Kiawah Island Golf Resort is a resort on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, located along a ten-mile (16 km) mix of island and beachfront property approximately 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Charleston.
Opened in May 1974, the resort is home to The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a Forbes Five-Star/AAA Five-Diamond 255-room hotel and spa.
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Golf
Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to five championship golf courses, most notably The Ocean Course, towards the eastern end of the island, added in 1991. The other four are (from east to west): Osprey Point, Turtle Point, Cougar Point and Oak Point (on Johns Island).
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island was designed by Pete and Alice Dye. It has been named one of the best courses in the world by several publications, including Golf Digest and Golf Magazine. It is also a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by Audubon International for its design protecting native bird species. As of 2010, The Ocean Course was rated 25th in Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America.
The Ocean Course is a par-72 course over 7,876 yards (7,202 m). Because of its large slopes, numerous bunkers, and challenging Bermuda grass, it was named the toughest course in America in 2010 by Golf Digest.
The Ocean Course was featured in the 2000 film The Legend of Bagger Vance. In October 2008, the Ocean Course became the first course to be available to play in the online video game developed by World Golf Tour. Helicopters equipped with cameras and GPS tracking devices were used to photograph and record the entire course to produce a geographically accurate simulation.
The Ocean Course has hosted several major professional golf tournaments. The course hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup matches, dubbed the "War by the Shore". It was also the site of the 2007 Senior PGA Championship, the 2012 PGA Championship and the 2021 PGA Championship. The Ocean Course was the fourth course to host each of the PGA of America's major championships: the Ryder Cup, the Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Championship.
Osprey Point
This course, designed by Tom Fazio, features water on fifteen of its eighteen holes.
Oak Point
Located on the site of an old indigo and cotton plantation, this course is characterized by large fairways, challenging greens, and Scottish-style bunkers. The Kiawah River and Haulover Creek come into play on many holes.
Turtle Point
Jack Nicklaus designed this course, which hosted the 1990 PGA Cup.
Cougar Point
Cougar Point was originally designed by Gary Player. It was redesigned in 2017 to lengthen the course and add new greens and bunkers.