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Those familiar with the early Nicklaus designs wouldn't recognise this one. It's low profile, almost totally natural in appearance, with the highlight being three spectacular holes set in a stretch of duneland by the ocean. Gorgeous, and very playable. Four sets of tees here, with cards reading from 6,925 yards down to 5,283, all par-72.
Tom Fazio has worked his usual magic on the Osprey Point course but he had a marvellous canvas to start with: four large lakes, a spider's web of salt water marsh and thick forests of oaks, pines and magnolias.
So there's plenty of water and some muscular carries, off-set by wide fairways with only light rough and large greens. It looked a picture. I met four Britons playing this one and they were having a ball.
If Kiawah had only these three courses it would be worth any detour. But there's also Pete Dye's Ocean course, the site of the Ryder Cup match and acclaimed as arguably the finest links on the East Coast. It's been described as awesome. I'll drink to that!
The Ocean course is totally natural, all duneland and marshland. Nothing intrudes. It's a spectacular nature walk. We saw golden eagles, alligators, giant blue herons and thousands of sea birds.
Ten holes run along the beach, all 18 holes are exposed to sea winds and the final four invariably play into a head wind. Many tee shots are over water or marsh but often there's a safe line if the carry seems too formidable -- and some of the latter are illusory when you look back from the fairway.
In fact there's plenty of scope for the competent driver: it's the second shot that counts here to angled greens that leave little margin for error.
Dye tempts you to bite off more than you should and distance here is difficult to gauge, particularly over water or scrubby marsh. The trick is to take the safe route and don't be bashful about laying-up to keep the big numbers down.
If you've a short game worth the name you'll get your share of pars and have a round to live in the memory, a fitting climax to your holiday in glorious, laid-back Charleston.
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