KIAWAH DUNES

KIAWAH DUNES

Designer : Göran Mentzer

Type : fictional ocean course

Par : 71

Lenght : 6767 yards

Capturing the feel of seaside golf is tough for all GBC designers, but that’s what Mr Göran Mentzer tries with his seaside links course, called Kiawah Dunes. Kiawah Dunes features open and rolling fairways, tough and challenging greens and some breathtaking views along the way. The course is relatively short at 6700 yards, so keeping the ball under control is a nice thing to do on some holes, especially if the wind is up. The course has a very open look, very few trees, and great desert and grass areas that call for precise and strategic shot placement. Here’s what I think of this beautiful links style course :

Design : 8,5/10 The elevation work is top-notch and the object placement is great. The way the green line is handled is very professional. The designer has a nice way to show things and he is at his ease when you look carefully at all the holes. Göran provides a lot of details and great touches to give life to the course.

Strategy : 8/10 One thing is sure, Göran provides a good mix of holes and enough variety to keep you interested and to make you enjoy the experience. The par 4s and 5s are great : they’re fair and provide a reasonable birdie chance if you play them correctly. The par 3s are maybe not at the same standard as the other holes, mainly because they get repetitive over time…… but Göran made some interesting risk/reward shots and great doglegs par 4s to give to the player a good strategic layout here at Kiawah Dunes. The course finishes with a short par 3, which some can argue about this, but it provide a real challenge for a good finish.

Visuals : 8,5/10 The course looks great. There are a lot of different objects to look at. It’s solid but not always spectacular, which I think is fine. Lot of parallel hole work which enhance the visual experience. The thing I had problems with is the horizon……it’s a bit weak and could be richer with boats, mountains and other stuff.

Greens : 9/10 The greens are what a good putter should be asking for. I saw a lot of variety including front to back breaks, depressions, tiered greens and more. In fact you must putt very well to score well here. The greens are tough and getting as close as possible to these pins is essential to score.

Bunkers : 9/10 Subtle…..very subtle bunkering here. In fact lot of bunkers are hidden from the player by mounds, bushes, etc. It’s a wonderful way to make the player think strategically and increase the replay value of the course. Bunkers have enough depth, nice contours; would have wanted more of them though.

Water : 7,5/10 There is not a lot of water on the course, and that capture greatly the feel of a ``dry`` layout. Would have liked a little river on some holes……could have been nice to see it cut the fairways and be a factor on the drives. Anyway it’s a design choice and I respect that.

Textures : 9/10 The texture set is above average and is used with great taste. I particulary like the fairway texture and the good sandy look to it. Very realistic looking. The transitions between fairways/roughs are also great everywhere.

Overheads : 6,5/10 Would have liked to see more rough and desert areas (and borders) on the overheads, but those are ok for aiming. Very basic work here.

Splash: A good course picture, classic and well done.Just enough info on both screens and by the way a very creative designer picture.

Others : 8,5/10 Sounds are above average, and Göran uses some objects that have never been used before on any courses. The feeling you have while playing is never broken throughout the round, a good indicator of a succesful design. I really like the wind sound effects, a really good way to feel the open layout.

Bottom Line : Kiawah Dunes symbolize oceanside golf at its finest. The layout is nice and some views are truly fantastic.Put the wind up and you’ll get a real challenge on this great course designed by a great designer. A superb overall experience.

As I said earlier, the course is wide open and not very long, but it has treacherous greens. To score well you have to get as close as you can to those tricky pins. Being close is easier with shorter second shots to the greens (spin control and angle), so using the driver off the tees is a good option, because if you’re off the fairways very often you’ll have a clear path to the green. Use the driver as often as you can to give you shorter second shots and easier putts. Try to get some early birdies : the first 6-7 holes are easier than the rest so it’s very important to have a good start (aim for 3 or 4 under at the turn). In the back nine the holes gets more difficult and demands more accuracy, but stick with your game plan and try to hit some good putts coming home and you’ll avoid much of the trouble (and score under par in most cases).