Osprey Point at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Osprey Point is one of the 5 courses on Kiawah Island. I did not play the Ocean Course as it requires walking in the off-season, a caddy and the price was $350 for guest residents. The Osprey Course allows carts and the price was $147 for guest residents. Osprey Point is a Tom Fazio design. Everything is out in front of you, wide fairways and adequate rough areas where you can feel free and easy off the tee. Fazio likes several short holes and the par 5’s have plenty of trouble if you try for the green in two.

The course was in excellent shape. The fairways were a bit thin but that could be because we are playing in the off-season. My friend who played the Ocean course said their fairways were thin there too. The greens did not have any tiers, just some slope to them. The greens had a lot of grain in them and you need to understand this to help you with your putts. The sand was well groomed with white sand. On the 6th hole, par 3, there is a sand bunker that is just off your backside and runs most of the way down the left side of the hole.

The bag drop attendant was very friendly, along with the starter. They fill your coolers with bottled water and the snack shop provides free coffee. Their Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House is excellent, inside the clubhouse.

There were only a few things I didn’t care about the course. The landing area on hole 18 seemed mounded, slanted to the left toward the water and then to the right towards the OB markers. There was too much of a yardage difference between the Silver (6,162, slope 131) & Blue tees (5,376, slope 111). Nearly 800 yards. Need to have a yardage between these two, using arrows to play some holes from the Blue and some from the Silver.

The last thing to note are the critters on the course. There are signs throughout the course to warn you about the alligators. Only saw them near the clubhouse. There are plenty of crows on the course. If you get something to eat at the turn, you need to finish it on the 10th tee because the crows will scavenge your cart and take your food, when you walk toward the green. One of the neat things about the course is a bald eagles’ nest on the 18th hole and we witnessed two bald eagles flying around the course.

Osprey Point is billed as a Tom Fazio design, but it is also one of about a dozen such golf courses where Mike Strantz was the main on-the-ground presence during construction. In addition to some lovely marsh views on several holes and strong par 3s, Strantz's gift for expressively attractive, often asymmetrical shaping brings Osprey Point up a tick from the typical modern resort golf experience.

Played Osprey as part of a winter package with a round on the Ocean Course the next day, so for 2 nights stay and two rounds (Osprey and Ocean) at $250 this was an excellent deal especially considering it was in the upper 60s in January. Course is a very playable design with generous landing areas although if your driver is a little off there is some water and OB that can cause trouble. Greens are pretty small but the course is short so this is expected, and they rolled very true. Excellent shape from tee to green especially for January. Osprey Point makes for a very enjoyable round and even if you don’t play well provides some fantastic scenery and wildlife including alligators.

Nice layout. Great conditions. True greens but played slower than expected. Probably protecting greens from the heat. First class facility. Ample landing areas off tee. Not as challenging with no wind and slow greens. It's pricey but it's Kiawah

The general consensus at Kiawah is that Osprey and Turtle vie for second fiddle behind the Ocean Course. I prefer Fazio's Osprey over Jack's Turtle for a few reasons, despite the fact Turtle has three oceanfront holes. Osprey has a lot of water and winds through lagoons and ponds with a few more open holes with long, marshy views. There are a few heroic carries on par 3s, none moreso than the long 11th, which we tackled into a strong wind. My favorite hole is the 9th, which has a lot of water left and golfers are tempted to drive over it for a short look into the green.

I love Fazio's shaping and there is plenty of room to hit the ball, as well as nice hole variety. If you can only play two courses at Kiawah, my vote is for the Big O's.

Excellent conditions. Putting was fast and true. Better course for me than Oak Point but both were excellent and in excellent condition.

A friend of mine and I played Osprey Point (Kiawah) twice last week. The course was closed most of last year, opened up last November. The changes have taken root and the conditions are now, 2nd to none, greens & fairways. Passpallum is now the choice of grass and sure is easy to play & putt on.
Course allows you plenty of scoring chances, if you are striking the ball correctly, and making a few putts. Have played all the other courses at Kiawah. Sure, the Ocean course has the name & rep., but do not pass Osprey Point by.....very worthy of any golfer. A good & fair test of anyone's skill level. Can't wait to go back this Fall.

Kurt Lundgren
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina