Junk Removal in Kiawah Island, SC

A real estate investment firm that owns the developer of Kiawah Island plans to build a private golf course on Johns Island and invest in new and existing resort and residential projects locally and across the Southeast after raising $225 million in a new fund.

South Street Partners plans to turn the nearly 900-acre Orange Hill tract into an 18-hole golf course community with homes. It will include a short course and a practice facility for members of Kiawah Island Club. The property between Bohicket and River roads is now used as an outdoor sporting site by the private club.

The land use allows for a golf course and associated amenities as well as residential development, said Chris Randolph, a South Street partner. He said plans are still evolving for the site, and it hasn’t been determined how many homes will be part of the Orange Hill development.

The golf course will take up about 300 acres.

Part of the property is in a planned unit development through Charleston County that allows 181 home sites, a golf course, clubhouse, pro shop, amenity center and about 212 acres of preserved land.

“We are working with the county and other constituents on Johns Island for a plan that everyone is happy with,” said Randolph, whose firm is headquartered in Charleston and Charlotte.

A representative of the Johns Island Community Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the proposed plan.

Randolph hopes to start development of the as-yet unnamed layout next year, followed by 12 to 18 months of construction. He also said it was too early to provide a cost estimate for the course, which will be one of the few to be built in South Carolina in recent years.

Randolph said the course would provide members with an additional golfing option and take some of the pressure off of the club’s two existing layouts, Cassique and the River Course, where usage has increased sharply during the pandemic. The average member played 40 more rounds in 2021 than in 2019, according to South Street.

“We think there is a new market of people who have recently moved to Charleston who would have an interest in joining a golf club like this given its proximity to the city and especially since it offers members access to the rest of the Kiawah Island Club amenities,” Randolph said.

The new course will be designed by Beau Welling of Greenville, who previously worked with River Course designer Tom Fazio. Welling also is a partner with Tiger Woods in the golfing great’s golf course design business.

The vision for the new course is to create a playing experience that looks like it could have been crafted more than 100 years ago, according to South Street. It will be built around grand live oaks and feature “undulating fairways ... and Old World slopes and contours.”

The company’s future plans for Kiawah include additional residential development as well as the opening of the oceanfront Cape Club adjacent to The Cape on Kiawah, a condominium development on the sea island’s western end. The Cape Club is expected to break ground in August.

South Street also recently acquired the 131-year-old Two Meeting Street Inn on the Charleston peninsula for nearly $7.7 million. It will be refurbished and become an overnight accommodation for Kiawah Island Club members when it reopens in 2023.

Randolph said raising the money for the golf course and other developments was challenging during the pandemic but the effort attracted “outsized investor demand” because of “compelling opportunities.”

South Street Partners’ other investments from the fund include the acquisition and development of the 20,000-acre Palmetto Bluff community in Bluffton near Hilton Head Island.

The company also has its sights set on other resort properties across the Southeast from south of Washington, D.C., to Florida and west to Texas.

“We are continuing to look for opportunities,” Randolph said.

Those could include existing properties or new developments.

South Street also owns The Cliffs communities across the mountains of South Carolina and North Carolina as well as The Residences at Salamander in Virginia.

The 18th hole at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course.

As part of GOLF’s course rating process for 2022-23, our fleet of 100-plus expert panelists identified the best golf courses in South Carolina. Browse the links below to check out all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in South Carolina.

GOLF’s other course rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | America’s Best Municipal Courses | The 100 Best Short Courses in the World

SYMBOL GUIDE1 = Top 100 Course in the U.S.P = Public/Resort CourseV = Top 100 Value Course in the U.S.M = Top 30 Municipal Course in the U.S.

Ed. note: Some courses were omitted from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.

1. Kiawah Island – Ocean Course (Kiawah Island) [1, P]

The blend of tidal marshes, scrub-topped dunes, live oaks and the soothing sound of the Atlantic on every hole make this one of the South’s most memorable playing experiences. Though the course just turned 30 years old, it already has an illustrious history of hosting big-time events, none more memorable than the drama-filled 1991 “War by the Shore” Ryder Cup. Much more short grass has been added around the green complexes since then and now the design is more thought-provoking rather than terror-inducing. Many of its greens are plateaued, with some of the more pronounced coming on the 3rd, 11th and 14th holes. Phil Mickelson more than handled the putting surfaces on his way to his historic win at the 2021 PGA Championship.

2. Yeamans Hall (Hanahan) [1]

Marrying classic Seth Raynor design with coastal South Carolina topography, Yeamans presents a charming tour of Redan, Biarritz and Road holes woven through marshland and magnificent live oaks. Over the years, the course’s original wonder faded as bunkers grew in and green complexes shrank. But a two decade-long renovation based on Raynor’s original property maps — discovered in the clubhouse attic — has returned this Golden Age masterpiece to its original brilliance.

