From The Blog

Resort to Renovate Cougar Point Golf Course in 2016-2017

The Cougar Point Golf Course will close for renovations just after Thanksgiving, according to an announcement from Kiawah Island Golf Resort (KIGR). Renovations are set to begin at the Gary Player- designed course on Nov. 28, 2016with reopening scheduled for the beginning of October 2017. Renovations will include:

Re-grassing the greens, tees, and fairways with Paspalum (the same highly acclaimed salt-tolerant grass that the resort has on its other four golf courses);
• Laser leveling all tee boxes including the practice range;
• Rebuilding all bunkers;
• Updating the irrigation throughout the golf course; and
• Rebuilding existing bulkheads.

Representatives from Gary Player Design Company have already visited the course and offered design suggestions.

While these renovations are underway, KICA will be performing drainage repairs in the Cougar Point area. Performing this work during the course renovations is mutually beneficial to both KICA and the resort, allowing for fewer disruptions and closures.

Since 2011, all of the resort’s courses have undergone extensive renovations. Prior to the 2012 PGA Championship course architect, Pete Dye, returned to Kiawah Island to renovate the resort’s premier course, The Ocean Course. His efforts were widely acclaimed by the PGA Tour professionals who played in the event.

In 2014, Osprey Point was closed for a complete renovation approved by course architect Tom Fazio. It included regrassing tees, fairways and greens with Platinum Paspalum (the same grass used on The Ocean Course), shifting bunkers and renovating a number of fairways to both for improved drainage and playability.

In 2015, the work continued when Oak Point closed for a six-month renovation that included re-grassing the tees, fairways and greens with Paspalum Platinum, returning the greens and tees back to their original sizes and shapes and recontouring all of the bunkers as well as some of fairways. Irrigation was also added to the roughs.

Turtle Point closed in January of this year for a nine-month renovation that included a number of substantial architectural changes suggested by course designer, Jack Nicklaus, such as location shifts, reconfiguring and elevation of greens, recontouring fairways and bunkering and re-grassing the tees, fairways and greens with Paspalum Platinum.

According to Roger Warren, KIGR president, “The owners of the resort remain steadfast in their dedication to make Kiawah Island Golf Resort the top golf destination in the nation and a favorite place to play for any golfer, serious or recreational.”

For more information on KIGR, visit kiawahresort.com.