Could you break 100 at Kiawah in its current setup?

[Shak-]

As others have said, setting out with the goal of breaking 100 I reckon I could (6 handicap).

 

Playing aggressively each hole as it comes, man I don't know. Some huge numbers out there that you're bound to run into trying to attack pins or get up and down from a tricky spot.

 

[CactusGolf]

19 hours ago, caniac6 said:

Playing from the proper tees, yes. Playing from tournament tees, no.

I'd have a chance, but really, really not likely.   When I played there, I went from the Dye tees and shot 82 from 6,475 and was really happy with it.  I can't imagine what nearly 8,000 yards would be like.  That was also with the rough not as thick and the greens playing their normal speed.  With the speed from yesterday, not a snowball's chance for me.

 

The biggest challenge for me there was getting the right starting line off the tees and even that was a struggle when I could see the fairway off my tees.

Edited May 24, 2021 by CactusGolf

[stevesjs]

I used to work for the developer of Kiawah Island and regularly played all of the resort and private courses there. Playing the back non tournament tees, yes a low handicapper would be able to stay in double digits. To suggest otherwise means the course is intentionally brutal for no other reason than that. People don't regularly pay $400+ for a round of golf just to be brutalized. Also having a caddy who knows the course well shaves a ton of strokes off your round.

 

I usually played ocean in the off-season winter, the greens were hard, dried out and from what I was told much faster vs. what they can get them in the summer during tournament play. I'm a solid 5 handicap and from the back or mid tees I would shoot in the mid-high 80's/low 90's. I don't recall ever shooting over 100, but never even came close to flirting with breaking 80. The wind there is of course a factor. 2-3 club winds aren't uncommon, but there are days when the course lays down at certain times of the day. You just have to take what the course gives you there. 

 

And just to put it in perspective. One time on 17 we had the wind in our face, ~220 yards. I hit 3 Wood off the tee and still came up 20 ft. or so short. Fortunately 2 putted for par, but holes like that eat a mid-high handicapper up for lunch. 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by stevesjs

[MattC555]

I'm a 6 cap and my regular course is just shy of 7000 yards.  I imagine I'd be able to shoot both higher than 100 and lower than at the length they were playing to.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to play there next spring. 

[jimb]

ABSOLUTELY . . . on the front nine.

[toc]

I could easily lose less than 100 golf balls

[Johnnypenso]

Probably not in a million years. At 60 I can't reach 480 yd par 4s or reliably hit 200+ yard par 3s. What I would do, however, is play the course as a par 90. 3 shots into every par 4, play away from trouble and keep the ball in play etc. The fairways are very wide compared to where I play and the greens are massive. Hitting approaches from 60-90 yards is going to be much more accurate for me than trying to hit hybrids or woods into greens. The real calamity would occur around the greens. Long bunker shots or having to flop shots onto greens that are over my head would be an unending tragedy.

[PixlPutterman]

On 5/22/2021 at 8:12 AM, goaliedad30 said:

If my sole goal was stay in double digits, I might basically play every par 4 as a par 5, and hit a club from the tee I know will stay in play. Maybe playing the par 4 holes as 7w, 7w, wedge means I don't make big numbers.

 

I suspect you could devise a strategy that pretty well limits doubles; if so, then it's *POSSIBLE*. Maybe not likely, but possible.

This /\

 

With a goal of breaking 100 instead of shooting the best I can, I would just play every hole for bogey.

 

Now if you tell me I have to break 80, I would shoot 105 trying to score well ahahahahahaha

[Roody]

I'm a 5 index, and I shot 86 when I played there in '19. I played from the 6400 yard tees BUT I also had to play in 35-40 mph winds for the entire round. 

That said, I highly doubt I could break 100 from the tips. There's a lot of forced carry, and some of those tees are just too far back for me. Every par 4 would have to be played as a par 5. 

[rugbydave]

I'm a +1 and I think it would very close.  You're talking 4, 5, or 6 irons into most par 3's and 4's in the wind on undulating, lightning fast greens.  I would need to have a super sharp short game.  Also need to include some horrible lies if you miss the fairways.

[Ferguson]

yeppers. 

[sticksgolf]

I think I could but I would have to have a split personality on the big day. 

Meaning? I would have to be at my best but at the same time I'd have to leave my ego in the trunk of the rental car.  Like Roger Gunn likes to say, I would have to make aggressive swings at conservative targets with more discipline than I usually display (Ok, ever display).

 

I'll also need a good caddie, the airfare from LAX and green fees.

 

Oh, don't forget cocktails after the round especially if I fail (and even if I succeed).

 

Can anyone donate to the cause? I'd like to get it done before the heat and humidity take over. Maybe this weekend...

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by sticksgolf

[ColoradoMike]

John Daly shot 85, 86. Multiple players shot in the 80's, which leaves me to believe "hell no"

[Pepperturbo]

I would love to play that course.  After watching it this weekend, wife checked out the resort and said lets plan a trip there.  Maybe I will find out.

 

Though I couldn't tackle it from the 7800 tips, after looking at each hole, I could score well under 100 from the Ocean tees 73.9/148 or under 6800yds.  Not sure what my score would be if I tackled the Tournament 7360yd tees.  At 70yrs old, I can no longer carry 250+yds clean, but can hit it longer than that with wind and fast fairways and run out.  Difficult courses do not intimate me.  I hit a straight ball, and still have a 2 iron that I can get 225+ out of for testy #17 par 3.

