generally

speculated by the audience as the storyteller moves away. “That guy wouldn’t know a canvasback if it bit him in the ass!”

Deer hunting stories can vary widely. Sometimes it’s a simple, “I didn’t see anything; they must be laid up” scenario. If the deer do show up, expect a detailed description of each one, when and how it showed up, and what the hunter did when it got there. The story usually ends when the trigger is pulled, unless there were some quirks in the blood trailing process. Missed shots almost always come with a myriad of excuses no one deems acceptable even though they (the audience) have made similar mistakes in the not-so-distant past.

Turkey hunting stories are the pinnacle. Don’t ask how a turkey hunt went unless you are prepared for a drawn-out saga. I have personally been witness to turkey hunting stories that last the better part of an hour. Turkey hunts are dynamic and so the finer notes are major notes. Every bird call, turkey or otherwise, will be laid out and likely mimicked with fluency. If the hunt was unsuccessful, there will be a long list of reasons why. The birds weren’t talking. It was too windy. He was “henned” up. The list goes on for miles. If the hunt was a success, it was due to sheer talent and prowess (or so they say). Regardless of outcome, they end with, “Hell of a hunt!” Everyone agrees.

Most fishing stories are lies. We’re all okay with that.

Introducing

HUSH

A modern take on the speakeasy, Hush is Palmetto Bluff’s new go-to for craft cocktails and a lounge experience. Located in the cellar of River House, Hush features a billiards room, a dark and intimate bar setting, and late-night offerings. The furnishings reflect the grays and deep browns of the upstairs dining experience but somehow play softer and more atmospheric in the subterranean hideaway. Once comfortably settled, guests will enjoy perusing the exceptionally unique menu. The bartenders create their own personalized cocktails list, ever changing with the seasons. Ingredients are often local, mixed and bottled by the Hush mixologist. Come by for a drink, or two, and lose yourself in the magic.

THE BILLIARDS ROOM IS A NOD TO CELEBRITY PLAYERS OF THE PAST, WITH VINTAGE PHOTOS OF FRANK SINATRA, ELIZABETH TAYLOR, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., AND OTHER STARS.

Somehow you feel even closer when you have more space.

A life well-lived means time connecting with yourself, others and nature. Montage Palmetto Bluff offers a relaxing retreat for your family and friends. A holistic space for connectivity with nature, fitness, nutrition, and spa options curated just for you. A soul-full escape.

On location at Montage Palmetto Bluff

MEDAL PLAY REMAKING

STORY by HAILEY WIST

PHOTOGRAPHS by LAWSON BUILDER

PHOTO BY PATRICK O’BRIEN

I MEET ROB COLLINS AT PALMETTO BLUFF ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON IN LATE OCTOBER. WE PARK OUR CARS IN THE DENSE SHADE OF LOBLOLLY PINE, AND THE DIRT ROAD IS QUIET BUT FOR THE LOW THROB OF CICADAS. COLLINS IS ONE HALF OF KING-COLLINS GOLF COURSE DESIGN OUT OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE. WILL HOWARD, PALMETTO BLUFF’S SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, PULLS UP A FEW MOMENTS LATER. THE THREE OF US START OFF ON A SANDY PATH THAT LEADS TO A LARGE OPEN FIELD, THE SITE OF PALMETTO BLUFF’S FUTURE NINE-HOLE COURSE.

Collins met Tad King in 2006, working on a golf course in Florida. They quickly discovered a mutual philosophy for architecture and started dreaming up a new model for course design. Collins went on to work with Gary Player in Canada while King worked in the Middle East, and it wasn’t until 2010 that the two formally partnered. Their proving ground was Sweetens Cove in Tennessee. They took the flat and featureless course and shaped it into an imaginative nine-hole wonder. Since opening in 2014, Sweetens Cove has achieved cult status and celebrity recognition. King-Collins has been catapulted into the upper echelon of course design, bidding against signature firms for high-profile projects. They have a course near completion in Lubbock, Texas, and just completed Landmand Golf Club in Nebraska. In addition to Palmetto Bluff, they are working on another private course in South Carolina and a project north of Nashville, Tennessee. Needless to say, King-Collins is in high demand.

“The design-build model is pretty rare,” says Howard as we walk the grassy perimeter of the field. “It cuts out the middleman and becomes a seamless operation.” Indeed, the design-build model was virtually unheard of when King and Collins got together. Traditionally, a designer bids out construction and there’s a complicated triumvirate: client, designer, and construction firm. If

THE REVERSIBLE COURSE IS A FEAT OF ARCHITECTURE. TO DESIGN A COURSE THAT PLAYS WELL FROM BOTH DIRECTIONS WITH EQUAL AMOUNTS OF VARIETY AND RISK IS NO SMALL TASK. AND THAT’S PROBABLY WHY THERE AREN’T MORE. ST. ANDREWS IN SCOTLAND IS REVERSIBLE, THOUGH FEW HAVE EVER PLAYED THE “LEFT-HAND” CIRCUIT. THE CONCEPT IS ACTUALLY AN OLD ONE, WHEN GOLF WAS PERHAPS A BIT LESS PRECIOUS, A BIT MORE PLAYFUL.

ROUTING A

ROUTING A TEES OFF NEAR THE CLUBHOUSE AND IS HIGHLIGHTED BY THE STUNNING SHORT PAR THREE, FOURTH AND THE DRIVABLE NINTH, WHICH WILL DECIDE MANY MATCHES IN A THRILLING FASHION.

