Twenty-one miles from Charleston, The Sanctuary occupies the ocean-facing edge of Kiawah Island, a 255-room Forbes Five-Star hotel built low against the dunes with wide verandas facing the Atlantic. Five championship courses spread across the island's maritime forest and marsh, headlined by Pete Dye's Ocean Course — the fourth course ever to host every major PGA of America championship, including the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships. Guests split their days between the hotel's oceanfront pools, a spa drawing on Lowcountry ritual, and dining rooms serving fresh seafood within sight of the surf. The pace here is unhurried, the service formal but warm — a beach resort built, deliberately, around the game next door.
255 rooms · 5 courses · North America · LXV
A 221-yard carry over open water to a green pinched between dunes and sea oats, guarded short and right by water and by two deep bunkers left. Pete Dye called it his favorite hole on the course.
The golf draws the headlines, but The Sanctuary's rhythm is set as much by tide and porch light as by tee times.
Pete Dye raised the entire routing above the dune line, at his wife Alice's suggestion, so that every hole plays in sight of the Atlantic. The result is Kiawah's signature course and the fourth ever to host every major PGA of America championship. Marsh, sea oats, and constant wind make club…
Guests move between the hotel's outdoor and indoor pools, set just behind the dune line and ringed with cabanas and palms, then take the private boardwalk straight onto Kiawah's beach — wide enough at low tide for a long walk or a bike ride before dinner. Lounge service and a poolside grill keep…
The Ocean Course has hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup — the so-called 'War by the Shore' — along with the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, the latter won by Phil Mickelson at age 50, the oldest major champion in golf history. The championship trophies still make the rounds through the clubhouse, and…
The Ocean Room · Jasmine Porch · The Lobby Bar · Loggerhead Grill · Beaches & Cream · Signature Gourmet Coffee Shop
Five championship golf courses, including the Ocean Course · Oceanfront outdoor and indoor pools · Private beach boardwalk access · The Sanctuary Spa and fitness center · Tennis and racquet sports complex
Fall (September–November)
Humidity drops, temperatures ease into the 70s, and the Ocean Course firms up — the coastal wind that defines Pete Dye's design is at its most manageable before winter's stronger gusts set in.
Ask the concierge to book breakfast on the porch at Jasmine Porch ahead of an early tee time — the room opens onto the dunes and empties out well before the day's heat and wind reach the Ocean Course.
Rental cars and resort transfers are available at CHS; valet and bell service meet guests at the Sanctuary's entrance.
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