Palmetto Bluff Club announces new Director of Golf Operations, James Swift

January 13, 2025

The Palmetto Bluff Club announced 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.