Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Encyclopedia
The Kiawah Island Golf Resort is a resort
located in Kiawah Island
, South Carolina
, United States
, near the city of Charleston
. The resort opened in May, 1976. It has five golf course
s, most notably the Ocean Course.
The Ocean Course has hosted major golf tournaments including the Ryder Cup
and World Cup and will host the PGA Championship
in 2012.
& Alice Dye
, and it opened in 1991. 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. 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
. , the Ocean Course was rated 25th in Golf Digest
's 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America.
The Ocean Course is a par 72 course. From the tournament tee
s, the Ocean Course measures 7,356 yards with a slope rating
of 155 and course rating of 79.6, the highest in the country, according to the United States Golf Association
. The course has unmarked tee boxes that can stretch the course to 7,873 yards. Because of its large slopes, numerous bunkers, and challenging Bermuda grass, it was named the toughest course in America in 2010 by Golf Digest.
The Ocean Course was featured in the 2000 film
The Legend of Bagger Vance
. 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.
. It 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 and has a slope rating of 74.2/141.
. It is recognized as one of the "50 Best Golf Courses for Women" by Golf for Women magazine.
The Osprey point course is a par 72 course. It measures 6,932 yards from the tournament tees, and it has a slope rating of 73.3/135.
and indigo
.
Oak Point plays to a par of 72, and it measures 6,701 yards from the tournament tees with a slope rating of 72.4/137.
redesigned it in 1996. It is a par 72 course, and from the tournament tees it measures 6,875 yards. It has a slope rating of 74.0/138.
The Ocean Course first became famous for the 1991 Ryder Cup
. The United States golf team defeated the Europe golf team 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 putt that would have defeated his opponent Hale Irwin
, tied the scores at 14 - 14 and retained the cup for Europe.
In 1996, the Ocean Course hosted the televised series Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
where Annika Sörenstam
played against Dottie Pepper
.
The Ocean 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 PGA Club Professional Championship was played at the Ocean Course in 2005. Mike Small
, the golf coach at the University of Illinois
, won the event with a score of 289.
Most recently, the Senior PGA Championship
was held at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course in May 2007. Denis Watson
won his first golf tournament in twenty-three years, beating Eduardo Romero
by two strokes.
The PGA Championship
will be played at the Ocean Course in 2012.
Note that the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur, although being played in Kiawah Island, was not held at this resort—it was instead hosted by The Kiawah Island Club, a private golf club on the island.
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
located in Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located south of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is operated today largely as a beach and golf resort — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — with spacious villas, beaches, large and acclaimed golf...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, near the city of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. The resort opened in May, 1976. It has five golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
s, most notably the Ocean Course.
The Ocean Course has hosted major golf tournaments including the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
and World Cup and will host the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
in 2012.
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course is the most famous course at Kiawah Island. It was designed by PetePete Dye
Paul B. "Pete" Dye is a world-renowned golf course designer and a member of a famous family of course designers. He is married to fellow designer and former amateur champion Alice Dye.-Early life:Pete Dye was born in Urbana, Ohio...
& Alice Dye
Alice Dye
Alice Dye is an American golf champion and golf course designer known as the "First Lady" of golf architecture in the United States....
, and it opened in 1991. The course was designed so that players have a view of the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
but also to expose golfers to the often-strong winds in the area. The Ocean Course has been consistently named as one of the best courses in the world by several publications such as Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
and Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
as well as being named a "Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary" by Audubon International
Audubon International
Audubon International is a not for profit 501 environmental education organization based in Selkirk, New York. Established in 1987, the organization has helped thousands of developments, hotels and golf courses in 30 countries to advertise and promote their "green" consciousness...
. , the Ocean Course was rated 25th in Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
's 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America.
The Ocean Course is a par 72 course. From the tournament tee
Tee
A tee is a stand used to support a stationary ball so that the player can strike it, particularly in golf, tee ball, American football, and rugby.- Etymology :...
s, the Ocean Course measures 7,356 yards with a slope rating
Slope rating
The slope rating of a golf course is a measure of its difficulty for bogey golfers. The term comes from the fact that when playing on more difficult courses, players' scores will rise more quickly than their handicaps would predict. The "slope rating" of a course thus predicts that rise...
of 155 and course rating of 79.6, the highest in the country, according to the United States Golf Association
United States Golf Association
The United States Golf Association is the United States' national association of golf courses, clubs and facilities and the governing body of golf for the U.S. and Mexico. Together with The R&A, the USGA produces and interprets the Rules of Golf. The USGA also provides a national handicap system...
. The course has unmarked tee boxes that can stretch the course to 7,873 yards. Because of its large slopes, numerous bunkers, and challenging Bermuda grass, it was named the toughest course in America in 2010 by Golf Digest.
The Ocean Course was featured in the 2000 film
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance
The Legend of Bagger Vance is a 2000 American film directed by Robert Redford and starring Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. It is based on the 1995 book of the same title by Steven Pressfield and takes place in the U.S. state of Georgia in 1931...
