Apr
07
2021
From The Blog
2021 PGA Championship Comes to Kiawah
Photo Credit: PGA of America/Gary Kellner
PGA Championship: May 17-23
During the week of the PGA Championship, Monday, May 17 through Sunday, May 23, the island will welcome thousands of visitors and players to a scaled-down version of the event. The week will be exciting, with the top players in the world converging on Kiawah. In order to ensure that event attendees and members enjoy the week as intended, there will be many changes on the island leading up to and during the event.
These changes, including extra credentials to access the island, a halt on construction and strict limits on streetside parking, are likely to affect all members. Please read the information below and make any needed arrangements. We’ll continue to remind members and commercial customers in the weeks leading up to the event.
Championship Week Access to Kiawah Island
Members
Community members will enter the island as usual, but will need to display a PGA hang tag credential for their vehicles to be waved past the public safety checkpoints and to their homes. PGA residential vehicle hang tag credentials were mailed to our members at their designated mailing address in April.
Guests of Members
If you plan to have any guests visiting during the week of the PGA (May 17-23), your guest will also need a PGA hang tag credential for their vehicle.
If your guest arrives without a vehicle hang tag credential on May 17-23, your guest must pick up credentials at our temporary pass office location on their way to the island. This temporary pass office is located in the Island Center/Ace Hardware shopping center parking lot (3700 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, Johns Island). No gate passes or credentials will be distributed from the main gate from May 17-23.
The temporary pass office will open on May 17 at 5:30 a.m. and will be open 24/7 until Sunday, May 23. If you need to contact the temporary pass office during Championship week you may email them at [email protected] or contact them by phone at 843-768-8240.
KICA Temporary Pass Office for PGA Week
Open: Monday, May 17 – Sunday, May 23
The Island Center/Ace Hardware Shopping Center
3700 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, Johns Island, SC 29455
During the week of the PGA Championship, no pass operations will be conducted at KICA’s main gate or Beachwalker Center.
Championship Week Changes on Kiawah
Checkpoints
During the week of the event, checkpoints will be located throughout the island to control island access and facilitate traffic movement. The first checkpoint will be located prior to the main gate. The final checkpoint will be located prior to the event perimeter at the Ocean Course. Member credentials will be color-coded to facilitate members’ access to their properties.
No Commercial Work
Commercial access will be limited to certain types of work during the PGA Championship in May. From May 17-23, only commercial entities with PGA access credentials will be permitted to access and operate on the island. (Members cannot submit guest passes for commercial customers.)
Permitted businesses include deliveries from carriers (UPS, FedEx, Amazon, US postal service), food service and fuel deliveries, and specific home services (home health care, housekeepers, pool maintenance and trash services).
Members may direct their authorized service providers to this commercial access info page.
Prohibited commercial work for the week will include (but is not limited to) construction, landscaping, routine repairs, routine deliveries (i.e. furniture delivery) and household movers.
Eligible commercial entities can visit the KICA Commercial Pass Office at Beachwalker Center beginning April 26 to receive their PGA credential. During the week of the PGA Championship, all requests for passes will be routed to a temporary pass office location at The Island Center/Ace Hardware shopping center (3700 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, Johns Island) to pick up their gate pass and special-event credential. These businesses should be aware that delays are likely and plan accordingly.
Emergency Repairs
Members who need an emergency repair during the PGA Championship should contact KICA’s director of Security Tony Elder at 843-412-2260 or assistant director Kelly Kraus at 843-860-5060 for authorization. Once authorization has been given, the contractor will need to visit the temporary pass office location (above) to receive an access credential and emergency pass. Contractors will not be allowed onto the island without prior approval from the director of Security.
No On-street Parking
During the event, there will be no on-street parking on Kiawah. If you are hosting an event in your home during the week of the PGA Championship which will require on-street guest parking, please contact KICA Security at [email protected]. Security will approve parking for member parties and events on a case-by-case basis and inform patrol.
Transportation Companies
Uber, Lyft and limo or transportation companies bringing guests to the PGA Championship will be routed into the attendee parking lot just past Freshfields Village. Note: There will be no spectator drop-off in the vicinity of The Ocean Course or access to the PGA Championship from the beachfront. Security checkpoints will be in place along Ocean Course drive and only vehicles with proper credentials will be permitted access.
PGA Championship Solid Waste Service Change
Monday, May 17 – Friday, May 21
All residential and regime solid waste collection will take place in the evenings, beginning at 7 p.m. Trash and recycling cans must be placed curbside to ensure collection. There will be no backdoor service this week.
