Kiawah Newsletter

Ceremonies, Celebrations, and Championships

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

From a photographic tour with National Geographic photographer Steve Uzzell, to the black-tie Painted Bunting Event, and the site of the Senior PGA tournament, KIRE sponsors and hosts a plethora of entertaining, informative, and festive affairs.

The Brightest and Best Speaker series was envisioned by KIRE to create an intimate set of gatherings to bring property owners together to preview innovative ideas on topics of real interest and concern. The September event, hosted by famed National Geographic photographer Steve
Uzzell, delighted attendees with Uzzell’s “Open Roads Open Minds” presentation. It focused on photographs he has shot as illustrations of possibility and creativity, and inspired viewers to take advantage of the imagination. The presentation and wine and cheese social were enjoyed by almost 100 guests, and each looked forward to the next feature.

As golf undoubtedly remains at the heart of Kiawah, The Ocean Course was certainly an ideal setting for the Senior PGA Championship. For this monumental event, any golf-enthusiast would agree that attendance is no small thing. In light of this tournament occurring at Kiawah’s
own Ocean Course, KIRE sponsored a hospitality tent which allowed property owners and prospects in an exclusive luxury suite to enjoy the tournament. From birdies to double bogies to difficult bunker shots, property owners had the opportunity to witness Denis Watson’s emotional
victory in the breathtaking beauty of The Ocean Course.

Ever-dedicated to the preservation of this beautiful island, The Kiawah Conservancy hosted their premier appreciation event at the annual Painted Bunting Society Gala. Hosted at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Schendell, III, The black-tie event was planned as a thank you to the donors for the Painted Bunting Society, and their magnificent home was the ideal oceanfront setting for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Kiawah Island Conservancy.

Whether graced with sweeping views of the majestic Atlantic Ocean and waterways, or tucked away in the tall oaks of the maritime forest, Kiawah’s homes demonstrate an architectural artistry and a stately grandeur that is unlike any other place. KIRE’S Fall Tour of Homes showcased
ten of the magnificent homes on the Island on a perfect autumn afternoon, and allowed a glimpse into the beauty and allure of these stunning retreats. A post-tour drawing for a trip to Doonbeg Golf Club stirred up some excitement among the attendees, and all enjoyed the chance to socialize at the cocktail reception that followed.

Visions of Kiawah

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

Share Your Favorite Kiawah Photo!

We invite you to share your favorite photographs of Kiawah – whether it is a breathtaking Kiawah sunset, a family event held on the Island, or even a child enjoying the splendor of Kiawah. Send us your favorite photos and we may publish them in Island Insights. You may also include a caption or story to accompany your photo if you desire.

Please choose only one photo to submit.

We accept digital files and color prints. Please do not send originals as photos cannot be returned. Images should be a minimum of 7 x 5 at 300 dpi, but are preferred 10 x 7 at 300 dpi. Digital files must be saved as tiffs or jpegs.

Please provide contact information with your photos, so that we may contact you if your photo is chosen. For additional information, call 843-768-5220.

Send your photos to:
Lee Butler
Kiawah Development Partners
PO Box 12001
Charleston, SC 2945
Lee_Butler@kiawahisland.com

Winter Adventuring

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

The winter months on Kiawah offer a wonderful respite for those escaping cold and snowy climes, when crisp, sunny days provide perfect weather for golfers and tennis players. But what’s an inveterate beach lover to do when the temperatures refuse to climb above 50 degrees? One
option: heed the call of Kiawah’s Heron Park Nature Center, where a range of adventures awaits to give you a glimpse of all the life going on off the beaten track.

From November to March, the bird population soars on Kiawah Island, as 220 species settle in for the winter. The Nature Center’s Back Island Birding outing offers a terrific opportunity to take a guided van trip around the Island, hopping out to explore a number of different ecosystems, and watch the birds that call them home. The 2 1/2 hour program costs $20 per person, and is scheduled several mornings a week.

With all those birds in residence, even the Alligator Adventure provides a chance to see some avian activity – and learn more about the food chain as you seek out North America’s largest reptiles. As spring approaches, alligator mating season begins, so you’ll hear the males bellowing to attract a female, and you might see alligators in some fairly unusual places. Some walking is required on this two-hour adventure, which costs just $15 per person (children must be six years old).

If you need an excuse to buy that digital camera you’ve been eyeing: the Nature Photography excursion with freelance photographer Jamie Rood is the outing for you. Head to Kiawah’s most scenic spots to learn the basics of shooting in the great outdoors. You’ll learn about exposure, composition, camera techniques, and lens selection – with an emphasis on capturing interesting scenes. The 2 1/2 hour outing costs $25 per person.

Venture out with the owls on the Nature Center’s Kiawah Night Exploration. Explore a rookery filled with hundreds of egret and heron, then travel to more remote regions to spotlight for deer, fox, alligator, and bobcat. Listen to the calls of barred owls and discover a world rarely seen by Island visitors. The two-hour van tour costs $15 per person.

Want to spend at least a little time on the water? Gather the gang (or your significant other) for the Family Kayaking tour – a two-hour paddle on tandem kayaks (with just a small risk of getting wet). Timed for the tides, this adventure involves moderate physical activity and offers a chance to explore Kiawah’s salt marsh ecology. The excursion costs $55 per adult, $30 for children under 12 (children must weigh at least 35 pounds). Get details on these and other programs by calling Heron Park Nature Center at 843-768-6001. Be sure to plan ahead – most adventures require at least 48 hours’ notice.

The End Is In Sites

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

Homesites In The Settlement Are Soon To Be History

For years, Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE) sales executives have heard the same question over and over. “When are you going to release that gorgeous tract of land by the 17th hole of the River Course?” It’s no surprise that so many Club Members are interested in buying property on this special stretch of Salthouse Lane. It’s perfectly situated for private boat docks in the Kiawah River, it overlooks the golf course, and its Southwest orientation is tailor-made for walls of windows that frame views of the marsh and river, with tri-colored sunsets stretching to the horizon.

For those who have wondered, watched, and waited for so long, these alluring sites are finally in sight. KIRE has announced that the final nine homesites in the extraordinary Island neighborhood known as The Settlement are slated for release this spring. “There has always been significant interest in this parcel of land, and we’ve finally let our desire to hold onto it succumb to high demand,” says KIRE President Chris Drury. “Prospective buyers have always said property in The Settlement surpasses every option on the Island except oceanfront, which helps explain the enduring attraction.”

What makes the opportunity to live on Salthouse Lane in The Settlement so overtly compelling? Perhaps because the land this lane calls home is the ancestral heartland of the Island. Homes on colonial Kiawah were established in the late 1600s just west of what is now the 17th tee box of The River Course. Now, more than 300 years later, the watercolored landscape still tugs at the heartstrings of anyone who longs to live near the sea. Sites here on Kiawah’s northern shore offer an inimitable retreat. Even as development has progressed, The Settlement has continued to offer an environment distinguished not only by natural wonder, but also exceptional creature comforts.

The Settlement’s unsurpassed ambience is culled from proximity to Tom Fazio’s famed River Course, its shingled clubhouse, and Sasanqua spa. Like all other homesites in The Settlement, the remaining nine lots help create an intimate community unlike any other on Kiawah. As marketing materials so aptly describe it, “the oak-lined streetscape meanders through a park-like setting where stone curbing edges crisp green grass, evergreen hedges grow in leafy splendor, and old Charleston bricks add a tasteful signature of Carolina’s Lowcountry. Each home enjoys a piece of the drama and subtle beauty of The Settlement, including views of golf, ponds, oak and pine forests, and marsh savannas.”

And, oh, the amenities are amenable indeed. Homeowners at The Settlement enjoy membership in The Kiawah Island Club, with close proximity to a clubhouse well-loved by generations of Club Members. Designed by the prestigious firm of Shope Reno Wharton Associates out of Greenwich, Conneticut, The River Course clubhouse stands sentry on an ancient bluff surrounded by huge live oaks overlooking the Kiawah River to the north and Bass Pond to the southeast. More than 20 original works of art adorn its interiors, masterfully created by Charleston designer Amelia Handegan. The pro shop, dining room, grille room, veranda, living room, and men’s and women’s lounges, fitness center, and day spa offer service excellence and unending opportunities to relax and enjoy life. For golfers, The River Course, designed by Tom Fazio and expertly renovated in 2006, includes six holes that play along the Kiawah River and Bass Pond, and others that take maximum advantage of picturesque marsh savannas, ponds, and wildlife-filled maritime forests. Red clay tennis courts offer another opportunity to exercise your body and competitive spirit.

Designed by world-renowned Clodagh exclusively for Kiawah Island Club Members, nearby Sasanqua spa is a riverside retreat designed to keep mind and body connected to Kiawah’s natural beauty. Sasanqua’s signature treatments were designed for The Kiawah Island Club to benefit health, promote introspection, and encourage relaxation, using custom-made products that incorporate indigenous Lowcountry ingredients.

These good things and many more will come to those who don’t wait. Though Drury says the plating process should be complete and the sites ready for release around Easter, you should begin your fact-finding mission now.

Ask your KIRE sales executive for information about the release of the last nine remaining homesites in The Settlement today, and prepare to take your place at the pinnacle of sea island living.

