Lasting impressions of Kiawah Island golf

My first experience at Kiawah Island was a keeper.

The January weather was perfect, at least for a Midwestern golfer. It was high 50s, low 60s and sunny.

The golf gods were smiling down on me during the trip, but that’s probably the norm for anybody visiting this special island off of South Carolina’s southern coast.

Check out my review coming soon to the site, but here are a few lasting impressions that I’ll never forget.

* Look up! The stars at night are so brilliant. There are only a handful of street lights on Kiawah Island. Their light would potentially attract turtles.

* The locals were bundled up in hats and jackets. I was the only one walking in flip flops and shorts to the indoor pool.

* Make an extra effort to get up early and catch a sunrise from the beach. From certain seats in the Ryder Cup bar at the Ocean course clubhouse, you can see the sunrise and sunset.

* Music flows through the lobby of the 5-star Sanctuary Hotel from a piano player in the evening. The sounds are a perfect welcome home from dinner.

* The “danger alligator” signs make out-of-towners nervous – as do the sightings along the courses – but locals swear they’ll never bother you (unless you do something stupid.).

* The prices in the pro shops are scary, just like the tee shot on No. 17 at the Ocean course.

* Walking on my balcony, I encountered a scruffy-looking deer below, munching on the leaves of the manicured bushes. Shows you just how intertwined with nature the resort is.

* Every morning, The Wall Street Journal and New York Times will show up at your door. Yep, corporate types from the East Coast love Kiawah.

* The scallops appetizer and Crème Brulee at the Atlantic Room in the Ocean course clubhouse make the meal.

* The Charleston airport, tiny and personable, is a breeze to travel in and out of.

* Take a caddie on the Ocean course. His or her knowledge will save you 10 strokes, if not more.

* Play the Ocean course before you die. It’s as good as advertised. I don’t write that about many courses, either.

* I ended my trip with the perfect day for any golfer … the Ocean course all to myself with a trusty caddie by my side, the “signature” massage at the spa and some awesome calamari at dinner. It was this experience that made me realize why Kiawah is the only resort in the country with a 5-star course (the Ocean course as rated by Golf Digest), coupled with a 5-star hotel and 5-star spa (both given by Mobile).

(By the way, check out WorldGolf.com readers’ reviews of Kiawah’s Ocean course here.)