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Sailfish Point & Mariner Sands: Stuart’s Luxury Communities (2026 Guide)

Sailfish Point & Mariner Sands: Stuart’s Luxury Communities (2026 Guide)

Sailfish Point and Mariner Sands are two of Stuart’s best-known gated communities, and buyers weighing Martin County luxury almost always end up putting them side by side. But they aren’t really substitutes. Sailfish Point is an oceanfront, marina-anchored enclave at the southern tip of Hutchinson Island, built around a Jack Nicklaus Signature course (Nicklaus Design, 2026). Mariner Sands is an inland golf community closer to Hobe Sound, with two courses and a country-club core (New England Golf, 2026). Here’s how they really compare in 2026 — and why membership is the first thing to pin down.

Aerial view of boats anchored in clear blue water near a Florida shoreline
Two of Martin County’s premier addresses solve for different lives: one is built on the water, the other around the fairway. Photo by Zachary DeBottis on Pexels.

A quick note on the numbers: private-club initiation, dues and equity structures aren’t posted on a billboard. They change often, they’re usually shared privately, and the figures circulating online are frequently dated secondary reporting. Treat every membership and price figure below as a reported range, and confirm current terms directly with each community before you make a move.

Sailfish Point vs. Mariner Sands: what’s the quick verdict?

In short, Sailfish Point is the water-first choice — oceanfront living, private boating, and an island address at the tip of Hutchinson Island (GolfCourseHome, 2026). Mariner Sands is the golf-first choice — an inland, gated country-club community near Hobe Sound with 36 holes and a far lower entry price (New England Golf; Waterfront Properties, 2026). One sells the ocean; the other sells the fairway.

They’re both in Stuart, about 15 minutes apart, yet owning at each feels different from the first morning — one is an island you cross a bridge to reach, the other a mature golf neighborhood on the mainland. Which is “better” depends entirely on how you want to spend your time.

Sailfish Point is a 532-acre oceanfront community of about 520 residences on Hutchinson Island, organized around a private marina and a Jack Nicklaus Signature course (GolfCourseHome; Nicklaus Design, 2026). Mariner Sands is a 728-acre inland golf community of roughly 771 residences near Hobe Sound, with two courses by Tom Fazio and Frank Duane (Waterfront Properties; New England Golf, 2026).

What makes Sailfish Point special?

Its setting, mostly. Sailfish Point is a 532-acre gated sea-island community of about 520 residences at the southern tip of Hutchinson Island, wrapped by the Atlantic Ocean and the St. Lucie Inlet, with downtown Stuart about ten minutes away (GolfCourseHome, 2026). With a private marina and an oceanfront clubhouse, daily life here revolves around the water.

The golf matches the address. Sailfish Point plays a 7,088-yard, par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature course, first completed in 1981 and later completely renovated by Nicklaus, with a water feature on every hole and ocean, river and inlet views (Nicklaus Design; GolfCourseHome, 2026). For a serious player who also boats, that pairing is rare.

Then there’s the marina and clubhouse. Sailfish Point’s full-service marina is reported to be one of the largest privately owned marinas in Florida, with roughly 84 wet slips for vessels up to 125 feet plus about 45 dry slips, and open water only minutes away (community sources, 2026). A 60,000-square-foot oceanfront clubhouse anchors the amenities, with dining, a pool, seven HydroGrid tennis courts, four pickleball courts, a fitness center, a full-service spa and 24-hour patrols (GolfCourseHome, 2026). Our Stuart community guide covers the wider market.

Local insight: At Sailfish Point, the marina is the asset most buyers underweight. Minutes to open water through the St. Lucie Inlet is what lets owners keep a real vessel at their own dock, and deepwater slip access is often harder to replace than the house itself. Just know that oceanfront and island property carries its own homework on insurance, seawalls and dockage — go in informed and price it in early.

Sailfish Point spans 532 acres with about 520 residences at the southern tip of Hutchinson Island, built around a 7,088-yard par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature course, a private marina reported to hold roughly 84 wet slips (vessels up to 125 feet) plus 45 dry slips, and a 60,000-square-foot oceanfront clubhouse (GolfCourseHome; Nicklaus Design, 2026).

What’s Mariner Sands Country Club like?

Bigger, greener and inland. Mariner Sands is a private, gated golf community spread over about 728 acres with roughly 771 residences, tucked between Hobe Sound and downtown Stuart (Waterfront Properties, 2026). Its center of gravity is golf and the clubhouse, not a marina, and it feels established rather than newly built.

A golf ball resting at the edge of the cup on a closely mown putting green
Mariner Sands is built around 36 holes of private golf rather than a marina. Photo by Steve Momot on Pexels.

