The Sanctuary's Front Entrance (courtesy of KIGR)
February 28, 2010
I arrive at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, specifically, The Sanctuary — my digs for the next two nights.
I was greeted in front of the hotel by a gentleman who already knew my name. How he knew my name, I have no idea. Before you could say “Ground Under Repair,” he escorted me into the lobby (my golf bag, suitcase, and car had long since disappeared) and introduced me to a warm and friendly woman at the front desk who also knew my name.
Shortly thereafter, one of the hotel managers came out to greet me. He also knew my name.
That sealed it: if I ever come down with amnesia, I’m heading back to The Sanctuary!
We took care of the credit card obligatories and I was escorted through a magnificent lobby on the way to my room:
The Sanctuary Lobby (courtesy of KIGR)
Now before we go upstairs, let me dazzle you with The Sanctuary’s awards and honors:
- Five Diamond Award – American Automobile Association
- Five Star Award – Forbes Travel Guide
- Top Resorts on the U.S. Mainland (#1) – Conde Nast Traveler
- Top Family Resorts in America (#1) – Travel + Leisure Family
- Top Continental US and Canada Hotels (#5) – Travel + Leisure
- Top Golf Resort in the U.S. (#1) – Andrew Harper Readers’ Choice 2009
- Gold List Award – Conde Nast Traveler
- Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary – Audubon International
And for you golfers out there, here are two more honors of which you should be aware:
- Top U.S. Resort (#1) – Golf World Magazine
- Platinum Resort – Golf Magazine
Ok, let’s take a look at my accommodations, shall we?
Lovely, eh? Want to see where I pretended to be writing this while I was watching the Golf Channel?
But what is a magnificently appointed room without an Ocean view? The photo below was taken from my balcony during the winter. Imagine how delightful it will be in the warmer months, sitting in a chair with a drink and watching the waves crash to the shore.
But wait … there are more “Honors and Accolades.” This resort has them ALL:
Kiawah Island Golf
Rankings:
- #1 Golf Course in South Carolina (The Ocean Course) – Golf Digest
- America’s Toughest Course (The Ocean Course) – Golf Digest
- Top 100 You Can Play (The Ocean Course #4) – Golf Magazine
- Among America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses (The Ocean Course #4) – Golf Digest
- Top 100 Modern Courses in America (The Ocean Course #18) – GolfWeek
- Among Top 100 Courses in America (The Ocean Course #25) – Golf Digest
- Top 100 Courses in the U.S. (The Ocean Course #25) – Golf Digest
- Top 100 Courses in the World (The Ocean Course #47) – Golf Magazine
Course Ratings:
- 5-star rating (The Ocean Course) – Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play” guide
- 4 ½ -star rating (Turtle Point, Osprey Point and Oak Point) – Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play” guide
- 4-star rating (Cougar Point) – Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play” guide
Tournament Golf:
The Ocean Course, host:
- 1991 Ryder Cup, 1997 and 2003 World Cups, 2001 UBS Warburg Cup
- The Ocean Course, future host:
- 2007 Senior PGA Championship and 2012 PGA Championship
Kiawah Island Tennis
- No. 3 Tennis Resort in the World – tennisresortsonline.com
- No. 2 Tennis Resort in the United States – Tennis magazine
Kiawah Island Meetings
- Pinnacle Award – Successful Meetings (7 years)
- Gold Key Award – Meetings & Conventions (7 years)
- Gold Tee Award – Meetings & Conventions (10 years)
- “Stars of the South” Award – Meetings South (6 years)
- Golden Links Award – Corporate Meetings & Incentives (9 years)
- Planners’ Choice Award – Meeting News (8 years)
Kiawah Island Dining
- Best of Award of Excellence (Ocean Room) – Wine Spectator
- Best Down Home Cookery (Jasmine Porch) – Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report
- Restaurant of the Year (Ocean Room) – Charleston Post and Courier
Kiawah Island
- No. 2 island to visit in the United States – Conde Nast Traveler
- Top 10 Winter Island Getaways – LIFE magazine
In addition to golf and tennis, the resort offers nature walks, biking, kayaking, a spa (my mud wrap was dee-vine!), a workout facility, in short … everything.
If you don’t want to stay at The Sanctuary, you can rent a villa or a house. If you don’t want to rent, you can buy something. Seriously, they’ve got a real estate office in The Sanctuary.
In short, Kiawah Island Golf Resort is just … beautiful! The staff is warm and friendly without being ingratiating or pretentious; they’re lovely people.
On a scale of 1-10, I give this resort a 5832!
My fellow golfers: Make the pilgrimage to Kiawah! It’s a little slice of green heaven here on Earth.
Visit Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s web site and start planning your next vacation!
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island (courtesy of KIGR)
My thanks to the following Kiawah Island Golf Resort friends for their gracious hospitality:
Roger Warren — President
Brian Gerard — Director of Golf & Activities
Stephen Youngner — Head Pro, The Ocean Course
Ronnie Miller — Director of Instruction
Blake Cathey — Lead Instructor
Abby Welch — Lead Instructor
Jeff Stone — Course Superintendent, The Ocean Course
Brad French — Course Superintendent, Osprey Point
Jess Parr — Caddy Master, The Ocean Course
Brett Sterba — 2012 PGA Championship Director
Michael Vegis — Director of Public Relations