ROUTING B

ROUTING B WILL GIVE GOLFERS THE ABILITY TO PLAY THE COURSE IN REVERSE. WANDERING THROUGH THE DUNES IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, WHILE PLAYING TO THE MASSIVE GREENS REMINDS PLAYERS THAT THIS IS A ONE-OF-AKIND LOWCOUNTRY EXPERIENCE!

anybody wants to change anything, then the contractor requires a change order, the client writes more checks, and the designer is in the middle trying to keep everyone happy. King and Collins wanted to do away with all of that. “It was a very dysfunctional way to try to deliver a golf course,” King explains over the phone. “We said, You know what? We don’t need that. Let’s just design and build it on our own, and we can eliminate all these headaches.” And so King-Collins was born, pioneering the full-service design-build model.

“Rob and Tad have such a refreshing take on golf,” says Chris Randolph of South Street Partners. “We’ve really come to understand their creativity.” King likes to fly by the seat of his pants, extemporizing as they work. Collins is the scholar, a student of history and design. But there is a lot of overlap, and the two share a kind of ground-up approach. Working with their own tightknit construction crew, King and Collins design in the field, adjusting and reacting to a site in real time. “We like to work with guys who have a lot of imagination and can work off the back of a napkin,” says King. This organic and collaborative process reflects a real creative confidence. King and Collins aren’t relying on staid process or style; they are improvising and collaborating within a team.

Collins squats down at the edge of the field, laying out the course for me in the sandy soil. He explains the mechanics of the reversible course, nine holes that will play front to back and back to front. Although that is not entirely true. Both King and Collins share a particular fondness for routing. So it’s not that each hole will play strictly reversible, but it will be a bit more loose and scrambled with creative twists and turns in the routing. “The goal is to cram as much interest and variety into this fifty-acre landscape as possible,” Collins says. “With a reversible course, members have a golf course that won’t play the same way from one day to the next.”

The reversible course is a feat of architecture. To design a course that plays well from both directions with equal amounts of variety and risk is no small task. And that’s probably why there aren’t more. St. Andrews in Scotland is reversible, though few have ever played the “left-hand” circuit. The concept is actually an old one, when golf was perhaps a bit less precious, a bit more playful. “It needs to be fun,” says King. “If you’re going to do a reversible course, one direction should have a completely different feel than the other direction.” The conditions, the entire character of the course changes in reverse. Ideally, a course played in reverse is an entirely different game. “I think the best golf courses teach you a new lesson each time,” Collins says. “It should never feel stale or stagnant.”

At approximately 3,100 yards, the course will boast two par fives, two par threes, and five par fours of varying distance. “There will be some legit par fives. The longest hole might play at 550,” says Collins. “It’s real golf.” I joke that the course sounds a lot more planned out than he initially let on, and Collins laughs. “We know where the holes are generally going to be,” he says. “But we have to see how this thing is going to come out of the ground.” The site is almost all sand, which, Collins explains, is ideal for shaping, drainage, and the kind of turf conditions they hope to achieve. Looking around at the rectangular field we’ve just walked, I’m struck by how utterly flat the land is—a true Lowcountry canvas.

King and Collins start with a basic sketch of the layout. Once the trees are cleared, they start making large rough cuts, shaping the land into dunes and valleys, and playing with elevation. At its lowest point, the site is about ten feet above sea level, at its highest, nearly thirty. The fun part will be contouring the highs and lows of the course, quite literally playing with dirt The team works from macro to micro, refining as they work. “We get general landforms in place so we can

begin to react—to shift this green here, shift that tee there,” Collins explains. “We get the nuts and bolts in place, and then eventually we’re adjusting the greens a fraction of an inch.” This process of refining requires the team to learn the land, to know it, quite literally, backwards and forwards. “There is going to be a lot of walking for me and Tad,” laughs Collins. “Normally you walk the course one direction, and you don’t need to worry about the reverse. But we need to make each hole just as compelling coming back from the opposite direction.”

“We are really aligned in our thinking about golf,” says Randolph. “We want to make it more accessible,

more fun and a little less stuffy.” And that really is the King-Collins signature. They want the game to be challenging but not punishing, risky but gettable. Their style is, at its core, playful. And, whereas an eighteenhole course usually has around 100,000 square feet of greens, this short course will boast nearly 130,000. Larger greens allow more variability for pin placement. Depending on pin placement and the direction, the course can play in endless iterations.

For Howard, the new course is another opportunity to innovate, to create connectivity for residents. As part of the new master plan, Howard and his team are executing an impressive expansion of the inland waterway, part of which will extend to run adjacent to the new course. Members will be able to dock their boats and walk up to the clubhouse. Working with Hart Howerton, King-Collins will naturalize the bank of the waterway, undulating height and adding in grassy islands and native plants so the bank looks organic.

Keeping with this holistic approach, King and Collins also place a lot of importance on how the course will connect with the community at large. “How the golf course blends into the other parts of the community is super important,” says Collins. Though it is still in the early stages of planning, the area around the course will be an activity hub with a sports center, pickleball courts, recreation fields, and swimming pools. In addition to the boat dock, there will be a pedestrian path that winds through the course.

The course is expected to open late 2023. King and Collins certainly have their work cut out for them. I say as much as we walk back to the road and Collins laughs. “If I couldn’t do this, I don’t know what I would do,” he says. “This is just really fun for me. It’s not even really work.” So says the artist.

Redefining Wellness

JEFF FORD DIRECTOR OF FITNESS AND WELLNESS

Jeff Ford has built his life around wellness. In his twenties, Jeff was an endurance runner, competed in three Ironman triathlons, and qualified for the Boston Marathon. During this time, he traveled all over the United States and internationally with Power Speed Endurance, giving talks on endurance training and running mechanics. He was the fitness director of Hilton Head Health and manager of Conviction Training Facility. Most recently he was the executive director at Skyterra, a holistic wellness retreat center located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Jeff and his wife, Lindsay, were part of the original team there, building the awardwinning wellness program from the ground up.