3. Harbour Town (Hilton Head Island) [1, P]

The professionals weren’t sure what to make of Harbour Town when they first tangled with it in 1969. Unlike other courses built in that timeframe, this design by Nicklaus and Dye didn’t rely on length as much as it did in demanding accuracy off the tee as the golfer shaped shots around live oaks and stately pines. Precise iron play on the uniquely configured greens was also a must. But soon pros found standout holes abound, including the V-shaped green at the short 9th and the finishing stretch from 13 in. Pete and Alice Dye’s trip to Scotland in the mid-1960s proved the genesis for bulwarking the 13th green with railroad ties. Even 50+ years after the course opened, Harbour Town’s exemplar holes remain as compelling and interesting as anything modern architecture has to offer.

4. Congaree (Ridgeland) [1]

The number of par-4s on a course generally outnumber its par-5s and par-3s, and as such, go a long way in defining a course’s quality. The better the range of such holes, the better the course. From two of Fazio’s all-time finest short two-shotters (the 3rd and 15th) to some of his best long ones (the 6th, 11th and 17th) this design excels. Layer on the club’s desire for the fastest, firmest playing surfaces possible and the course flourishes.

5. Palmetto GC (Aiken) [1]

One of the great starts to the game with a series of diverse two-shotters leading the golfer well away from the Stanford White clubhouse. Each green is so good, and no surprise why: Alister MacKenzie lent a hand to them when he was working in neighboring Augusta. Picking favorite holes is difficult in the wake of Gil Hanse’s excellent restoration. Two of the best, though, are the one-shot 7th, with its shelf green reminding many of the 6th at Royal Dornoch, and the par-5 14th, which falls downhill in the most appealing manner imaginable. The finish is fascinating, too, with a couple of short par-4s in the final four. That works at Prestwick in Scotland, and it works here too.

6. Long Cove (Hilton Head Island)

7. Chechessee Creek (Okatie)

8. Secession (Beaufort)

9. CC of Charleston (Charleston)

10. Sage Valley (Graniteville)

11. May River – Palmetto Bluff (Bluffton) [P]

12. The Dunes (Myrtle Beach) [P]

13. Kiawah Island – River (Kiawah Island) [P]

14. Bulls Bay (Awendaw)

15. Caledonia (Pawleys Island) [P]

16. Kiawah Island – Cassique (Kiawah Island) [P]

17. Greenville – Chanticleer (Greenville)

18. Camden (Camden)

19. Old Tabby Links (Okatie)

20. Musgrove Mill (Clinton)

For GOLF’s course rankings lists, each panelist is provided a list of hundreds of courses and “buckets,” or groupings. If they believe the course to be among the best in its category (World, U.S. Value, etc.), they check the corresponding box to place it in a specific bucket. Panelists are also free to write in courses they felt should have been included on the ballot. Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its aggregate score by the number of votes. From those point tallies, the courses are then ranked accordingly.

The key to the process is the experience and expertise of our panel. Hailing from 15 nations and all the worldwide golf meccas, each of our 115 handpicked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and globally. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in 20-plus countries.

Because we don’t prescribe a set method to assess courses as other ranks do, no one opinion carries the day — our rank is a democracy. Some panelists believe that enjoyment is the ultimate goal, and thus prioritize design attributes such as width and playing angles, while frowning on upon having to constantly hunt for balls in thick rough. Other panelists value challenge and the demands of hitting every club in the bag. Still others consider a course’s surroundings and overall environment of paramount importance, thereby emphasizing the setting and naturalness of the course. In the end, allowing raters to freely express their tastes is what produces the desired eclecticism in our Top 100 lists.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Bird banding season just wrapped up for the fall on Kiawah Island. It was a record-breaking season with more than 5,700 birds banded.

It’s a tedious process for one biologist on Kiawah Island, but worth the time as he works to learn more about the different kind of birds that migrate through the island.

My photographer, Jason Tighe, and I got to tag along for a day to see the process. It was a cloudy morning as we drove to the western edge of Kiawah Island and then hiked through some mud to where they capture the birds.

“It’s a very fine mesh net, and up against a dark background the birds are moving from one patch of cover to the other, it’s very hard for them to see,” said Aaron Given, Kiawah Island biologist.

They have 30 nets set up. Each bird captured is carefully put in a cloth bag and taken back to the bird banding station.

“There is a lot of work involved with this banding project, and this is just one site,” said Given. “We actually have another site at the other end of the island where we do the same thing with, so we have two of these going concurrently, and each year I hire between five and six seasonal helpers that they are out here with me every day.”

The same information is gathered at both stations: species, sex, weight and wing length. Some of the birds have already been banned, but if they aren’t, they get a shiny, new accessory.

“This is the band that goes on the bird’s leg. It’s got nine digits on it,” said Given. “This is a unique number for this bird. No other bird will have this number, so when we catch this bird again, we will be able to track its health and its movements.”

They can also monitor if the birds are putting on weight if they are recaptured.

“If they are, that’s a positive thing for the habitat out here," Given said. That means there is enough food for them to continue their migration."

