Kiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course

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Review

“The Ocean Course offers many different shot options throughout the course. While many holes set up well for driver off of the tee, there are often line up questions with risk reward carries and angles (holes 2, 7, 13 to name a couple). But where the course excels is in the approach and short game options. Whether iron should come in high and at the pin or roll up, how much loft to put under chips — these are the key decisions to make on all 18 holes.

The course is incredibly challenging, almost to a fault. From the lengthiest tees (available to play daily) 7300 yards, it would be tough for even the best of causal golfers to reach greens in regulation and make pars. Combine the length and tough approaches with brutal wind conditions and this is a bear of a course.

Doglegs are split approximately 4-4 with a par 5 in each category. Bunkers line the far side and close side about evenly (and some of those bunkers are quite daunting — see challenge/aesthetics). The par 4 holes range from almost reachable (3, 6 13) to long (4, 9). The par 5s also have good variety, with reachable 7 to the mammoth 16. The par 3s however, are all about 200 yards (from the back tees) with the exception of 14 which is longer. Elevation changes also keep the course varying from hole to hole, along with numerous pin locations.

The name says it all — with large stretches of the course riding the coast line, it’s like nothing else in golf. The way hole 14 hits from the high point on the island down toward the water is fantastic, additionally the course does a great job with the away from the water holes, highlighting trees, marsh land and the like. One item of note are the unique bunkers with high elevated lips, really are quite something.

The fairways were firm and rolled well, but the greens were in abysmal shape. Pot-marked, patchy, and inconsistent roll was present both days I played the course. In seeking explanations, both caddies and starters didn’t offer any reason to say this would be out of the ordinary. So, while I assume that the course does have better conditioning most of the year – I feel justified in reviewing poorly due to the lack of clear explanation.

The course gets high marks in character for a few reasons: one, its uniqueness for raised land near the ocean. Many beach/shore courses are flat and do not offer the undulations that the Ocean Course does. This alone gives high marks here. Secondly, the proximity to the city of Charleston, the walking only nature of the course, add to the score.”