who teaches golf at the ocean course

Is the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island a must-play golf course?

Join the ranks of avid golfers who have The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on their must-play list for a true test of skill. Located on the eastern-most end of the island, The Ocean Course boasts the most seaside holes in the Northern Hemisphere with ten hugging the Atlantic and the other eight running parallel to those.

Where does the Ocean Course rank on golf’s Top 100 Courses you can play?

The Ocean Course ranked sixth on GOLF’s recently unveiled Top 100 Courses You Can Play ranking, only beaten out by other stalwarts like Bethpage Black (No. 5), Cabot Cliffs (No. 4), Pacific Dunes (No. 3), Pinehurst No. 2 (No. 2) and Pebble Beach (No. 1). So how much will an Ocean Course tee time cost you?

Which golf courses have hosted the PGA Championship?

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort hosted the 2007 Senior PGA and the 2012 PGA Championships. It will also host the 2021 PGA. The Ocean Course is the fourth course to have hosted each of the PGA of America’s major championships.

How do you play from the back tee at the Ocean Course?

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.

Do you have to have a caddie at Ocean Course?

The Ocean Course is walking only except during the summer months (June, July and August), when carts are allowed for golfers teeing off after 10am (carts restricted to paths). Caddies are not mandatory for anyone walking the course but are highly recommended.

How much is a round of golf at the Ocean Course?

The Ocean Course. All are among the world's greatest golf courses but places most golfers only dream about playing. They just don't fit into the average golfer's budget. The $383 Ocean Course greens fee, which doesn't include a gratuity for the caddie, keeps most locals from heading out to Kiawah Island Golf Resort.

How difficult is the Ocean Course?

So, yeah, it's one tough track — in fact, on a wind-whipped day, like in the wild 2nd round of the 2012 PGA Championship, the Ocean Course is about as unforgiving a test as you'll find on U.S. soil.

Who owns the Ocean Course?

The Goodwin family owns Kiawah Island Golf Resort, including Night Heron Park, the Sanctuary Hotel, the conference center and other commercial facilities at East Beach, the Straw Market, the oceanfront site of the original Kiawah Island Inn, two tennis centers, and four golf courses including the Ocean Course, site of ...

How much do you tip a Kiawah caddy?

At Kiawah Island, for example, caddies are "included" in the Ocean Course green fee, but they suggest a $100 tip on top of it.

Can anyone play the Ocean Course at Kiawah?

Many majors are contested at exclusive clubs around the country, but this year we get two (along with the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines) that are on courses open to the public. That means you — yes, you — can play on the same holes that are trekked by the likes of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

What kind of grass is on the Ocean Course?

While other golf courses are beginning to implement it, The Ocean Course was one of the first courses to use a new type of grass called 'Seashore Paspalum. ' Paspalum is a cousin of Bermuda grass and is completely salt tolerant, allowing it to thrive in ocean side scenarios where other grasses would fail.

What tees should I play at Ocean Course?

The numbers speak for themselves — 79.1 and 155. Those are the course and slope ratings that the USGA has assigned to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort when the 7,849-yard layout is played from the championship tees. As such, the course holds rank as the most difficult course in the country.

Who does Kiawah Island favor?

Rory McIlroy will be one of the first names mentioned in the discussion of which golfers can win the 2021 PGA Championship. DraftKings Sportsbook has McIlroy as the favorite to win at Kiawah Island, where he captured the 2012 PGA Championship.

What celebrities live on Kiawah Island South Carolina?

While Kiawah Island can thank its award-winning golf for many of its faithful residents and star-studded clientele (Bill and Hillary Clinton, Richard Gere, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, and even Donald Trump), the island's mystique is in its natural beauty, deluxe yet family-friendly amenities, and southern ...

What celebrities own homes on Kiawah Island?

Rumors be told, a number of celebrities own or have called Kiawah Island home: Dan Marino, Richard Gere, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Bruce Willis and more.

What does it cost to play Pebble Beach?

$575Pebble Beach green fees for a standard round are a whopping $550 per person and will increase to $575 on April 1, 2020. In addition to that initial price, it costs $45 per person to use a cart. If you choose to go the caddie route and walk, which is recommended, the caddie fee will run you another $95 per bag.