Kiawah Development Partners Grants Additional Conservation Easement on Little Bear Island

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

In early November, 2007 Kiawah Development Partners announced that the final two homesites on Little Bear Island will be placed into a conservation easement to be held and managed by the Kiawah Conservancy. This will result in the preservation of the whole of Little Bear Island in its natural state in perpetuity.

Located at the eastern tip of Kiawah Island, the area known as Little Bear Island was deeded to a holding trust in 1994 by Kiawah Development Partners. It was placed in a conservation easement in 1999. At the time, it was the most valuable easement ever granted in the United States.

While KDP gave up the right to develop 18 ocean view homesites, it did retain two sites totalling six acres. With the conservation of these remaining two sites, an array of habitats not found on most parts of Kiawah - ranging from salt shrub thickets to tidal salt flats - will be preserved. The variety of environments provides quality habitat for bobcats, deer, birds, and a few species of reptile.

In making this announcement, Buddy Darby, CEO of KDP remarked that, “Now, the entire 150 acres will be forever preserved as an important maritime habitat. We have every confidence that the Kiawah Conservancy will successfully inspect, manage, and preserve the character and habitat of this important piece of Kiawah.”

The Kiawah Island Resort Continues to Rank Above the Rest

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

In the past few months, Kiawah Island Golf Resort has enjoyed a remarkable run of rankings success from some of the nation’s most respected travel publications. Collectively, these wide-ranging designations have helped substantiate the Resort’s goal of becoming America’s best resort, as well as a fabulous place to live.

Just three years after opening its oceanfront doors, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort achieved the top spot in a reader survey by Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, the well-respected travel newsletter that has 25,000 affluent, well-traveled subscribers. It was the first time in 26 years of the poll’s existence that a southern property ranked in the top of the Resort Hotel category. The Sanctuary bested other notable resort hotels like the Four Season Hualalai in Hawaii, The Cloister in Sea Island, Georgia, and the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach, California.

Families love Kiawah Island, according to Travel + Leisure Family readers. For the first time, The Sanctuary ranked as the number one family friendly resort in the US and Canada. Previously, the poll ranked it as the top family resort in the east and southeast. The Sanctuary ranked above other more-established resorts like Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa in Anaheim, California, The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia.

Travel + Leisure magazine readers were just as enthusiastic about The Sanctuary’s spa, which they ranked as the second finest hotel spa in America. The same poll saw The Sanctuary finish as the fifth best hotel in the country.

Conde Nast Traveler released a variety of rankings, which saw Kiawah Island retain its position as the second best island to visit in North America (Vancouver Island in Canada was number one), while the same poll named The Sanctuary as the fifth best resort.

The Resort’s tennis program helped the Resort retain its TennisResortsOnline ranking as the number one tennis resort in the world, while the Resort is also ranked as the number two resort in America by Tennis magazine. Finally, Kiawah Island Golf Resort ranked second among Travel + Leisure Golf’s poll of America’s greatest golf resorts.

To Everything, A Season

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

A sport that reveres tradition, golf nevertheless responds to shifts in style – in clothes, in clubs, in customs. This being a Leap Year, even the Rules have changed a bit, with less severe penalties now named for a few minor infractions. But while regulatory and technological changes take place slowly, fashion changes a lot faster – even on the greens. Here’s a look at some of the trends you’re likely to see on Kiawah’s courses.

In menswear, what’s old is new again, with more classic looks á la Ben Hogan striding confidently down the fairways, “Men are wearing a lot of earth tones,” says Shane Combs, merchandiser/buyer for The River Course Golf Shop at The Kiawah Island Club. “Shades of rust and avocado are especially popular,” she adds – a combination that definitely harkens to another time. Shoes are going more retro, too, though color-accented athleticlooking styles are also popular. “Our shoes from Footjoy can even be custom-designed,” Shane notes.

Colorwise, women are going for chocolate and purple. “Chocolate seems to be the new black,” Shane says. Stylewise, what’s old is out as women’s golf fashion continues to evolve. Gone are the confines of boxy Bermudas and man-tailored polo shirts. Women can now choose from shirts with trimmer lines, golf dresses with curve-skimming style, and fabrics in eye-catching colors and patterns.

For both men and women, the top clothing choices are made increasingly from performance fabrics. With the addition of a bit of cotton, these fabrics are cooler and continue to grow in popularity. And, says Stephen Youngner, Golf Professional at The Ocean Course, “Performance wear shirts can leave you looking like you never broke a sweat – a definite advantage on our course!” While the fabric may be high tech, the classic styles remain popular with Resort guests.

“We carry brands named after the greatest players in the game,” Stephen says. “Bobby Jones, Byron Nelson, Greg Norman – their clothes remain popular with our guests year after year.” While classic men’s stylesvare making a comeback, young players like Paula Creamer & Natalie Gulbis are keeping women’s golfwear designers on their toes.

“Although our guests tend to dress more traditionally,” Stephen explains, “we’re seeing the influence of the younger women on the LPGA tour. They’re definitely spicing up the style of golf.” From skirts to Capri pants, with more feminine cuts, and a vast assortment of bright, hip colors to choose from, women are certainly taking the attitude that just because you are on the golf course, it doesn’t mean you have to lose your sense of fashion, and the manufacturers are taking note and providing options.

From sexy togs to ergonomic bags, golf is changing with the times. Visit your favorite island pro shop to see the next new thing.

Kiawah Development Partners Making a Splash in the Caribbean

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

Planned for the southeast peninsula of St. Kitts in the West Indies, Christophe Harbour will blend glamour and luxury with the natural beauty of the Caribbean.

The vision of Kiawah Development Partners, Mandarin Oriental, Auberge Resorts, and Fazio Golf Course Designers, each will devote their collective experience and signature hospitality to realize this ideal destination for homeowners and guests alike. Complete with 5-star hotels and restaurants, six tropical beaches, a championship golf course, a private club, megayacht harbour, and secluded retreats ensconced in the hills surrounding the harbour, the mystique and adventure of St. Kitts awaits you.

A Founders Program has been developed to include special pricing and amenity incentives for property purchases made prior to Spring 2008. Kiawah Island property owners can expect a ‘sneak peek’ and detailed information packages by January 2008.

To learn more about this program today, please call 843.768.5222 or send emails to info@christopheharbour.com

Winter is for the Birds

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

Winter with the Hooded Merganser

The Hooded Merganser is the most common waterfowl species on Kiawah Island during winter. They can be found in almost all of the many ponds on the Island. These small to medium-sized ducks have long narrow bills that they use to capture and eat fish. The bold black and white head crest makes males especially easy to spot.

Migratory Birds Arrive

Migratory birds show up on Kiawah Island in large numbers during the winter months as they move south to avoid freezing weather. Beautifully colored cedar waxwings can be seen in large flocks feeding on berries throughout the Island. Yellow-rumped warblers are very abundant during winter, feeding primarily on wax myrtle berries, and are in fact the only warbler species capable of digesting these berries.

New Rich Resource of Island Information Debuts Online

2008-01-07T05:00:00+01:00

Obtaining comprehensive information about properties for sale in many seacoast communities requires time-consuming research and long stretches of travel. Now Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE) is streamlining the search with a wealth of well-organized information on this robust
new website.

Whether you’re in the market for a primary residence, second home, or homesite, there’s never been an easier way to find exactly what you’re looking for. Visitors can search this site, KiawahIsland.com, for Island properties by criteria such as price range, view, and number of bedrooms. Within seconds you can find a plethora of information about that six bedroom, seven bath, oceanfront home of your dreams, enhanced by extras such as interior and exterior photos, a virtual tour, and even aerial photography.

You can take advantage of an interactive map to pinpoint the neighborhood and location of each property that matches your search criteria, and also use keywords to speed your results. To help you remember where you’ve been and what you’ve seen, the site also saves your
searches, and allows you to print out hard copies of brochures about individual properties.

Better yet, KIRE’s new Internet tool is designed to be proactive. It can look for properties on your behalf, when you’re too busy to do it yourself. The new site allows potential buyers to receive email updates when a new property matching their criteria comes on the market. Both buyers and sellers also benefit from a toolkit designed to facilitate the sales process.

“The graphics, tools, and technology used to create our new website are state-of-the-art, reflecting the caliber of our exceptional community,” says KIRE President Chris Drury. “In addition to enabling visitors to search for details about Island properties, the new site will connect
the community to websites about KIRE brokers, enabling people to get to know us and our capabilities on a virtual one-on-one basis. Affluent buyers don’t want to waste time. We’ve made sure that when they go to www.kiawahisland.com they will make the most of their time spent online.”

As the real estate company with the lion’s share of listings on the Island, KIRE has long been dedicated to finding new ways to attract attention to homes for sale, and enhance the Kiawah Island brand worldwide. To that end, the new site does an inspiring job of showcasing the enduring allure of Kiawah. Sections of this site let you find out everything from where the Cassique neighborhood got its name, to how far it is from the closest hospital.

The media will find the new website as useful as buyers and sellers. By making press releases, images, and articles available with a few mouse clicks, KIRE is making it easy for members of the media to write articles that showcase the Island and generate no-cost publicity. Those
unfamiliar with what the area has to offer can use the site to get such basic details as population statistics, size in square miles, climate, and distance to major cities. The site also provides information about Kiawah Development Partners, and its principals and projects, including the
Kiawah Island Club, Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland, and Freshfields Village.

