Holes: 18
Par: 72
Designer: Gary Player

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GOLF EXPERIENCES Golf Trips

Cougar Point Golf Course

Following an extensive 10-month renovation in tandem with Gary Player Design, Cougar Point reopened on October 1, 2017 to rave reviews—winning over Kiawah Island golfers with its dramatic marsh vistas and superior playability. Whether you’ve played the old Cougar Point or have never stepped foot on its greens, this renovated course is a must-play at the resort.

Cougar Point’s short and long par-4s, great risk/reward 5s and extremely scenic and challenging par-3s demand that you approach your round with a smart strategy.

1
Par 4
  • Yardage: 351
    Handicap: 13
  • Yardage: 340
    Handicap: 13
  • Yardage: 319
    Handicap: 13
  • Yardage: 282
    Handicap: 13
  • Yardage: 248
    Handicap: 11

Gary Player’s opening hole is a relatively easy par 4. The short starting hole features two large fairway bunkers that put more of a premium on accuracy than length, as the bunker on the left is reachable by most players. The smart play is to hit a 3-wood off the tee, which will still leave a short iron into the green.

Map of Hole 1 of Cougar Point Golf Course
2
Par 3
  • Yardage: 175
    Handicap: 17
  • Yardage: 162
    Handicap: 17
  • Yardage: 143
    Handicap: 17
  • Yardage: 125
    Handicap: 17
  • Yardage: 104
    Handicap: 13

This beautiful par 3 is just past the resort’s front gate, making it one of the guests’ first impressions. Water runs along the entire right side of the hole and really comes into play for a hole location on the right side of the green. A front hole location not only brings the water into play, but also a large bunker that runs the length of the hole.

Map of Hole 2 of Cougar Point Golf Course
3
Par 5
  • Yardage: 554
    Handicap: 5
  • Yardage: 535
    Handicap: 5
  • Yardage: 505
    Handicap: 5
  • Yardage: 474
    Handicap: 5
  • Yardage: 437
    Handicap: 1

Hole 3 is a true risk/reward par 5 that is reachable in two by the longer hitters, but a missed second shot can end up in the water or in one of the many bunkers. Even the lay-up is a risk/reward shot where players can opt to take off more of the corner to have a shorter third shot bringing the water and bunkers into play.

Map of Hole 3 of Cougar Point Golf Course
4
Par 4
  • Yardage: 458
    Handicap: 1
  • Yardage: 436
    Handicap: 1
  • Yardage: 402
    Handicap: 1
  • Yardage: 375
    Handicap: 1
  • Yardage: 333
    Handicap: 5

After three relatively easy opening holes, the course becomes much more difficult as it moves out to its signature stretch of holes along the Kiawah River. Although Hole 4 is very long and usually plays into the wind, it offers a very generous fairway—just avoid the fairway bunkers on the left side. From the left side of the fairway, players can run the ball onto the green. The angle is much more difficult from the right side, as two greenside bunkers and the marsh come into play.

Map of Hole 4 of Cougar Point Golf Course
5
Par 4
  • Yardage: 398
    Handicap: 7
  • Yardage: 393
    Handicap: 7
  • Yardage: 367
    Handicap: 7
  • Yardage: 335
    Handicap: 7
  • Yardage: 309
    Handicap: 3

Hole 5 plays parallel to the Kiawah River on the left side. The marsh area runs from the tee all the way to and around the green, creating a very difficult approach when the hole is on the left side of the green.

Map of Hole 5 of Cougar Point Golf Course
6
Par 3
  • Yardage: 182
    Handicap: 15
  • Yardage: 166
    Handicap: 15
  • Yardage: 162
    Handicap: 15
  • Yardage: 142
    Handicap: 15
  • Yardage: 102
    Handicap: 17

The back tee boxes of this par 3 are set in the marsh, forcing a carry over a natural area with a lateral hazard down the entire left side and behind the hole. There is more room short of the green that you can see from the tee, making this a much more visually intimidating hole than it actually is.

