Kiawah Island Golf Resort — Ocean Course

The Ocean Course is widely regarded as a bucket-list, world-class Pete Dye design — locals acknowledge its prestige but mostly play it only a few times a year due to prohibitively high green fees and brutal difficulty; most area regulars default to Osprey Point or Cougar Point for routine rounds. Caddies are nearly universally praised for local knowledge and course management, and the back-nine oceanside scenery draws consistent raves. The one recurring sore spot is green conditioning — some rounds the putting surfaces are pockmarked and uneven from heavy resort traffic, drawing sharp criticism that the experience doesn't always match the price tag.