As a centerpiece of KIRE’s brand-building strategy for Kiawah Island, this new website will be consistently and well promoted. It has been optimized so anyone who uses a major search engine such as Google will find it quickly. Search engine advertising and online banner ads
encourage users to click through to Kiawah Island Real Estate immediately. This website is also enjoying promotion in traditional media through national print advertising, on cable television, and in widely distributed publications, such as Legends magazine and the Surveyor. In addition, the site is featured in all direct mail and other printed pieces distributed by KIRE associates at local and national events.

Drury says that, along with giving information, the more sophisticated site will also have the technology to gather information, driving future user-based improvements that will help KIRE build on its position as the premier provider of luxury real estate services in the Lowcountry. If you haven’t joined the 50,000 annual visitors to www.kiawahisland.com lately, you’ll find the site’s new innovations very useful indeed. Continue searching this site today to find the relevant, compelling and timely information that will keep you in the loop of one of the most exciting real estate markets in the country.

Kiawah Residential Development

2007-12-08T05:00:00+01:00

While Kiawah’s master plan originally called for approximately 7,000 residential properties, Kiawah Development Partners voluntarily reduced that cap to about 5,600 in its 1994 development agreement with the Town. KDP’s emphasis on preserving natural habitat will likely reduce the number further.

KDP plans to sell approximately 500 more single-family homesites on Kiawah, as well as 200 more off-Island homesites at Cassique. KDP releases about 50 new homesites a year, all through Kiawah Island Real Estate. Residential “build-out” of the Island is expected to take 20 to 30 years.

Current Communities

KDP has four communities under way. Property releases typically occur in the spring and the fall, exclusively through Kiawah Island Real Estate.

The Settlement – The Settlement is named for the first English settlement on Kiawah, established in the late 1600s near the site of the current River Course clubhouse. This secluded enclave of homes is located behind The River Course gate, putting the residences within walking distance of the private golf, tennis, dining, and spa facilities. Deep setbacks ensure that homes do not impose on the Tom Fazio-designed course. Landscape improvements such as evergreen hedgerows, benches, and small paths lend a park-like environment. Plans call for 120-130 homesites.

Cassique – Named for the chieftain of the Kiawah Indians, this Kiawah Island Club community is the setting of Tom Watson’s first solo course design in North America. A gated enclave at the western end of the Kiawah River, it is separated from resort guests, yet residents have access to Kiawah Island. The community’s architectural and landscaping accents will draw from the distinctive design of Cassique’s clubhouse and gardens. A sports pavilion features a family-oriented pool complex, tennis and squash courts, and a state-of-the-art fitness facility. Plans call for 200-275 homesites.

Maritime – Maritime is a collection of spacious and intimate condominium villas with a fresh approach to island living. The first, new luxury condominiums built on Kiawah Island in 20 years, Maritime’s features and design exude casual luxury. Situated on three woodland acres, Maritime is located on Green Dolphin Way just across Turtle Point from the beach. Homeowners will enjoy their own private pool and outdoor kitchen facilities. The Sanctuary and the Kiawah Island Tennis Center are adjacent to Maritime.

Ocean Palms – Situated on a prime piece of beachfront property held in reserve for decades, Ocean Palms calls upon architecture that celebrates the stylish Mediterranean shores of Europe. Each home will have unique views and traits, with two having oceanfront views. A 300-foot water garden will provide an alluring centerpiece, springing ever-flowing fountains streaming toward the sea.

In the interest of preserving natural habitat, KDP has placed restrictive covenants on these communities over and above Island-wide covenants. They include maximums of 4,500 to 5,000 square feet (depending upon the individual site); ground coverage limits of 30 or 33 percent of the homesite; height restrictions of 35 or 40 feet above the natural grade; structures limited to two floors, with the first floor within two feet of minimum flood insurance guidelines and the second floor positioned within the roof structure; an emphasis on dark-hued colors and natural materials; and preservation of natural vegetation in undisturbed condition and the addition of native plant species. Homes along the Club golf courses must also feature two appealing facades (facing the street and course) and add two to four grand trees between the home and course.

Future Real Estate

In addition to the above communities, KDP owns several residential tracts around the Island that are designated for future single-family homesites, in accordance with Kiawah’s long-range master plan. The largest of these is Cougar Island, which is located at the eastern end of Kiawah where Ocean Course Drive currently terminates.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s subsidiaries include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique, The Beach Club and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; Freshfields Village, and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland. For more information about KDP, visit www.kiawahisland.com, or email media@kiawahisland.com.

Kiawah's Natural Environment

2007-12-07T05:00:00+01:00

Kiawah Island’s enduring asset is its natural environment. Kiawah is the most carefully preserved barrier island of its size in the nation, outside of government lands. Roughly half of the Island’s 10,000 acres are natural lowlands, and of the high ground, half again has been set aside for conservation, parks, or recreational uses.

Preservation efforts began more than 25 years ago when a team of experts performed a comprehensive, $1.3 million environmental study. Over a period of 16 months, the Island’s wildlife, plant life, and archaeological history were identified, categorized, and studied. From this group’s findings, a master plan was conceived to enhance Kiawah’s natural beauty as well as the overall experience of living here.

As the Island’s master developer, Kiawah Development Partners is responsible for the legacy of this plan. Thanks to the company’s careful work, as well as the complementary efforts of other Kiawah organizations, the Island habitat looks much today as it did centuries ago.

Flora and Fauna
•    Birds – Bald eagles, osprey, hawks, bluebirds, painted buntings, bufflehead ducks, cormorants and various species of heron are just a few of the more than 200 species of birds and waterfowl present on Kiawah Island.
•    Marine Wildlife – Outside of wildlife refuges, Kiawah is the region’s most prolific nesting area for loggerhead turtles. Island residents volunteer their time to an active turtle patrol and hatching program to maximize the number of hatchlings that make it to the ocean each year. Among the many species of marine life found here are dolphin, spottail bass, croaker, blue crab, mullet, flounder, shrimp, and shellfish.
•    Other Wildlife – White-tailed deer, bobcats, alligators, raccoons, foxes, otters, upland voles, gray squirrels, opossum, and rabbits.
•    Plant Life – The flora of Kiawah is rich and diverse due to the many habitats found here. The front beach and dune environment is characterized by the dune plants as well as pennywort, yucca, prickly pear cactus, butterfly pea, and sea oats. Throughout miles of centuries-old maritime forest and pond habitats, slash pine, live oak, magnolia, and palmetto trees shadow smaller trees and thicket consisting of common species such as wax myrtle, beauty berry, red bay, rice myrtle, and yaupon holly.

Beach
•    Kiawah’s beach is more than 10 miles long and at high tide is about 100 yards wide. Noting the pristine condition of the beach and its surroundings, renowned beach expert Stephen Leatherman (“Dr. Beach”) named Kiawah as the nation’s Best Wildlife Getaway Beach.
•    Kiawah is unique in that it accretes sand, unlike most barrier islands. A 1999 study found that over a period of 16 years, the Island’s net gain in sand volume was estimated at 5 million to 7 million cubic yards.
•    Self-imposed development setbacks – a 200-foot minimum setback from the beach for oceanfront property – provide a permanent buffer to protect the beach’s beauty. KDP deeded this immensely valuable duneland, about 200 acres, to the Kiawah Island Community Association.

Marsh and Lowland
•    Approximately half of the Island is composed of salt marsh, tidal creeks, freshwater wetlands, and more than 100 brackish and freshwater ponds, lakes, and lagoons.
•    Protective measures include self-imposed setbacks (20-foot minimum on marshfront property), use of shared and community docks, and zoning restrictions on waterways. In fact, Kiawah is the only location in South Carolina to zone its waterways.

Conservation Easements
•    Little Bear Island – In January 2000, KDP put into permanent conservation 150 acres of pristine high ground known as Little Bear Island, then granted the holding of the trust to Wetlands America Trust (an affiliate of Ducks Unlimited) and the Kiawah Island Natural Habitat Conservancy. The location of this property, at the Island’s eastern tip, is key to coastal birds as it forms a critical link between Skimmer Flats (where birds nest) and a tidal slough and dunes (where birds gather). Birds who have made their home on Little Bear include the least tern, piping plover, peregrine falcon, and osprey. Additionally, the state’s only recorded spotting of a roseate tern was at Little Bear.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s subsidiaries include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique, The Beach Club and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; Freshfields Village, and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland. For more information about KDP, visit www.kiawahisland.com, or email media@kiawahisland.com.

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Overview of Key Entities on Kiawah Island

2007-12-06T05:00:00+01:00

Kiawah Island Real Estate

Kiawah Island Real Estate is a residential real estate broker serving buyers and sellers of luxury primary and secondary residences. KIRE lists and sells Kiawah properties exclusively, making them the authority of the Kiawah market. Having completed over 10,000 Kiawah real estate transactions, our 25 on-island agents combine their experience to offer the buyer the widest range of offerings, and the seller the most qualified prospects.

