Kiawah Island Club (Cassique)

In designing his debut North American course, golf legend Tom Watson worked in direct concert with Kiawah’s gorgeous natural terrain. His signature 7,050-yard test ranges through maritime forest and along marshes where the Kiawah River and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Lessons learned from a career highlighted by five British Open Championships informed the creation of the par-72 links-style course. Because the walkable layout, conjuring tracts popular on Celtic courses, offered little protection from ocean winds, Watson fashioned holes that could be navigated in a variety of ways, depending on weather conditions. Hence, a golfer’s personal creativity plays a key role in conquering Cassique.