At Palmetto Bluff, Jeff plans to bring the same comprehensive approach to wellness programming. His philosophy addresses all facets of wellness: mind, body, and soul. With a consortium of trainers, instructors, dietitians, therapists, and doctors, he is building an evidence-based program for shifting mental, emotional, and physical habits. This new wellness program is defined by variety, intimacy, and an emphasis on education. Data collection, nutrition plans, training, and small classes are structured to give members individual attention and coaching. A breadth of variety—indoor and outdoor, mild to intense—is a core tenet of the program. His vision redefines the private club wellness model, and his team plans to bring unparalleled programming to the member experience.

PHOTOS BY LAWSON BUILDER AND HAILEY WIST

FOUR PILLARS

THE NEW FITNESS PROGRAM AT PALMETTO BLUFF IS DEFINED BY FOUR CORE PILLARS: NUTRITION, FITNESS, PLAY, AND MINDFULNESS.

NUTRITION

Dietitian Lindsay Ford is available for private sessions, providing members with coaching, personalized nutrition plans, and recipes. In bimonthly seminars, Ford discusses eating free of restriction and deprivation and connecting through shared meals. Over time, the nutrition program will collaborate with club restaurants on healthy offerings, calorie counts, and take-home recipes.

FITNESS

The Club now offers comprehensive wellness screenings to help members understand the full picture of their weight, body composition, strength, conditioning, breathing, mobility, and balance. Periodic body composition analysis helps to build data as well as mental momentum, with a fuller picture of fitness over time. The goal of this pillar is to create a functional ability to complete activities of daily life. The program hosts a physical therapist every quarter who will work on injuries, strength imbalances, and issues with mobility. Jeff puts an emphasis on instructors, recruiting the best and brightest while creating a team-first mentality. Classes include everything from spin to strength training, yoga to Zumba, and everything in between.

PLAY

Palmetto Bluff is the perfect place to recreate outdoors, and play integrates fitness, relationships, and fun. The wellness program will facilitate social events and create groups for ballroom dancing, running, biking, swimming, and stand up paddle boarding. Programming throughout the year includes holidaythemed workout classes, the Turkey Trot 5K around Thanksgiving, and the inaugural PB Games in April 2023, with a combination of pickleball, obstacle course racing, and a relay PB Strong-style workout.

MINDFULNESS

Mental and emotional well-being is not only fundamental to happiness and fulfillment but also critical to the long-term success of physical transformation. The annual wellness seminar schedule includes talks on mental health, such as stress management, sleep, and how to change habits. Classes such as yoga, pilates, breathing, and meditation help members incorporate mindfulness into their everyday lives, which has proven to dramatically reduce stress and anxiety, creating a calm mind and a positive outlook.

EXPLORE THE CLUB

Learn more about the Palmetto Bluff Club.

CLASSES

YOGA | CHAIR YOGA | YOGALATES

BARRE | PILATES | MEDITATION

PB STRONG | COUNTRY LINE DANCING

PB RESET | CYCLING | ZUMBA | HITT

CYCLING AND STRENGTH | BREATHWORK

WATER AEROBICS | STRENGTH TRAINING

LOCATIONS

MORELAND MOVEMENT STUDIO

MORELAND STRENGTH + CARDIO ROOM

CANOE CLUB FITNESS CENTER

THE LODGE FITNESS CENTER

Private training available

INTRODUCING BEHIND THE BLUFF PODCAST

Connect with experts on a range of topics—from nature and conservation to Lowcountry culture and outdoor pursuits. Behind the Bluff will explore what it takes to establish wellness, community, and consistency in everyday life. Coming soon!

RICE

STORY

STORY by LUANA GRAVES SELLARS

SOMETIMES THE SMALLEST THING CAN TIP THE TIDES OF HISTORY. DURING THE COLONIAL ERA, THE CULTIVATION OF A SINGLE, TINY GRAIN SHAPED THE GEOGRAPHY AND ECONOMY OF THE LOWCOUNTRY FOR CENTURIES TO COME: RICE. YET, TO ACCURATELY CHRONICLE THE HISTORY OF THE REGION, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE STORY OF THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE, ONE OF INCREDIBLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. SLAVE LABOR AND WEST AFRICAN TECHNOLOGICAL FARMING TRADITIONS SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SOUTHEASTERN COLONIES, AND LATER, THE NATION. THE INCREDIBLE SUCCESS OF RICE IN AMERICA RESTS LARGELY ON THE SHOULDERS OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE.

Yet, the history and significance of rice is often forgotten and overshadowed by the “Cotton is King” era that followed in the nineteenth century. Rice cultivation in Colonial America created the vast wealth that built the affluence, influence, and political clout that South Carolina and much of the southeastern states enjoyed. It was this wealth that bore and bred several constitution signers.

Early in the 1700s, the British crown demanded that South Carolina colonies grow rice and indigo (the latter, primarily to dye uniforms). These alternating crops precipitated the need for increased and continuous streams of labor. Harvest after harvest, attempts at farming rice failed until West African enslaved labor and farming technologies arrived in the Lowcountry.

Slave traders began to search for specific skills in the slaves they captured. They deliberately sought West Africans who were highly educated and well-versed in cultivating rice, and paramount was the type of engineered farming necessary for it to thrive. The value of this knowledge increased output, demand, and purchase price.

South Carolina’s coastline, with its Sea Islands, has the perfect topography and temperature for rice. In the early 1700s, Charleston, Beaufort, and Georgetown Counties were the primary rice growing regions. But as the tremendous profits

PREVIOUS SPREAD: SLAVES ABOARD A SLAVE SHIP BEING SHACKLED BEFORE BEING PUT IN THE HOLD. A WOODEN ENGRAVING BY JOSEPH SWAIN | CIRCA 1835 TOP LEFT: PLANTATION SLAVES CARRYING RICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA | FROM THE ROBERT N. DENNIS COLLECTION TOP RIGHT: “AUNT BRANSOM,” A VENERABLE EXSLAVE ON A SOUTH CAROLINA RICE PLANTATION | SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE, JEAN BLACKWELL HUTSON

RESEARCH AND REFERENCE DIVISION | THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY | 1874 BOTTOM: SLAVE SALE, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA | SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE, PHOTOGRAPHS AND PRINTS DIVISION | THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY | 1856

became evident, rice fields stretched from southern North Carolina to northern Florida. By the late 1700s, Georgetown County was the largest producer of rice in the world.

