Oak Point

Clyde Johnston's 1989 Oak Point design sits off-island on the mainland approach to Kiawah, along the Kiawah River and Haulover Creek, routed through maritime forest rather than beachfront dunes. The design leans on the low-country landscape: oaks draped in Spanish moss, tidal marsh views, paspalum greens that hold up to the brackish-air humidity. The signature par-4 18th finishes with a spectacular view of Haulover Creek and the Kiawah River, played from a recently-added elevated tee. Water threatens down the entire right side, a pond sits off the left, bunkers line the left fairway, and an elevated green is guarded by wraparound bunkers and the creek/marsh. The trap most golfers miss: an inlet off the creek cuts through the fairway, invisible from the tee. Oak Point is Kiawah Island Golf Resort's accessible outpost, lower green fees than the island courses, same resort booking system.