About
Designed by Alice and Pete Dye to host the 1991 Ryder Cup, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort winds naturally through windswept dunes along the coast of the South Carolina Lowcountry. The Dyes adapted characteristics of famed links-style tracks of Scotland and Ireland to the subtropical climate of the Lowcountry, resulting in a course that boasts the most seaside holes in North America. The Ocean Course consistently ranks among the top public courses in the United States and is one of the most challenging in the world.
72
Par
7,876
Yardage
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Hole 1
4
Par
396
Yardage
This hole presents one of the narrowest fairways on the course. Still, there is plenty of room between the natural sand area along the right side of the fairway and the thick dune grass bordering the left. A good drive will leave a short iron into a gently undulating green tucked into a natural dune area.
Hole 2
5
Par
557
Yardage
From the back tee, you’re as far from the Atlantic as The Ocean Course allows, yet the view from here looks right into the rolling surf, framed by ancient live oaks. Decide how much of the salt marsh to bite off with your tee shot. Then, depending on wind direction, you can go for the elevated green set between two sand ridges.
Hole 3
4
Par
390
Yardage
From an island-like tee, you’ll fire across the marsh to an extremely wide fairway. The best drives will find the plateau on the left side of the fairway where you can get the best look at the putting surface. Even a half wedge can be treacherous. Players missing this green will face a very difficult up and down.
Hole 4
4
Par
484
Yardage
The most difficult hole on the outward nine, the second shot to a large green can be played with nearly every club in the bag, from an 8-iron up. Playing against the wind, you may opt to bail out to the left of this green and try to save par with a chip or even a putt from the extended collar area.
Hole 5
3
Par
207
Yardage
You’ll survey an hourglass green running away diagonally from the right. A large natural sand area runs from the tee to green ending in a steep face that cuts into the middle. You must hit the appropriate portion of this largest green on the golf course or face a very difficult two putt.
Hole 6
4
Par
490
Yardage
The perfect drive is one directly at the center oak with a slight draw, eliminating trouble from a natural sand area and pond to the left. The green is open in front, but protected left and right by more sand. Expect to see many approach shots finding the center portion of this narrow, deep green.
Hole 7
5
Par
579
Yardage
Here, wind conditions will determine the strategy for the tee shot as you must decide whether to carry a natural dune area that intrudes into the fairway from the right or play left of it. Once that decision is made, the second shot can be fired at a slightly elevated green that is open in the front.
Hole 8
3
Par
198
Yardage
This seemingly simple hole will become more difficult the further the pin is cut into its elevated green. Framed by tall live oaks just off its front left corner, it becomes narrower as it extends away from the tee. Any missing long or right shots will find the sand.
Hole 9
4
Par
514
Yardage
A wide fairway sloping down from the right makes driving length more important than direction. The putting surface is open in the front but presents plenty of tough up-and-down chances from an assortment of grassy swale and deep sand areas both left and right.
Hole 10
4
Par
447
Yardage
A drive down the left-center to the crest of the fairway will set up a second shot to a green set down into the dunes. Players are faced with a large sand area to the left front of the green and a deeper, steep faced sand area to the back.
Hole 11
5
Par
593
Yardage
The key to this hole is an accurate lay-up. Off the tee, you must avoid sand areas right of the fairway. For the second shot, it’s better to lay back on the right side, taking the sand area left out of play. A good lay-up will leave a pitch to a putting surface set atop a dune ridge.
Hole 12
4
Par
484
Yardage
This hole boasts the widest fairway on the course, which gives way to one of the narrowest approaches. A good drive sets up a downhill second to the green. Though narrow, the approach is open in the front, with a rolling collar area providing the players some room to miss left.
Hole 13
4
Par
497
Yardage
This may be the most difficult hole on the inward nine. The canal running down the entire right side will certainly come into play on tee shots. You must decide just how far down the canal you’ll try to carry, setting up a demanding approach.
Hole 14
3
Par
238
Yardage
This is perhaps the most beautiful hole on The Ocean Course, but also one of the most treacherous. A tee shot missing this severely exposed and elevated green will leave a severe uphill chip or pitch to save par, and the putting surface is the most exposed on the entire course.
Hole 15
4
Par
466
Yardage
This seemingly straightforward hole often gets overlooked, much to the player’s peril. The tee shot must find the fairway to set up a mid-iron into the green set down into a natural dune area, making it difficult to determine wind speed and direction.
Hole 16
5
Par
608
Yardage
Downwind, this hole will provide a great chance for birdie or eagle, with many players going for the green in two. Those that successfully navigate the extremely deep and dangerous sand area guarding the left side of this green will set themselves up for a late charge.
Hole 17
3
Par
223
Yardage
On No. 17, the target appears narrow and is fiercely guarded by water short and to the right, with two deep sand areas to the left. Golfers that play this hole even par will certainly be rewarded.
Hole 18
4
Par
505
Yardage
The best drives on No. 18 will hug the right side of the fairway. The wind determines whether players fire at the flag with mid irons or simply try to hit the green with long irons or fairway metals.