Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Played Cougar Point today in my first trip to Kiawah and came away very impressed. Booked a package deal for the winter and feel like it’s a great deal for what I got. The course is in great shape. Can’t imagine a course being in better shape than this. Everything was bright and green and even though it was rainy in the morning the course drained exceptionally well. This course is very player friendly. Pretty open with not a ton of forced carries. There are 3 really scenic holes right on the river and the rest of the course is beautiful as well. The greens were a little slow due to the rain but rolled great and were very smooth. Again, I can’t say enough good things about the course and can’t imagine a course being in better shape in January. If you get a chance play this course!f

Played Osprey as part of a winter package with a round on the Ocean Course the next day, so for 2 nights stay and two rounds (Osprey and Ocean) at $250 this was an excellent deal especially considering it was in the upper 60s in January. Course is a very playable design with generous landing areas although if your driver is a little off there is some water and OB that can cause trouble. Greens are pretty small but the course is short so this is expected, and they rolled very true. Excellent shape from tee to green especially for January. Osprey Point makes for a very enjoyable round and even if you don’t play well provides some fantastic scenery and wildlife including alligators.

I have played The Ocean Course 4 times now, and it never disappoints! The course is always in great condition, and walking with a caddie is always treat. The views are beautiful and the course is challenging. Make sure to have lunch on the porch of the Ryder Cup bar. The whole place is definitely a treat.

I’m not even sure where to start. I was in Charleston for 3 days, and due to a limited budget, a course costing $400 (plus $100 for a caddie, and you should absolutely take a caddie) wasn’t in my budget. However, due to Southwest loosing my clubs for 2 of the three days, I decided to splurge and play one round of epic golf. And, let me tell you, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is beyond EPIC!! I’ve been a scratch golfer twice in my life, and am a mid-single digit right now (mental game, between the ears stuff), which is only to say that I’m writing this review as someone who has deep experience and appreciation for the game of golf. The Ocean course is the best course I have ever played, and I’ve played a lot of the gems in the United States (Scotland trip next year might change that). Literally, from first walking into the most amazing clubhouse, the history and ambiance just resonates with a feeling that there is no place else you’d rather be. The practice facilities are great, my caddie was exceptional, the course conditions were pristine (they use a special grass that grows in sand/coastal areas, and there is NO GRAIN, so putts are truer than any other course out there. It’s the best turf on earth, and they use it tee to green), and the weather happened to be 65 and sunny with almost no wind (don’t expect that though, my caddie said it’s a rarity, it isn’t ranked as one of the toughest courses in the world for nothing). On top of all of that, I shot 77 from 1 tee box up from the tips, as the course really brought out the best in me. You have to be precise on your tee shots. There’s water, sand washes and terribly spiky bushes on every single hole, but you see what you get. The sight lines on every hole are as good as any, so if you keep it in play (and keep it low if the wind is blowing) it can be a score-able course.

I have many other words to express how amazing this course and experience is/was, but we all know Pete Dye is a legend....and The Ocean Course is his “John Hancock.” I digress.

we were here for a week playing most of the courses on the Kiawah estate. My review is based on the courses we got to play. Of course Ocean is the premier outfit, but in my humble opinion Cougar point is a very close second, if not actually the no1. great looking and playing holes, with true and great speed greens .No hole appeared to be a duplicate of others and Then you go into the club house to be greeted and served by friendly and efficient staff and cold beer and delicious chicken wings!!

I was always told that the measure of something good is if you would return and I am hoping in my life time I get to go back and play this wonderful track.

Played the ocean course at Kiawah! Which has hosted the Ryder cup and is hosting the PGA in 2021! The course condition is excellent! The layout is hard to beat with very memorable holes and green strings ! The wind plays into every shot so one needs patience to play and a good caddie as they k ow the course and where is best to hit your tee shots as well as approach shots into green or where to lay up if needed !

I felt the course was great and challenging yet very fair overall which is important in playability

.

