Kiawah Island, South Carolina Golf Course

Cougar Point
12 Kiawah Beach Drive
Kiawah Island SC, 29455

Par: 72, 6875 yards
74 rating,  138 slope
Architect: Gary Player

Cougar Point, the newest of the five courses that make up Kiawah Island Resort’s 90-hole lineup, was built in 1997 over the same routing Player used when he built the original Marsh Point, the course that launched Kiawah on a path to becoming one of golf’s premier destinations, in the early ’70s. But over the decades that followed, plenty of ‘competition’ had come to the island thanks to the likes of Nicklaus, Fazio and Dye, and Player wanted and got a mulligan – one he made the most of. The new Cougar Point quickly has become a favorite of residents and resort guests alike. Still not overly long by today’s standards, the course places a premium on accuracy and rewards shot-makers who can work the ball both ways. And thanks to holes like the par-4 fifth and the par-3 sixth that offer sweeping views of the tidal marshes along the Kiawah River, Cougar Point is a visual treat whose personality is as varied as the winds off the river.

Wildlife:  
Loggerhead sea turtle, Leatherback sea turtle, American Alligator, Eastern Box Turtle, Common Snapping Turtle, Diamond Back Terrapin Turtle, Black Racer Snake, Yellow Rat Snake, Banded Water Snake, Eastern King Snake, Scarlet Sanke
Bobcat, Coyote, River Otter, Gray Fox, Racoon, White Tailed Deer, American Mink,
Bonnethead shark, Squid, Dolphin, Cannonball Jellyfish, Atlantic Flying Fish, Horseshoe crab

Birds:
Least Terns, Royal Terns, Caspian Terns, Sanderlings, Pelicans, Osprey, Oyster Catchers, Semipalmated Plovers, Great Egrets, Green Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Merlin, Wild Turkey, Osprey Bald Eagle, Laughing Gull, Woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Southern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Red-winged blackbird, house finch, Turkey Vulture, Snowy Egret, Kingfisher, Wood Stork, Painted Bunting, Blue Jay, Great Crested Flycatcher, American Crow, Great Horned Owl

HOW TO GET THERE:
By Plane: The closest major airport is the Charleston International Airport (CHS), which is serviced from a number of major US cities and airline hubs, including direct flights from Boston, NYC, Washington DC, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, and others. Charleston International Airport is about a 45-50 minute drive from Kiawah Island. Private jets can access Kiawah Island via the Johns Island Executive Airport, a short 25 minute drive from Kiawah.

By Car: From I-26 towards Charleston, take exit 212B toward Savannah. Take exit 212B for I-526 W toward Savannah. Merge onto Interstate 526 W/Mark Clark Expressway. Turn right onto US-17 S/Savannah Hwy. Turn left onto Main Rd/State Rd S-10-20. Continue to follow State Rd S-10-20. At the traffic circle, take the 3rd exit onto Kiawah Island.