CoolSculptingNear Kiawah Island, SC

After the 3rd Major of the year, we golf fans are left with just one more major championship to drool over until the long hard wait for The Masters next year although we do have the Ryder Cup to look forward to. All this talk of Major golf events has got us thinking about one of the USA’s most excellent golf courses, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island which held the Ryder Cup in 1991 and the PGA Championship in 2012 & 2021.

Kiawah Island is situated in the charming surroundings of South Carolina on a natural barrier island. Decades of careful planning and cautious development have ensured the island’s natural features have stayed intact while one of the world’s best golf courses has taken shape. Pristine sandy beaches, rugged salt marshes and an abundance of wildlife have remained at Kiawah and since golf course construction began and they have been joined by hordes of golfers, eager to sample the five beautiful golf courses designed by the likes of Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Gary Player and Clyde Johnston.

The star attraction at Kiawah Island is The Ocean Course however it is safe to say that this is not the only reason to consider Kiawah for your next American Golf Holiday.

Here are the 7 wonders of Kiawah Island…

The Ocean Course

The Ocean Course is the headline act at Kiawah Island, and it is a course which has a rich golfing history. The 2007 Senior PGA, the 1997 and 2003 World Cups, and the 2001 UBS Cup have all graced the Ocean, but the highlight without doubt was the 1991 Ryder Cup matches, dubbed ‘The War on the Shore’, which culminated with Bernhard Langer missing ‘that putt’.

The Ocean Course is the jewel in Kiawah’s crown and is an absolute must during any golf holiday to South Carolina.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is only the fourth course to host all of the PGA of America’s major tournaments. This honour befits the standard of Pete Dye’s 1991 creation, which is frequently buffeted by the prevailing Atlantic winds which make this course, in the eyes of many in the know, the toughest in America.

If you think you’ve got game, we challenge you to take on the mighty ocean course!

Other courses include the Osprey Point Course, Cougar Point Course, Turtle Point Course and Oak Point Course. A round on any of these will be a memorable experience.

Osprey Point Offers

Cougar Point Offers

Turtle Point Offers

Oak Point Offers

The Sanctuary Hotel

Although Kiawah Island is better known for its outstanding golf portfolio, the accommodation options should not be overlooked, least of which The Sanctuary Hotel. The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island is located on the perfect white sand of Kiawah Island’s coastline, and is a 5* luxury retreat that captures the spirit, history and charm inherent to the Charleston area.

Although there are a number of different accommodation options at Kiawah Island, the Sanctuary Hotel is the pinnacle and our recommendation for the Kiawah Island Golf Holiday.

The first floor is raised some 20 feet to provide guests with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean and the 255 guestrooms are of the very highest quality featuring amenities including four-poster beds and private balconies from which you can enjoy the intoxicating sea breezes that roll in from the Atlantic.

The Sumptuous Spa

There are few better places to head after a round of golf than a luxury spa designed to eliminate the stresses and strains of everyday life and guess what? The Sanctuary Hotel has one of the best around!

After a long, hot day battling it out with the Ocean Course, or any of the five courses for that matter, the Sanctuary Spa is the ideal haven for relaxation and recharging the batteries.

Lavish surroundings, traditional massages and top class facilities make this the perfect place to unwind after a day spent battling it out with the fearsome Ocean Course. Be sure to arrive early (and stay late) to take advantage of the mineral hot tub…the prefect place to recharge the batteries in preparation for the night ahead.

10 World Class Restaurants

Southern hospitality comes alive inside the Kiawah Island’s numerous top class restaurants which, thanks to their rich diversity, will cater for each and every taste. Your private table may overlook splendid surf, lagoons, gardens or fairways, while you dine on exquisitely prepared award-winning native foods complemented by the perfect wine or beverage.

The Atlantic Room is just one of ten restaurants available at Kiawah Island. No matter your mood you will find something to suit your tastes at Kiawah Island.

Head to The Atlantic Room for a special night out and for the amazing sea views or to the resort’s signature restaurant, The Ocean Room, the only American restaurant to earn both Forbes four star and AAA for diamond awards. Wherever you decide to eat, it will be a gastronomic experience of epic proportions!

Be One with Nature

Even something as simple as a walk along the beach at Kiawah Island is an unforgettable experience. Collect seashells, skim stones or ride a bike on the way to experience the wonderful ecosystem of this coastal region. For those who want to learn a thing or two the resort offers numerous ways to interact safely with the Low country.

The flora and fauna at Kiawah Island is fascinating and during your time away from the golf course, exploring it is an exciting yet relaxing way to spend the day. Just watch out for the Alligators!

Classes on birds and other wildlife, walking tours, paddling adventures, and fishing and pleasure boating charters are all available.

Saving Shots with your Caddie

One of the charms of playing the Ocean Course, much like the St Andrews Old Course, is walking and talking to your caddie will be an entertaining experience. The Kiawah Island caddies are among the most well trained, experienced in the country and are sure to have the odd golfing anecdote or two to keep spirits high throughout your round.

Having a caddie on any of the 5 courses at Kiawah Island is of great use. Prepare to lose plenty of golf balls if you don’t listen to their advice!