Map of Hole 6 of Cougar Point Golf Course
7
Par 4
  • Yardage: 351
    Handicap: 9
  • Yardage: 335
    Handicap: 9
  • Yardage: 311
    Handicap: 9
  • Yardage: 289
    Handicap: 9
  • Yardage: 252
    Handicap: 9

This dogleg left par 4 is a lay-up hole from the tee that places a premium on accuracy, as a tee shot that is short or right will leave a blocked second shot because of massive oaks. Long-ball hitters can try to hit a drive past the trees and through the dogleg but a ball that goes too far will be in the pond protecting the green.

Map of Hole 7 of Cougar Point Golf Course
8
Par 4
  • Yardage: 360
    Handicap: 11
  • Yardage: 340
    Handicap: 11
  • Yardage: 320
    Handicap: 11
  • Yardage: 285
    Handicap: 11
  • Yardage: 229
    Handicap: 15

Hole 8 is another fairly simple par 4 that places a premium on accuracy off of the tee. The smart play is to hit a 3-wood or long iron to keep the ball in the left side of the fairway, avoiding the large fairway bunker in the left rough and a blocked approach shot from the right rough.

Map of Hole 8 of Cougar Point Golf Course
9
Par 5
  • Yardage: 550
    Handicap: 3
  • Yardage: 536
    Handicap: 3
  • Yardage: 501
    Handicap: 3
  • Yardage: 461
    Handicap: 3
  • Yardage: 403
    Handicap: 7

Hole 9 is a reachable par 5 with a good tee shot that avoids the water on the right side and out of bounds on the left. If the player opts to lay-up, the best play is to the right center of the fairway, leaving a good angle to the green while avoiding trees that will block an approach played from the left rough.

Map of Hole 9 of Cougar Point Golf Course
10
Par 4
  • Yardage: 435
    Handicap: 2
  • Yardage: 409
    Handicap: 2
  • Yardage: 389
    Handicap: 2
  • Yardage: 348
    Handicap: 2
  • Yardage: 289
    Handicap: 10

This long par 4 typically plays into the wind with an uphill approach, making the hole the most difficult on the back 9. The safest line off of the tee is the target bunker in the left rough, but long hitters can aim over the water to try to cut off distance for the approach shot.

Map of Hole 10 of Cougar Point Golf Course
11
Par 5
  • Yardage: 489
    Handicap: 10
  • Yardage: 474
    Handicap: 10
  • Yardage: 455
    Handicap: 10
  • Yardage: 411
    Handicap: 10
  • Yardage: 340
    Handicap: 14

Long hitters must avoid the large fairway bunker on the left side of the hole, and two bunkers short right along with one bunker short left of the green makes you think twice about trying to reach this par 5 in two. This is one of the most photographed greens on the island, with a wide array of bunkering and stately oaks framing the hole. It was also one of the holes used in the filming of The Legend of Bagger Vance. In the movie’s opening scene, Jack Lemmon hits his tee shot on this hole then walks off the tee down the fairway to the left rough.

Map of Hole 11 of Cougar Point Golf Course
12
Par 3
  • Yardage: 221
    Handicap: 16
  • Yardage: 203
    Handicap: 16
  • Yardage: 190
    Handicap: 16
  • Yardage: 148
    Handicap: 16
  • Yardage: 129
    Handicap: 18

This long par 3 is protected left by a greenside bunker and long by water, but shots that land short and right can bounce onto the green, providing some relief on a difficult hole. It pays to check the wind before leaving Hole 11, as it can be very deceiving from the 12th tee.

Map of Hole 12 of Cougar Point Golf Course
13
Par 4
  • Yardage: 413
    Handicap: 8
  • Yardage: 388
    Handicap: 8
  • Yardage: 377
    Handicap: 8
  • Yardage: 348
    Handicap: 8
  • Yardage: 291
    Handicap: 12

Hole 13 is a short par 4 that rewards accuracy more than length off the tee to be sure to avoid the bunkers and trees that guard the left and right sides of the hole. A 3-wood off the tee leaves a short iron approach to a long green.

