Kiawah Island Golf Resort – South Carolina | Top 100 Golf Courses

During my recent stay at Kiawah Island, I headed over to Mingo Point for the resort’s weekly oyster roast. Although I certainly indulged in some shellfish, I also made sure to grab a few ribs at the buffet. Baby backs are the definitive Ryan Book meal, and I prefer no sauce better than the region’s lowcountry mustard-based condiment. I, however, seemed to be the only other diner of this mindset…the buffet line was near dry of Kansas City’s smoky variety, while the more yellow BBQ sauce jar was still well full. “Tourists,” I, an Ohioan, sniffed self-righteously.

The Kansas City sauce was soon restocked because the Resort knew exactly who it was serving. I get an uncomfortable feeling that the resort’s non-Ocean courses were designed with this same perspective.

Tom Fazio has never been accused of being easygoing. Some of the nation’s most demanding courses bear his mark. These courses arrive because his employers ask for them. No issue there. Occasionally, I reckon, his employers ask him for a golf course that provides the simulation of playing a monster…while keeping those foursomes moving along at a modest clip. Osprey Point bears no resemblance to Ocean, but its unofficial status as Kiawah’s second course invite expectations from golf tourists that it should offer some level of bite, albeit not quite at the level of its big brother.

Osprey was, of course, designed prior to Pete Dye’s standout track. But if we pretend otherwise, Fazio’s done a rather splendid job emulating the masochism players would pay $600 for just down the road, without actually punishing the player. Water lurks everywhere…but generally only on the left side of the hole — only the second shot on No. 16 offers a real threat of wet to the fader/slicer. This leaves nearly 85% of golfers unharmed and confident; the enormous channels of water along the left offer the same level of mental intimidation, and the player leaves quite satisfied with having avoided (most) of them. Happy customers.

It’s a good demonstration of logistics, but a relatively thoughtless exercise for the strategically-minded golfer. I quickly learned that hazards to one side of the fairway (nos. 1, 4) don’t necessarily equate with an optimal line into the green. No. 5, a significant dogleg right, features a palm tree planted to deter thoughts of cutting the corner. But why should you? The yardage guide demonstrates the best line into this angled green is actually achieved from the outside of the dogleg, where no hazards lie. It’s almost as if the palm tree serves to discourage players from potentially slicing over the treeline into some (very) pricy real estate, rather than from finding birdie. (Using my foursome as a case study for the average player demographic, the real estate is nonetheless not safe).

Ironically, where the most basic of woke golf course activists bemoan water, the forced carries at Osprey Point contribute to several of its best holes. Could the par threes at nos. 3 and 11 operate the same without the marshland stretched from tee-to-green? For the former, maybe, but the view is the best on the course, and Fazio is renowned for his views. It’s an image that brings a smile to the face of the average golfer, and even to the face of this prickly architecture-obsessed codger. For the latter hole, featuring what I believe is the largest green on the course, its alignment along the water allows the conservative player a safer landing area the farther right they aim; that the pin will often be well left of that aiming point is the (Osprey) point.

The best par three, and perhaps best hole, is No. 6, which reminds me of NGLA’s No. 2 “Sahara” from its back tee. A slight exaggeration perhaps, but to play directly to the green requires carrying a 200-yard bunker along the left, while the fairway to the right of the green has been shaped into hummocks so to not reward the conservative play from the tee.

Although the course punishes the hooker from the tee (sorry, other 15% of golfers), a good draw benefits the best at several of the better holes. The course’s No. 1 handicap needs to show off its water via a carry, of course, to a landing area defined by a centerline bunker. Those who can curve around the hazard get more distance, and those that favor the lakeside will have the shortest approach (while those who aim right of the centerline will need more club for a GIR). Similarly, No. 7 challenges a skilled player with its short distance — 325 yards from the “regular” tees.

Unfortunately, even if you carry the large cross bunker on this hole, you’ll never get the run necessary to reach the green. If the resort saw fit to stock its fairways with a grass strain that runs, rather than the bloody Seashore Paspalum, there might be some fun to be had. If you had ants in your condo’s kitchen, you could peel up a swatch from the course and find them stuck there in the morning. But, to the theme, grass that runs would result in more balls running into bunkers, and more delays, and less-satisfied customers.

I should clarify that, although this review has leaned particularly negative, Osprey Point is better than the average Ohio public. . Unfortunately, there are certain things I expect from a $275 tee time (the same I paid at Bandon earlier this year), but they are very different things than what the average Kiawah guest expects. Much like how different dinner guests expect different BBQ sauces, to suit their own vision for the task ahead. If I’m being honest, the smoky sauce at Mingo Point was also delicious (I tried both).

July 20, 2022