From the Blue Ridge Mountains of the north to the wildlife-rich low-country of the south, the palmetto state of South Carolina is both geographically and culturally diverse. Elegant architecture, sweeping dune-framed beaches, and streets draped with Spanish moss make the region an enduringly popular tourist destination. For the sports orientated, the state also boasts one of the world's greatest golf courses.
As a fan of links golf, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island had long beckoned. The resort hosted the infamous 1991 Ryder Cup, dubbed the "war by the shore," and has received plaudits from just about every golf publication to take pen to course since. Home to this year's Senior PGA Championship and the 2012 US PGA Championship; I had all the justification necessary.
And so, having opened a line of communication with Mike Vegis, the resort's affable publicist, I secured tee times and we loaded our clubs into a very American SUV. A golfing odyssey began.
Traveling south from Wilmington, we crossed into South Carolina on US Highway 17. In remarkable contradiction to the abundant charms that lay ahead, the gateway to this magnificent state was decidedly underwhelming.
Our tour began with the tourist-ravaged resort of Myrtle Beach; an ode to over-zealous development if ever there was one. Punctuated by sky rise blocks, vacuous shopping malls, and the gauche designs of the brash and affluent, the city cowers in embarrassment under the all seeing bright winter sun.
Though offering more golf courses per square mile than anywhere in the world, the vast stretch offers little in the form of cultural enrichment. This may be America, but it could easily be anywhere. For the golfing tourist, the courses are occasionally spectacular, but largely soulless. The tribute show to Dolly Parton, however, is said to be rather good.
As our journey continued south, a dramatic transformation unfolded. Entering the marshland and intra-coastal waterways of the low-country, South Carolina's beautiful scenery and unaffected, rustic seaside towns gradually began to take over. In 100 miles, the landscape was completely transformed.
Gone were the motels and strip clubs. This was the real south. Here, alligators, possums, and bobcats roam the swamps, while local eateries prepare shrimp and grits, barbecued pork, and never-ending jugs of iced sweet tea. Authenticity had resumed. Following a further two hours of impressive vistas, we reached the historic city of Charleston.
Settled in 1670 by English colonists from Barbados, South Carolina was one of 13 colonies to revolt against British rule during the American revolution of the late 18th century. A staging point for the confederate forces during the Civil War, its historical significance increased when shots fired at Fort Sumter, Charleston, in 1861 marked the start of the bloodiest conflict in the nation's history.
Kiawah Island is situated 21 miles south of the city and has a population of just over 1,000. The town owes its name to the Kiawah tribe of Indians, who sold the land to the English in 1675 in exchange for "cloth, hatchets, beads, and other goods and manufacturers." On first impression, it seemed the English had done rather well from that deal.
The gated community of the Kiawah Resort is manicured to perfection from the welcome sign forward. Streets lined with stunning beach houses cut through pristine golf courses, spas, and country clubs with ever-increasing grandeur towards the island's outer reaches. After navigating two security checkpoints, the golfing gold at the end of this million-dollar rainbow came into the view. "Welcome to the Ocean Course."
Though the resort was opened in 1976, the Ocean Course was not even built when the PGA awarded it the honor of hosting the 1991 Ryder Cup. Its selection owed much to the reputation of golf course architect Pete Dye, revered among his peers for designing challenging and beautiful courses, and the contractor for the job.
In 1989, Dye arrived at Kiawah with less than two years to craft a worthy stage for sporting theatre. "I would have bent down on my knees and begged (perhaps even traded in Alice [his wife]) for the opportunity to build a course on such magnificent property," he wrote in his book, Bury Me in a Pot Bunker.
Given a narrow two-and-a-half mile stretch at the eastern tip of the island to work with, Dye walked the course over and over again with Alice and his project director Jason McCoy looking for inspiration. He planned to run the front nine clockwise to the east and the back nine anti-clockwise to the west, but faced a unique challenge.
"I was surprised to discover there was no prevailing wind because it blows alternately from the east and then the west," he said. "The holes would also run to the east or west, requiring a design that would one day play into the wind and the next with it."
