Kiawah Island sits around 21 miles from Charleston and feels a world away once you're through the gates. It's one of those places golfers talk about in the same breath as "once in a lifetime", mainly because you've got five top-class courses on one compact barrier island, plus the Atlantic on your doorstep.
The headline act is the Ocean Course, a brutal beauty that has staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships. Rory McIlroy won the 2012 edition, Phil Mickelson took the 2021 title, and if you're the sort who likes your golf with a side order of history, this is the round you'll be talking about on the flight home.
Beyond the Ocean Course, Kiawah's line-up gives you proper variety. Osprey Point, Turtle Point, Cougar Point and Oak Point each bring a different flavour, from more forgiving resort golf to sterner tests shaped by marshland, pines and coastal winds. The scenery is the full Lowcountry package, with salt marshes, maritime forest, tidal creeks and wide beaches all in play depending on where you tee it up.
Who is this for? Golfers or groups seeking a multi-course golf holiday in one of America's most celebrated golf destinations, combining championship-standard courses with resort facilities, coastal scenery and easy access to Charleston's history and dining scene.
Who is it best for? Serious golfers chasing major-venue experiences and bucket-list rounds, societies or friends' trips wanting variety across five distinct courses, and couples or families looking to pair world-class golf with beach, spa and outdoor activities in a gated, low-traffic island setting.