Kiawah Development Partners

In 1988, Kiawah Resort Associates purchased Kiawah's undeveloped lands, assets, and all resort amenities from the Kuwaiti-owned Kiawah Island Company. As part of that transaction, KRA assumed the role of Kiawah's master developer. In order to focus on the Island's development, the company sold the accommodations and public golf in 1989 to Landmark Land Co.

As Kiawah's master developer, KRA – now known as Kiawah Development Partners 7ndash; determines when and how the Island's remaining unsold properties should be developed and marketed. The company also administers Kiawah's Architectural Review Board. To enable Kiawah's growth to proceed carefully and effectively, KDP has numerous subsidiaries: Kiawah Resort Associates, Kiawah Island Real Estate, The Kiawah Island Club, Kiawah Island Utility, Kiawah Island Publishing, St. John's Properties, and Christophe Harbour, St. Kitts.

KDP also directs the development of Cassique, a private community located just off Kiawah Island; Doonbeg Golf Club Ltd., a Greg Norman-designed links course in County Clare, Ireland; and Freshfields Village, a new commercial endeavor located at the intersection of Kiawah and Seabrook Islands.

Town of Kiawah

Incorporated in 1988, the Town of Kiawah aims at providing a responsive local government and maintaining local control of available, existing technical services by interfacing with boards and committees. It operates as a Mayor-Council form of government.

In 1994, KDP entered into a formal development agreement with the town. As part of this agreement, the town was given responsibility for monitoring the Island's diverse wildlife population, and they have since hired a full-time wildlife biologist.

For more information on the Town of Kiawah, visit www.kiawahisland.org or call 843-768-9166. The office is located at 21 Beachwalker Drive.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Virginia Investment Trust purchased Kiawah's resort assets in 1993 and The Ocean Course in 1995 to form Kiawah Island Resorts. The company owns and operates the Island's resort amenities including The Sanctuary , a luxury oceanfront hotel, featuring 255 rooms as well as dining, conference, and recreation facilities, including a spa, fitness center, and indoor and outdoor pools. Other amenities include two championship tennis centers, five public golf courses, shopping and conference facilities, nine restaurants, and Night Heron Park. It also operates a rental program for about 600 privately owned homes and villas. For more information, visit www.kiawahresort.com or call 843-768-2121.

The Governor's Club at Kiawah Island Resort

Named in honor of Governor Vanderhorst, the club offers a variety of memberships and opportunities for property owners to enjoy Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
www.kiawahgovclub.com or call 843-768-2121.

Kiawah Island Community Association (KICA)

A mandatory-membership, not-for-profit corporation that manages the businesses and properties that contribute to the overall ambience and property values of Kiawah Island. This includes maintenance of the roads, ponds, landscaping, leisure trails, and other common areas. These facilities are owned in common by all Kiawah property owners. Visit www.kiawah-owners.org or call 843-768-9194. The office is located at 23 Beachwalker Drive.

The Sandcastle

KICA's Community Center is known as "The Sandcastle." It consists of a pool, a children's wading pool, a covered picnic pavilion, a playground area, and the Community Center building. The community center is located at 1 Shipwatch Road. Call 843-768-3875 or email sandcastle@kiawah-owners.org.

Kiawah Conservancy

A local organization who's mission is "to provide for the identification, preservation, and appropriate management of the critical natural habitat needed to maintain a healthy, balanced and diverse population of native flora and fauna at Kiawah Island." Contact the Conservancy at www.kiawahconservancy.org or 843-768-2029.

Architectural Review Board (ARB)

The Architectural Review Board's primary objective is to assist with planning efforts during the building process. Their goal is to achieve an uncommon and visually pleasing blend of natural beauty and man-made improvements.

The Kiawah Island ARB is committed to protecting and enhancing your precious asset. Environmentally sensitive design can be achieved through a careful, well-thought-out response to configuration of your homesite, the Lowcountry climate, existing vegetation, and topography of the building site. Thus, one of our primary objectives is to assist you with your planning efforts, and we stand ready to do so.

Kiawah Island Utility, Inc.

KIU provides water and wastewater services to the residents and businesses of Kiawah Island. During normal hours of operations (8 am - 5 pm Mon-Thu and 8 am - 4:30 pm on Fridays) they offer a "live person" to communicate with rather than a system of computerized messages.

Automatic bank draft payments are available and all billing and processing is done in house at the company's central facility on 31 Sora Rail Road. For more information, call 843-768-0641.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s subsidiaries include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique, The Beach Club and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; Freshfields Village, and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland. For more information about KDP, visit www.kiawahisland.com, or email media@kiawahisland.com.

The KDP Development Team

2007-12-05T05:00:00+01:00

Kiawah Development Partners operates under the direction of three managing partners: Charles P. Darby III, Leonard L. Long Jr., and Patrick W. McKinney, each of whom were among the company’s founders in 1988.

Charles Pinckney (Buddy) Darby, III

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Since leading the effort to acquire Kiawah Island from the Kuwaitis in 1988, Buddy Darby has held primary responsibility for Kiawah's development activities, overseeing all operations involved in the development of the Island. He is particularly gratified by the fact that under his guidance, "Kiawah has evolved from a languishing regional attraction into one of the world's most renowned golfing destinations," garnering the 1996 ULI Award for Excellence, among other accolades. Darby was also responsible for the development of the Doonbeg Golf Club, located in County Clare, Ireland, which features residential cottages, exceptional accommodations (The Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club) and a Greg Norman-designed links course, which has been internationally recognized as a top-25 golfing destination by industry publications and travel writers alike.

Leonard L. Long, Jr.

Executive Vice President

Leonard Long's ties to Kiawah Island pre-date the formation of KRA. He served as Charleston County attorney when Kiawah's rezoning application was negotiated in 1975. Since 1988, he has been instrumental in all major KRA transactions, overseeing the team members in the company's legal and marketing departments. Long also serves as publisher of Legends magazine. Doonbeg Golf Club was his most recent project responsibility.

Long says, "the favorite part of my work life is interacting with design professionals to create elegant interiors for our buildings, a lifelong hobby I get to do for a living. The talents of others, whether in legal, marketing, or design expertise never cease to amaze me."

Patrick (Pat) W. McKinney

Principal

Pat McKinney was Kiawah's first director of real estate and part of the management team that launched Kiawah's residential-resort community in 1976. After a short time away, he returned in 1988 as part of the KRA partnership, personally drafting the 25-page financial pro-forma that led to the KRA acquisition of Kiawah Island, and served as president and broker-in-charge of Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE), KDP's exclusive brokerage affiliate for 18 years. McKinney, who was also advisory general chairman of the 1991 Ryder Cup matches, stepped down as president of KIRE in 2006 and remains in his role as a managing partner. "The realization of our vision for a world-class community and the relationships I've developed along the way have given me immense satisfaction."

Townsend P. Clarkson

Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer

Townsend Clarkson has made significant contributions to the success of renowned Atlantic coast communities far beyond Kiawah Island. A certified public accountant and licensed real estate broker, he came to Kiawah after excelling as vice president of finance at Fripp Island in South Carolina and senior vice president at Amelia Island Plantation in Florida. Today, Clarkson oversees approximately 450 employees at KDP and its numerous affiliates, serving as president of Kiawah Island Utility. Townsend believes "my gratification in being part of this incredibly successful endeavor has been the ability to work with so many types of talented people."

Chris Drury

President of Kiawah Island Real Estate

Chris Drury joined the company in February 2006. Over his sales management career with Arvida/St. Joe, Drury spent 17 years in three different residential/resort communities in Florida—The Palm Beach Polo and Country Club in West Palm Beach, Broken Sound/Banyans and Weston. He won awards for both Sales Director of the Year and Sales Manager of the Year, and was vice president of sales when Weston was ranked in the Top 5 selling master planned communities in the country, achieving more than 1700 residential sales in one year. Drury also worked as vice-president of sales for the Mid-Atlantic Region in Charlotte, N.C. and for Florida's Capital Region. Current and future property owners alike benefit from his commitment to the brand reputation and enduring allure of Kiawah Island.

Charles Arrington

Director of Design and Planning

A veteran of the KRA team since 1992, Charlie Arrington oversees land planning for Kiawah's new neighborhoods and amenities. He is also KDP's in-house golf architect, working alongside Tom Fazio on The River Course, with Tom Watson at Cassique, and with Greg Norman at Doonbeg Golf Club. Among his many other accomplishments, Arrington took responsibility for directing the site landscaping team at The Ocean Course in 1990. This former golf professional's previous experience also includes developing recreational facilities as diverse as public parks and large-scale equestrian centers.

Karen Bacot

Director of Marketing

A member of the KRA team since 1993, Karen Bacot directs nationally recognized advertising, collateral design and production, public relations, and marketing plans for KDP and its subsidiaries. She also serves as executive editor of Legends magazine. The materials produced in-house under her direction have garnered numerous industry awards, including Ozzie, ADDY, PICA, AIGA Howie, and PIA Premier Print awards.

Formerly owner of her own advertising and design company in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bacot's efforts on behalf of Kiawah Island helped KIRE post record-breaking sales between $400 - $500 million annually in 2005 and 2006.

