Kiawah Island Golf Resort

The Ocean Course is the most famous course at Kiawah Island, and was designed by Pete and Alice Dye.[6] The course was designed so that players have a view of the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, but also to expose golfers to the often-strong winds in the area.[6] The Ocean Course has been consistently named as one of the best courses in the world by several publications such as Golf Digest and Golf Magazine as well as being named a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by Audubon International. As of 2010, the Ocean Course was rated 25th in Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America.[7]

The Ocean Course is a par 72 course and from the championship tees, it stretches to 7,876 yards (7,202 m) with a slope rating of 155 and a course rating of 79.1,[2] the highest in the country according to the United States Golf Association. Because of its large slopes, numerous bunkers, and challenging Bermuda grass, it was named the toughest course in America in 2010 by Golf Digest.[8]

The Ocean Course was featured in the 2000 film The Legend of Bagger Vance.[9] In October 2008, the Ocean Course became the first course to be available to play in the online video game that was developed by World Golf Tour. Helicopters equipped with cameras and GPS tracking devices were used to photograph and record the entire course to produce a geographically accurate simulation.[10]

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The Ocean Course first became well known in its first year when it hosted the Ryder Cup in 1991.[6] The United States team defeated Europe 14½–13½. The windy Ocean Course made for difficult playing conditions, and the United States team only won when Bernhard Langer of Germany missed a six-foot (1.8 m) par-saving putt that would have defeated Hale Irwin, tied the overall score at 14-all, and retained the cup for Europe.

In 1996, the Ocean Course hosted a match on Shell's Wonderful World of Golf between Annika Sörenstam and Dottie Pepper. The course hosted the World Cup of Golf twice – in 1997 and in 2003. In 1997, Pádraig Harrington and Paul McGinley won the team title, with Colin Montgomerie winning the individual title. When the World Cup returned in 2003, Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini won the team competition.

The Ocean Course hosted the PGA Club Professional Championship in 2005, won by Mike Small, the golf coach at the University of Illinois, with a score of 289. It also hosted the Senior PGA Championship in May 2007, when Denis Watson won his first golf tournament in twenty-three years, beating Eduardo Romero by two strokes.

The PGA Championship was played at the Ocean Course in August 2012[6] with Rory McIlroy winning by a record eight strokes. The championship returned to the Ocean Course in May 2021, and was won by Phil Mickelson, who became the oldest major champion in history at the age of 50.[12] Brooks Koepka came in second place. He went on to win his fifth major and third PGA Championship in 2023.

View of the 18th green and the Atlantic Ocean from the clubhouse at the Ocean Course

The Turtle Point course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and has also received accolades from Golf Digest magazine. Turtle Point has hosted regional tournaments such as the Carolina Amateur.

The Turtle Point course is a par 72 course. From the tournament tees, it measures 7,061 yards (6,457 m) and has a slope rating of 73/134.[2]

The Osprey Point course at Kiawah Island was designed by Tom Fazio.

The Osprey point course is a par 72 course. It measures 6,932 yards (6,339 m) from the tournament tees, and it has a slope rating of 72.8/135.[2]

Designed by Clyde Johnston, the Oak Point course was purchased by the Kiawah Island Resort in 1997.

Oak Point plays to a par of 72, and it measures 6,701 yards (6,127 m) from the tournament tees with a slope rating of 71.9/130.[2]

The Cougar Point golf course was originally named Marsh Point, and Gary Player redesigned it in 1996. It is a par 72 course and from the tournament tees it measures 6,875 yards (6,286 m) with a slope rating of 72.7/134.[2]