Where is Pete Dye's ocean course?

The intriguing origin story of Pete Dye’s Ocean Course at Kiawah. The par-4 10th and par-5 11th, two holes that run straight out between thick, native-covered dunes on the left and a canal on the right, demonstrate how architects intimidate via deception.

How many yards is the bunker on the ocean course?

At the Ocean Course it’s the cavernous Sahara bunker protecting the second-shot landing area of the par-5 16th. Spanning 65 yards, it runs up against the front left of the green and sits some eight feet below the surface with mounds of wiry grasses planted within it, hazards within hazards.

Who is the director of golf at Kiawah Island?

Incidentally, that’s exactly the kind of experience many resort guests want. Brian Gerard, director of golf at Kiawah Island Golf Resort for the past 17 years, who previously served as head professional at the Ocean Course for 11 years, saw it daily. “People didn’t care what their scorecard read—they were there to play one of the most challenging, ...

What happens if you play the second hole?

If played excessively safe, the second becomes a four-shot hole for most, meaning one more opportunity to hit the ball into a bunker, wetlands or greenside penalty area. Staying in scoring position requires committing to more risk off the tee to increase the chance of clearing the wetlands on the second shot.

Is it bad to play for the center of the green?

It’s never a bad idea to play for the center of the green, like on No. 9, where a miss going for the flagstick could put you in a brutal position to get up and down. But it’s also smart to play toward the part of the green where a miss doesn’t cost you more than a stroke.

Is there sand on the ocean course?

Waste-area sand is common at the Ocean Course, and this par 5 has plenty of it. The mistake is treating it like a shot from the softer sand around the greens or in a traditional fairway bunker. This stuff is usually damp and firm and a tough lie for average players. Unless you are really good at picking it clean off tight lies with longer clubs, take a wedge with minimal bounce and play for a flat spot in the fairway.

Who designed the Ocean Course?

Legendary architect Pete Dye designed the Ocean Course, but he wasn’t responsible for one of its most memorable features. No, Dye’s wife and co-conspirator, Alice, was the person responsible for the Ocean Course’s raised green surfaces, which help to provide gorgeous vistas of the beach and ocean throughout the round.

When was Shell's Wonderful World of Golf?

Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf once featured a fitting match. For close to a half-century between 1961 and 2003, “ Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf ” helped showcase many of the finest golf courses on the planet to millions of fans viewing from home.

What year was the Ryder Cup held at the ocean course?

The Ocean Course hosted perhaps the most memorable Ryder Cup of the last three decades — the 1991 ‘ War at the Shore .’. While the tournament famously featured as much gamesmanship and heated rivalry as any Ryder Cup in history, the scene on the 18th green remains alone in Kiawah lore.

Where was the ocean course filmed on Kiawah Island?

5 things you didn’t know about Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. 1. ‘Bagger Vance’ was filmed on-site. Some 2,492 miles from Hollywood, Kiawah made its mark on the silver screen before it ever hosted a major championship. The course was one of several used to film scenes for “ The Legend of Bagger Vance ,” the 2000 Dreamworks/20th Century Fox film ...

What was the 2012 PGA Championship?

The 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah was supposed to mark the grand introduction of major championship golf to one of the great American seaside courses. Well, those playing that week got a grand introduction, all right. To the hardest single round in PGA Championship history.

When is the Ocean Course PGA Championship 2021?

Phil Mickelson makes his putt on the 18th hole to close out his win at the 2021 PGA Championship. By Brendan Porath. May 24 , 2021.

Is New York a good place to play golf?

New York is an amazing city, but it’s good to wander outside of the metro area every now and then. Parklands courses are a backbone of golf in the U.S., but it’s nice to see beach golf in the wind every now and then.

Who said you haven't played golf until you putt out under a full moon?

Jeff Babineau, Golfweek: Alan Grant , whos a greeter at the Skibo castle down the road, says you really havent played golf until youve putted out under a full moon at 3:00 a.m. At Royal Dornoch. And I think hes right. If you havent been there, you ought to get there if golfs in your heart.

When was the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island opened?