Robert Crawford

Kiawah Island Club General Manager

As Club manager since 1993, Robert Crawford directs the operation of The Beach Club, The River Course, and Cassique. He has worked in club management for two decades, previously serving in similar capacities at Boca Pointe Country Club in Boca Raton, FL; Boca Country Club, part of the five-star, five-diamond Boca Raton Resort and Club; the Elk River Club in Banner Elk, NC; and Perdido Bay Country Club in Pensacola, FL. Like many other members of the KRA team, Crawford's contributions to the Southeastern seacoast extend far beyond Kiawah Island.

John Haley

Director of Architecture

A KDP team member since 2000, John Haley oversees the architectural design of all KDP projects, including the extraordinary centerpiece of the Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland, The Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club. He came to Kiawah from Bald Head Island and was an integral part of the $108 million renovation of Washington, D.C.'s Union Station in 1988, as well as the comprehensive revitalization of the Qsar Al Hokm commercial district in the heart of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His notable career includes more than 20 projects throughout the world, ranging from commercial and residential developments to performing arts centers and riverfront parks.

Ray Pantlik

Director of Development

Ray Pantlik is a registered professional engineer who has overseen the process of obtaining the governmental approvals of more than 1,000 single-family homesites, the River Course and Cassique golf courses, and numerous other amenities at Kiawah. He joined the company in 1989 and also served as project manager for the construction of The River Course clubhouse and The Beach Club during the 1990's. Most recently he has overseen the permitting process for Doonbeg Golf Club and assisted in the construction management of The Lodge at Doonbeg and a number of residential suites and cottages at this seaside development in County Clare, Ireland.

Before coming to KDP, he worked on behalf of several well-known resort-residential developments in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, and handled permitting at Haig Point on Daufuskie Island in South Carolina. Ray says, "It is extremely satisfying to have seen so many projects start as ideas on paper and be transformed as completed and functioning projects."

Mark A. Permar

Chief Consulting Planner

Mark Permar is a registered architect and land planner and principal in the market research and planning firm of Permar, Inc. He was vice president of planning and design under Kiawah's original developer, and continues to consult with KDP on long-range planning, programming, and feasibility analyses for capital improvements on Kiawah. A veteran of the KDP team since 1988, he also serves on Kiawah's Architectural Review Board.

William J. Hindman

Corporate Communication Consultant

Bill Hindman is currently Corporate Communication Consultant for Kiawah Development Partners, facilitating mutual understandings between KDP and many of its constituents, including property owners, Kiawah Island Club Members, elected officials, and other community leaders. During his 45-year career, Bill served in various positions at AT&T in New York and Dallas, Texas, and, previous to that, for Mountain Bell in Denver, Colorado. He also served for one year as Vice President of Corporate Communications for American Airlines.

Bill served as a member of the Board of Directors for Spoleto Festival USA for 12 years, and served on the Board of Directors of the Kiawah Island Natural Habitat Conservancy for six years.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s subsidiaries include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique, The Beach Club and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; Freshfields Village, and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland. For more information about KDP, visit www.kiawahisland.com, or contact Theresa Martin at 843-768-5220, tmartin@kiawahisland.com.

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The Kiawah Island Club

2007-12-04T05:00:00+01:00

The Kiawah Island Club is a private, Members-only club owned by Kiawah Development Partners, the master developer of Kiawah Island. In 1993, KDP established The Kiawah Island Club in response to Kiawah homeowners’ desire for an upscale amenity separate from the resort.

The Kiawah Island Club provides its Members the utmost in private, quality facilities with an exceptional level of professional service. Membership in The Kiawah Island Club offers an unmatched collection of private amenities including two championship golf courses, Cassique and The River Course, and immediate access to 10 miles of secluded beach at The Beach Club.

Today there are about 1,600 Club Members, all of whom own property on Kiawah or at Cassique. Approximately 20 percent are full-time Kiawah residents; the remainder are national Members. New memberships are available only with the purchase of property through Kiawah Island Real Estate.

The River Course

The River Course, designed by Tom Fazio, opened in 1995 as the first golf course of the private Kiawah Island Club. This site, which extends one and a half miles along the Kiawah River, was the location of the first English settlement on the Island in the 18th century.

The River Course sits on more than 300 acres near the midpoint of Kiawah Island. The par-72 course measures 7,111 yards from the tournament tees. Holes are grouped in what Fazio calls “clusters,” large green spaces that recall the atmosphere and feel of the great private clubs of golf’s golden era.

At The River Course’s opening, Golf Digest praised it as one of the nation’s top five new private courses. It has hosted the Kiawah Children’s Hospital Classic, one of 15 stops on the Celebrity Players Tour, and hosted a US Senior Open Qualifier in 2002.

The River Course Clubhouse

Designed by the prestigious firm of Shope Reno Wharton Associates out of Greenwich, Conn., The River Course clubhouse opened in 1996. Erected on an ancient bluff surrounded by huge live oaks, the two-story clubhouse overlooks the Kiawah River to the north and Bass Pond to the southeast.

The dark shingle-style architecture draws upon early American and English antecedents, in keeping with the history of the region. Charleston designer Amelia Handegan decorated the interiors, which include more than 20 original works of art. Amenities include a pro shop, dining room, grille room, veranda, living room, men’s and women’s lounges with locker areas, fitness center, and day spa. Adjacent to the clubhouse are two red clay tennis courts.

Cassique

The Cassique course was crafted by five-time British Open champion Tom Watson, his first solo design in North America. Named for the Kiawah Indian chief who once lived and hunted these lands, Cassique’s 6,960-yard test ranges over former agricultural fields, through maritime forests, and along marshes where the Kiawah River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

Watson’s intimately walkable design recalls the links courses of Scotland and Ireland where he dominated the game. Like those classic seaside settings, Cassique offers little protection from ocean winds, so Watson fashioned holes that could be played in numerous ways depending upon the conditions and the creativity of the golfer.

After opening in 2000, the par-72 course landed at No. 9 on Golf Digest’s prestigious “America’s Best New Courses” list. Cassique hosted the Kiawah Children’s Hospital Classic and the Carolina PGA Championship in 2002, then college golf’s premier international competition, the Palmer Cup, in 2003, and the UBS Cup in 2004.

Cassique Clubhouse

The Cassique clubhouse, also designed by Shope Reno Wharton, opened in 2001. Its design is reminiscent of a 19th century English country manor, inspired by the Arts and Crafts styling of British architect C.F.A. Voysey.

The clubhouse offers commanding views of the course and the surrounding marshes of the Kiawah River. Its exterior is clad in authentic stucco with stone-surrounded windows, copper guttering, and a charcoal slate roof. The interiors, by Jackye Lanham and Norman Askins of Atlanta, are filled with rich reclaimed wood, restored antique doors and furnishings, and original works of art.

The main structure’s upper story consists of Voysey’s, a restaurant and pub designed by Bentel & Bentel and led by consulting chef Tom Colicchio of Manhattan’s Gramercy Tavern and Craft. The Watson Room, living room, and pro shop are at ground level, while a separate wing contains the vast lounge and locker areas.

The Beach Club

The Beach Club is the cornerstone of The Kiawah Island Club. Opened in 1994, this cedar-shingle masterpiece was designed by acclaimed architect Robert A.M. Stern. His design, along with an interior setting by Jacquelyn Lanham and Judy Long, combines wood, stone, and light to achieve a natural, beachside elegance. The Beach Club offers a relaxing atmosphere on the most secluded stretch of sand on Kiawah Island. Men’s and women’s locker rooms provide an easy transition from beach to dining. The elegant and upbeat, Tides Restaurant, also led by consulting chef Tom Colicchio, strives for comfort on every level along with superb seafood specialties. Relax over cocktails in the upscale bar then move on to dinner ¬– rich or spare, according to your taste.

Members can lounge on the beach or around the three swimming pools: a heated junior Olympic pool, an adult pool, and a baby pool.

The Sports Pavilion

The new 9,000 square foot Sports Pavilion, which opened in April 2006, features state-of-the-art weight rooms (with personal trainers on hand), plasma TVs, squash courts, a multipurpose room for group classes, tennis courts, a swimming pool, whirlpool, refreshing spa, and gazebo bar. The comfortable men’s and women’s locker rooms provide plenty of natural sunshine and exclusive amenities.

Sasanqua Day Spa

Sasanqua is a haven of rejuvenation, pampering, and serenity exclusive to Kiawah Island Club Members and their guests. As with other Kiawah Island Club amenities, Sasanqua is a unique retreat from the outside world, offering Members an enhanced mind and body connection to the peaceful Kiawah River environment. Guided by world-renowned designer Clodagh, Sasanqua celebrates Kiawah’s natural surroundings.

The exterior, simple and unobtrusive, folds into the Kiawah landscape, and the interiors add a sense of harmony using natural materials to continue the experience indoors. Sasanqua’s signature treatments and custom-made products incorporate indigenous Lowcountry ingredients. The spa includes six treatment rooms, an outdoor deck and garden relaxation area, and a full service salon. All treatments were designed for The Kiawah Island Club to benefit health, promote introspection, and encourage relaxation.