Carolina Gold rice was the ubiquitous strain for nearly two centuries. A long-grain rice with a golden hue, the original plants come from Africa. A unique blend of soil and freshwater lends itself to the rich, nutty scent and flavor. Eventually, Carolina Gold became the world’s standard for quality, and the increased demand led to pressure for increased production. A combination of wealth, location, and free labor commenced the plantation era. As a direct result, Charleston’s harbor became the most active slave port in the United States.

Rice requires continuous moisture and intermittent flooding, often to a foot or more in depth. In West Africa, water was controlled by hollowing out a large tree, similar to a natural pipe system, to block or release water flow, like a floodgate. Enslaved people brought this technology to the Lowcountry, and it developed into what is called the “rice trunk.” Farms still use these water management systems today.

The entire process of cultivation was extremely dangerous. Laborers had to clear huge cypress and gum trees that grew up to eight feet in diameter and had a thick, condensed root base. Clearing a field could take up to seven years. Enslaved people prepared the soil and harvested by hand, often in deep, swampy water. They commonly encountered alligators and poisonous snakes. And after they readied the land for

RICE CULTURE ON THE OGEECHEE, NEAR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA | SKETCHED BY A.R. WAUD | WOOD ENGRAVING | 1828-1891 ARTIST | LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

cultivation, they had to construct elaborate irrigation systems. Ringworm, severe skin ailments, malaria, and yellow fever were rampant. Death was common in these dreadful conditions and fueled a constant turnover of laborers.

Slave labor was divided by gender, similar to West African tradition. Men cleared the swampy fields of cypress and gum trees, built trenches, and manned rice trunks. Women protected and planted the seeds with their bare feet, harvested the crops, and separated the husk from the grain. Even very young children worked, banging pots to scare away birds.

Tens of millions of pounds of rice were produced in the Lowcountry each year for nearly two centuries.

The rice story is a vital chapter in American history. Today, the Lowcountry’s lush landscapes often include wide expanses of open terrain, which in more cases than not, are abandoned rice fields that were cleared tree by tree by the hands of enslaved men.

AFRICAN AMERICAN WORKERS ON CAPE FEAR RIVER RICE PLANTATION, NORTH CAROLINA | WOOD ENGRAVING | LIBRARY OF CONGRESS | 1866

Coastal Clay by West Fraser Oil on linen panel, 14 x 11 in.

ART AND

THE WISDOM OF TREES

Old trees radiate a kind of power, a presence. Much is made over the wisdom of trees, the metaphor of the seed that grows into the tree, the relationships between trees. But standing in the shade of an ancient tree, you can actually feel it. The live oak in Nancy Dwight’s backyard in the May River Forest neighborhood is one such tree. It is a sight to behold, its low arms dipping back into the earth and growing skyward again. Resurrection ferns grow from its shoulders, and soft shafts of light filter through its canopy.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORY BY HAILEY WIST

For Nancy, it has always been about the tree. She says this again and again in our various conversations about life, art, and history. The Dwights bought their two lots for this tree; they built their house around it. Indeed, Nancy’s paintings and everything she holds true about place, people, and art is somehow connected back to this tree. Nancy is an accomplished oil painter and former member of the Palmetto Bluff Arts Commission, a precursor to the Artists of the Bluff. But before that she had a long and successful career as a politician, policy maker, and analyst.

organized room over the garage. She is gearing up for a show, and paintings are displayed on easels and leaning against the walls. The room had been used for storage, she tells me, until—like everything else in Nancy’s life—her painting career took off.

Nancy Sinnott Dwight was raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Her family moved east in time for her first year at Wheaton College in 1968, a time of national strife and international unrest. The war raged in Vietnam, and protests were erupting in cities across the world. The summer before her junior year, she worked on the Massachusetts governor’s campaign. (She met Don Dwight that summer, though the two would not reconnect for another decade.) It was this time at Wheaton and her work in state politics that activated Nancy. By age twenty, she knew she wanted to work in public policy. Things accelerated quickly, and five years later Nancy was elected vice chair of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee. It was a public role, and she was catapulted into state and eventually national politics, most notably as the executive director of the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington, D.C.

I visit Nancy at home in early November. I am catching the Dwights in a quiet moment amidst a flurry of holiday trips and events. I arrive in the late afternoon, and we ascend a narrow set of stairs to her studio, a cozy, well-

In 1982 Nancy married Don and they had two children. They lived in Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, and finally back to Massachusetts in their long and successful political and communications careers. For nearly thirty years, they moved through life at this breakneck speed, creating a vast network of

Cloud Explosion | Oil on Canvas | 22 x 28

Nancy often starts a painting en plein air, bringing small studies back to her studio to ponder over and perhaps paint again. Her paintings have a serene quality, mostly marsh scapes with dramatic skies, vast puffy clouds.

colleagues and friends, a large family, and an impressive body of work. Throughout all of this, since her days at Wheaton, Nancy doodled and sketched. It was never more than a personal hobby, taking a Saturday class here and there to unwind from the week.

no oils, no brushes, no canvas—only a picture of what she wanted to paint. But the first class lit her on fire. Groves was encouraging; he told her to stick with it. And she did. She started painting all the time.

