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Kiawah Island Courses on the Rise In Latest Golfweek "Top 100 Modern Courses" Ranking Dye's Ocean Course Jumps 7 spots to No. 15 while Watson's Cassique Debuts at No. 58 Contact Michael Vegis KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (March 14, 2003) - The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort near Charleston, South Carolina, jumped seven spots to No. 15 in GolfWeek's "America's 100 Best Modern Courses." Debuting on the list at No. 58 was The Kiawah Island Club's Cassique course, Tom Watson's first solo design in the U.S. The rankings were released in the magazine's March 1, 2003 issue on which Cassique was featured on the cover. According to Bradley S. Klein, GolfWeek's golf course architecture editor, the jump in The Ocean Course's ranking is the result of recent renovations carried out by the course's designer, Pete Dye. "The changes made to The Ocean Course are subtle but considerable. The raised tees offer much better views of the landing areas, the ocean is now in sight on every hole and the new 18th green offers a much improved approach shot in. With these renovations, The Ocean Course has evolved and matured considerably." Tommy Cuthbert, Kiawah Island Golf Resort's director of golf, saw the jump as an affirmation that Dye's renovations have made The Ocean Course a fairer test for golfers. "When The Ocean Course first opened, many thought it was unfairly difficult," said Cuthbert. "The changes Pete made in 1997 and last summer make it extremely challenging, but it now offers some tremendous opportunities for recovery that weren't there when the course first opened." As for Cassique, Klein praised Watson's inaugural effort, saying "Cassique might seem unusual at first, but you quickly realize that all of the mounds and features make perfect strategic sense. And they look great. Why does a course like Cassique draw our raters, appreciation and make its debut on the Modern list at No. 58? Because the golf course transitions easily across diverse terrain, including open fields, dunes, and Intracoastal marshes." "If anyone had the credentials to design a links-style course, it was five-time British Open champ Tom Watson," said Pat McKinney, President of Kiawah Island Real Estate. "His unique experiences have enabled him to render the drama of classic links onto a pristine Lowcountry setting. The result is a course that not only provides a beautiful backdrop, but also offers a wonderful variety of shots to play." The criteria used by Golfweek's national panel of course raters to appraise a list of over 600 courses includes the following architectural elements: integrity of routing, integrity of design, putting and chipping contours, distinctiveness/features/shaping, bunker shapes and slopes, strategic flexibility of layout, fit of golf course with natural and cultural surrounds, unobtrusiveness of cart paths, fit with/separation from surrounding structures, coherence of landscaping and tree planting, overall land plan, conditioning and, finally, the "walk in the park test." According to Klein, the magazine separates "Modern" courses (those built after 1960) from "Classic" courses (those built prior to 1960) because courses were developed under such different conditions that it's unfair to compare them. "Prior to 1960, designers had no government agencies looking over their shoulder. Courses were designed for the golfer, not for golf carts, and there was no wholesale earth moving. Since 1960, the use of bulldozers and mass-scale earthmoving has accelerated and the advent of hybrid grasses allowed for faster, more uniformed, playing surfaces." Golfweek, founded in 1975, is a weekly journal of competitive golf. It delivers complete news and information about the game, the people and the industry to golf's most important audience. Its highly respected list of America's "100 Best Modern Courses" and "100 Best Classic Courses" is announced yearly in March. Built by Pete Dye to host the 1991 Ryder Cup, aptly called "The War by the Shore," The Ocean Course has since held the 1997 World Cup of Golf, the inaugural 2001 UBS Warburg Cup and is scheduled to host the 2003 EMC World Cup. With ten holes directly on the Atlantic Ocean and the other eight winding through the surrounding marshes and dunes, The Ocean Course offers a natural links-style environment reminiscent to the great courses of Scotland. In addition, Kiawah Island Golf Resort has four other resort courses designed by the masters of modern golf course architecture ^ Nicklaus, Fazio, Player and Johnston for a total of 90 golf holes. For tee times and golf packages call (888) 854-2924 or visit online at www.kiawahgolf.com. Part of the private Kiawah Island Club, Cassique is located just off Kiawah Island. The course debuted in April 2000 and is slated to host the 2003 Palmer Cup in July. The Kiawah Island Club is owned and operated by Kiawah Development Partners, the master developer of Kiawah Island. In addition to Cassique, other Club amenities include The River Course, a Tom Fazio-designed course and its clubhouse, The Beach Club, a beachside venue with three pools and fine dining, and Sasanqua, a full-service spa overlooking the Kiawah River. Memberships in The Kiawah Island Club are available exclusively through Kiawah Island Real Estate. For more information, please call 800-277-7008 or visit www.kiawahisland.com. |