The Club Cottages

Reserved for the use of Club Members and their guests, these three cottages sit on a private drive near The Beach Club, overlooking Bass Creek and marshes that run uninterrupted all the way to Kiawah Island’s eastern tip. Each cottage has a full-sized, fully-equipped kitchen, private baths, and furnished porches and decks, plus the convenience of concierge services, daily maid service, and all the amenities of a fine hotel room. Decorated by Amelia Handegan and Judy Long, these two- and four-bedroom homes feature overstuffed couches, rough-hewn ceiling timbers, stone fireplaces, and a private dock to impart the comfort of a private residence.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s subsidiaries include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique, The Beach Club and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; Freshfields Village, and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland. For more information about KDP, visit www.kiawahisland.com, or email media@kiawahisland.com.

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Film Premier Comes to Kiawah

2007-12-03T05:00:00+01:00

Please note that this event has sold out.

The creators of the new documentary film "The Curious Mr. Catesby" needed a shooting location with the power to transport an audience 300 years back in time. They also needed a source of underwriting for the project. They found both on Kiawah Island.

Kiawah's pristine landscape provided timeless natural backdrops, and Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE) provided major financial support. Now, months after filming, Kiawah is also supplying the perfect environment for a sneak preview showing of the inspiring new film — KIRE's Brightest and Best speaker series.

Though broadcast dates have not yet been set, "The Curious Mister Catesby" has already been nominated for a prestigious Ciné Golden Eagle award. Kiawah Island property owners are one of only three groups selected for an exclusive advance screening of the film. Executive producer, David J. Elliott, will begin the evening by recounting how he came to be intrigued by the life of English scientist, artist and author Mark Catesby, a man who poured his heart and soul into the first fully illustrated account of the North American landscape. Though largely forgotten for generations, Catesby's work preceded the efforts of more well-known wildlife artist John James Audubon, and laid a foundation for studies by most of the leading naturalists of the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Those who love Kiawah's natural environment will especially enjoy the way in which the film showcases dramatic footage of Lowcountry flora, fauna and wildlife. In addition to Kiawah Island, portions of "The Curious Mr. Catesby" were shot at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the Royal Society, Natural History Museum, and Kew Gardens in London, Middleton Place, and other locations with natural ambience along the Carolinas coast. After the screening in The Sanctuary's Grand Oak ballroom, provided courtesy of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, guests will have a chance to mingle with other property owners during a wine and cheese reception hosted by KIRE, and to socialize with Elliott, who is also founder and chair of The Kiawah Conservancy.

Seating for this exclusive event in the Brightest and Best speaker series is limited. Property owners are encouraged to pick up their complimentary tickets right away at all KIRE office locations including The Sanctuary, the KIRE Main Sales Office, the shops at the Straw Market, and Freshfields Village.

Freshfields Village

2007-12-03T05:00:00+01:00

A mixed-use commercial center conveniently located close to residents and visitors of Johns, Seabrook, and Kiawah Islands, Freshfields Village offers the down home friendliness of Mayberry and the uptown style of Main Street.

The neighborhood is a collection of locally owned businesses where shop owners and their customers know each other on a first-name basis. And like the village greens in 19th-century towns, Freshfields is a center for entertainment ranging from farmer’s markets to symphonic performances.

Zoning for the overall project calls for up to 450,000 square feet of commercial space. Phase I of the development includes 175,000 square feet of retail and office space. Phase II will include the addition of an amphitheater and residential units.

A list of retailers and offices at Freshfields Village is located on the website www.freshfieldsvillage.com

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. The company’s subsidiaries include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique, The Beach Club and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; Freshfields Village, and Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland. For more information about KDP, visit www.kiawahisland.com, or email media@kiawahisland.com.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort

2007-12-02T05:00:00+01:00

Kiawah Island was conceived as a “residential-resort community” under a single master plan that guided all aspects of the Island’s development. When KDP purchased Kiawah in 1988, it sold the resort elements of the Island but remained Kiawah’s official master planner. This enabled KDP to focus on real estate and guide the Island’s overall development, while bringing in a nationally recognized company that had the credibility to turn the resort into an international vacation destination. The resort remains a wholly separate company, now under a group that also owns The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., and The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

As set out in the master plan, the resort amenities are primarily clustered in two community centers: West Beach Village around the Shops at Kiawah, and East Beach Village around The Sanctuary; all of Kiawah’s villas are also in these centers. The plan’s “walking distance” concept placed accommodations, dining, shopping, meeting, and recreation facilities within a five-minute walking radius of each other and the beach. This reduced dependency on cars and maintained an environmentally sensitive approach to managing density, preserving more of Kiawah’s natural environment. Today the resort amenities include:

Accommodations
The Sanctuary, a luxury oceanfront hotel, featuring 255 rooms as well as dining, conference, and recreation facilities, including a spa, fitness center, and indoor and outdoor pools.
The Villas at Kiawah Island Resorts – Rental of approximately 600 villas and private homes.

Golf
Five world-class golf courses: The Ocean Course by Pete Dye; Osprey Point by Tom Fazio; Turtle Point by Jack Nicklaus; Cougar Point by Gary Player; and Oak Point by Clyde Johnston.

Tennis
Two tennis facilities collectively rated #1 in the country by Tennis magazine, including 23 clay courts and five hard courts, as well as an array of clinics and camps.

Restaurants
Twelve dining establishments: The Ocean Room, Jasmine Porch, The Atlantic Room, The Dining Room at Osprey Point, Turtle Point Grille, The Ocean Course Grill; West Beach Café, The Market at Town Center, the Charleston Bar, Sundancer Bar & Grill, Shrimper’s and Night Heron Poolside Grill.

Recreation and Nature Programs
Facilities include 21-acre Night Heron Park, three swimming pool complexes, a game room, and a fitness center, as well as beach services. A nature room features on-staff naturalists, plus walking tours and workshops that teach about indigenous island wildlife in their natural habitats. Programs include a children’s camp (ages 3-11), marsh creek canoeing, ocean kayaking, back-river excursions and biking, including equipment rental. Other year-round family activities include oyster roasts, ice cream socials, festivals, arts and crafts, productions, and holiday events.

Conference Facilities
Conference centers are conveniently located in two locations, at East Beach Village and West Beach Village, including an 11,000-square-foot facility, a 9,000-square-foot facility, a 6,000-square-foot facility, and the new Turtle Point Golf Enclave. The Sanctuary also provides meeting space and accommodations.

For more information or reservations, please call Kiawah Island Resorts at 1-800-654-2924.

Charleston Overview

2007-12-01T05:00:00+01:00

One of the aspects that sets Kiawah Island apart from other coastal resorts is its proximity to Charleston, SC, which itself is a unique and easily accessible destination. In fact, the readers of Conde Nast Traveler have named the city a “Top Ten” domestic destination for seven consecutive years. Charleston’s combination of metropolitan flair, Southern charm, and modern convenience are all just 21 miles from Kiawah – so an escape to paradise never equates to being out of touch.

Since its founding in 1670, Charleston has played an important and often pivotal role in the course of American history, including numerous “firsts.” The first decisive American victory during the Revolution occurred at the Battle of Fort Sullivan. The initial shots of the Civil War were fired on Union troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. Even the nation’s first golf course (Harleston Green) and golf club (The South Carolina Golf Club) were established here in 1786. What makes such history relevant today is the care with which the city has been preserved – a visit to the historic district is a step back into another era.

Indeed, Charleston still lends itself to walking, whether via a guided tour or a casual stroll. Restored homes, churches, and public buildings grace the city’s tree-lined streets. Formal gardens add to the beauty of the colonial, antebellum, and Victorian architecture. Some of the more popular walking sites and venues are White Point Gardens (also known as “The Battery”), Waterfront Park, the South Carolina Aquarium, and the open-air shops behind newly restored Market Hall. Other notable attractions include the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, the Gibbes Museum, and the Charleston Museum and its Museum Houses – the Aiken-Rhett House, the Edmonston-Alston House, and the Nathaniel Russell House. A short drive from the peninsula leads to a celebration of Charleston’s agrarian heritage at plantations such as Drayton Hall and Middleton Place.

While Charleston’s history may be perpetually alluring, the city has a vibrant cultural presence that embraces the present as strongly as it celebrates the past. Downtown shopping is highlighted by King Street, which boasts antique shops and modern boutiques alike. The city features some of the finest dining in the nation. Charleston’s festivals and special events are of particular interest, including Spoleto Festival USA, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, the Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens, the Fall Candlelight Tour of Homes, and Christmas in Charleston. Numerous other events highlighting the arts and Charleston’s diverse cultural heritage are held throughout the year.

The Charleston Guide section of Legends magazine, found in every rental unit on Kiawah, provides more information on the city’s attractions and events.

KIRE's Fall Tour of Homes Showcases Exceptional Living Environments

2007-11-19T05:00:00+01:00

The 10 homes on Kiawah Island Real Estate's Fall Tour of Homes collectively "have it all." Some are poised to awe and amaze prospective buyers with views of the Atlantic Ocean. Some are snuggled amid native pines and tall oaks in Kiawah's maritime forest. Others will put their new owners within chipping range of Osprey Point or Turtle Point fairways. The rest make the most of tranquil views of lagoons, Canvasback Pond, Cinder Creek and the Kiawah marsh.