The Dwights first visited Palmetto Bluff in 2009. Nancy had seen the May River Golf Course on the cover of a magazine and felt drawn to it. Their first visit was magical. “We felt like we had come to paradise,” she remembers. “It was the air, the light.” They stayed at the old Inn and rode their bikes, played golf, and took walks. By the end of the weekend, they had bought a lot. They made no immediate plans and returned to Boston. But the Lowcountry kept calling, and the Dwights continued to visit. Over the next few years, they found what can best be described as a political diaspora coming and going from Palmetto Bluff and the surrounding area. In this way it felt like home, it felt like they could find a real community to belong to. They completed construction on their home in 2012 and moved in permanently three years later. Don wanted to pen a memoir, and Nancy could finally turn her attention to her secret love of art. And after a full-tilt career, she wanted something to throw herself into intensely. She attended a backyard painting class with friend and longtime Palmetto Bluff member Sally Hickman. Sally brought artist and teacher Chris Groves from Charleston for weekly classes. Nancy had

I watch as Nancy squeezes tubes of paint onto a palette, each measure of color gleaming. She applies paint to canvas as we talk, the scratch scratch of her brushes a pleasant undertone to our conversation. Nancy often starts a painting en plein air, bringing small studies back to her studio to ponder over and perhaps paint again. Her paintings have a serene quality, mostly marsh scapes with dramatic skies, vast puffy clouds tinged pink and peach. “It’s an emotional experience,” she says. “How I paint depends on who I am that day, the kind of day it is. When I bring it back into the studio, I’m haunted by it. I’m always thinking about it.”

When I ask her about the importance of art, Nancy is quiet for a moment. “A good community has quality art,” she says thoughtfully. “I think history and art are so essential to understanding anything. People used to ask me how to best learn who to vote for, and I always said they should know the history of their community. I feel the same way about art. It’s a sense of place.” The art of this place, Nancy explains, is pulled out of the land, light, and water. And it’s as if, by painting it, she is paying homage to place—its people, its history, its natural beauty. “It’s the tree. It is as strong and magnificent as ever at three hundred years old. I think a lot about what was going on here three hundred years

The art of this place, Nancy explains, is pulled out of the land, light, and water. And it’s as if, by painting it, she is paying homage to place—its people, its history, its natural beauty.

ago.” As I contemplate her various paintings around the room, it strikes me that they indeed feel timeless, as if they could have been painted hundreds of years ago.

I follow Nancy from the studio, through the house, and onto a raised brick patio. We gaze out at the oak. The whole house, I realize, is like an amphitheater, a rambling series of gracious rooms with high windows that all look out onto this tree. And while it is revered, it is also lived in. The Dwights host parties under its canopy, and their many grandchildren climb its gnarled branches to wide sitting places at its center. It is their tree, like a member of the family. Nancy has the tree expertly pruned every three years, and arborists have installed a metal cable through the canopy to help support its aging weight.

I walk the perimeter as Nancy sets up her easel, ties a bandana around her neck, and gets to work. Because most branches reach the ground, the canopy creates a kind of room, a fairy-tale echo chamber. I think again about the life of this tree, the storms it has weathered, the people it has shaded. And now Nancy and her family. I see she is working on an underpainting of the tree, roughing in the dark masses of its shade, the glints of light that break through its leaves. It’s all there, art and nature, history and people.

Morning Fire | Oil on Canvas | 30 x 24

TO INSPIRE AND ENRICH LIVES THROUGH ART IN ALL ITS FORMS

THROUGHOUT 2022, THE ARTS INITIATIVE HOSTED A MYRIAD OF DIVERSE WORKSHOPS, CONCERTS, OUTDOOR DEMONSTRATIONS, DINNERS, AND FESTIVALS. FOUNDED TO INSPIRE AND CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL CANON OF THE LOWCOUNTRY, THE ARTS INITIATIVE HAS SPARKED AN EXTRAORDINARY DIALOGUE BETWEEN PLACE AND PEOPLE, ART AND NATURE. HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT THE 2022 CALENDAR AND THE BRILLIANT COLLECTIVE OF TALENTED ARTISTS THAT ENRICHED THE PALMETTO BLUFF EXPERIENCE.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HAILEY WIST, PATRICK O’BRIEN, AND JOE ARMENI

FLOW FEST | BOATHOUSE ROW

The five-day celebration of The Arts Initiative launch culminated along the May River at the first ever FLOW FEST. Natty Grass and Town Mountain jammed on stage while an artisan market showcased pieces by artists from FLOW Gallery + Workshop, as well as past and present Artists in Residence.

2022 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE | 2022

The Arts Initiative at Palmetto Bluff was founded to inspire and enrich our community through art, in all its forms. At the heart of this initiative is a robust and immersive Artist in Residence program. Each month, Palmetto Bluff hosts a visiting artist, craftsman, musician, maker, writer, or chef. By inviting the community to take part in creation, to pull inspiration from our unique natural environment, we hope to cultivate a deep connection between people and place through art. In April, painter and musician Shannon Whitworth hosted painting workshops and dazzled members on stage with her husband and Grammy-winner Woody Platt. Brandon Price of Blown Studios visited the Bluff in May. He hosted three hands-on workshops where attendees formed one-of-a-kind pieces from molten glass. In July, Ben Ross of Charleston-based Brackish helped members and guests craft their own

accessories with feathers and other natural materials. In August, members brought heirloom items to custom hat making workshops with Mary Landrum Pyron of ML Provisions. Blakely Little was our Artist in Residence for September and led several painting workshops, one of which took place en plein air on the May River. In October, Charleston Poet Laureate Marcus Amaker visited Palmetto Bluff. His residence kicked off with a reading in the May River Chapel and was followed by two days of poetry workshops. Teresa Roche was our visiting artist in November. She led collaging workshops for adults and children during her four-day stay. In December, Caroline Harper of CHI Design visited the Bluff and hosted three specialized textile workshops where attendees learned the intricacies of working with indigo. Needless to say, it was a fantastic inaugural year for The Arts Initiative’s Artist in Residence Program. 2023 promises to be another fantastic year of art at the Bluff!