From experience, I can tell that the first they point out on the Ocean Course is that it plays at least 10 shots harder than your home course. They were clearly exaggerating though as I knocked round in just the nine over my handicap! In all seriousness though…caddies will save you countless shots as they suggest clubs you wouldn’t dream of hitting from various points around the course and pointing out putting lines that you won’t believe until you hear that sweet little rattle!

Charleston

Although it will be hard to tear yourself away from the Kiawah Island resort complex, a visit to Charleston is an absolute must for anyone embarking on a South Carolina Golf Holiday. The slogan “history lives” rings true with the city’s cobblestone streets and amazing old-world architecture.

A day trip to Charleston will give you a healthy dose of South Carolina charm.

Charleston played an important part in the history of the USA, particularly during the Civil War, and as such is a paradise for lovers of history. Filled with charming restaurants and shops as well as the vibrant nightlife hotspots, Charleston is a city that can be easily explored on foot. An absolute must for a day away from the resort.

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — A controversial development on Kiawah Island is treading water.

Developers of Island Park Place Medical Village said the project will be a mixed-use facility, including medical, health and wellness, that will save people from making long trips to the doctor.

Residents and town officials are working to change the proposal or stop it. Meanwhile, supporters believe it would be a one-stop shop for those not wanting to leave the area for medical care. Still, opponents continue to believe the project is too big and commercial.

"It will destroy wetlands," Louise Bennet said. "It will destroy trees."

Read more: "James Island's Dills Bluff development plan meets resistance: From woodland to townhomes?"

These are only a few of the reasons Bennett is against the project planned just across the way from her business on Betsy Kerrison Parkway.

"It also destroys what's left of Johns Island that is peaceful and rural," Bennett said.

While developers tout the project as a one-stop medical shop, some think the 160,000-square-foot building falls short of that goal. Others said the medical care isn't needed as MUSC and Trident are planning for their projects nearby.

"Only about 60,000 square feet, 40 percent or so, is intended to be devoted to medical-related uses," said Bradley Belt, a member of Kiawah's town council. "The rest is residential, other retail restaurants... There's no requirement that it is actually devoted to medical-related facilities."

Opposition rises against controversial Kiawah Island Park Medical Village (WCIV).

Read more: "Daniel Island townhome development defers second time due to grand oak tree concerns."

Bennett claims there are more viable areas to have a complex, including the central part of the island, where Trident Hospital will be.

An attempt by developers to rezone the area from low-density residential was denied by the Charleston County Planning Commission. That has developers looking to possibly scale back the project.

Meanwhile, an ad in support of the project has appeared on Facebook, seeming to suggest Charleston County Councilman Joe Boykin is in favor of the development. Boykin said he is adamantly opposed to it.

"I am aware that social media ads that utilized my image and words from a past speech were posted on Facebook in an apparent attempt to portray my support for a proposed Medical Health and Wellness Village on lower Betsy Kerrison Boulevard," Boykin said. "It is apparent to me that this was additionally an attempt to influence my constituents to ask me to 'keep my word,' as if I supported this project when the developer knew full well I was adamantly opposed to it.

"Angry constituents contacted me because they believed I supported this project only to learn just the opposite was true. I completely concur with the recommendation of the Charleston County Zoning and Planning staff, the decision of The Charleston County Planning Commission, and the opinions of the majority of the Charleston County voters who shared their views that this Planned Development should be denied."

Read more: "Could more development be coming to Johns Island after the New Year?"

Belt is holding a town hall on Thursday, Jan. 11, to discuss "key issues" impacting Johns Island and the Sea Islands community.

To the news, the development group provided the following statement to News 4.

“Our team has agreed to defer the PWC and first reading until we conduct an additional meeting with members of the community before the next scheduled PWC at Charleston County.”

The letters concerning the development can be read below.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Multiple four-story condominium complexes could be coming to Kiawah Island and residents there want the proposed plans to change.

They have concerns about the potential project on Upper and Lower, or Ocean Pines, Beachwalker Drive and say development on the island should not be rushed.

“The impacts are far-reaching for everyone on Kiawah Island, Johns Island, and people wanting to go to the public beach,” Kiawah resident Lance Spencer said. “The infrastructure costs that the city is going to have to bear and that taxpayers are going to have to bear are significant.”

Homeowners said they aren’t against development, but it needs to be done responsibly and they say what’s been proposed is far from it.

“We’re not naïve, we know the developers have the right to develop, but we just want them to develop more responsibly, meaning less density,” Homeowners Association representative for Kiawah Island Lynda Leffler said. “These two areas that they are trying to develop are the most dense on Kiawah Island.”

Their concerns include an uptick in traffic, stormwater management, and that the complexes won’t fit in with the surrounding communities.

“The additional building and construction that the partners and developers want to do is all just for profit with no consideration to the environment and the sensitivity of the environment to what is best for this community,” Kiawah Island property owner James Caltabiano said. “No consideration, it’s all just for profit.”

The complexes would be in a similar fashion to “The Cape” being built now on the island.