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort was designed by Pete and Alice Dye, and opened in 1991. Later that year it hosted the Ryder Cup, in which the US defeated Europe, 14 1/2 to 13 1/2. The Ocean course also hosted the 2007 Senior PGA Championship, and in 2012 the PGA Championship will be held here.

What is the best hole in golf at Tralee?

Matt Ginella, Golf Digest: I think the 12th hole at Tralee is one of the best holes in golf. The approach shot that you have to hit over a canyon right before you have to hit over a canyon on the 13th hole, those back-to-back holes are a real indication that youre on a championship golf course. Its fantastic.

When did Tom Watson play Royal Dornoch?

Tom Watson described his experience playing Royal Dornoch for the first time in 1980 as, The most fun Ive ever had on a golf course. Mike Johnson, Golf Digest: When people think about playing golf in Scotland, they always think about going to the British Open courses.

Where is Bandon Dunes Golf Resort?

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is located on the southern coast of Oregon and consists of four courses: Bandon Dunes (1999), Pacific Dunes (2001), Bandon Trails (2005) and Old MacDonald (2010). Bandon Dunes was designed by David McLay Kidd, who at the time was a relative newcomer to the course design business.

Who called the Sistine Chapel of Golf?

Sandy Tatum, the former USGA president once called it the Sistine Chapel of golf, and thats not a stretch. Jaime Diaz, Golf World: Theres a great feeling of the ocean. You feel like youre in this wonderful little alcove with the spray of the ocean, the Pacific kind of hugging you the whole time. Its really cool.

Where is the 2009 Open Championship held?

Youve got the water along the Pacific Ocean that just creates the ambiance that this is the perfect place to play golf. No. 3 ' Turnberry, Scotland. Turnberry will host the 2009 Open Championship for what will be the fourth time (1977, 1986, 1994).

How much does it cost to play Ocean Course?

If you want to play the course during the summer, the rates can be as high as $463 for a round.

What is the slope rating of Ocean Course?

Just because everyone can play the Ocean Course doesn’t mean everyone should. The course boasts a slope rating of 155 — the highest a course can be assigned — and can give even the best players in the world fits.

Can you play at the ocean course?

If you want to play at the Ocean Course though, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Here’s our handy guide. 1. It’s relatively simple. Some popular public courses make booking a tee time a hassle, but that’s not the case at the Ocean Course.

Where is the Ocean Course in 2021?

As you will hear many times during the 2021 PGA Championship broadcast, the Ocean Course is at Kiawah Island Golf Resort — one of the resort’s five courses — and it’s easy for you to book a tee time. The Pete Dye-designed Ocean Course opened in 1991 and hosted one of the most memorable Ryder Cups ever later that year.

What is the 7th hole on Kiawah Island?

The 7th hole at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course. Kiawah Island’s famed Ocean Course is long, difficult and stunning. It’s also fun, just as long as you don’t mind getting your game (and pride) beaten up a little bit. But better yet, it’s public! That’s right.

The Fallacy with Golf Course Reviews

I’ve read dozens of course reviews by golf professionals, and scratch (or better) amateurs. I’ve read course reviews by those who are paid to do nothing but play golf courses and give course reviews (a job that many have lined up for, the line being about as long as the waiting list for Masters tickets).

A Review FOR the Average Golfer, BY an Average Golfer

As with most things in life, we don’t consider ourselves to be “average.” Just as at Lake Wobegon, where “All of the children are above average,” most of us put ourselves in that same “above average” category…whatever we think that means.

Front Nine

We teed off in late February at 8:30 on a clear, cool-but-thankfully-not-cold day. We shuttled to the first tee, which is a good quarter mile from the driving range and clubhouse, and started the round on an easy par-4. The number 15 handicap hole, in fact.

Back Nine

The driving range and first nine holes are on the eastern side of the Ocean Course clubhouse. Holes one through four are inland, paralleling the Atlantic eastbound. Hole #5 is a par-3 toward the ocean, and holes six through nine border the ocean back west toward the clubhouse (and also are, generally speaking, with the prevailing breeze).

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

This course review is aimed at the average baby boomer golfer. Don’t think about playing this course from the tips. Like that sign says at Bethpage Black, “…which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers,” this course is difficult enough at modest length.