FIELD + FIRE

FIELD + FIRE

The 2022 Field + Fire event kicked off with a sporting clays competition benefiting the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy. Shots echoed through the dense maritime forest into the late morning. By lunchtime a winning foursome had emerged. After the tournament, guests sat down for lunch with Chef Orchid Paulmeier and live music, followed by a trick shooting demonstration. Throughout the day, attendees bounced between equestrian, fly casting, and dog training demonstrations, while Artist in Residence Marcus Amaker led a poetry workshop at FLOW Gallery + Workshop. The headline event for 2022’s Field + Fire was dinner under the stars and a performance by Drive-By Truckers. Executive Chef Rhy Waddington was joined by James Beard award-winner Justin Devillier, Chef Kevin Getzewich, and Chef Anne White to create an innovative five-course dinner. The next morning, Master Falconer Adam Hein led an intimate group through Palmetto Bluff’s mixed pine forest, hunting with a Harris hawk and two dogs. The dogs pointed and flushed a pheasant, and the hawk overtook the bird a couple hundred yards away. It was an impressive feat of coordination and training.

HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET

Over forty local artisans and makers set up shop for our Holiday Artisan Market. By the time the market opened at noon, shoppers were waiting. From candles to ceramics, vintage posters to handmade stationery, the market showcased a brilliant spectrum of Palmetto Bluff member and Lowcountry artists. Shoppers enjoyed a visit from Santa Claus, music by the Shay Martin Band, and local food trucks.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FLOW Gallery + Workshop

Roz Harrell Pop Up

March 1-12

Artist in Residence

Sheryl Stalnaker, Painter

March 22–25

Artist in Residence

Jim Lauderdale, Songwriter

April 21-22

Artist in Residence

West Fraser, Painter

May 3-6

FLOW Gallery + Workshop

FLOW FEST

May 20

FLOW Gallery + Workshop

Heart of Gold Pop Up

June 12-19

Artist in Residence

Stella Ranae, Fiber Artist

June 21-24

Artist in Residence

Mary Frances Maker, Jeweler

July 19-22

FLOW Gallery + Workshop

Jenan McClain Pop Up

August 8-12

Artist in Residence

Alan Shuptrine, Watercolor & Gilding

August 23-26

TO LEARN MORE, VISIT pbartsinitiative.com

CUSTOM WINDOWS AND DOORS MADE IN GERMANY. DESIGN • ENGINEERING • INSTALLATION • SERVICE

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Find out more about Palmetto Bluff’s unique design.

PALMETTO BLUFF VERNACULAR

One of the greatest minds the South has ever produced posed a question 130 or so years ago that, in all the intervening years of human advancement, we still have not been able to answer. Speaking through his character Huck Finn, Mark Twain wrote, lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened.”

“We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to

The stars, as beautiful as they are, retain the mystique that entranced Huck and Jim as they sailed the Mississippi. Were they made? Did they just happen? But then again, does it matter? When something is as beautiful as a night sky glistening with light, do you really want to question why?

Story by Barry Kaufman

Court Atkins Group

| Photo by J. Savage Gibson

Just as the team had gone into exhaustive detail to create an atmosphere of a small coastal town, they also replicated the way small town streets give way to wide country roads, and the way small villages connect and express their own history.

You might ponder a similar question when you enter the gates at Palmetto Bluff. The broad expanse of the bridge over the tranquil headwaters of the May River, the strip of road winding beneath a leafy overhang, the glimmer of water through the canopy of oaks at Wilson Village, feels like maybe it’s both. It was made, certainly, but somehow you can’t shake the feeling that it all just happened.

Ironically, the feeling that you’re seeing beauty’s spontaneous creation was very much by design.

“We didn’t want Palmetto Bluff to associate itself with being a planned project. We wanted it to evolve over time. That’s why we used to say, ‘It’s a place, not a project,’” says Director of Development and Construction David Sewell. “We didn’t want it to look like the standard kind of community that is up and down in seven days.”

If you ask Sewell what makes Palmetto Bluff what it is, he’ll point to the countless details that were obsessed over in the early years. How the timeless granite curbs in Wilson Village were worth the expense and Herculean labor. How the gaslights that line the streets were handcrafted in New Orleans. How the type of asphalt used in the roads was chosen to mimic a quiet country lane. How the grass lining the roadside is kept just long enough to catch a breeze.

“By design we didn’t want any of this to be in your face. We wanted it to be subtle,” he says.

Over time, these subtleties coalesced into a look that

is unmistakably Palmetto Bluff, not easily replicated (although many have tried). Spearheaded by original developer Jim Mozely and the San Francisco-based architecture firm Hart Howerton, it’s a look as Southern as sweet tea and as timeless as the May River.

“Jim Mozely and the team at Hart Howerton established a way of thinking that borrowed from the past,” said Mark Permar, who was part of the original development team. “But you borrow from that in a way that feels like it’s been there awhile. So then it gets down to material, window opening, color, texture, all the choices you have to make in a home are hopefully all intersecting into a vision that’s true to its location.”

Part of Permar’s original role was translating that original vision, one rooted in the rich history of the Lowcountry and bringing it outside the small-town grid of Wilson Village’s streets. Just as the team had gone into exhaustive detail to create an atmosphere of a small coastal town, they also replicated the way small town streets give way to wide country roads, and the way small villages connect and express their own history.

“If you look at Moreland Village, for example, there’s a different approach to architecture,” said Permar. “The materials are similar, the color range is similar, but it’s more progressive in its architectural style. If you agree with certain principles—the sense of scale, the response to the environment—there are varied ways you can express that. It doesn’t need to fit neatly into a Lowcountry white bungalow.”