Aside from a cross-section of Kiawah's natural environments, the tour also spotlights a range of architectural artistry in homes with asking prices of $1,100,000 to $5,250,000. What can you expect to see? A home with nearly 2,000 square feet of outdoor living space. A Charleston-style brick-walled courtyard, complete with wrought iron gate, garden, and fountain. Barrel-vaulted and coffered ceilings. Beaucoup treatments with beadboard. Travertine tiled showers. Limestone baths. Even an all decked-out Provençal kitchen capable of instilling a passion for culinary accomplishment in someone who's current range extends from boiling water to scrambling eggs.

Scheduled for Friday, November 23, 2007 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm, the tour offers you the ideal opportunity to give your Thanksgiving weekend guests a glimpse at Kiawah Island's inimitable real estate market and its inherent value and allure. To be eligible for the post-tour drawing to win a trip to Doonbeg Golf Club in Ireland, you must show validation that you've visited four or more homes, and be present at the cocktail reception that follows the tour from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Reservations for the reception, limited to 300 people, will be accepted through November 16, or until the guest list is filled, at 843-768-5200.

If you plan to just take the tour, neither reservations nor tickets are necessary. You may pick up extra tour guides from any KIRE sales office and start your adventure. For more information, please call your KIRE Sales Executive, or the Main Sales Office at 843-768-3400.

Innovation Steeped in History

2007-11-18T05:00:00+01:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Theresa Martin
Doonbeg Golf Club
PO Box 12001
Charleston, SC 29422
O: 843-768-5220
F: 843-768-5727
theresa_martin@doonbeggolfclub.com

PRESS RELEASE

Innovation Steeped in History - Doonbeg Golf Club Offers Unique Accommodations

May 17, 2007

The country house is alive and well and revived in Ireland thanks to a daring creative vision forged in the US

Doonbeg, County Clare, Ireland – Being lashed by horizontal rain and a roaring wind straight off the Atlantic wouldn't be everyone's idea of inspiration, but when Buddy Darby and Leonard Long first set foot on the rugged dunes at Doonbeg on Ireland's west coast they knew they'd found something special.

Since that day in late 1999, the South Carolina duo have overseen the creation first of an internationally renowned golf course along County Clare's Doughmore Bay and now, at its head, a luxurious and quietly spectacular accommodation complex.

It's anchored by a Lodge daringly conceived by their architect John Haley as a country house in the late Elizabethan style - all jutting gables and dormers, with mullioned bay windows and muscular stack chimneys. The building contains 15 elegantly furnished one to three-bedroom suites spread across three floors. Several feature winding staircases which add a touch of drama to the general feel of cosy luxury. There are also formal dining rooms and, in one wing, a club house including spacious bar, lounge, and billiards room. Locker rooms and a spa occupy the basement.

Set around the Lodge are lime-rendered buildings in a vernacular cottage style which house another 32 suites and form a courtyard that fulfills one of the concept's key objectives, to create, in Haley's words, "a shelter, an oasis from the rawness of the site." The $150 million development as a whole combines a bold creative vision with imaginative and eclectic use of furnishings and materials, and sensitivity to the geography and culture of the surroundings.

A magnificent opportunity
Darby and Long, who had focused hitherto on golf and accommodation at the 10,000-acre Kiawah Island in South Carolina, were initially tentative about the opportunity created by an enterprising local corporation's acquisition of farmland at Doonbeg. "We went over thinking we'd have a couple of Guinness and come right back again," says Darby, "but when we stepped out on that site we realised it might be the only time in our lives that we could be involved in something as rare as that. It was a magnificent piece of links land and it was remarkable for such a site to be available anywhere in the world."

The inspiration has rubbed off on discerning golf travellers. All the suites were sold by the time they opened in May 2006. The same now goes for all but a few of a new phase of 17 larger four-bedroom course-side cottages, which like the satellite buildings on the main site are characterised by extensive natural light and sight lines to the sea. And there's conceivably more to come. There are currently some 150 bedrooms at Doonbeg, but permission for 500 in all. "We will continue to build as the market dictates," says Darby.

A diverse experience
The suite owners, and guests who rent the accommodations, can take in deceptively diverse ambiences within Doonbeg's public and private spaces. The Lodge offers understated country house elegance marked by classical mouldings and mantelpieces, shoulder architraves to Georgian-style doors set in panelled recesses, and painstakingly selected antique furniture and art. Diners in the three-section Long Room enjoy quiet, fully carpeted refinement amid a muted duck-egg blue colour scheme, with views of breaking Atlantic waves made possible by Haley's decision to raise the ground floor seven feet above its originally planned height.

But through the door to the clubhouse wing is the boisterous back slapping of the Irish pub, evoked in the Members' bar. It's a large, bay windowed, L-shaped space whose roaring stone fireplace, banquettes and dark wood intimacy are designed to generate the legendary Irish craic and fuel tall tales of bunker escapes and birdies amid tight clusters of stocky Windsor chairs.

Just across a flagstone hall is the flipside of the Member experience, the lounge, a large yet intimate, beautifully proportioned and comfortable space that comes closest to representing the English country house style. The room effortlessly interweaves two discrete seating arrangements with quiet individual nooks and accommodates a grand piano with apparent serenity.

Impressive marble-clad locker rooms underline Doonbeg's ambitions as a prestige golf destination, as does the calm feng shui modernity of the adjacent state-of-the-art spa, the work of New York-based, Irish born designer Clodagh. A further shift in tone is provided by a linked, pitched-roof stucco building that caters for both residents and visiting golfers and houses a golf pro shop together with an informal dining spot, Darby's, that's essentially a down-scale version of the Members' bar with exposed rafters and beams and a cosy miscellany of Windsor and Orkney chairs.

Creating a unified environment
All these varying experiences are knitted into a coherent whole by a desire to create a comfortable, relaxed, and warm environment in defiance of the sometimes harsh seaside elements. Running throughout the Lodge and outlying buildings is a heavy emphasis on reclaimed timber, most of it sourced by KDP's US salvage expert Wyatt "Bo" Childs. Ceiling beams have come from 19th century Charleston buildings and Kentucky log cabins, while richly toned French oak is the dominant flooring material, augmented by English York stone slabs. Equally prevalent are rustic chandeliers in heavy dark wood or iron, whose almost medieval flavour is a denial of aristocratic affectation. And Irish linens, wools and plaids have also been used throughout. There's even a bespoke brown and blue tartan, produced for Doonbeg by John Hanly & Co, a renowned Tipperary weaver.

Working alongside Haley to create this unhurried warmth was Jacquelynne P. Lanham, the sought-after Atlanta interior designer who has a strong bond with the KDP team through previous Kiawah projects. She describes the overall decorative scheme as, "designed disorder – a collected, tasteful look that gives you the feeling that pieces have been accumulated over many years." This effect is reinforced by antique furniture gathered over three years not just from England and Ireland but also from France, Germany, Scandinavia, and Italy.

Lanham designed all the public spaces and eight of the Lodge suites, supported by the Dublin duo Rhona Roe and Ciara Nilaoi, of CLR Design, who handled the remaining interiors. The three have striven to create the feeling that, in Roe's words "the house has been there for generations".

Tee-ing off and coming home
Just as important as these feelings of permanence is the creation of a communal experience that revolves, naturally, around golf and feeds its accompanying social buzz. Golfers tee off within yards of Darby's bay window and "come home" down the 18th fairway, sinking their putts within sight of the double-fronted clubhouse wing. This is not unconventional, but Haley has made it more interesting than usual. Partly by exploiting the added fascination of the buildings' subterranean level, he has linked the spaces in a way that offers myriad routes in to Doonbeg's core activity. "You can go from the Members' bar to the pro shop or to the shower room, and from there to Darby's to have a sandwich and then go and play. You're encouraged to circulate – you can get to the first tee from all directions, nothing is dead-ended. I tried to create the sense of a labyrinth, so you feel like you're discovering the building over and over again," says Haley.

Back to the future
At the same time, Haley has recreated the country house with uncommon dedication. KDP acquired the Doonbeg scheme with planning consents that included a generic American-style golfing hotel. But Long, Darby, and Haley quickly decided that, while they had to operate within the basic constraints of building height and proximity to the sea, they wanted a different aesthetic, one that inspired them and, says Darby, "respected where we were."

A shared fascination with the English and Irish country house set the architect off on a ten-day road trip around Ireland's great houses, photographing and measuring proportions of the most inspirational buildings.

Perhaps the most important was Muckross House in Killarney, County Kerry, a Victorian mansion built in the Tudor style. Its gables and bays, and their relationship to the mass of the building, are clearly echoed in Doonbeg's Lodge. Emphatically different, though, is the use of a richly coloured sedimentary sandstone. "I didn't want to use the Clare limestone because when it rains – and it rains a lot there – it looks dark and grey. I wanted to lighten things up, while still making the building look grounded and strong, as though it had been battered by the weather over the years." The stone, quarried in Kerry, was discovered by chance when Haley, on one of his research trips, saw it being used to build a garage. "I knew straight away that was the stone we wanted." The Lodge exterior's other key element is its antique Montana roof slates, a prime example of the lengths to which KDP was prepared to go in search of the right look.

