When golfers think about championship golf in South Carolina, two legendary names almost always come to mind: The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island and Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head. While the state boasts hundreds of incredible layouts, these two stand apart for their PGA TOUR history, demanding designs, and iconic backdrops. This guide will walk you through what makes each course famous and, more importantly, give you practical, coach-approved advice on how to approach these bucket-list tracks.
Nestled at the easternmost end of Kiawah Island, The Ocean Course is less of a golf course and more of an experience. It’s a relentless test of skill and mental fortitude, designed to challenge the very best players on the planet. Its reputation is built on wind, danger, and unforgettable moments in golf history.
Pete Dye built The Ocean Course with a very specific purpose in mind: to host the 1991 Ryder Cup. He finished it just weeks before the tournament, and the result was one of the most intense and dramatic competitions in golf history, famously dubbed the "War by the Shore." The course's raw, windswept character was a major storyline then, and it remains its defining feature today.
What makes The Ocean Course so unique is its complete exposure to the Atlantic. Every single hole is affected by the coastal winds, which can switch direction and intensity without warning. Dye masterfully designed the course as two returning nines, meaning the first nine holes typically play downwind or crosswind in one direction, and the back nine play in the complete opposite. A helping wind on the front can become a punishing, two-club-headwind on the back.
Its legend grew with major championships. It hosted the 2012 PGA Championship, won by Rory McIlroy, and returned for the 2021 PGA Championship, where 50-year-old Phil Mickelson made history with a stunning victory, proving the course rewards experience and strategy as much as raw power.
Stepping onto the first tee at The Ocean Course can be intimidating. The fairways look narrow, the penalty areas seem immense, and the ever-present wind is already making its presence felt. Here is a simple game plan to help you navigate it.
This is rule number one. The wind here is not a gentle breeze, it's a force that dictates every shot. The biggest mistake amateur golfers make is under-clubbing. If you think it’s a 7-iron, it’s probably a 6-iron. If the wind is in your face, it could even be a 5-iron. Don't let your ego get in the way. Hitting one extra club with a smooth, balanced swing is always better than trying to force a lesser club to get there. As the saying goes, "When it's breezy, swing easy."
Playing in the wind requires a low, penetrating ball flight. A high, floating shot will get knocked down or pushed wildly off-line. You need what we coaches call a "three-quarter punch." Here’s a simple way to hit it:
Practice this shot on the range before your round. It will be your best friend when the wind picks up.
Perhaps one of the most famous par-3s in modern golf, the 17th at The Ocean Course is all carry over water to a long, narrow green that is severely sloped and guarded by bunkers. From the back tees, it can play over 220 yards, often directly into the wind blowing off the ocean to the right. The average golfer's smartest play is simply to get the ball on dry land. Aim for the sizable bailout area to the left of the green. It will leave you with a pitch or a long putt, but it takes double-bogey or worse out of play. A bogey here is never a bad score.
If The Ocean Course is a heavyweight boxer throwing knockout punches, Harbour Town is a chess grandmaster, challenging you to think your way through 18 carefully crafted puzzles. Located in Hilton Head Island, distinguished by its iconic red-and-white striped lighthouse, this course demands precision, creativity, and a sound strategy.
Opened in 1969, Harbour Town was another masterpiece from Pete Dye, this time with help from a young Jack Nicklaus. It immediately became the host site of the RBC Heritage, a PGA TOUR event traditionally held the week after The Masters. While The Ocean Course is defined by its wide-open, wind-swept vistas, Harbour Town is the opposite. It features tight, tree-lined fairways framed by oaks and pines, tiny greens that are the smallest on TOUR, and strategically placed lagoons and bunkers. It’s a placement course, not a power course.
Bomb-and-gouge golf won’t work here. You have to thread the needle, think one shot ahead, and be sharp with your irons. Here’s how you can plot your way around.
This cannot be stressed enough. At Harbour Town, the fairways get more narrow the farther you hit the ball. Often, the best play is to hit a 3-wood, a hybrid, or even a long iron off the tee to leave yourself in the prime landing zone. Distance is secondary to a clear shot to the green. Before you pull a club on the tee, always look at the yardage book and identify the widest part of the fairway. That's your target.
With its constant doglegs and overhanging tree limbs, Harbour Town asks you to shape your shots. You'll need to hit gentle fades (left-to-right for a right-hander) and soft draws (right-to-left). You don’t need to be a shot-shaping wizard, but having a basic understanding will save you strokes. Here's a simple method:
Because the greens are so small, your short game has to be laser-sharp. You will likely face many approach shots from 150 yards and in. Missing a green on the "short side" (the side the pin is on) can leave you with an impossible chip. The smart play is always to aim for the middle of the green, regardless of where the pin is. A 20-foot putt for birdie is a great result at Harbour Town.
The 18th hole is one of the most recognizable in golf. The fairway is a massive, daunting expanse with Calibogue Sound running down the entire left side and the lighthouse serving as a beautiful but distracting backdrop. The farther you aim right to avoid the water, the longer and tougher your approach shot becomes over that same water. The best angle comes from challenging the left side of the fairway. For most amateurs, a 3-wood or hybrid down the middle-right is the smartest move, accepting a longer iron into the green. Take a moment to enjoy the view - this is a finish you’ll never forget.
While Kiawah and Harbour Town get the most fame, South Carolina is loaded with other fantastic courses that are worthy of any golfer's attention.
For sheer volume and variety, an area known as the Grand Strand is unparalleled. With nearly 100 courses packed into a 60-mile stretch, there’s something for every budget and skill level. Top public-access tracks like Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, a Lowcountry masterpiece draped in live oaks, and The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, a classic Robert Trent Jones design, consistently rank among the nation’s best.
Though ultra-private, Congaree has quickly gained global recognition for its remarkable Tom Fazio design and its philanthropic mission. It plays like a fast, firm Australian Sandbelt course and has already hosted PGA TOUR events. It's a modern course built on classic principles of strategic ground-game golf.
From the rugged, windswept coastline of Kiawah Island to the narrow, tactical corridors of Harbour Town, South Carolina offers some of the most memorable and testing golf in America. Tackling these famous courses isn't just about swinging the club, it’s about understanding their unique character and developing a smart plan of attack before you ever tee it up.
Navigating legendary courses like these often comes down to making smarter decisions. That’s why we created Caddie AI. If you find yourself facing an intimidating tee shot at Kiawah or trying to pick the right club at Harbour Town, our app can give you instant, pro-level strategy. You can even take a photo of your ball in a tough spot to get clear advice on how to play the shot, taking the guesswork out of the game so you can swing with confidence.
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