Kiawah Island Golf Resort
 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (December 2021) |
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| Club information | |
|---|---|
  Location in the United States  Location in South Carolina | |
| Coordinates | 32°36′34″N 80°05′52″W / 32.60944°N 80.09778°W |
| Location | Kiawah Island, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Established | 1974 |
| Type | Resort |
| Owned by | CCA Financial[1] |
| Total holes | 90 |
| Events hosted | Ryder Cup (1991)
World Cup (1997, 2003) PGA Professional Championship (2005) Senior PGA Championship (2007) PGA Championship (2012, 2021) |
| Website | kiawahresort.com |
| Ocean Course | |
| Designed by | Pete Dye & Alice Dye |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,876 yards (7,202 m) |
| Course rating | 79.1 |
| Slope rating | 155 [2] |
| Turtle Point | |
| Designed by | Jack Nicklaus |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,911 yards (6,319 m) |
| Course rating | 73 |
| Slope rating | 134 |
| Osprey Point | |
| Designed by | Tom Fazio |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,902 yards (6,311 m) |
| Course rating | 72.8 |
| Slope rating | 135 |
| Oak Point | |
| Designed by | Clyde Johnston |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,701 yards (6,127 m) |
| Course rating | 71.9 |
| Slope rating | 130 |
| Cougar Point | |
| Designed by | Gary Player redesigned |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,814 yards (6,231 m) |
| Course rating | 72.7 |
| Slope rating | 134 |
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 thirty miles (48 km) southwest of Charleston. Opened in May 1974, it consistently ranks as one of the country’s top resorts.[3]
The resort is home to The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, a Forbes Five Star[4]/AAA Five Diamond[5] 255-room hotel and spa. The resort also manages nearly 500 private villas and homes and has more than a dozen restaurants.
Best known for its golf courses, the resort also features the Roy Barth Tennis Center, which has 22 tennis courts and is home to the Barth-Hawtin Tennis Academy.
Golf[edit]
Kiawah Island Golf Resort is home to five championship golf courses, most notably The Ocean Course, added in 1991.
The Ocean Course[edit]
The Ocean Course is the most famous course at Kiawah Island and was designed by Pete and Alice Dye.[6] The course was designed so that players have a view of the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, but also to expose golfers to the often-strong winds in the area.[6] The Ocean Course has consistently been named one of the best courses in the world by several publications such as 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[update], the Ocean Course was rated 25th in Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America.[7]
The Ocean Course is a par 72 course, and from the championship tees, it stretches to 7,876 yards (7,202 m) with a slope rating of 155 and a course rating of 79.1,[2] the highest in the country according to the United States Golf Association. Because of its large slopes, numerous bunkers, and challenging Bermuda grass, it was named the toughest course in America in 2010 by Golf Digest.[8]
The Ocean Course was featured in the 2000 film The Legend of Bagger Vance.[9] 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.[10]
The Ocean Course has hosted several major professional golf tournaments. The course hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup matches, dubbed the "War by the Shore". The United States team won 14½ to 13½. 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.
Turtle Point[edit]
Jack Nicklaus designed this course, which is known for its challenging layout, small greens, and tight fairways. This course hosted the 1990 PGA Cup.
Osprey Point[edit]
This course, designed by Tom Fazio, features water on fifteen of its eighteen holes. It is known for its picturesque and challenging design.
Oak Point[edit]
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.
Cougar Point[edit]
Cougar Point was originally designed by Gary Player and was redesigned in 2017 to lengthen the course and add new greens and bunkers.
References[edit]
- ^ "Affiliated Companies". CCA Financial. Retrieved 2017-10-24.
- ^ a b "Course Rating and Slope Database™, Kiawah Island, The Ocean Course". USGA. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Resort Awards and Accolades". Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ "The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort - Charleston Hotels - Kiawah Island, United States". Forbes Travel Guide. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ "AAA Five Diamond and AAA Four Diamond hotels and restaurants listed". www.aaa.com. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ a b Leatherman, Dale Ann (January–February 2010). "Golf to Die For". AAA World. Side trips. 12 (1). AAA World Publishing Group: 26. ISSN 1557-9107. OCLC 61482791. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- ^ "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses/2009-10". Golf Digest.
- ^ "Field of bad dreams (Nos. 1 to 25)". ESPN/Golf Digest. June 8, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ Jacobelli, Pete (November 1, 2000). "Bagger Vance Shot At Ocean Course". Lakeland Ledger. Associated Press. p. C5. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
- ^ Yen, Yi-Wyn (June 11, 2009). "Golf goes virtual". Fortune.
