High regard for the natural beauty of its Lowcountry setting gives this community on the banks of South Carolina’s Okatie River a feeling of sanctuary
Picturesque white paddock fences enclosing grazing horses, majestic live oaks draped with moss, and nostalgic gas lanterns create one of the most welcoming and memorable entrances to a private gated community in South Carolina’s Lowcountry. And just when you think the charm can’t be turned up any higher, steps inside the gates of Oldfield, 90-year-old Miss Mary can be found scooping ice cream for kids at the Greeters Store, just as she’s been doing for the better part of two decades.
Set on the banks of the sweeping Okatie River between Hilton Head Island and Beaufort, Oldfield is one of the Southeast’s most amenity-rich communities. Nature is the backdrop of life here, and its launching point is the Outfitters Center. From here, members kayak, paddle board, and embark on offshore fishing trips. There is so much to do in this Audubon International Certified Community—from horseback riding to tennis and pickleball to the arts—it’s easy to overlook that Oldfield is a premier golf community.

The private, 18-hole Greg Norman Course, his first in the Lowcountry, takes full advantage of its resplendent setting. Created with minimal impact on the land, the course is nurtured and maintained to Audubon standards. Norman’s challenging layout winds through classic Lowcountry landscape. Broad savannahs, canopies of moss-covered oaks, and the marshes of the Okatie River frame an impeccably maintained course.
Opened in 2000 and refreshed in 2017 in collaboration with Norman’s design team, the course features several Norman signatures: sod-walled bunkers, creative approaches, and large waste bunkers. Helping make it playable for all levels of golfers is Operation 36, a popular, play-based instruction program designed to help golfers of all ages and abilities improve their games, held each spring and fall. Director of Golf Instruction Kirk Mitchell, who runs the well-attended program, was named an Operation 36 Top 50 Golf Coach in the country in 2022.
Adding to the golf (and club) experience, Oldfield is now a Troon Privé club which means Oldfield members have the opportunity to play at Troon courses worldwide. When in residence, members enjoy homes that are pure Lowcountry—deep porches, metal roofs, and abundant Southern charm. Only 540 homes are slated for Oldfield’s 860 acres, and the community is approaching 90 percent buildout. If you want to build rather than buy a resale, time is fleeting at this place where nature is preserved and great golf awaits players of every caliber.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the Fall 2023 issue of LINKS Magazine. Click here for more information.