If golf is your game, you’re probably already familiar with Kiawah Island and its iconic courses. Let’s take a closer look at some of those courses and the holes that make them challenging.
Ocean Course, Hole 14
You can’t beat the ambiance of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Fairways and greens are set where you can see the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a difficult course, but it’s also fun to play. Every hole is amazing, but 14 is in its own class in terms of difficulty. The par 3 hole is elevated to the height of sand dunes and you’re likely to get a headwind.
Wild Dunes Links, Hole 17
Located on the Isle of Palms, the Wild Dunes Links course offers a challenging layout with tight fairways and fast greens. There is not much room for error on most holes. The course is kept in immaculate shape and the last two holes get a lot of raves as both are right on the ocean and make for a spectacular end to your round. But we’re picking Hole 17, a 412-yard par 4 with ocean winds that make club selection tough.
Ocean Winds, Hole 14
This course at Seabrook Island provides a challenge for any golf level with the ocean winds, and landscape that winds through old oaks, pine trees, waterways, and dunes. You’re likely to see wildlife including deer and possibly alligators. There’s a stiff ocean breeze throughout even if you only view the Atlantic from Hole 14. As you tee off, low dunes and some vegetation are all that’s between you and the ocean. Tidal marshes are located throughout the next three holes.
Turtle Point, Hole 15
The Jack Nicklaus-designed Turtle Point course on Kiawah Island offers narrow fairways and plenty of hazards. The course blends in beautifully with the natural environment, and like some of the other courses, offers holes on the ocean. The par 4 Hole 11 requires a precise tee shot to avoid water on the right and trees to the left. The hole doglegs right and a water hazard bisects the fairway from the green.
Wild Dunes Harbor, Hole 9
Designed by Tom Fazio, the Wild Dunes Harbor Course plays along the Intracoastal Waterway through salt marshes and lagoons. Hole 9 is lovely but beware: Sand hazards, hidden water, and winds make it trickier than it appears. This is a narrow course overall and accuracy is key on this par 5 hole.
Cougar Point, Hole 17
The Cougar Point Golf Course on Kiawah Island was recently named the “Golf Course of the Year” by the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association. Hole 17 is one of the most scenic on the course with water down the entire right side. It’s a short par 4 that gives a golfer several options. This is plenty of water and sand, and it’s no straight shot.
Book Your Golf Getaway to Kiawah Island
Stay right on a course with a luxury vacation rental like the 4-bedroom Ocean Green 11, which overlooks Hole 10 on the Kiawah Island’s Turtle Point Course. The 4-bedroom, 4-bath 2875 Hidden Oak Drive sits on the 16th hole of the Crooked Oaks Course. The 5-bedroom/5-bath property at 317 Glen Eagle offers a tranquil setting on a cul-de-sac with a private pool and a view across the 9th fairway of the Turtle Point Course.