THE COURSE:
Kiawah Island, The Ocean Course, 7,937yrds, par 72
Location: Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is a Pete Dye design and opened in 1991. The course is reminiscent of a British links with 10 holes running right along the Atlantic Ocean. Located on the eastern most end of Kiawah the course is exposed to the area’s brisk and unpredictable sea breezes. The Ocean Course is most famous for hosting the 1991 Ryder Cup; dubbed “the war on the shore”, which saw the USA defeat Europe in one of the most dramatic and fiercely contested matches in the history of the Ryder Cup.
The feature hole at the Ocean Course is the 17th. The 223 yard par 3 is a carry over water which cuts in along the right side of the green. The correct club selection is critical here and depending on the wind direction can play anything from an 8 iron to a driver. Colin Montgomerie won the hole with a double bogey in the 1991 Ryder Cup.