Of course Palmetto Bluff is more than just streets, villages, and amenities. Part of the draw has always been the people, the neighbors who share quiet evenings on a porch swing. And their homes do more to tell Palmetto Bluff’s story than any streetscape ever could.

Court Atkins Group

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Photo by J. Savage Gibson

Court Atkins Group | KS

McRorie Interior Design

Photo by J. Savage Gibson Charles H. Chewning Interiors

| Photo by Adam Kuehl

Court Atkins Group |

Photo by J. Savage Gibson

A raised foundation was necessary in the antebellum era to catch the breeze and keep bugs away. Today it creates a sense of scale. Wide front porches were a place to escape the stifling heat of the inside before air conditioning came along. Today they create a sense of hospitality.

“People who come here pretty much get it right away because there’s so much that’s been established,” said Stephanie Gentemann, director of design and member of Palmetto Bluff’s Design Review Board. “During the original planning, they formed a set of guidelines that have not changed much since their inception.”

In the same subtle way that the architecture of Wilson and Moreland Villages evoke a sense of moving through time, homes in Palmetto Bluff carry the hallmarks of family estates that go back generations. A raised foundation was necessary in the antebellum era to catch the breeze and keep bugs away. Today it creates a sense of scale. Wide front porches were a place to escape the stifling heat of the inside before air conditioning came along. Today they create a sense of hospitality.

There’s even a nod to history in the way that Palmetto Bluff homes tend to favor masses of smaller outbuildings rather than a single dominating structure.

“It goes back to how families used to live,” said Gentemann. “You had a piece of land, you built a house, and then the house adapted to the family. This generational massing creates a language and breaks it down to a human scale.”

In this way, the homes help tell the story of a community with far more history than its relatively new modern era. The original developers set the tone, and as the story continues into the future, that unwavering dedication to authenticity serves as a throughline.

We wonder why the stars were made or just happen because they seem too beautiful to have been created by luck, yet scattered in a way that defies any kind of order. But then, when did order ever inspire anyone? There’s no order in the May River’s gentle curves, or in the spiraling boughs of a live oak. But there is beauty.

As Jim Mozely famously said of the story he started telling at Palmetto Bluff twenty years ago, “Perfect is not real. Perfect is not interesting. We wanted real. Imperfect. Authentic.”

WATER WAY

Palmetto Bluff is an ecological wonderland, with its maritime forest and tidal rivers, its salt marsh and abundant wildlife. But perhaps one of the most unique features of this wedge of Lowcountry is the impressive inland waterway that wends through the landscape. This extensive lagoon system creates significant habitat for a variety of species—reptiles and amphibians, wading birds and migratory fowl. It also provides a unique lifestyle for Palmetto Bluff members. The Wilson Landing Marina boasts an impressive fleet of freshwater fishing boats, fringe-top Duffy boats, and Vision Marine outboards. The opportunities are endless. Fishermen will find the nooks and crannies of the waterway abundant with bass. Wildlife enthusiasts will enjoy the two-hour, out-and-back tour with guides spotting alligators, turtles, and unique birdlife. Many members living on the waterway take their own Duffy boats for sunset cocktail cruises, stopping over at a neighbor’s home for happy hour or dinner.

As Palmetto Bluff grows, so will the inland waterway. Nearly tripling in length, the waterway will eventually connect Anson Village and a variety of amenities. The new nine-hole golf course will run adjacent to the waterway, and members will be able to dock and walk onto the course. The expansion will mean a significant increase in recreational opportunities like fishing, dockside dining, and wildlife tours. But in a larger sense, the waterway will be a way for residents to connect to the landscape and the community.

PHOTOGRAPHS by LAWSON BUILDER

DUFFY CRUISE

A FRINGE-TOP ELECTRIC DUFFY CRUISING THE INLAND WATERWAY IS A UBIQUITOUS SIGHT AT PALMETTO BLUFF. THESE ELECTRIC VESSELS ARE QUIET AND PERFECT FOR MEANDERING THE SHORELINE. WITH A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF EIGHT TO TEN PEOPLE, MEMBERS OFTEN RESERVE DUFFY BOATS FOR SMALL PARTIES AND GUESTS.

SPOTTING WILDLIFE

THE INLAND WATERWAY FOLLOWS PALMETTO BLUFF’S ANCIENT DUNE RIDGES AND SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE. ACTING AS A SERIES OF LAGOONS, THE WATERWAY HOSTS ALL MANNER OF WADING BIRDS. AS YOU CRUISE ALONG THE SHORE, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR WOOD STORKS, GREAT EGRETS, SNOWY EGRETS, GREAT BLUE HERONS, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS, AND EVEN THE BRIGHT-PINK PLUMAGE OF A SPOONBILL! TURTLES AND ALLIGATORS OFTEN SUN ON THE SHORE, WHILE WHITE-TAILED DEER, RACCOON, AND MINK VISIT THE WATER’S EDGE TO DRINK.

NAVIGATE THE WATERWAYS

Creating connections and community through the inland waterway.

PHOTO BY PATRICK O’BRIEN

NAVIGATING THE WATERWAYS

MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO PILOT THE FRESHWATER BOATS ON THEIR OWN, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPTION OF RESERVING A GUIDE. CURRENTLY, THE WATERWAY TWISTS AND TURNS THROUGH THE LANDSCAPE, AN EXCITING SEVEN AND A HALF MILE CRUISE, WITH PLANS TO EXPAND AN ADDITIONAL FIVE MILES TOWARDS ANSON VILLAGE.

