1000 Ocean Course Drive,
Kiawah Island, South Carolina SC 29455
Office
+1 (800) 654 2924Pro shop
+1 (843) 266 4670Fax
+1 (843) 768 2736Website
Visit websiteGolf pro
Brian Gerard (PGA, Director of Golf)The Course:
18 holes. Seaside links. Gently undulating terrain - easy to walk.
Surroundings:
Seaside and marshland.
Designer:
Husband/wife team of Pete & Alice Dye
Kiawah Island Resort is home to five 18-hole championship courses: The Ocean Course (par-72, 7356 yards from the back tees); Osprey Point (par-72, 6932 yards); Turtle Point (par-72, 7061 yards); Cougar Point (par-72, 6875 yards), and just before you get onto the Island, Oak Point (par-72, 6701 yards).
32.613026
-80.019650
27 miles SW of Charleston
From the centre of Charleston, take Hwy 17 West. After crossing the Ashley River Bridge (with Holiday Inn rotunda on your left) turn left onto the 171 (Wesley Drive / Folly Bridge Blvd). After 1 mile turn right onto the 700 (Maybank Hwy). After approx 7 miles at crossroads, turn left onto Bohicket Road (Main Road*). After approx 10 miles turn left at roundabout, direction Kiawah Island (turn right for Seabrook Island). After 1 mile stop at gatehouse. After 3 miles stop at second gatehouse. 100 yards after gatehouse turn right into Governors Drive. After 4 miles you'll arrive at the Ocean Course clubhouse. (* Note : Main Road also connects directly to Hwy 17, ten miles west of Charleston).
Kiawah Is. (Ocean Course)
Kiawah Island Golf Resort (The Ocean Course): This spectacular oceanside golf course, magnificently designed by Pete Dye, understandably ranks with the world's best. For golfers of all levels it represents a tough challenge, and if the wind is blowing, it's definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Every hole on the Ocean Course is a gem, individually crafted and presenting its own unique challenges. The early holes play through a natural marshland environment, before the layout's oceanside credentials are fully revealed at the excellent par-3 5th. On the back-nine the Atlantic Ocean is constantly in view, with many tee-boxes located right alongside the beach. On the final four-hole stretch you experience the thrill of high-octane links golf at its oceanside best.
The wind is not the only feature that gives teeth to the toughest layout on Kiawah Island. There are long carries to be made over wetlands or sand from several tees, with some landing areas not always clear to see. Large sandy waste areas often flank the fairways from tee-to-green; some of these "rivers of sand" ending their journey as steep-faced greenside bunkers. Small, deep pot bunkers are also deployed around the greens - just to add to the fun! The putting surfaces themselves are fast, and full of mercurial slopes and borrows. Getting down in two is rarely a certainty. Over-hit putts can disappear down steep run-offs, which further add to the layout's myriad short game challenges.
Among the 18 excellently crafted holes, the visually intimidating par-3 17th deserves a special mention. The only safe shot here is onto the green, but that involves a demanding carry across a large pond - a mere 220 yards from the back tees. The two back-left pot bunkers might look inviting from the tee, but less so when you play out of them towards the water. The par-4 18th brings you to the steps of the elegantly designed beachfront clubhouse. Here you can enjoy the ocean vistas, while recounting your triumphs and disasters on one of the world's most celebrated courses.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance.
Credit cards accepted. Contact club for full details, discounts, Stay&Play packages, etc. [Last updated: 2018].
Non-metal spike facility. A walking-only course before midday; golf carts permitted after midday. Caddies available, and used by most players before noon.
Excellent
The Ocean Course has staged many top level golf tournaments, none more so than the 1991 Ryder Cup, known as "The War by the Shore" and thrillingly won by the USA team by a slender point. For more details see Top Golf Tournaments at Kiawah Island, Ocean Course.
The Ocean and Osprey Point courses are located within the Vanderhorst Plantation, Kiawah Island's most upmarket residential community. The Sanctuary Hotel provides luxury resort accommodation on Kiawah Island. This was formerly provided by the now closed Kiawah Resort Inn in the West Beach area of Kiawah Island.
Ocean course:
World: 58th best course in the world (GOLF magazine, 2020/21).
USA: 24th best course, and 4th best public course in the USA (Golf Digest, 2019/20).
State: No.1 course in South Carolina (Golf Digest, 2019/20).
One Sanctuary Beach Drive, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
+1 (843) 768 6000
Visit websiteLocated along the pristine shores of Kiawah Island, this luxurious oceanfront hotel, just thirty minutes from downtown Charleston, captures the spirit, history and charm of the beautiful south. It also provides the perfect base from which to discover Kiawah Island's five championship golf courses.
Kiawah Island's five championship courses are all within a short drive: Ocean Course, Turtle Point, Cougar Point, Osprey Point and Oak Point.
No
Patriots Point; The Links at Stono Ferry; Shadowmoss Plantation.
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
+1 (843) 768 6000
Visit websiteResort villas of different sizes and price options are available on a vacation rental basis, providing an ideal base from which to discover Kiawah Island and its fabulous array of championship golf courses.
Kiawah Island's five championship courses are all within a short drive: Ocean Course, Turtle Point, Cougar Point, Osprey Point and Oak Point.
No
Patriots Point; The Links at Stono Ferry; Shadowmoss Plantation.
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