The Splendor of the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Nestled on a pristine barrier island just 20-miles from Charleston, SC is a place where souls relax, dreams are made, revived or restored, and where curated activities provoke the child within, even if you are over 40! It’s also where sport skills are learned or honed, golf is the perfect four-letter word, dining is taken very seriously, and all delivered with southern hospitality coupled harmoniously with the art of living well.
Indeed, Kiawah may be the ultimate resort for couples seeking to get away or reconnect, families with children of all ages to make precious memories, and quite possibly, the most perfect place in the continental U.S. for an unforgettable intergenerational interlude where everyone finds joy and then some.
On the drive in from Charleston, visitors begin to suspect they are approaching something special. The trees become denser, the colors more profound, the air somehow calmer. Kiawah is 10 miles by two miles and in addition to the Resort, a total of 13 restaurants, contains about 1,500 privately owned custom architecturally interesting homes and wonderfully, no two are alike.
There are incredibly verdant surrounds with magnificent mature trees and visitors and residents alike will see wandering deer keeping vigil in this natural low country wonderland. Mother Nature makes her presence known in all her glory to those who pay attention, while Father Time manages to keep the island’s beauty alive despite the passage of time. A true slice of heavenly paradise awaits at Kiawah while one’s feet are still firmly planted on earth.
The Sanctuary Grounds
The enormous lobby at first blush appears as that of an extremely wealthy uncle, assuming your uncle was say, Nelson D. Rockefeller. It’s focused on a large stone fireplace with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and has multiple seating areas with floral arrangements and period portraits reminding guests of a genteel era of days past.
To the side of each of the two grand staircases are the East and West Wings containing massive murals by Karen Larson Turner depicting ethereal and detailed scenes of this ecologically rich and diverse island.
Ocean-facing Adirondack chairs are just outside the lobby to enjoy the views. Best of all, The Sanctuary sits squarely in the middle of 10-miles of a wide, expansive beach. Happily, for both walkers and joggers, the sand is hard-packed, and thus it’s the most perfect place for early morning or late afternoon exercise with marsh birds regularly in flight formation adding to nature’s ambience.
The Atlantic water temperature here during summer months hovers around a delightfully balmy 86-degrees and the days are wonderfully long, with sunrise around 6am and sunset around 8:30pm happily providing a long palette to craft your days.
The Sanctuary’s state-of-the-art fitness contains all manner of LifeFitness exercise equipment, including treadmills, stair masters, peloton bikes, and free weights. There is also a separate studio with daily classes, including yoga, strength and stretching, core conditioning, and Pilates. Next door is a beautiful indoor lap pool heated to 85-degrees and an outdoor jacuzzi heated to 102.
The shopping arcade stocks anything you may have forgotten or simply can’t live without, including Wells Gallery which contains local scenery and majestic wildlife artwork created by both national and local artists. It will be exceedingly difficult to escape the gallery without purchasing one of local artist Pamela Cohen’s stunning photographic pieces. The 40-inch by 40-inch roseate spoonbill was particularly mesmerizing. And the chances of escaping serious retail therapy at Elizabeth East is about nil, especially given its selection of high-end designer bags. Failing miserably at escape means of course extra happiness on returning home with your newest acquisitions.
The Bed
Hanging my hat in the West Wing, my expansive room was designed with southern comfort and warm hospitality in mind. Shades of green, taupe, and floral patterns mimicked the colors of this island haven. The foyer had his-and-hers closets, a wet mini bar with well-stocked refrigerator, and most importantly, a full-size Nespresso machine.
The bedroom had a dark wood four-poster king-size bed with heavenly high-count cotton sheets, a separate conversation/reading area with a sofa and comfortable armchair. A working desk, and hidden under the 60-inch flatscreen television, a second empty refrigerator in case there’s a critical need of Christal and when coupled with Kiawah may indeed be the perfect marriage.
The spacious bathroom was accented with cream-colored granite countertops, travertine floors, and a large vanity with dual sinks, a walk-in shower with both European and rain shower heads, deep soaking bathtub, buttery-soft Monarch robes, British Penhaligon amenities, a lighted make-up mirror, a glorious deep, soaking bathtub, and a separate water closet.