I would recommend giving this course a try as you will surely enjoy the experience

Tom

God placed his hand on this land and created the Ocean Course. We played in 4 1/2 hours which was perfect. This time frame allowed us to enjoy the scenery and take photos. My caddy Mike was very informative on were to hit my shots and showing the breaks on the greens. I hope to play there again in the near future.

Played with a group and we had a nice round. Conditions were very nice but the greens were unbelievably slow. I would likely play again if I'm in the area.

Played this course with a range handicaps and everyone had a great time. Much of the course has the feel of an inland course, with the closing holes along the beach. Put it on your list to play.

It’s pricey but it’s worth the cost. Good layout, great staff, immaculate conditions. Stunning views from the veranda. Gorgeous clubhouse. I think the layout is good but it is not anything memorable when I compare it to the other top 10 courses I’ve played. Excellent caddies, well organized. Greens rolled true... play from

The right tees to

Enjoy it and not kill yourselves (or others paired with you).. make sure you can handle wind and not be intimidated....Don’t play this if you’re a casual once a year golfer...great sunset views

There’s a reason this is on almost everyone’s bucket list. It brings so much to the table, and even though it’s known for being a difficult test I find it more playable each time I have had the chance to play it. Make sure you leave time to enjoy a drink after the round looking over the 18th and the ocean in the Ryder Cup Room.

We had the opportunity to play here on a Monday afternoon . Playing later in the afternoon was our plan so that we could take our time and enjoy the views and course. Quite a disappointment as we found the greens in poor condition and very, very slow. It was like putting on shag carpeting. The layout was very nice and there was plenty of views to take in. Our mandatory caddie was very poor, rode on our cart, didn’t clean our clubs, didn’t provide sight lines and continually gave us wrong reads on the green. To top it all off he had the guts to ask for a bigger tip at the end of the round. This was quite a disappointment and I would not recommend playing here.

Now, with that headline, you would think I had a terrible time. I didn't, it's an enjoyable and challenging-but-fun Pete Dye course.

But to call this a "bucket list" experience, and to rate it a Top 5 you can play in the US, is to WILDLY overrate it. It's a good course with classic Dye bunkering and green complexes. But it's in the middle of nowhere, the conditioning is spotty in places (tee boxes were muni-level poor), and it boasts near-Pebble-level pricing for an experience that is nowhere near. It's not even close to worth the money.

I don't know where it should be rated, Golf Digest, but I know it ain't #4. Better than Spyglass? Are you serious?? Bethpage Black? Pinehurst #2? I could go on, but I imagine there's a maximum character limit here.

Put it this way: there are 3 tracks in Bandon, Oregon, that are FAR better golf courses, and you could make a solid argument for a 4th.

AND THEY ALL HAVE BETTER VIEWS.

So about those vistas...

I was astounded - and pretty angry, frankly - at the marketing material claiming an ocean view from every hole. This is totally false. The front nine is played through marshland (still lovely, but not the Atlantic). Then on the back nine, you hear the waves crashing throughout, but you rarely ever see the water besides peek-a-boos from the tee boxes (14th Hole is one beautiful exception). Even the beach-side final 4 holes are bizarrely blockaded by a sand dune, so feel free to shank your tee shot right in order to get a good look.

Frankly, it should be called the "Hear-But-Not-See-The-Ocean Course".

All in all, the experience is fine -- great staff, excellent service, good golf course. It's just not remotely close to worth the price of admission.

The clubhouse is striking, though - and it's got the best views on the property, by far. Be sure to enjoy a post-round drink so you can finally get a good look at the ocean.