Golf is the headline. Mariner Sands offers 36 holes — the Gold Course designed by Tom Fazio and the Blue Course by Frank Duane — with golf limited to 540 equity memberships (New England Golf; Waterfront Properties, 2026). Each course plays roughly 6,800 yards from the tips down to under 5,000 from the forward tees, so it works for a range of players. Many owners arrive from nearby Hobe Sound.

The club recently reinvested heavily in its core: reporting describes a major clubhouse rebuild put at roughly $38 million, anchoring a campus that also includes nine Har-Tru tennis courts, pickleball, a resort-style pool, an 8,400-square-foot fitness and wellness center, a Titleist Performance Institute studio, croquet, bocce, a dog park and multiple dining venues (Golf & Travel; New England Golf, 2026). It’s a full country-club menu for an on-campus social life.

Mariner Sands is a 728-acre gated golf community of about 771 residences near Hobe Sound, with 36 holes across the Fazio-designed Gold Course and the Duane-designed Blue Course, golf capped at 540 equity memberships, a recently rebuilt clubhouse from a reported ~$38 million project, nine Har-Tru tennis courts, an 8,400-square-foot fitness center, croquet, bocce and a dog park (New England Golf; Golf & Travel; Waterfront Properties, 2026).

Sailfish Point vs. Mariner Sands: side-by-side (2026)

Here’s the comparison at a glance. Membership and price figures are reported ranges that shift, so treat the columns below as a snapshot, not a quote.

Feature Sailfish Point (Hutchinson Island) Mariner Sands (Stuart, near Hobe Sound)
Setting Oceanfront island at the tip of Hutchinson Island Inland, mature golf community on the mainland
Size ~532 acres; ~520 residences ~728 acres; ~771 residences
Golf 18 holes; Jack Nicklaus Signature, 7,088 yds, par 72 36 holes; Gold (Tom Fazio) & Blue (Frank Duane)
Signature feature Private deepwater marina + oceanfront clubhouse Two championship courses + newly rebuilt clubhouse
Membership model Golf + social bundled; capital contribution required Social mandatory, golf optional (capped at 540 equity)
Reported membership cost ~$2,356–$6,329/mo dues + ~$75K non-refundable capital contribution (mid-2024) ~$40K capital contribution + ~$25K–$50K initiation; HOA ~$1,267–$2,120/mo (2023)
Reported home prices Condos from ~$1.2M; single-family ~$2.9M–$35M+ Recent listings ~$745K–$2M; average ~$510K
Best for Water-first buyers who boat and want an oceanfront address Golf-and-club buyers who want an established setting at a lower entry point

Membership and price figures are reported ranges that change frequently — confirm current numbers directly with each community. Sources: GolfCourseHome (2026); Nicklaus Design (2026); New England Golf (2026); Waterfront Properties (2026); Golf & Travel (2026); Echo Fine Properties (2026).

What does membership cost at each community?

More than you’d guess, and structured very differently. At Sailfish Point, membership bundles golf and social access; as of mid-2024, reported dues ran about $2,356 a month for single-family homes and roughly $4,256 to $6,329 a month for condos, on top of a reported one-time, non-refundable capital contribution of $75,000 (community listing sources, 2024). It’s a meaningful commitment layered on the home price.

Mariner Sands splits the decision. There, social membership is mandatory while golf is optional, with reporting describing an initial capital contribution around $40,000 and initiation fees roughly $25,001 to $50,000, golf capped at 540 equity memberships, and monthly HOA dues around $1,267 to $2,120 as of late 2023 (Waterfront Properties; community sources, 2023–2026). If you don’t play, you can skip the golf tier — a real lever Sailfish Point doesn’t offer.

Local insight: Treat membership as a separate purchase from the house, and settle it first. Buyers get this backwards more than any other mistake in this segment — they fall for a home, then find the club math changes the whole picture. At Mariner Sands, the golf-optional structure can save a non-golfer real money each year; at Sailfish Point, the bundled dues and capital contribution are baked in. Ask each club about waitlists too, not just dollars.

As of mid-2024, Sailfish Point reported golf-and-social dues from about $2,356/month (homes) to $4,256–$6,329/month (condos), plus a reported $75,000 non-refundable capital contribution (community listing sources, 2024). Mariner Sands reported an initial capital contribution near $40,000, initiation fees roughly $25,001–$50,000, and HOA dues near $1,267–$2,120/month as of late 2023 (Waterfront Properties, 2023–2026). Confirm current terms with each club.

What do homes cost — and is Stuart a good value?

It depends on which door you walk through. At Sailfish Point, reported 2026 pricing puts condominiums from about $1.2 million, townhomes from the mid-$4 millions, and single-family homes from roughly $2.9 million into the $35 million-plus range (GolfCourseHome, 2026). The entry point reflects the island address.

