Golf Guide: Kiawah Island - SC

For thousands of years, Eagles, Egrets and other natural residents of Kiawah have enjoyed its lush, semi-tropical environment, while remaining sheltered from the world. Today, Kiawah Island remains a haven for those who stay. However, the reasons for visiting have become more varied. A magnificent collection of five golf courses and a full-service golfing academy make Kiawah Island one of the nation's top destinations for golf-obsessed travelers. Happily, their non-golfing travel companions also will find plenty to love about this low-key resort community just outside of Charleston, S.C. The island's wide Atlantic beaches extend some 10 miles along the southern coastline, inviting long seaside walks and lazy days lounging on the sand. You'll also find top-rated tennis facilities, 30 miles of paved cycling trails, nature programs, organized activities for children of all ages and a luxurious spa offering an enticing menu of massage and beauty treatments. Meanwhile the golfer in the family can have a go at Kiawah's famous Ocean Course, a scenic and exceptionally challenging Pete Dye design-host of the 1991 Ryder Cup Matches and the 1997 & 2003 World Cup of Golf. The course, also will host the Senior PGA Championship in 2007. Four additional courses with layouts by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Gary Player and Clyde Johnston round out Kiawah's golf program with engaging options for all levels of play.

This is Kiawah Island, where nearby Charleston's influences abound. The choices are plentiful and the people are polite to a fault. Kiawah's friendly character is derived from the gracious Charleston lifestyle, in which Southern Hospitality is never the exception and every meal is a celebration of tastes. The island's proximity to such a charming and desired destination is not only convenient, it's also unique. The transportation is seamless; the resort experience unlike any other. Kiawah is a popular destination for family vacations. From luxurious hotel accommodations to vacation rental homes, and beautiful villas, there is no beach resort quite like ours.