To combat the dilemma, Dye built additional tee boxes to allow the Ocean Course to adapt to conditions. He also altered the depth of the greens to hold both lofted and low trajectory shots at the target. "Two golf courses in one were being built," he said, "since the direction of the wind could require a long approach shot one day and a short one the next."
Despite the unfortunate intervention of Hurricane Hugo in late 1989, Dye and his team duly completed their design and Kiawah welcomed Ryder Cup teams captained by Dave Stockton and Bernard Gallacher on Friday September 27th, 1991. Three days later Bernard Langer's six-foot miss at the 18th handed the trophy to the Americans before a crowd of 25,000 in arguably the most exciting finish in the tournament's history. Kiawah was on the golfing map.
After hitting pyramids of brand new practice balls parallel to the sparkling ocean, we made our way to first tee. "There's no out of bounds here," said the starter, "if you can find it, play it. The sand dunes and everything with sand in it count as wasteland, so you can ground your club everywhere. Have a good day, gentleman."
Weather wise, we were very fortunate. It was late December and the temperature was in the high 60s. More importantly, the wind was mild. We were playing a gnarly links, but its teeth would not be fully bared. Drivers out, we let fly down the inviting opening fairway and began our love affair with Dye's spellbinding creation.
With an ocean view from every hole on the course, the panorama is seldom less than spectacular. Inland, the course is bordered by marshland, patrolled by a wide variety of birdlife, including egrets, herons, and pelicans. There are few overlooking properties, allowing the course to fit seamlessly with its surroundings. Dye's design compliments the island's beauty and exists in harmony with nature.
Our first test came on the challenging second, a 501-yard par-5 (from the whites) bisected by two strips of wetland culminating in a wickedly hard green to hold. The putting surface was fast, narrow and unforgiving, lending itself to several 10-footers from our party that finished further from the pin that they started. The hole is a wonderful examination for the accomplished player.
At the par-3 fifth, roughly 100 yards of wasteland separate the tee box and a huge 10,000 square foot green. It's a seemingly straightforward hole, but depending on pin position the course guide suggests as much as a three to four club difference from the tee. With the wind in play, it likely becomes an entirely different animal.
Flush with the midday sun and exhausted from zigzagging the fairways from sand to sand, we paused at the soon-to-be demolished clubhouse for a hearty hot dog. A new $24 million, 24,000 square-foot facility lying adjacent to the ocean and 150 feet from the 18th green is expected to be ready in time for May's Senior PGA Championship.
At the 1991 Ryder Cup, it was the par-3 17th that frequently proved decisive. Playing 197 yards over water from the blue tees, the hole is perhaps more susceptible than any other to the fickle nature of the elements.
"If the wind's behind you, you can reach with a high-iron," said publicist Vegis, "but on other days, you'll need as much as a three-wood to carry the green. We pulled out 34,000 golf balls one year after the Ryder Cup when we dredged it. We get on average 28,000 rounds a year, so that's more than one ball per player."
Predictably, I added to that haul, ambitiously taking a six-iron in the face of a gentle breeze and landing with a loud splash two feet short. A quick peer over the bank did unearth a lively black and red striped snake, however, which put pay to any ideas of ball gathering amongst our party.
Almost home, we teed off on the 18th under clear blue skies. The hole begins with a drive over wasteland into a contoured fairway. To the right, a small misjudgment can land your ball in the ocean. Land safe, however, and a second shot of sublime beauty ensues. Surrounded by shoreline, with dunes in the distance, the cinematic backdrop to your approach encapsulates everything that is good about the Ocean Course.
With our round over, we retired to the doomed clubhouse to reflect on a highly enjoyable afternoon. Our only regret: that we'd used carts and not walked. From January 1st, a walking only policy will come into effect at the course for all tee times before noon and it's easy to see why. With a layout so beautiful, a return to the traditional is a wise move that will help retain the essence of the island.
This is a golf course of effortless, rugged charm, comparable to any links in the world in terms of both its challenging and thought-provoking design and its spectacular island location. A feast for the eyes and a test for the irons, the Ocean Course has only history between its status and that of Augusta and Pinehurst in America's golfing south.
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