Mariner Sands opens far lower. Recent listings there have run roughly $745,000 to about $2 million, averaging near $510,000 across its villa condos, patio homes and single-family estates (Waterfront Properties; Echo Fine Properties, 2026). That gap is much of why Palm Beach County buyers look north — Martin County often pencils out differently than comparable communities further south, explored in our Palm Beach County vs. Martin County comparison and our Stuart real estate guide.

Local insight: Watch the average, then ignore it. Mariner Sands’ roughly $510,000 average hides an enormous spread — a villa condo and a renovated estate on the Gold Course are both “Mariner Sands,” and they trade a million-plus apart. The community name tells you far less than the specific home, its view and its exposure do. Curious what your current place would bring toward either move? Start with our free home value estimate.

Reported 2026 pricing places Sailfish Point condos from about $1.2 million and single-family homes from roughly $2.9 million to $35 million-plus (GolfCourseHome, 2026). Mariner Sands recent listings have run roughly $745,000 to about $2 million, averaging near $510,000 across condos, villas and estates (Waterfront Properties; Echo Fine Properties, 2026) — a much lower entry point into gated Stuart golf.

Which community fits which buyer?

Start with how you want to spend a Saturday. If it’s on the water — a boat in a private slip, an oceanfront walk, the inlet a few minutes out — Sailfish Point is built for it (GolfCourseHome, 2026). If it’s a round on the Gold Course followed by dinner at the club, Mariner Sands fits, and at a friendlier entry price (Waterfront Properties, 2026).

Budget and household matter too. Mariner Sands’ lower entry point and golf-optional membership make it the more flexible pick for buyers who want the club lifestyle without an oceanfront estate. Sailfish Point suits water-central buyers with the budget to match — people for whom the marina and the ocean are the whole reason to move. Our Martin County specialist, Krista Gaudio, walks buyers through both in the same week; the choice usually settles itself by the second visit.

Sailfish Point fits water-first buyers who boat and want an oceanfront island address (GolfCourseHome, 2026). Mariner Sands fits golf-and-club buyers who prefer an established inland setting, optional golf membership and a lower entry point near $500,000–$2 million (Waterfront Properties; Echo Fine Properties, 2026). Visiting both usually settles it.

Frequently asked questions about Sailfish Point and Mariner Sands

Where is Sailfish Point?

Sailfish Point sits at the southern tip of Hutchinson Island in Stuart, Martin County — a 532-acre gated sea-island community of about 520 residences on the Atlantic Ocean and the St. Lucie Inlet, roughly ten minutes from downtown Stuart (GolfCourseHome, 2026).

Who designed the Sailfish Point golf course?

Jack Nicklaus. Sailfish Point plays a 7,088-yard, par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature course, first built in 1981 and later completely renovated by Nicklaus, with a water feature on every hole (Nicklaus Design; GolfCourseHome, 2026).

How many golf courses does Mariner Sands have?

Two, for 36 holes total: the Gold Course designed by Tom Fazio and the Blue Course designed by Frank Duane, with golf limited to 540 equity memberships (New England Golf; Waterfront Properties, 2026).

How much does membership cost at Sailfish Point and Mariner Sands?

Figures are reported and change. As of mid-2024, Sailfish Point dues ran about $2,356 to $6,329 a month depending on home type, plus a reported $75,000 non-refundable capital contribution; Mariner Sands reported a capital contribution near $40,000 and initiation fees around $25,001 to $50,000 (community listing sources; Waterfront Properties, 2023–2024). Confirm current terms directly with each club.

What do homes cost at each community?

Reported 2026 pricing puts Sailfish Point condos from about $1.2 million and single-family homes from roughly $2.9 million to $35 million-plus, while Mariner Sands recent listings have run roughly $745,000 to about $2 million, averaging near $510,000 (GolfCourseHome; Waterfront Properties; Echo Fine Properties, 2026).

Which is better, Sailfish Point or Mariner Sands?

Neither is better — they suit different lives. If boating and oceanfront living are central, Sailfish Point; if golf and club social life are central and you want a lower entry price, Mariner Sands (GolfCourseHome; Waterfront Properties, 2026). Seeing both in the same week usually settles it.

Ready to see Stuart’s club communities?

The most useful step now is touring both in the same week and noticing which one you keep thinking about afterward — the marina, or the fairway.

Cibie Cahur leads The Cahur Group at Keller Williams Realty, serving buyers and sellers across Palm Beach and Martin County, Florida. A Top 1% Keller Williams agent from 2017 through 2024, she works with an eight-agent team — including Martin County specialist Krista Gaudio — and serves clients in English, Spanish, and French. Reach her at 561-401-5758.

Weighing Sailfish Point, Mariner Sands, or another Stuart community? Let’s match the community to how you actually want to live, walk both properly, and go through the membership questions before you get attached to a house. Contact The Cahur Group or call 561-401-5758.

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