“It’s a monstrosity on the beach next to the county park that people come from all over to enjoy,” Caltabiano said. “Now they have The Cape to look at, and it’s terrible.”

Residents say the process to get this development approved has felt rushed and left little time for community feedback.

“The partners have a development agreement which expires December 4th of this year, so certainly they are trying to get everything approved before then, because in that development agreement they can put four stories on these buildings,” Leffler said. “We know they can do that, we just object to that and we wish they would tone it down to two stories.”

They said a two-story building would fit in with surrounding communities as well as address their other concerns.

“It would have a more positive impact on the environment,” Kiawah Island Cottage Association Board Member Cynthia Hadley said. “The stormwater retention is a huge issue in the sense that we experience more and more flooding as the ocean levels rise and the king tides come in. So, a smaller development is definitely what we’d like to see.”

To view the full proposed plans, click here and scroll down.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

For years, we have called for the conservation of the fragile, ever-shifting southern tip of Kiawah Island, a slice of land many know as Capt. Sam’s Spit. We reiterate that call for a deal — and encourage leaders in our state government and conservation community to focus anew on it — particularly as the property remains in between controversial efforts to develop homes there.

As The Post and Courier’s Toby Cox reported, the property is tied up in a complicated legal dispute over a 2013 Amended and Restated Development Agreement between the town of Kiawah Island and developer Kiawah Resort Associates that expired last month. At issue is whether the developer met contractual obligations to transfer ownership of some of the property’s highlands to the community association and to protect the remaining highlands with deed restrictions. These actions would protect the spit from development efforts, but the developer says these obligations were contingent on development, which did not occur.

Since 2008, developers have sought state permits to build 50 homes on the land, but the complexity of running a road and utility lines to the property has resulted in years-long court battles and appeals that stopped the plans. But those hoping for the property’s conservation should not count on permitting battles and environmental lawsuits alone; the land has some value, and its owners deserve to be compensated to some degree for a conservation agreement that would preclude development. Of course, there may be a wide disagreement over the dollars involved, given the property’s proximity to the high-valued real estate of Kiawah Island as well as the folly of building on land so subject to erosion and flooding.

Town officials sent the developer a letter this month asking it to fulfill the two obligations, and it’s certainly possible this could lead to yet another legal battle. That turn would be regrettable. It would be much better for both sides to focus on a conservation deal that would settle this matter once and for all.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a precedent-setting ruling in 1992 in a case only five islands north of Kiawah (Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council), saying if government restricts all potential use of a piece of private property, that is considered a “taking” — and the property owner is owed compensation. We agree with what Amy Armstrong, executive director and general counsel at the S.C. Environmental Law Project, told Ms. Cox: “As long as the developer owns the property, there’s a threat.”

The property is valuable for conservation not only because it provides habitat for wildlife but also because it adjoins Charleston County’s Kiawah Beachwalker Park, which is so popular most summer weekends that there is a waiting list for its limited parking spaces. And that’s not surprising: Beachwalker offers access to more than a mile’s worth of beach and creekfront, around which bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles and seabirds are common visitors. In short, it’s one of South Carolina’s most pristine sections of beach publicly accessible by car.

Both South Carolina and Charleston County leaders should engage on ways to strike a conservation deal here for many reasons, including the prevention of unwise attempts to harden the land for development and the preservation of wildlife habitat and high-quality public access. The time to strike that deal is now, before more dollars are wasted on legal battles or ill-considered development plans.

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KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - Residents on Kiawah Island are keeping a close eye on presented plans to fix an issue they say they had to point out in the first place. The issue is not enough parking for a development currently being built called “The Cape.”

The developers recently submitted a site development revision for “Cape Point parking and emergency access,” but it’s intended to address only part of the parking deficiency, as they have yet to submit revised plans for the rest of the parking issues. This follows the town and planning director telling them they must do so, only after residents discovered the original plans were approved with a significant lack of parking.

Residents fear the lack of transparency of the plans will continue.

“We’re worried as a community that the planning director will overlook once again, so the community has gotten involved, and we are watching very closely,” Kiawah property owner and land development lawyer Tim Hazel said.

The community feels like they aren’t involved enough in what gets approved and says decisions are made behind closed doors by the planning director alone, and not with the commission as a whole.

Town of Kiawah Planning Director John Taylor Jr. explained the approval process is straightforward.

“Developers will submit plans to the town, we will review those plans and issue comments and work back and forth until the developer addresses the comments and once that is addressed, we will be able to issue approval,” Taylor said.

Hazel said he’s never experienced the doors being open for developers but closed to the community.

“There’s a general sense that the mayor and council want nothing to do with discussions as to community input, the developer isn’t doing a very good job of including the community’s input on these plans so it’s very frustrating,” Hazel said.

Taylor said they have heard from the community throughout this process and have received “tons of emails.”

“The town has responded and listened in,” he said. “We’ve brought in a third-party engineer to review Beachwalker projects which I thought was a positive and a request by the planning staff to do that just to give the community comfortability in our review standards and processes.”

It was told that the town council may be considering changes to the development review process at their next meeting.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.