I wouldn't recommend this course for just a hacker just because of the price of the greens fees. From the second you pull up to drop off your clubs you are treated like a Pro golfer. My caddie for the day came out grabbed my clubs, cleaned them and had them out at the driving range before I got out of the car. The course is amazing and calls for every shot you have and some that you don't. The day I played it was windy and hot, but they have towels on your cart and free water at every hole. The greens are beautiful and pure and have no grain in them so deciding line and speed were easier to decide, even for me. I love the way the course makes it ways around the dunes and waste areas using all natural features. It was also cool knowing all the pros that had played all the holes you had. The caddie was well worth it because of some of the demanding tee shots and where to hit it, if you didn't know you could be in alot of trouble. The whole back 9 run along the ocean and the views were awesome. The 18th hole back to the huge clubhouse makes you think about the pressure you would have leading a golf tournament. As soon as we got back to the clubhouse my caddie took my clubs off the cart and cleaned them. When I got ready to leave after stopping at the 19th hole for a cold drink (or three) he took my clubs out to my car and he started it so It would be cold for me when I got in. This could be considered a once in a lifetime experience.

Round was interrupted by a storm but that did not change the fact that this course is amazing. The course conditions were perfect besides the water from the storm. Our caddie was friendly and very helpful. I was in awe the entire round. What an experience. I hope to play again someday and would recommend this course to everyone.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is something special. We played on the golf and gourmet package which is a heck of a deal. $150 for a night stay and round is crazy.

The course is amazing. Greens and fairways are top notch. The rough well their is none everything just runs into waste areas which are very playable.

Front nine I liked No. 2 and No. 3 the best although the hole are great but very visually tough. No. 2 is a great par 5 where you need to pick the right area to land your tee shot then the shot towards the green you must miss a fairway bunker and avoid the waste area as you hit to an elevated green. No. 3 is a shorty but is no slouch must require 2 good shots and then some work on the green.

The back nine is so cool. You start playing along some beach mansions and then finish 14-18 along the ocean or if your me on 16 play from the beach cause your tee shot was so bad.

This place is just amazing I highly recommend it to any golfer who likes tough courses, I also recommend a caddie as they were a huge help especially when they tel you not to look for balls in the spots with the gators HA HA.

I was down in Kiawah for the first time with my family. I have two very high level junior golfers 7 and 9 - they are playing in the junior worlds at Pinehurst in early August so we decided to give the Ocean Course a try. We were required to have a forecaddy and we were able to use carts after 10 (cart path only) - We were treated first class from the moment we pulled up. The only hickup (if you can call it that) was the look of dismay on the caddy’s face when he saw my 7 / 9 year old daughter - when my 7 year old chipped in for birdie on 1 and the other one drove her first drive 150 down the middle and bacially played par golf from the JR world lengths - the caddy took the girls under his wing and went well above any expectations - the girls played other courses at Kiawah but this was defiantly the highlight and I could not relay more of a high class enjoyable day.

A nice course but not worth the rate. The layout is fair - and the three ocean holes were fun - but after trekking out to Kiawah Island I had hoped for a little better experience.

The fairways were in great shape and the greens were too, with a few minor exceptions. However, a number of tee box areas and areas around greens were in rough shape.

My biggest complaint was the number of distractions. A group teeing off from the family tees and cackling and laughing while I was putting; a car alarm blaring; kids riding bikes through the course right in my line to the hole; people in the house across the pond from the 11th green with a screaming and crying toddler; leaf blowers; nail gun popping off the 10th fairway; people walking by the 13th green yelling to their friends during my putting stroke; people wandering down the path on the 15th, oblivious that they were right in the line from the tee box; a gaggle of young girls having a group photo by the 17th green; and other similar distractions.

I'm no elitist - I play courses that wend through communities regularly and am used to occasional distractions - but Turtle Point was plainly the worst that I have seen in this regard, even more so than the average muni.

Finally, I was not impressed with the staff with whom I interacted. I generally got the sense that they could have cared less that I was there.

I would not play this course again.

Nice layout. Great conditions. True greens but played slower than expected. Probably protecting greens from the heat. First class facility. Ample landing areas off tee. Not as challenging with no wind and slow greens. It's pricey but it's Kiawah

Course was in great shape. Loved the layout. Some easy hole and some very challenging holes. Will come back