Golf in Charleston and Kiawah
The Lowcountry at its finest, where the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, host of Ryder Cups and PGA Championships, anchors a string of resort and links courses around one of America's most beautiful cities. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: The Ocean Course, Matthew Johnson, via Google
Why golf in Charleston and Kiawah
Charleston pairs a great American golf destination with one of the most charming cities in the country, and that combination is the whole pitch. The barrier islands south of the city, Kiawah, Seabrook and Isle of Palms, are lined with resort golf set among live oaks, marsh and the Atlantic, while the historic peninsula itself offers cobbled streets, antebellum houses and some of the best restaurants in the South. A foursome can play championship golf by day and eat and drink superbly by night, with the non golfers happily occupied in between.
The headline is the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Pete and Alice Dye's brutal, beautiful seaside test staged the 1991 Ryder Cup, the War by the Shore, and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, and it is booked to host the PGA again in 2031. Around it, Kiawah's four resort courses by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio and Gary Player give the island 90 holes of golf, while Wild Dunes on Isle of Palms adds two Tom Fazio courses closer to the city. It is resort golf of real pedigree in a setting that is hard to beat.
The regions
Kiawah Island
The Ocean Course, Turtle Point, Osprey Point, Cougar Point and Oak Point, five championship courses on a single barrier island resort, the heart of any Charleston golf trip.
Isle of Palms and the city side
Wild Dunes' Links and Harbor courses on Isle of Palms, with Daniel Island and the city's public and municipal golf, the closest quality golf to historic Charleston.
Seabrook and the south islands
Seabrook Island's Crooked Oaks and Ocean Winds courses and the wilder layouts toward the ACE Basin, the quieter southern end of the Lowcountry golf coast.
The courses that matter
The Ocean Course
The headline round and one of the great modern seaside courses in America, with more oceanfront holes than any course in the Northern Hemisphere. It staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, and will host the PGA again in 2031. Brutal in the wind, unforgettable in any weather.
Turtle Point
A Jack Nicklaus design winding through maritime forest to three superb holes along the ocean dunes, a tighter, more strategic test than the Ocean Course and a perennial favourite among the Kiawah resort layouts.
Osprey Point
A Tom Fazio design across rolling, generously proportioned fairways laced with lagoons, ponds and forest, the most playable and pretty of the Kiawah resort courses, a relaxed counterpoint to the Ocean Course.
Wild Dunes, Links
Tom Fazio's debut solo design, a classic seaside course on Isle of Palms that finishes with two holes along the Atlantic dunes, the closest top resort golf to the city and a Lowcountry favourite for decades.
Cougar Point
A Gary Player designed course on Kiawah, redesigned to bring marsh and tidal creeks dramatically into play, with sweeping Lowcountry views, a strong and scenic third or fourth round on the island.
Seabrook Island, Crooked Oaks
A Robert Trent Jones Senior design on quiet Seabrook Island, routed inland among ancient oaks and lagoons, the more sheltered of the island's two courses and a calm, classic Lowcountry test.
Seabrook Island, Ocean Winds
The seaside companion to Crooked Oaks, a Willard Byrd design exposed to the breeze off the Atlantic, with marsh and ocean holes that bare their teeth in the wind, a fine pairing for a Seabrook day.
Wild Dunes, Harbor
The second Fazio course at Wild Dunes, a shorter, quirky layout that plays along the Intracoastal Waterway with water on most holes, a fun, target style round to pair with the Links course.
Oak Point
The fifth Kiawah resort course, just off the island on Johns Island, a marshland layout of tidal creeks and Lowcountry views that offers the best value golf in the Kiawah collection.
Daniel Island Club
A private island club close to the city with two courses by Tom Fazio and Rees Jones, the Beresford Creek and Ralston Creek layouts, refined marshland golf available to visitors through select stay and play arrangements.
Patriots Point
A public links style course on the harbor at Mount Pleasant with open views across the water to the Charleston skyline and the Ravenel Bridge, a breezy, accessible round minutes from downtown.
Charleston Municipal
A beloved, walkable old city muni on the marsh in West Ashley, recently restored and great fun, the affordable, characterful counterpoint to the resort golf and a local institution.
Designers, opening years and host history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
See the best United States courses ranked Check tee time availability
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| March to May, September to November | Warm, settled, firm, low humidity | Prime Lowcountry golf, book the Ocean Course early |
| June to August | Hot and humid with afternoon storms | Workable at dawn, lower rates, watch the heat |
| December to February | Mild and quiet, occasional cold snap | The cheapest, calmest time to play |
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in September, so build a little flexibility into a late summer trip.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Ocean Course | Around US$500 to US$700 | Peak season, resort guests get priority and better rates |
| Kiawah resort and Wild Dunes | Around US$200 to US$350 | Turtle Point, Osprey Point, Cougar Point, Wild Dunes Links in season |
| Public and muni golf | Around US$50 to US$120 | Patriots Point, Charleston Municipal, great value |
| A week, all in | Around US$3,000 to US$6,000 per person | Marquee Lowcountry golf, hotels, a hire car, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2025 to 2026 seasons, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Charleston International airport sits just north of the city with direct flights from across the eastern United States and beyond, and it is around forty five minutes from Kiawah Island and twenty five from Isle of Palms. The barrier islands are spread along the coast and the resort gates control access, so a hire car is essential to move between courses and into the city. Once you are on Kiawah, much of the golf and lodging is within the resort, which keeps the daily driving short.
Where to stay
For the marquee golf, stay inside the gates at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, where guests get priority and better rates on the Ocean Course and the resort courses, with villas that suit a group. For the city, the boutique hotels of historic downtown put the restaurants and the harbor courses within reach. Many groups split the trip, a few nights on Kiawah for the golf and a couple downtown for the food and the history. Let one planner balance the two.
Plan your Charleston golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Charleston golf questions
What is the best golf course in Charleston and Kiawah?
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, the Pete and Alice Dye design that staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, is the headline round and one of the toughest, most beautiful seaside courses in America. It is set to host the PGA Championship again in 2031. The other Kiawah resort courses, Turtle Point, Osprey Point and Cougar Point, and the Tom Fazio Links at Wild Dunes complete the picture.
When is the best time to play golf in Charleston?
Spring, from March to May, and fall, from September to November, are the prime seasons in the Lowcountry, with warm, settled weather and firm conditions. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon thunderstorms, though early tee times and lower rates make it workable. Winter is mild and quiet, the cheapest time to play.
How much does a golf trip to Kiawah cost in 2026?
The Ocean Course is among the most expensive public rounds in America, with indicative peak green fees of around US$500 to US$700, while the other Kiawah resort courses and Wild Dunes run roughly US$200 to US$350 in season. A week of Lowcountry golf with hotels and a car typically lands between US$3,000 and US$6,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
New course openings, Ocean Course tee time windows and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.