[Jeffrey02]

From the tips?  No.  From the 'Ladies' tees?  No.

[Ri_Redneck]

Most carries from the tips are between 215 and 240. Fairway width ranges from 25 to close to 40 yds (survivable rough/waste areas make that a bit wider). Greens are pretty treacherous but not huge. If the wind didn't get over 20 mph, I'm pretty sure I could shoot less than a bill for sure. The only thing that might cause a problem would be stimps over 13 and greens that hadn't been watered for a few days.

 

I do a lot of prep before playing these types of courses. Research on Google earth, make yardage books, setup my bag for what will be needed, etc. It makes a big difference when you think about it.

 

I've played a lot of long courses over the years and my hcp is established on those while traveling. I've played Ko'olau 3 times from the tips, several RTJ Trail courses (Ross Bridge, Fighting Joe, Schoolmaster, etc), The Pines at The International and various other courses with slopes from 140 and higher that are 7400 to almost 8000 yds. Never shot over 100 on any of them.

 

BT

[rootaford]

Soly from NLU was like +2 or something headed into 16 from the tippy tips (longer than it played this weekend) and constantly says it plays a lot shorter than the scorecard and flyovers make it look so yeah, I think any 4-6HC can break 100 easier than they think.

[MUNIGRIT]

Depends on the wind. If breaking 100 is the goal you would play different.

Edited May 25, 2021 by MUNIGRIT

[HoldTheLag]

Break 100 shafts?

 

No, I have yet to even break one in anger, doubt this course (even as is) would change that.

[TLUBulldogGolf]

I'd hope I could break 90, if the wind was strong and from the difficult direction it would be a grind though. 

[SlickT73]

21 hours ago, rugbydave said:

I'm a +1 and I think it would very close.  You're talking 4, 5, or 6 irons into most par 3's and 4's in the wind on undulating, lightning fast greens.  I would need to have a super sharp short game.  Also need to include some horrible lies if you miss the fairways.

You’d do it easily.

 

Has no one here watched the Random Golf Club 2-parter from there recently? EAL is not close to a +1 and he broke 100 from the back, in tournament setup, in the wind and despite not putting well at all.

Edited May 25, 2021 by SlickT73

[SC-TX 88]

I just walked that course for 4 days, even if your a plus good luck.  I’m laughing at all the replies of people who are single digits and think they can.

[Ri_Redneck]

2 hours ago, SC-TX 88 said:

I just walked that course for 4 days, even if your a plus good luck.  I’m laughing at all the replies of people who are single digits and think they can.

Looking at planning a trip down there for a week late this summer or next. I'll post my scores.

 

Playing Ko'olau (Rest in Peace) in 2013 & 2014, I was not playing as well as I am now. From the tips I was in low 90's each time. I think the only thing The Ocean Course has on it is a bit more wind. Forced carries and death outside the fairways was everywhere there.

 

BT

Edited May 25, 2021 by Ri_Redneck

[rjdivis]

as a 0.2, I think its doable.  I played Whistling Straits in September 2019 and shot a 75 from the Blue tees (7150 yds).  It wasn't quite as windy and was not setup nearly as difficult, but it was not an easy day.  I would need everything in A form and a club caddie to do it.  But I do think it is doable.

[aenemated]

On a "normal" day, I feel pretty confident I could if I just played for bogey on every hole. 

 

But in the wind we saw Sunday? Not a freakin chance. I've played in wind like that enough to know that making a putt is damn near impossible. Add in those greens that'll kill you if you miss them, yeah. Dead. 

[gvogel]

Only if I could use a range finder.

[SlickT73]

2 hours ago, Ri_Redneck said:

Looking at planning a trip down there for a week late this summer or next. I'll post my scores.

 

Playing Ko'olau (Rest in Peace) in 2013 & 2014, I was not playing as well as I am now. From the tips I was in low 90's each time. I think the only thing The Ocean Course has on it is a bit more wind. Forced carries and death outside the fairways was everywhere there.

 

BT

ACK!! I hadn’t seen that. That’s awful.

 

Hopefully someone buys it but I have a hard time seeing that.

 

Shot 68 there in 2010. One of my very finest rounds.

[SC-TX 88]

Friday was the worst wind day, on 16 I stood in the landing zone for tee shots and the average was around 230, a few of the big hitters got it out to 260 (talking to the marshals measuring all the shots).  Can play 7800, let’s argue they set it up in the neighborhood of 73-7500 if they think the wind is blowing good, it’s still playing closer to 78-8000 with wind as strong as Friday and the routing in which the holes run your going to play almost 2/3rds of the shot either dead into or heavy cross winds.  Now factor in all the forced carries off the tee, death if you lose tee shots either to the left or right depending on the hole. I’m looking forward to going back and seeing if I can crack 100 playing in similar conditions.

[jons1]

Seriously?  I could easily break 100 at Kiawah.  Activate the calves, hit some bombs, and next thing you know I'm shooting 105, maybe 110.  Breaking 100 is stupid easy.  High score wins right? 

[Chris52]

Elite pro golfers shot in the 80s in the strong winds Thursday and Friday, yet single figure handicappers here, think they will easily break 100,or only give up around 15 or so shots more than the pros from the back tees and the same weather conditions🤣

 

Deluded or what in here, not surprising when some posters  reckon their driving average and ball speed is higher than the elite players. 🙄