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The Johns Islander

Curated by Mike Olson · eXp Realty

Online · Johns Island, SC · Seabrook · Kiawah

Lagoon and wooden bulkhead beside the par-3 17th hole of the Ocean Course, Kiawah Island

Kiawah Island · The Ocean Course

The Ocean Course, every hole in 3D

Pete and Alice Dye’s course at the east end of Kiawah, raised from lidar and draped in aerial photographs, with the real tide, wind and sun on it right now. Fly any hole from the tee.

Last verified

Photo by Andrew Shelley on Unsplash

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The Ocean Course · live

18 holes · Par 72 · Pete and Alice Dye, 1991

7,385 yards from the Black tees

Pick a hole to fly it from the tee, or take the tour. Drag to turn the model; pinch or scroll to zoom.

Light
Tees
How this model is made
  • The ground is the U.S. Geological Survey’s lidar elevation (3DEP), every few meters, in feet above sea level. Heights are stretched 2.5× so the dunes read.
  • The photographs are the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s aerial survey (NAIP), public domain, via The National Map.
  • The holes, greens, tees, sand and ponds are from OpenStreetMap. The yardages and stroke index are the resort’s 2025 scorecard.
  • The water sits at NOAA’s predicted tide for the Kiawah River gauge (station 8667062) right now, so the surf line and the marsh creeks rise and fall with it. Drag the water level to see a higher tide. The water is drawn flat; a real storm surge isn’t.
  • The flags fly in the latest wind at Charleston Executive Airport (KJZI), about six miles north, from the National Weather Service. The light is where the sun is over the island at this minute.

The short answer

The Ocean Course is a public, par-72 course by Pete and Alice Dye at the east end of Kiawah Island, opened in 1991. It plays 7,385 yards from the Black tees on the resort’s 2025 card, rated 77.4 with a slope of 153, and it hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships. The 2031 PGA Championship is next. You don’t have to stay at the resort to play: non-guests book up to 60 days ahead.

The routing is two out-and-back nines. Holes 1–4 run east through the marsh, 5 turns toward the ocean, and 6–9 come home west. Holes 10–13 go west, and 14–18 come back east along the dunes, where the green of holes 14, 15, 16, 18 sit within 60 yards of the beach on the map. The resort counts ten holes along the Atlantic and eight running parallel to them.

Sources: the resort’s 2025 scorecard, USGA course ratings, the resort’s Ocean Course page, CBS Sports on the routing, PGA of America, the resort’s golf FAQ; checked 2026-10-13.

The 2025 card

The scorecard, every tee

Yards per hole from each tee set, par, and stroke index
HoleParBlackGoldSilverBlueBlue/RedRedIndex (men / women)
1439637136535435430315 / 9
255435204954804104103 / 1
343843633082922922549 / 11
444514303963843283281 / 3
5320718516515515511711 / 15
6445538234233133129913 / 13
755275054914654654377 / 5
8319818016614014010517 / 17
944644153943803443445 / 7
10443938836834134131016 / 12
1155625215034614614078 / 4
12446642040839332632610 / 6
1343993713643273273122 / 10
14319417116115115113214 / 16
15441638736834734730618 / 14
1655775484794724723924 / 2
17322319715913613612212 / 18
1844844394243963223226 / 8
Total727,3856,7936,3566,0055,7025,226
Rating / slope77.4/15374.7/15072.1/140
W 78.9/151		70.5/131
W 76.9/147		68.9/129
W 75.4/137		66.5/120
W 72.6/130

The USGA also rates a championship tee at 7,772 yards (79.1/155) that the printed card doesn’t carry. The card’s local rules play every sandy area as general area, not bunker. In 2012 the PGA posted a “no bunkers” notice for the same reason.

Sources: 2025 scorecard (PDF), USGA NCRDB, Associated Press, Aug 7, 2012; checked 2026-10-13.

Measured, not described

Hole by hole

Each hole’s direction, its distance from the beach and the height of its green against its back tee are measured from the map and the lidar, not taken from a brochure.

  1. Hole 1 · Par 4 · 396 yards

    371 / 365 / 354 / 354 / 303 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 15. It plays east with the beach on your right. The green sits about 4 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

  2. Hole 2 · Par 5 · 543 yards

    520 / 495 / 480 / 410 / 410 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 3. It plays east-southeast with the beach on your right. The green sits about level with the back tee. Water comes into play.

  3. Hole 3 · Par 4 · 384 yards

    363 / 308 / 292 / 292 / 254 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 9. It plays east-southeast with the beach on your right. The green sits about 3 ft above the back tee. Water comes into play.

  4. Hole 4 · Par 4 · 451 yards

    430 / 396 / 384 / 328 / 328 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 1. It plays east-southeast with the beach on your right. The green sits about 3 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

  5. Hole 5 · Par 3 · 207 yards

    185 / 165 / 155 / 155 / 117 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 11. It plays southwest with the beach on your left. The green sits about 2 ft below the back tee.

  6. Hole 6 · Par 4 · 455 yards

    382 / 342 / 331 / 331 / 299 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 13. It plays west-northwest with the beach on your left. The green sits about 3 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

  7. Hole 7 · Par 5 · 527 yards

    505 / 491 / 465 / 465 / 437 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 7. It plays west with the beach on your left. The green sits about 2 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

  8. Hole 8 · Par 3 · 198 yards

    180 / 166 / 140 / 140 / 105 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 17. It plays west-northwest with the beach on your left. The green sits about level with the back tee.

