The Carolinas – Kiawah Island and Pinehurst

Cougar Point: which opened in 1996, and designed by Gary Player, offers some of the most dramatic vistas on the island. In 2017, the course underwent a complete renovation. Today, the 18-hole links course features amazing tidal creek and marsh views, fresh greens, tees, and fairways, laser-level tee boxes, rebuilt bunkers, and an updated irrigation system. Between the gorgeous backdrop and varied terrain, we guarantee that Cougar Point will become your new favorite place to play.

Turtle Point: which opened in 1991, and designed by Jack Nicklaus. Today, the course shines for offering an equal marriage of two distinctive environments. The front nine plays around many large live oaks that line the fairways and frame the holes; while the back nine brings the Atlantic’s coastal dunes into play.

Most Nicklaus-designed courses are famous (or infamous) for their difficulty, and such was the case at Turtle Point prior to its recent renovation. When Nicklaus returned to the course to update it in 2016, he and his design team pushed fairway bunkers farther away from the tee boxes and relocated some greenside bunkers to open up the front of the greens on many of the holes.

Ocean Course: Dubbed “America’s Toughest Course” by Golf Digest, The Ocean Course is the crown jewel of Kiawah Island. 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. Although it was originally planned to sit behind the dunes, designer Pete Dye’s wife, Alice, suggested raising the entire course to give players unobstructed views of Kiawah’s stunning coastline from every hole. One catch? This improved view made the course substantially more demanding as it also exposed play to the Atlantic’s brisk and unpredictable breezes. In fact, it’s unlikely any other golf course in the world—outside the United Kingdom and Ireland—is affected as much by wind. From one round to the next, a player can experience up to an 8-club difference on holes depending upon the wind’s direction and strength. Interesting fact: Because there are no prevailing winds on The Ocean Course, Dye designed two courses in one—one for an easterly and the other for a westerly wind.

Pinehurst no. 9 – The National: Pinehurst No. 9 is the only Nicklaus course in the Sandhills area. It was originally opened in 1989 as a private club – the National Golf Club. Pinehurst purchased it in 2014 making it the ninth course in the Resort collection.  It’s also known as Pinehurst National. Not surprisingly, an impressive clubhouse and entrance awaits visitors, featuring a splendid restaurant looking over the 9th green. Pinehurst No. 9 is a more challenging Nicklaus course than you’ll find on his typical resort course offerings.  Memorable water holes are exciting and it’s extremely well-manicured. Typical of Nicklaus, bent grass greens are undulating and mounded rather than plateaued allowing for more options for green-side recovery shots. Pine straw is predominant instead of grassy rough.

Pinehurst no. 4: Originally designed by Donald Ross in the early 1900s, the Pinehurst No. 4 golf course was turned into an 18-hole route in the 1950s. Since then, various famous golf architects including Robert Trent Jones, Tom Fazio and most recently Gil Hanse have redesigned and refurbished the golf course. The result after so many legends fine-tuning the course is a championship 18-hole layout that embodies Carolina Sandhills golf.

Pinehurst no. 2: Opened for play in 1907, architect Donald Ross called his creation, “the fairest test of championship golf I have ever designed.” Best known for undulating, crowned greens, Pinehurst No. 2 has witnessed some of the most memorable moments in golf, and in 2014, made history by becoming the first to host the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships in consecutive weeks.

It has served as the site of more single golf championships than any course in America and hosted back-to-back U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open Championships for the first time in 2014. As the first U.S. Open Anchor Site, the championship will return to Pinehurst in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047.

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Pinehurst no. 8 – The Centennial: Opened in 1996 to commemorate Pinehurst’s centennial, Tom Fazio designed No. 8, synthesizing all the elements of the Pinehurst golf experience into one layout. Fazio took full advantage of the 420 acres of rolling terrain and natural wetlands to fashion a course that’s visually enthralling and challenging yet fun to play. Bunkering is significant with several large but shallow fairway bunkers.  But other holes have smaller, deeper but more numerous bunkers such as those found on Hole #3. The Pinehurst reservoir runs along the Par3 Hole #5 providing a magnificent backdrop.  You cross a large marsh wetland on the short Par 4 Hole #12.  Bite off as much as you dare.  Enjoy the fantastic view on the closing hole. Pinehurst No. 8 includes multiple large wetland areas unique to this Pinehurst Resort course.  Well-manicured with a different flavor, it’s one of our favorites at the Resort.