Map of Hole 13 of Cougar Point Golf Course
14
Par 3
  • Yardage: 174
    Handicap: 18
  • Yardage: 169
    Handicap: 18
  • Yardage: 153
    Handicap: 18
  • Yardage: 129
    Handicap: 18
  • Yardage: 114
    Handicap: 16

Two bunkers short and left of the green make this par 3 look much more difficult than it actually plays, unless the hole is on the left side of the green. There is a bailout area to the right of the green that makes for a fairly easy up-and-down.

Map of Hole 14 of Cougar Point Golf Course
15
Par 5
  • Yardage: 537
    Handicap: 4
  • Yardage: 512
    Handicap: 4
  • Yardage: 496
    Handicap: 4
  • Yardage: 477
    Handicap: 4
  • Yardage: 413
    Handicap: 2

Hole 15 is one of the more difficult par 5s on Cougar Point. The right side of the hole and green are protected by a large pond that longer hitters must carry if they opt to go for the green in two. There is one large oak tree and several bunkers that make the lay-up shot very difficult as well. Players must either lay-up short of the oak, forcing a long iron approach over water or hit it past the oak, which can prove to be too long a shot for many players.

Map of Hole 15 of Cougar Point Golf Course
16
Par 4
  • Yardage: 400
    Handicap: 14
  • Yardage: 383
    Handicap: 14
  • Yardage: 361
    Handicap: 14
  • Yardage: 332
    Handicap: 14
  • Yardage: 296
    Handicap: 6

Players hit out of a shoot of oak trees to a narrow landing area guarded by bunkers on the left and trees on the right. With a deep bunker guarding the front left, a back left pin placement makes for a very challenging par 4.

Map of Hole 16 of Cougar Point Golf Course
17
Par 4
  • Yardage: 366
    Handicap: 12
  • Yardage: 356
    Handicap: 12
  • Yardage: 331
    Handicap: 12
  • Yardage: 306
    Handicap: 12
  • Yardage: 265
    Handicap: 8

One of the most scenic holes on the golf course, water plays down the entire right side. This short par 4 gives a player several playing options from the start of the hole. You can play it safe with an iron to the left of the oak, leaving a mid-iron to an undulated green. You can hit a 3-wood over the tree, leaving a wedge or short iron to the green. Or, big hitters can hit over the water and fairway bunkers, leaving a short pitch/chip to the well-bunkered green. Beware of hitting through the fairway though, as a pond is there to take any tee shots hit long and left.

Map of Hole 17 of Cougar Point Golf Course
18
Par 4
  • Yardage: 400
    Handicap: 6
  • Yardage: 377
    Handicap: 6
  • Yardage: 357
    Handicap: 6
  • Yardage: 341
    Handicap: 6
  • Yardage: 262
    Handicap: 4

The final hole is a long par 4 with a very unique and difficult green that is protected by water on the left side and a bunker on the right. A good drive is critical on this hole, as a ball too far left or right will leave the player with tree trouble. The second shot must avoid the water on the left side and a bunker on the right. If the hole location is in the bowl of the middle of the green, a shot that misses the green right leaves a very difficult pitch with the water just past the hole.

Map of Hole 18 of Cougar Point Golf Course
Spring Golf Packages
The Famed Cougar Point
A filming location in The Legend of Bagger Vance and scoring a near-perfect 4.5 stars in Golf Digest's Best Places to Play plus "Golf Course of the Year" accolades from the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association, Cougar Point should star on your own must-play list.
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Everything you need to play well and look good on our courses can be found in the Cougar Point Pro Shop—showcasing the most respected golf brands and Kiawah Island Golf Resort–logoed merchandise.
The All-New Cougar Point Clubhouse
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