Cougar Point is one of five courses at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Originally designed by South African golf legend Gary Player in 1976 as Marsh Point, the course was redesigned by Player in 1996, keeping its original footprint and earning the name Cougar Point. Towering oaks frame many holes and the Kiawah River winds through several scenic stretches. The back nine in particular features significant water hazards protecting numerous greens, adding both challenge and visual appeal.
Our group appreciated the fairness of Cougar Point, which the redesign made a bit more player-friendly. I teed off with Jimmy Spratt from New York, John Ecklund from Philadelphia, and my brother Gerry Gallagher from Dallas.
HOLE 1 | “PAR OUT THE GATE”
351 yards, par 4
Gary Player’s opening hole presents a relatively gentle introduction to the course. From the tee we aimed for the center of the fairway; both Jimmy and I found it with our drives. Two fairway bunkers guard the landing area, and the left bunker is reachable — it surprised Gerry. John also started with a drive that strayed left but recovered. After hitting the green in regulation, Jimmy and I carded pars while Gerry and John posted bogeys.
HOLE 2 | “BOGEY IS THE NEW PAR”
175 yards, par 3
Cougar Point served as one of the filming locations for The Legend of Bagger Vance, and holes like this one show why. Water lines the entire right side of the hole, and the pin is often placed on the right, increasing the chance of a watery miscue. I mis-hit my shot slightly left, leaving it pin-high but off the green — perhaps the water affected my nerve. Jimmy aimed at the pin, hit the green, and the ball rolled back dangerously close to the bulkhead and the water. Gerry and John both found the large front bunker and double-bogeyed, while Jimmy and I managed bogeys.
© Francis X. Gallagher
HOLE 9 | “THE WHEELS COME OFF”
550 yards, par 5
Hole 9 proved to be a nemesis for me, Gerry, and John, while Jimmy kept his composure and closed the hole with a par. Water runs along the right side for roughly the first 300 yards before pulling away near the green. The ideal strategy is to land in the right-center of the fairway to secure a favorable angle to the green. Playing from the left brings you dangerously close to trees that can block the next shot. Jimmy hit a textbook approach, reaching the green in three for par; the rest of us looked to the back nine for recovery.
HOLE 11 | “THE COMEBACK KID”
489 yards, par 5
After a bogey on the previous hole, I felt I was returning to form. Avoid the huge fairway bunker on the left and another on the right; trying to reach the green in two can leave you in one of the five bunkers surrounding the putting surface. This hole is frequently photographed and appears in the opening of The Legend of Bagger Vance as Jack Lemmon hits his tee shot and strolls along the left side of the fairway toward the green.
I decided to play it conservatively, avoiding the traps and landing on the green in regulation. John and Jimmy matched me with pars, turning this hole into a welcome moment for our group.
HOLE 17 | “BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER”
366 yards, par 4
Many consider this one of the most beautiful holes at Cougar Point. Water runs along the right side and ends abruptly at the green, while another pond sits about 100 yards left of the green but stops short. A lengthy fairway bunker on the right guards the dogleg toward the green and is where a risky drive, like mine, can land if you attempt to carry the water. That choice cost me a few shots.
Playing it safe is often recommended; Jimmy hit an iron off the tee and followed with a mid-iron to the green, earning a par. John and Gerry took a bolder line with a 3-wood over the trees, which worked out better than my attempt. Gerry did find the small pond after a miscue that rolled through the fairway and into the water.
HOLE 18 | “A SAFE BET”
400 yards, par 4
The finishing hole at Cougar Point is a long par 4 with extensive water features. While it’s possible to drive over the pond, a more dangerous stretch of water runs about 100 yards from the kidney-shaped green along the left side. A bunker guards the right side of the green, encouraging a bail-out to the right, which often leaves a challenging pitch that can feed into the water. The green has a central bowl that can influence putts and demands careful reads.
Gerry ignored the course’s advice and strayed into “tree trouble,” alternating left and right in what we joked was military golf. The rest of us stayed more disciplined; despite some minor bunker issues and errant shots, we managed bogeys on the final hole. All told, Cougar Point offers compelling scenery, strategic challenges, and a rewarding test for golfers of many skill levels.