Telling a story
Just as important at Doonbeg Golf Club was the architectural attention devoted to out-buildings. The Garden and Norman suite blocks relate to the Lodge as the stables and servants' quarters of a house whose front looks out to the sea, untroubled by comings and goings, which are routed, in the manner of country houses, to the rear.

The dedication to the creation of character rather than uniformity is followed through in the accommodations. In the Lodge, no suite layout is used twice, while in the other buildings, set floor plans mirror each other in pairs and simple clean lines characterise the spaces. Adding to the whimsical charm, no two suites are decorated the same. The Lodge's colour scheme takes its cue from the browns, greens, greys and blues of the sea, grasses, birds, wildflowers, and stone walls, but the cottages use a bracing near-white to evoke lime wash. The two experiences are united nevertheless by their beams, fabrics, and flooring and the high-class specification of modern kitchens, and bathrooms floored and clad with carrera marble or grey Clare marble, and equipped with glass doored walk-in rain showers.

Dilligence rewarded
It's been a labour of love, says Buddy Darby: "It's not just another job. Everyone has been emotionally attached to it and has worked so hard to get it right."

The rewards are not just financial, he adds: "When we were three quarters of the way through building the Lodge – the roof was on, I think – I was walking around it with an Irish guy and he asked me, 'how long has it taken you to renovate this old place?' That was the ultimate compliment."

Doonbeg Golf Club is a private club with limited visitor access to golf and accommodation upon availability. Membership is by invitation only; inquiries are entertained. Contact Theresa Martin at 843-768-5220 or email theresa_martin@doonbeggolfclub.com for additional information.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to Doonbeg Golf Club, the company's affiliates include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique Golf Course, the Beach Club, and Sasanqua, the Members-only spa; and Freshfields Village.

Sporting Legends Join Advisory Board of Doonbeg Golf Club

2007-11-18T05:00:00+01:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Theresa Martin
Doonbeg Golf Club
PO Box 12001
Charleston, SC 29422
O: 843-768-5220
F: 843-768-5727
theresa_martin@doonbeggolfclub.com

PRESS RELEASE

Sporting Legends Join Advisory Board of Doonbeg Golf Club

Doonbeg, County Clare, Ireland - Two of world sports' legendary figures have joined the Advisory Board of Doonbeg Golf Club. NFL superstar quarterback Dan Marino and former Ireland rugby captain Keith Wood have both accepted invitations to join the board. Both are already big fans of the acclaimed County Clare links course.

Marino is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play American Football and holds or has held almost every NFL passing record. Joining the Miami Dolphins after a distinguished college career with the University of Pittsburgh he was selected for the Pro Bowl in his rookie years and became the first rookie quarterback ever to start in a Pro Bowl game.

In his second year at Miami he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player as he broke six passing records in bringing the Dolphins to Super Bowl XIX. Sadly, Miami lost to the San Francisco 49ers in what was to be his only Super Bowl appearance.

During a 17-year professional career studded with records he was to become one of the most skilled and revered quarterbacks in the sport. He played in nine Pro Bowls, seven as a starter.

Inducted into Football's Hall of Fame in 2006, today he is a successful businessman and TV commentator. In 1992 Marino and his wife, Claire, founded the Dan Marino Foundation after their son, Michael, was diagnosed with autism. In 1995, the Dan Marino Center was opened in conjunction with the Miami Children's Hospital. It is an integrated neuro developmental center specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of children at risk for developmental and psychological problems. Last year the Center treated more than 48,000 children.

Of Doonbeg Marino says "It just doesn't get any better than playing links golf at Doonbeg, with the sun slanting across the ocean and through the tall sand dunes. I really don't know why you'd go anywhere else."

Wood, who is originally from County Clare, is one of Ireland's greatest players of the past 20 years. Capped 58 times for Ireland and five times for the British and Irish Lions, he captained Ireland for a then record 36 times and still holds the record for the most tries (15) by an international hooker. He played on the 1997 and 2001 Lions Tours and was the inaugural winner of the International Rugby Board World Player of the Year award in 2001.

He retired from playing after the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005. Since retiring, he has pursued his interest in sport and media in joining both the BBC and the Daily Telegraph. His business interests predominantly revolve around property with Links Living and Touch Wood International. He has also recently been nominated to the board of the Irish Institute of Sport.

Speaking of his appointment, Keith Wood said he was delighted to become more involved with Doonbeg. "I have watched the project develop from its earliest days. I think Doonbeg is a fantastic project and one which adds a wonderful dimension to the South West of Ireland. It is really special and I have no doubt that it is set to become one of the truly great modern success stories for tourism in Ireland."

Doonbeg Golf Club is a private club with limited visitor access to golf and accommodation upon availability. Membership is by invitation only; inquiries are entertained. Contact Theresa Martin at 843-768-5220 or email theresa_martin@doonbeggolfclub.com for additional information.

KDP is the master developer of Kiawah Island, a 10,000-acre sea island located 21 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. In addition to Doonbeg Golf Club, the company's affiliates include Kiawah Island Real Estate; The Kiawah Island Club, which encompasses the Tom Fazio-designed River Course, the Tom Watson-designed Cassique Golf Course, the Beach Club, and Sasanqua, the members-only spa; and Freshfields Village.

Kiawah Islanders Entertain a Host of Options for Memorable Gatherings

2007-11-06T05:00:00+01:00

On any given night on Kiawah Island, you may find formally dressed guests gathered around a lavishly decorated dining table, laden with fine china and delicious dishes culled from an Ina Garten cookbook. But you might just as easily find barefoot friends toasting with toss-away champagne glasses and nibbling from paper plates around an outdoor pool.

The ways in which Kiawah Island residents entertain tend to run the gamut, from huge catered parties that spill out of large open living areas onto decks and porches, to scaled-down suppers for six, with a blazing fire as the centerpiece. In all seasons, for just about any reason, members of the highly social species who have made our Island habitat their home love to have people over.

Kiawah resident Myra Burrus says she and her husband John usually prefer small gatherings because "they give us a greater opportunity to interact with our guests." Both Burruses like to cook, so they usually do a seated, plated dinner, which they work in tandem to prepare. Mrs. Burrus says she enjoys setting the table as much as anything and deciding how to decorate and what to cook for a dinner party offers a welcomed creative outlet.

She believes hosting dinner parties on Kiawah is especially enjoyable, because people who live here have come from all over the country, as well as all over the world. "They have so much to offer in terms of their backgrounds and experiences," she says. "People here are so interesting to talk to because they have seen so many things and have traveled a great deal."

In winter, Kiawah Island Real Estate (KIRE) agent Ellen Walkley loves to have "kitchen suppers," using a seating area in the kitchen as the focal point for her gatherings. "It's usually just six of us, and we sit around the fireplace for cocktails, then move to the kitchen table for dinner." In the spring and fall, Walkley likes to host big parties that take full advantage of the pool deck. "When we add tables in our downstairs glassed-in porch and the upstairs open porch, we can accommodate about 85 people." During these catered events, guests usually sip cocktails by the pool, then move to the buffet inside for dinner.

Many Island residents are of the opinion that "casual is king." Neighbors in Ballybunion say they prefer not to spend all day working in the kitchen, so they tend to embrace a "potluck" style of dining; everyone brings something to contribute to the meal. Walkley seconds that emotion. "Lots of us have been Betty Crocker earlier in our lives, and we're ready to take a shared approach," she says. "It's the companionship and camaraderie that's important, not necessarily just the food."

For Alma and Greg Brown, who retired to Kiawah from Chappaqua, New York, entertaining is usually not an evening-long, but rather a week- or weekend-long event. They say Kiawah is a magnet for people who, like many of their friends, live in the Northeast. The Browns often find themselves entertaining out-of-town guests, especially in autumn and spring. They have found that living on Kiawah and being close to Charleston allows them to appeal to their houseguests' varied individual interests. If guests are golfers, they play golf; if they like the beach, they spend time socializing on the sand. Depending on who's visiting, The Browns may customize walking tours for them in Charleston. "If they are interested in architecture we focus on that; if they like art, we identify galleries they might enjoy, or go to the Gibbes Museum," Mrs. Brown explains.

KIRE's April Bates says her favorite part of welcoming out-of-town guests to her family's classic beachfront home is watching their joy as they eat on the screened porch and look at the ocean. "Their excitement about being here, especially if they don't have access to the beach often, rekindles my feelings for the things that make Kiawah so special."

When property owner Carol Stuart wants to get people together, she prefers to go out to eat, rather than entertaining at home. Stuart says the many excellent eating establishments of the Kiawah Island Club, as well as The Governors' Club, and favorite Charleston restaurants always fit the bill. Sometimes entertaining involves something as simple as having a casual drink at the Beach Club. Walkley seconds that thought. "Taking time to just walk on the beach or go out in the boat, reminds us of what drew us to this beautiful spot in the first place," Walkley says.

The overall consensus about entertaining on Kiawah? No matter how you choose to socialize and entertain, Kiawah Island is a very welcoming place. As Walkley and Stuart both point out, all a newcomer needs to do is show up at water aerobics, bridge, the Library Club, tennis, or any other activity that appeals to their interests. "There'll be a group of new friends waiting for you," Walkley says, "because, after all, many of the people you'll meet were new to Kiawah themselves not that long ago."