Kiawah Island is the luxurious island retreat 21 miles off the coast of Charleston you likely haven’t heard of, and for good reason. It was essentially uninhabited until 1979, and its endless acreage of unspoiled nature flecked with pines, magnolias, live oaks, and picturesque marshland create an idyllic, remote setting for the island’s multi-million dollar estates occupied by an elite crop of celebrities and affluent second (or third) homeowners. While other posh island getaways that dot the South (Sea Island and Hilton Head, to name a couple) are among the more frequented destinations, Kiawah Island remains an exclusive, insider’s escape that is designed to remain a well-kept secret. The community’s access is limited to property owners, and the only way for non-residents to stay on the island aside from privately-owned rentals is through Kiawah’s five-star oceanfront resort, The Sanctuary.
Kiawah has several communities with gated access points, all with distinct personalities, varying real estate offerings and amenities. The most covetable community is Cassique, known for its British countryside style architecture and Club House which offers the restaurant, Voysey’s with a menu crafted by the acclaimed Tom Colicchio. Further down the island, Ocean Park has the Marsh House, which is a popular gathering spot featuring a scenic infinity pool overlooking vast marshland, while River Course houses the serene Sasanqua Spa situated on the Kiawah River. The Kiawah atmosphere calls for slower, laid-back days with bike rides, fishing in the flats, or a dip in the seaside pools, which is a welcome change for those looking to escape the hustle of city life.
Above all, the island’s main attraction is golf, drawing enthusiasts to tee off on its seven championship courses designed by architects Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Gary Player, and Clyde Johnston. The Ocean Course at Kiawah hosted the 2007 and 2012 PGA Championships, and soon the host of 2021’s tournament. With The Sanctuary as the only option for non-residents, tourists have successfully been kept off the island, but a second boutique hotel with 150 rooms will be finished just in time for the 2021 PGA Championship.
If you’re not an intense golfer, there are plenty of opportunities to work on your skills at The Golf Learning Center at the Cassique Golf Course, built to breed the next Dustin Johnson with state-of-the-art technology for lessons at every level. While Kiawah Island can thank its award-winning golf for many of its faithful residents and star-studded clientele (Bill and Hillary Clinton, Richard Gere, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, and even Donald Trump), the island’s mystique is in its natural beauty, deluxe yet family-friendly amenities, and southern hospitality, making it the belle of South Carolina.
The obvious challenge is how to market such an exclusive, members-only community known best as a golf haven to potential buyers, but Chris Randolph, Partner of Kiawah Partners and South Street Partners claims that these challenges are actually their significant advantage. “Kiawah at first blush is known as a golf destination, but it’s really the concept of unplugging here that people really enjoy, and it helps us market against destinations like the Hamptons or Nantucket. There’s a real difference between coming to Kiawah versus other places where it’s ‘see and be seen’,” Randolph explains to Forbes. “People come here to truly get away, but you’re only 30 minutes away from Charleston if you want to get back into the mix. There’s a natural, still wild feeling here even though we’re very much developed.”
Kiawah Island is in its 41st year of development with 4,800 properties sold to-date, setting South Carolina records two out of the last three years for selling homes worth more than $20 million.
