Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)
Pete Dye's War by the Shore links, ten holes on the Atlantic. 1991, par 72.
The questions golfers search
Short, sourced, dated blocks. Every number comes from posted rounds, so as this course fills in, these answers exist nowhere else.
Is Kiawah Island (Ocean Course) hard?
Yes. Off a slope of 153 and a rating of 77.4 from the tips, it is one of the sterner tests a public golfer can book. It is walkable, but it is a full day.
Can anyone play Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)?
Kiawah Island (Ocean Course) is a resort course, open to the public with a tee time and, at most, a resort stay. Peak-season green fees run roughly $600 per round with a walking caddie included in the rate but not gratuity; the resort does not publish exact rates online and quotes them by phone.
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Score distribution · all posted rounds
Hardest holes · strokes over par as played
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Best rounds at Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)
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| # | Golfer | Tees | Score | To par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Bauer | 86 | +14 | |
| 2 | Marcus R. | 88 | +16 | |
| 3 | Vince Grant | 88 | +16 | |
| 4 | Paul Kim | 89 | +17 | |
| 5 | Dave Ellis | 89 | +17 | |
| 6 | Jack Sutton | 92 | +20 | |
| 7 | Doug Hayes | 93 | +21 |
Playing Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island opened in 1991 and immediately hosted the Ryder Cup, the tense 'War by the Shore.' Pete and Alice Dye built it hard against the Atlantic, and ten of its holes run right along the ocean, billed as the most seaside holes in the Northern Hemisphere. From the Black tees it stretches 7,385 yards, par 72, rating 77.4 with a slope of 153. The wind decides almost everything.
Golf Digest once named it the toughest course in America, and the numbers back the reputation: the Championship tees carry a slope of 155, the maximum the rating system records. Exposed greens, waste bunkers, and a constant sea breeze mean the same hole can play three clubs differently morning to afternoon. The par-4 4th plays as the number-one handicap hole. Dye raised the whole course during construction so players could see the ocean from every hole.
Rory McIlroy won the 2012 PGA Championship here by eight shots, and Phil Mickelson made history at the 2021 PGA as the oldest major champion at 50. The Ocean Course sells rounds at roughly $600 in peak season, with a walking caddie included in the rate, and the resort quotes exact prices by phone rather than posting them online. Five tees drop from the 7,385-yard Black to the 5,226-yard Red.
Tees, ratings & hole-by-hole
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Black | 396 | 543 | 384 | 451 | 207 | 455 | 527 | 198 | 464 | 3625 | 439 | 562 | 466 | 399 | 194 | 416 | 577 | 223 | 484 | 3760 | 7385 |
| Gold | 371 | 520 | 363 | 430 | 185 | 382 | 505 | 180 | 415 | 3351 | 388 | 521 | 420 | 371 | 171 | 387 | 548 | 197 | 439 | 3442 | 6793 |
| Silver | 365 | 495 | 308 | 396 | 165 | 342 | 491 | 166 | 394 | 3122 | 368 | 503 | 408 | 364 | 161 | 368 | 479 | 159 | 424 | 3234 | 6356 |
| Blue | 354 | 480 | 292 | 384 | 155 | 331 | 465 | 140 | 380 | 2981 | 341 | 461 | 393 | 327 | 151 | 347 | 472 | 136 | 396 | 3024 | 6005 |
| Red | 303 | 410 | 254 | 328 | 117 | 299 | 437 | 105 | 344 | 2597 | 310 | 407 | 326 | 312 | 132 | 306 | 392 | 122 | 322 | 2629 | 5226 |
| Handicap | 15 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 6 |
Scorecard and tee ratings from the course’s published card and the USGA course rating database. How we compute these stats →
Contact, rates & amenities
Contact & booking
Course info
Course details change: fees go up, phone numbers move, hours shift with the season. If anything on this page looks wrong, tell us and we will check it.
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Kiawah Island (Ocean Course) FAQ
What does the average golfer shoot at Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)?
Across 7 rounds posted by SimplyStroke golfers, the average 18-hole score is 89.3, about +17.3 to par. The lowest posted round is a 86.
Is the Ocean Course at Kiawah walkable?
The Ocean Course is walking only with a caddie for most of the year. Carts are permitted only after 10 a.m. in June, July, and August. A walking caddie is included in the green fee, which fits a links that rewards local knowledge of the wind and the run-offs. Plan on covering serious ground, since the routing spreads along the Atlantic dunes.
How much does it cost to play the Ocean Course?
Peak-season rounds run roughly $600, with a walking caddie included in the rate though not the gratuity. The resort does not publish exact green fees online and prefers to quote them by phone, so pricing varies by season and demand. Playing the Ocean Course usually pairs with a stay at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, which also eases access to tee times.
Why is the Ocean Course considered so difficult?
Golf Digest named it the toughest course in America in 2010, and its Championship tees carry a slope of 155, the highest the rating system allows. The difficulty comes from exposure: ten holes sit on the Atlantic, the greens are open to the wind, and Pete Dye raised the terrain so nothing blocks the sea breeze. On a windy day, par is a genuine achievement anywhere on the card.
Who designed the Ocean Course at Kiawah?
Pete Dye designed the Ocean Course with Alice Dye, and it opened in 1991, just in time for the Ryder Cup. Alice suggested raising the entire layout during construction so every hole could see the Atlantic, a change that defined its exposed, windswept character. The result is one of the most demanding seaside courses Dye ever built, and a regular host of major championships.