WILSON VILLAGE

LONGFIELD STABLES

RIVER ROAD PRESERVE

CAULEY’S CREEK

FUTURE EXPANSION TO ANSON VILLAGE

MORELAND VILLAGE

MAY RIVER

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CHI DESIGNS WORKSHOP

PONY CARNIVAL

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CANEBREAK GOLF TOURNAMENT

FALL

AT PALMETTO BLUFF

Throughout the season, Palmetto Bluff hosts dozens of soirées, outings, and workshops. It was a fantastic Fall!

PHOTOGRAPHS by JOE ARMENI

LABOR DAY OYSTER ROAST

BOAT PARADE

LABOR DAY OYSTER ROAST

JESSIE’S

HARVEST DINNER

ITALIAN DINNER

Senioritis* | sen·ior·i·tis (n)

1. A common a iction that strikes high school seniors nearing graduation

2. A state of carefree contentment that p ervades the 62+ at Seafi elds Plan your future today |

Go ahead. Play hooky. At Kiawah Island’s only 62+ Life Plan Community, Seafi elds residents will enjoy warm days on the beach, time on the fairways with friends, and cruising the creek at sunset. With nearby shopping and services at Freshfi elds Village and 24/7 world-class healthcare, let go and let live...your life to the fullest.

*WARNING: May lead to sudden beach strolls, overwhelming feelings of ease, and enhanced facial lines from repeated smiling.

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SIMONE

Simone is a carefully designed boutique that offers a one-stop shopping experience for the stylish modern woman—from clothes to handbags, jewelry, sunglasses, makeup, and even skincare. Whether the goal is a night out under bright city lights or luxurious days basking at a resort, we offer both coveted and emerging designers such as Rhode, Cara Cara, Carolina K, Juan de Dios, Mathew Bruch, and Love Shack Fancy.

For well-designed staples, we look to Jonathan Simkhai, AMO denim, Smythe, and Derek Lam. And we know an outfit is never complete without the right accessories—from Mignonne Gavigonne to Lele Sadoughi, Maison NH, Heavenly London and Le Specs.

In this little jewelry box of a store, we invite you to build upon your personal aesthetic with gorgeous, unique hand-selected pieces from around the world.

SIMONE IS FOR THE WOMAN WHO IS ELEGANT, CHARISMATIC, CHARMING, AND A TOUCH PLAYFUL.

VISIT 64B BOAT HOUSE STREET, WITHIN THE GATES OF PALMETTO BLUFF, NEXT TO THE PARIS MARKET.

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Alejandro Gómez Morán & Alejandra Jimenez Betanzos

CHEF DE CUISINE OF BUFFALOS & CHEF DE CUISINE OF MAY RIVER GRILL

How did you find your way to Palmetto Bluff?

Alejandro: I was born and raised in Mexico City. I really like to travel, and after college I moved to Spain for two years and worked in a Michelin star restaurant. I got a culinary degree in Spain as well. When I finished there, I went back to Mexico and met Alejandra.

Alejandra: I was born and raised in Mexico City. Alejandro and I met in college, but we never talked to each other. I was still in college when he graduated and went to Spain. And then when I graduated, I went to Spain! When we got married, we decided to travel. The plan was to get experience and then go back to Mexico. We worked in Miami at the Four Seasons, but when we got back to Mexico, we wanted to travel more. Next, we went to Sea Island, Georgia. Then back to Mexico. But then we got the opportunity to work at Palmetto Bluff. We fell in love with South Carolina and decided to stay.

What goes through your mind as you drive into Palmetto Bluff?

Alejandro: We came from Mexico where there is a lot of traffic, too many people. Everything here is slowed down, and we really like it. We really love the nature— the wildlife, the trees.

Alejandra: When we lived in Mexico City, it was always a rush, traffic, pollution. Here, we have time to admire a sunset. Sometimes when we drive home, we stop at the stables and turn the car off and just look at the stars.

Alejandro: When I have a bad day in the kitchen or I’m frustrated, this place makes me feel like we are a small part of the universe, like I am making something small so big. I had a bad day. When I see the stars—they are bigger than us. Why am I worried?

What are your most marked characteristics?

Alejandra: I can say that I’m very organized. There are not too many women in this industry. So I think I work harder. The opportunity that [Executive Chef of Palmetto Bluff Club] Rhy has given me, to be in

charge of a restaurant, and I’m the only woman chef, that is something I am very proud of. I consider myself a dependable and hard worker, and I enjoy what I do. I always push myself because I think I have to work harder in this industry.

Alejandro: I think I’m the opposite of her. I’m not organized. But I really like what I do. I am always thinking about food, even if I’m taking a shower. I feel like that’s the best place for me to think on ideas like, What if I put this with this. I have a lot of mentors, great chefs, who taught me that way to think. And I believe because I traveled around the world, I have more ideas, and I’m not afraid to create something new. I always go beyond and go bigger.

What is one thing that people don’t know about you?

Alejandro: I used to fight before coming here. I really love MMA [mixed martial arts] and kickboxing. I never did it professionally, but I was a teacher in Mexico.

Alejandra: I used to dance. I started when I was little, like eight years old, with Arabic dance and then Polynesian. I danced for fifteen years. For a while, I didn’t know if I wanted to be a chef or a dancer.

What is your favorite place at Palmetto Bluff?

Alejandra: The Village Green at Wilson Village. And the tree house at Moreland.

Alejandro: When I come to Buffalos, right before the bridge [in Wilson Village]—that is my perfect view.

What is the last book that you read?

Alejandra: Well, last night I was reading a book about stocks. (laughs) But I like José Andrés’s books. He is a chef from Spain, and I have his book Vegetables Unleashed. Sometimes I get ideas from him.

Alejandro: The book I often use is The Flavor Bible. I have ideas on my mind and [refer] to the book when I want to know if something is a good pairing or not.

Builder: River Creek, Architect: Kenneth Wiland Architect Designer: Shadie Copeland, Photographer: Laura Sumrak

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