The piéce de resistance of course, was the balcony overlooking the pools, the canopies of trees, and the expansive glorious beach.
The Meals
An admitted caffeine addict, one of my favorite spots was the Signature Gourmet Coffee Shop for all manner of gourmet and specialty coffees, gorgeous croissants and pastries, that would cause Marie Antoinette to repeat her now infamous line, “Let them eat cake.” There are also salads and sandwiches for grab-and-go lunches or snacks. Try the Bonfire Bar which, if I’m being perfectly honest, is best described as a to-die-for s’more on steroids.
Lunches were enjoyed daily at the ocean-facing adult pool’s Loggerhead Bar & Grill. The Seaside Caesar with chili lime shrimp was a standout and ended perfectly with an outstanding “not fried chicken ice cream” bar made with white chocolate and corn flakes, waffle cone surround, and inside, a chocolate-covered pretzel bone with caramel sauce. Proving again that ‘diet’ is a truly bad four-letter word indeed.
Jasmine Porch serves low country fare and commenced with marvelous low country oysters on the half shell served with strawberry and jalapeño mignonette and house made hot sauce boasting the perfect amount of heat. This was accompanied by house made biscuits that could easily be deemed cake – thank you Executive Pastry Chef Jordan Snider – and was served with dreamy honey thyme butter. As I was in the south, I felt compelled to have shrimp and grits. A perfect choice with sweet peppers and onions, tomato and Tasso ham gravy. Since calories were thankfully not on the menu, dinner concluded with white chocolate, lemon curd cheesecake making it entirely possible that there may be future progeny named Jordan.
Dinner one evening at The Atlantic Room on the Ocean Course naturally came with a stellar sunset. The meal started with six Massachusetts Fortune oysters with peach hot sauce, and melon mignonette. Here Executive chef John Ondo prepared a delectable Black Angus rib eye with bordelaise sauce. It was so flavorful and large, I requested half to go and had it for dinner in flight the following night while other business class passengers looked on with abject jealousy.
The Activities
Of course, Kiawah and golf go hand in hand with five champion courses, hosting iconic championships including PGA championships in 2012 and 2021, and will be returning in 2031. All courses have distinctive forest, ocean, and river views. The Ocean Course by Pete Dye is known as one of the world’s finest. To perfect one’s skills, head to the Tommy Cuthbert Golf Learning Center for practice facilities, professional instruction, and specialized programs.
At the Roy Barth Tennis Center, with 21 courts, I initially signed up for a tennis clinic, but at the last minute jumped on the pickleball bandwagon, taking an excellent private lesson, then joined a Round Robin for two incredibly fun-filled hours.
Opened in January, The Treehouse Activity Center has a cornucopia of changing daily activities. There are kid’s camps, the Night Heron swimming pool, a second pool with water park, a nature center housing various turtles, several snake species, and a taxidermied gray fox. There’s also an art studio for classes and craft-making, an old-school arcade, eight-lane bowling alley, golf simulators, and a casual pub. The well-curated Nest Market Cafe is a great spot for lunch or provisions.
Kiawah has an abundance of beautiful walking and jogging trails and is a veritable nirvana for bicycle enthusiasts with 30-miles of paved trails amid trees.
The Sanctuary Spa is a haven of restorative calm in a beautiful, Zen-inducing setting. Wonderfully, the wet areas for men and women are separate and include an aqua retreat including a large mineral jacuzzi with therapeutic water features, and sauna and steam rooms. This was the perfect prelude to having an excellent massage by a highly talented masseuse that nearly caused me to forget my name.
If you seek rest, recuperation, restoration, and rejuvenation, in a natural wonderland, complete with a glorious beach, a world class spa, great food, and a multitude of sports, athletic, and golf options, you will surely find it all at Kiawah. Perhaps more importantly, regardless of whether you come to Kiawah with a spouse, children, or embark on a multi-generational trip, you’ll find your bliss, which is of course priceless. You’ll also immediately commence plotting your return. Happy travels!
