Much has been written about how The Ocean Course is “America’s Toughest” (the hats in the pro shop even say so). After tackling this beast, I can’t argue that claim. Beyond its difficulty, I would describe Kiawah as “oceanside target golf”. Given its coastal setting, the place had a Tara Iti vibe, but the course itself could not have been more different. Unlike Tara Iti, there was plenty of trouble off the tee, especially on the front. Further upping the degree of difficulty were the elevated greens with steep fall offs, more severe than even Pinehurst #2 which easily rejected any sort of run-up shot. The approach angle into these slow, sticky putting surfaces was critical. Overall I liked the back much better than the front as it felt more like an actual “Ocean Course” and my favorite hole was the tricky par-3 14th at the turnaround point near the Beach Club.