  9. Hole 9 · Par 4 · 464 yards

    415 / 394 / 380 / 344 / 344 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 5. It plays west with the beach on your left. The green sits about level with the back tee. Water comes into play.

  10. Hole 10 · Par 4 · 439 yards

    388 / 368 / 341 / 341 / 310 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 16. It plays west-southwest with the beach on your left; the green is about 185 yards from the beach. The green sits about level with the back tee. Water comes into play.

  11. Hole 11 · Par 5 · 562 yards

    521 / 503 / 461 / 461 / 407 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 8. It plays west-southwest with the beach on your left; the green is about 143 yards from the beach. The green sits about level with the back tee. Water comes into play.

  12. Hole 12 · Par 4 · 466 yards

    420 / 408 / 393 / 326 / 326 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 10. It plays west with the beach on your left; the green is about 180 yards from the beach. The green sits about 8 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

  13. Hole 13 · Par 4 · 399 yards

    371 / 364 / 327 / 327 / 312 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 2. It plays west-southwest with the beach on your left; the green is about 143 yards from the beach. The green sits about level with the back tee. Water comes into play.

  14. Hole 14 · Par 3 · 194 yards

    171 / 161 / 151 / 151 / 132 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 14. It plays east with the beach on your right; the green is about 37 yards from the beach. The green sits about 4 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

  15. Hole 15 · Par 4 · 416 yards

    387 / 368 / 347 / 347 / 306 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 18. It plays east with the beach on your right; the green is about 44 yards from the beach. The green sits about 4 ft below the back tee.

  16. Hole 16 · Par 5 · 577 yards

    548 / 479 / 472 / 472 / 392 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 4. It plays east with the beach on your right; the green is about 44 yards from the beach. The green sits about 3 ft above the back tee. Water comes into play.

  17. Hole 17 · Par 3 · 223 yards

    197 / 159 / 136 / 136 / 122 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 12. It plays east-northeast with the beach on your right; the green is about 122 yards from the beach. The green sits about 6 ft below the back tee. Water comes into play.

    1991 Ryder Cup: Mark Calcavecchia came to the par-3 17th four up with four to play against Colin Montgomerie. Both found the water, he missed a putt of about two feet, and the match was halved. Source

  18. Hole 18 · Par 4 · 484 yards

    439 / 424 / 396 / 322 / 322 yards from the Gold, Silver, Blue, Blue/Red, Red tees. Stroke index 6. It plays east with the beach on your right; the green is about 40 yards from the beach. The green sits about level with the back tee.

    1991 Ryder Cup: Bernhard Langer needed to win the last hole of the last match to keep the Cup for Europe. His par putt of about six feet missed, and the United States won 14½–13½. Source

Directions, beach distances and water: OpenStreetMap contributors. Heights: USGS 3DEP lidar. Yards and index: the 2025 card.

Championships

Where majors were won and lost

  1. 1991Ryder Cup. United States 14½, Europe 13½, decided on the 18th green of the last singles match. Source
  2. 2007Senior PGA Championship. Won by Denis Watson at nine under. Source
  3. 2012PGA Championship. Rory McIlroy won by eight strokes, a PGA Championship record. All sand was played as “through the green”: no bunkers. Source
  4. 2021PGA Championship. Phil Mickelson won at 50, the oldest men’s major champion. The course played 7,876 yards, the longest in PGA Championship history. Source
  5. 2031PGA Championship. Scheduled for May 2031, the course’s third PGA Championship. Source

Golf Digest ranked it No. 1 on its 2007 list of America’s toughest courses. Source

Playing it

How to get a round

  • Who can play: anyone. Resort guests can book any time for the dates of their stay; everyone else books no sooner than 60 days out. Booking: (800) 576-1570. The Ocean Course golf shop: (843) 266-4670. Source
  • Walking: the course is walking only, except June through August, when carts are allowed for tee times after 10 am, on paths only — and a forecaddie goes with every cart. Caddies are highly recommended but not required. Source
  • Dress: no denim, swimwear, athletic shorts, shorts more than 5 inches above the knee, or collarless sleeveless shirts. Tennis shoes are fine. Source
  • Eating there: The Atlantic Room serves dinner 5:30–9 pm, reservations required. The Ryder Cup Bar serves lunch and dinner 11 am–9 pm, first come first served. Atlantic Room · Ryder Cup Bar
  • The gate: the clubhouse is inside Kiawah’s gate. Golfers and restaurant guests count as guests under the community association’s gate policy and get a day pass. KICA gate policy
  • Where: 1000 Ocean Course Drive, Kiawah Island, SC 29455.

Playing more than one course? Every course on and near the islands, with how to book each one, is on the golf page. Staying near the course? The beach access guide covers Beachwalker Park and the rules on the sand, and the directory has every place to eat, rent a bike or book a tee time on the islands. Buying near a fairway? Check the flood zone and the Kiawah fee ledger first.

Keep going

Golf green running out to dune grass and the Atlantic on Kiawah Island

Photo by Scott Greer on Unsplash

Two ways in

Talk it through with Mike, or ask Val — the guide’s AI assistant, answering from this site’s sourced facts.

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