They captured 100 different species of birds this fall – everything from a screech owl to a snowy egret to a cardinal to a woodpecker, in addition to more common species.

“This is a ruby crowned kinglet, one of the smallest birds, that we capture here at the banding station,” Given said. “This is a bird that spends its winter here on Kiawah.”

“The yellow-rumped warbler is probably one of the more common songbirds in the Lowcountry during the wintertime, and the reason for that is because of all the wax myrtles that we have growing,” Given said. “They are one of the few species that can actually digest the waxy coating on the wax myrtle berry, so that allows them to eat those. That food resource allows them to spend the winter further north than most other warblers.”

The long-term goal is to pick up on changes in the environment and see how the birds are responding to them. For now, lots of birds seem to enjoy coming to the island – even if it’s only a stop along their migration south.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the habitat that we have on Kiawah. We have a lot of natural habitat left of Kiawah even though there is development on the island,” Given said. “The way it was developed – it was done in a more environmentally sensitive way, so a lot of the lots that we have, they are cleared just the footprint for the home and all the natural vegetation is left intact so that creates and leaves these corridors for the wildlife to use and move through between the houses and between the dunes and between the homes and the marsh.”

For more from the Kiawah Island Bird Banding blog, click here.

US President Joe Biden arrived in South Carolina last Friday for what is expected to be at least a seven-day family holiday.

The Bidens have been enjoying beach bike rides and shopping while staying at a family friend's residence on Kiawah Island, known for its private beach and golf resort.

A security detail on Friday dropped the Bidens off at a home in a gated community near the golf grounds.

President Joe Biden waves as he leaves for a beach holiday with son Hunter, grandson Beau, first lady Jill Biden, and daughter-in-law Melissa Cohen, before boarding Air Force One. AP

The White House did not respond to requests to provide details on Mr Biden’s holiday schedule, activities or when he planned to return to Washington.

Only about 20 square kilometres, Kiawah Island is home to about 1,600 people and best known for its private beach and golf course. Here are some of the attractions the presidential holiday spot has to offer.

Golf Resort

The Kiawah Island Golf Resort offers expansive sporting grounds, dining and spa options, and Atlantic beaches. An extension of the world-renowned Ocean Course, the resort hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup as well as the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships.

Vacationers can book entire villas or rooms in the resort's oceanside hotel, but accommodation are not for those looking to save: rates for rooms range between $400 to $2,200 per night.

Nature and Wildlife

The island's government website emphasises an expansive wildlife presence on the island, including deer, bobcats, grey foxes, raccoons, river otters and ospreys. But that's only what the island has on land.

Tours are available for birdwatching and wild dolphins hotspots, and hiking is a popular pastime through the secluded barrier island.

Kiawah has been involved in bobcat conservation efforts, after its historically healthy bobcat population plummeted between 2017 and 2020.

An Arabian fox photographed by Reem Island resident Rob Gubiani in 2015. Photo: Rob Gubiani

Food

Many of the top-rated restaurants on the island also reflect the relatively high price points.

“Jasmine Porch”, on the resort grounds, is the top-rated restaurant on the island, offering upscale American eats with an emphasis on seafood.

For a taste of a uniquely American southern tradition, “Traveler's Choice” on TripAdvisor goes to Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House, a stop on the South Carolina Barbeque Trail in the state that invented the slow-and-low cooking method.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. —

President Joe Biden arrived in South Carolina on Wednesday to begin what is expected to be at least a seven-day vacation with members of his family.

The first couple was planning to be in Kiawah Island, noted for its private beach and golf resort, through Tuesday, according to Federal Aviation Administration advisories.

The White House did not respond to requests to provide details on Biden’s vacation schedule, activities or when he planned to return to Washington. The president will stay at a friend’s home on the island that the family has used for previous visits, according to a White House official.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to visit Kiawah Island this week

Biden, accompanied by first lady Jill Biden, departed the White House by motorcade to Joint Base Andrews outside the capital, where Air Force One was on hand to take them to Joint Base Charleston. Biden was dropped off at a private home in a gated community alongside a golf course on the island.

Biden was joined on Air Force One by his son, Hunter Biden, daughter-in-law Melissa Cohen and grandson Beau.

Summer vacations are a presidential tradition. George W. Bush often spent August clearing brush in the 100-degree heat that baked his central Texas ranch. Barack Obama worked on his golf game on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. Donald Trump spent time at his home on his private golf club in central New Jersey.

The White House in the past has emphasized that the president is never truly free from the job’s responsibilities — and that he’ll continue to consult with aides and take his daily national security briefing regardless of his location.

And at times, presidents have had to make legacy-defining decisions while on vacation, including Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina flooding New Orleans in 2005. Bill Clinton ordered airstrikes against al-Qaida terrorists from Martha’s Vineyard in response to the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. And Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, planned the U.S. response to Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 from his family’s oceanfront compound in Kennebunkport, Maine.