Orange Hill takes shape on Johns Island: Beau Welling designs Kiawah Island Club’s third course

A third course for Kiawah Island Club

Construction is advancing at Orange Hill, a new golf destination on southern Johns Island, near Charleston, South Carolina. Golf Course Architecture reported on the project on 12 October 2026. Beau Welling Design is responsible for the new layout, which will become Kiawah Island Club’s third 18-hole course, alongside the existing River Course, associated with Tom Fazio, and Cassique, designed by Tom Watson’s team.

Location: southern Johns Island, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, on the Orange Hill property between River Road and Bohicket Road. The overall development encompasses approximately 933 acres. The operator has not published a numbered street address specifically for the future golf course.

What is planned for the golf grounds?

Kiawah Partners, the developer, says that around 300 acres are dedicated to golf. The programme includes a full 18-hole championship-calibre course, a separate short course, broad practice areas, a double-ended driving range and a golf performance centre. The core routing is intended to be walkable, making use of relatively gentle changes in elevation.

Welling’s approach draws on Golden Age golf architecture. The emphasis is on decisions rather than sheer length: green contours, closely mown approaches, natural sand and the direction from which players enter a green should create multiple ways to approach each hole. A bold aerial shot may be an option, but thoughtful ground play is also part of the design brief.

Live oaks influence the routing

The site includes large stands of mature live oaks, wetlands and other natural features. An environmental inventory identified more than 3,100 protected or grand trees. The club says its plan retains 88% of the highest-rated live oaks. Residential density has also been reduced from 181 to 120 homesites; 2.8 miles of planned roads have been removed, while natural conservation areas rise to 365 acres.

These are development-plan commitments, not an independent verification of ecological outcomes after construction. How the finished course works around the trees will be a key test of the design.

When can golfers play?

Contemporary reporting identifies 2027 as a possible opening window, but the operator has not confirmed an exact opening day. Completion and initial play remain subject to construction progress, turf establishment and weather. Equally important for visiting golfers: this is a private-membership project. Orange Hill is planned for Kiawah Island Club members, not as a publicly bookable resort course.

Sources: Kiawah Island Club's official Orange Hill project page and Golf Course Architecture, 12 October 2026. Checked 25 October 2026.

Cover photo: an illustrative archive view of another golf course on nearby Kiawah Island, not Orange Hill. Umc1640F / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.