From the time I got into photography, I’ve always dreamed of shooting an oceanfront golf property. In my opinion, there is no more ideal backdrop for the golf photographer than a large body of water stretching across the horizon with waves crashing on the beach.

I couldn’t have picked many better places for my first-ever seaside shoot last month.

Regular shoulder-season family trips to South Carolina are always welcomed getaways, chances to escape the cold Midwest for a brief stint. And, of course, they always include golf, with our typical Seabrook Island hangout conveniently down the road from Kiawah Island Golf Resort and home to two fun, modern layouts in its own right.

Back in the area for another family weekend this fall, I made a point to visit The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island for sunrise photography to follow up on my course review from the spring.

Capturing an iconic, beach-hugging, top 10 U.S. public layout from the air – sign me up!

But what promised to be a great opportunity almost didn’t pan out, thanks to a notoriously unpredictable maritime climate.

I had been nervously eyeing the weather forecast all week, with a mix of rain, clouds and clear conditions in the outlook. Lighting is always difficult to predict for the morning shoot anywhere, but that’s especially true along the ocean where conditions can turn on a dime.

After delaying my visit to the last day of the trip due to overcast weather throughout the weekend, I had but one last chance to make it happen. With my dad along as “assistant” for the day, we embarked on the half hour drive from our vacation rental to the property before the crack of dawn. At first blush, skies were clear, but I anxiously spotted a line of clouds quickly moving across the horizon, threatening to ruin the day’s content.

Thankfully, the cloud cover held off for just long enough to yield a brilliant orange sunrise cast over The Ocean Course’s front nine, and then cleared again at the end of the shoot for some compelling shots on the back nine.

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I was also thrilled to return to The Ocean Course, in general, one of my favorite courses ever played and the site of one of my top golf experiences of the season this past spring.

My main objective was to gather original aerial photography to update my full course review, which you can find here:

The front nine at The Ocean Course doesn’t get as much attention as its jaw-dropping inward side, but it’s still loaded with incredible golf holes. Weaving through a wonderland of coastal marsh, this stretch wanders out towards the ocean before looping back home, complete with challenging and bold architecture.

A third of the way through the session, the cloud cover completely blocked out the sun, making me fear that overcast conditions were in store for the rest of the way. However, while on the famed back nine, there was just enough clearing with rays of sun bursting through to eerily illuminate the closing stretch.

Closing Thoughts

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is a joy to play and photograph alike, a Pete Dye masterpiece that set a new bar for modern coastal golf when it was built in the early 1990’s. I’d recommend a round here to any golf enthusiast and can’t wait to make my next pilgramage to the area.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort Website