Off-limits Areas
Beginning May 10, there will not be any unticketed access to the Ocean Course. Event security will also prevent walk-ups from the beach and other areas surrounding the course. Boardwalk 42 (which runs through the Ocean Course) will be closed as well.
During the PGA Championship, members who do not live in Ocean Park will not be admitted past the final public safety checkpoint. The leisure trial going into Ocean Park will close Monday, May 17, and reopen Monday, May 24. Ticket holders bicycling to the event will be directed to the PGA’s bicycle parking area, but otherwise, access will be closed.
No Beachwalker Park Access
Beachwalker Park will be closed for access from Saturday, May 15 through Tuesday, May 25 in order to facilitate event staging. The facilities, boardwalks and restrooms will be closed during this time.
The Sandbar Opens Early for the Championship
Watch the PGA Championship by the pool, with a tasty beverage in your hand — what could be better? The Sandcastle will have the PGA Championship on the big screen. The Sandbar (which usually opens Memorial Day weekend) will be open from 12-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 19 through Saturday, May 22. Saturday evening, enjoy the island sounds of steel drummer Nick Kelley from 4-7 p.m.
Reservations for a pool session must be made through CourtReserve. The afternoon session (usually 3-5 p.m.) has been extended to 7 p.m. for this occasion.
Kiawah Cares Wine Sale
May 18-20 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Keep your glass half full and Kiawah Cares’ too! Help out neighboring schools and organizations supported by Kiawah Cares’ mission while you stock your bar. This collection, donated by a Kiawah wine lover, has been professionally stored and each bottle individually valued. It’s the perfect place to grab a bottle for your PGA Championship celebrations or summer sunsets.
Hundreds of bottles are for sale with a variety of price points from wineries like Occidental, Kistler, Paul Hobbs, Penfolds, Joseph Phelps, and Flowers. You can come into the wine store at The Sandcastle or shop online (link coming soon) and pick it up at The Sandcastle. Shipping is not available.
Pinestraw Sales Suspended
KICA’s Land Management department will be suspending their member pine straw sales and deliveries from May 10-24 due to island-wide preparation for the PGA Championship. Members interested in purchasing discounted pine straw from KICA are welcome to submit those orders again beginning Tuesday, May 25.
Attending the PGA Championship
The Event at the Ocean Course
Access to the Ocean Course is limited to authorized ticket holders only. Your PGA hang tag credential is not a ticket and does not authorize access to the PGA Championship. Find all the information you need to attend the event in the PGA Championship Spectator Guide.
An event perimeter has been set up around the course. Unauthorized access will not be permitted. Beach access to the Ocean Course and Clubhouse will not be permitted. There will be no parking at the Ocean Course.
COVID-19 Protocols
The PGA of America has developed extensive health and wellness policies for the 2021 PGA Championship in partnership with the state of South Carolina, public health officials, and our medical services provider MUSC Health. Learn more about the COVID-19 protocols in place during the event here.
Shuttles
Community members attending the championship will be able to board an on-island shuttle, with stops in most neighborhoods, to get to and from the Ocean Course.
Shuttle stops are equipped with trash cans and bicycle racks. Stops have been placed to limit impacts on members living in the area.
SHUTTLE ROUTES
- Red Route (View Map)
West Beach Village and Cougar Point Golf Course areas - Green Route (View Map)
East Beach Village - Blue Route (View Map)
Vanderhorst Gate and Surf Song Road areas - Yellow Route (View Map)
Osprey Point Golf Course area
Shuttles run approximately every 15-20 minutes, except from 5-6:30 a.m., when shuttles run every 30 minutes. COVID-19 protocols are in place for this event. Prior to boarding any PGA-operated shuttle or gaining access on-site, spectators will be subject to a health screening. On shuttles, masks are required at all times. Please follow all driver instructions on the shuttles.
Bicycling to the Event
For spectators who live within walking or biking distance of The Ocean Course, a dedicated walk-in gate and bike rack will be available at the intersection of Pete Dye Place and Ocean Course Drive. Bike parking will also be available at The Beach Club for Kiawah Island Club members and their guests.
Download The PGA Championship App
Don’t miss any of the PGA Championship action! Download the official app of the PGA Championship (App Store or Google Play). The app provides fans an in-depth experience as the strongest major field in men’s golf competes at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.