. 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
World Golf Tour
World Golf Tour ' is an online multiplayer virtual golf game. WGT is played virtually on actual golf courses from around the world, using a patented 3D photorealistic georeferencing technology....
. Helicopters equipped with cameras and GPS tracking devices were used to photograph and record the entire course to produce a geographically accurate simulation.
Turtle Point
The Turtle Point course was designed by Jack NicklausJack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
. It 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 and has a slope rating of 74.2/141.
Osprey Point
The Osprey Point course at Kiawah Island was designed by Tom FazioTom Fazio
Thomas Fazio, ASGCA is a golf course architect.Fazio graduated in 1962 from Lansdale Catholic High School and was inducted into its "Hall of Fame" in 2007. He began his career in golf course design with his family's firm in suburban Philadelphia, which he left in the 1960s; he established his own...
. It is recognized as one of the "50 Best Golf Courses for Women" by Golf for Women magazine.
The Osprey point course is a par 72 course. It measures 6,932 yards from the tournament tees, and it has a slope rating of 73.3/135.
Oak Point
Designed by Clyde Johnston, the Oak Point course was purchased by the Kiawah Island Resort in 1997. He designed the course on former plantation lands that grew tomatoTomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
and indigo
Indigofera
Indigofera is a large genus of about 700 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Fabaceae.The species are mostly shrubs, though some are herbaceous, and a few can become small trees up to tall. Most are dry-season or winter deciduous. The leaves are pinnate with 5–31 leaflets and the...
.
Oak Point plays to a par of 72, and it measures 6,701 yards from the tournament tees with a slope rating of 72.4/137.
Cougar Point
The Cougar Point golf course was originally named Marsh Point, and Gary PlayerGary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
redesigned it in 1996. It is a par 72 course, and from the tournament tees it measures 6,875 yards. It has a slope rating of 74.0/138.
Tournaments held
Of the five golf courses at the Kiawah Island resort, only the Turtle Point course and the Ocean Course have held notable tournaments.The Ocean Course first became famous for the 1991 Ryder Cup
1991 Ryder Cup
The 29th Ryder Cup Matches were held on The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.The United States team won the competition by 14½ to 13½ points, winning back the Cup when Germany's Bernhard Langer missed a six foot putt on the 18th hole of the final match, a...
. The United States golf team defeated the Europe golf team 14½ – 13½. The windy Ocean Course made for difficult playing conditions, and the United States team only won when Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...
of Germany missed a putt that would have defeated his opponent Hale Irwin
Hale Irwin
Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was...
, tied the scores at 14 - 14 and retained the cup for Europe.
In 1996, the Ocean Course hosted the televised series Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Shell's Wonderful World of Golf
Shell's Wonderful World of Golf was a televised series of golf matches began in the 1960s. The program was sponsored by Shell Oil. It was a part of the tradition of "challenge matches" between pairs of professional golfers, which were the earliest form of professional golf competition, but have now...
where Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish-American professional golfer whose achievements rank her as one of the most successful golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she won 90 international tournaments as a professional, making her the female golfer...
played against Dottie Pepper
Dottie Pepper
Dottie Pepper is an American professional golfer and television golf broadcaster. From 1988 to 1995 she competed as Dottie Mochrie, which was her married name before a divorce...
.
The Ocean Course hosted the World Cup of Golf twice – in 1997 and in 2003. In 1997, Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
and Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England....
won the team title, with Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
winning the individual title. When the World Cup returned in 2003, Trevor Immelman
Trevor Immelman
Trevor John Immelman is a South African professional golfer and winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament.-Early years:Immelman was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Born into a golfing family , he took up golf at the age of five. He attended Hottentots Holland High School...
and Rory Sabbatini
Rory Sabbatini
Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini is a South African professional golfer.Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban, South Africa. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour in 1999...
won the team competition.
The PGA Club Professional Championship was played at the Ocean Course in 2005. Mike Small
Mike Small (golfer)
Mike Small is an American professional golfer and college golf coach.-Amateur career:Small was born in Aurora, Illinois and grew up in Danville, Illinois. He was a four-time letter winner at Danville High School. He won the Junior Masters in 1984 and went on to play college golf at the University...
, the golf coach at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, won the event with a score of 289.
Most recently, the Senior PGA Championship
Senior PGA Championship
The Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money...
was held at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course in May 2007. Denis Watson
Denis Watson
Denis Leslie Watson is a professional golfer from Zimbabwe.Watson was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia and educated at Oriel Boys High School, Chisipite...
won his first golf tournament in twenty-three years, beating Eduardo Romero
Eduardo Romero
Eduardo Alejandro Romero is an Argentine professional golfer.Romero was born in Córdoba. He turned professional in 1982 at a relatively advanced age...
by two strokes.
The PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
will be played at the Ocean Course in 2012.
Note that the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur, although being played in Kiawah Island, was not held at this resort—it was instead hosted by The Kiawah Island Club, a private golf club on the island.
External links
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort – official site