The Carolina coast offers countless vacation destinations and places to stay but none equal to The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Just 21 miles from Charleston, this South Carolina luxury beach resort hotel delivers Forbes Five-Star service and unequaled accommodations, meticulous attention to detail, distinguished service, and unparalleled luxury paired with a truly sumptuous setting.

For the third consecutive year, The Sanctuary earns a Triple Five-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide. In 2023, The Ocean Room, Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s premier steakhouse, joined The Sanctuary and The Spa at The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in receiving the highest accolade from the world-renowned authority on excellence in hospitality. This marks the seventeenth consecutive year the luxury hotel and spa have earned the distinction.

The Sanctuary is one of fourteen hotels worldwide to earn Five Stars in three categories: hotel, spa, and restaurant and one of only five in the United States.

The Ocean Course: An American Icon

Join the ranks of avid golfers who have The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on their must-play list for a true test of skill. Located on the eastern-most end of the island, The Ocean Course boasts the most seaside holes in the Northern Hemisphere with ten hugging the Atlantic and the other eight running parallel to those. Although it was originally planned to sit behind the dunes, designer Pete Dye’s wife, Alice, suggested raising the entire course to give players unobstructed views of Kiawah’s stunning coastline from every hole. One catch? This improved view made the course substantially more demanding as it also exposed play to the Atlantic’s brisk and unpredictable breezes.

In fact, it’s unlikely any other golf course in the world—outside the United Kingdom and Ireland—is affected as much by wind. From one round to the next, a player can experience up to an 8-club difference on holes depending upon the wind’s direction and strength. Interesting fact: since there are no prevailing winds on The Ocean Course, Dye designed two courses in one—one for an easterly wind and the other for a westerly wind.

Approximate course length: 5 hours.