Fly into Charleston Executive Airport and Grab a Game of Golf at Kiawah Island in South Carolina

SC – Are you looking forward to warmer temperatures and already planning spring holidays in your airplane? If you are, you might want to consider flying into the Charleston Executive Airport (JZI) and taking a rental car or taxi to Kiawah Island for some rest, relaxation, and golfing. Let’s take a look at what makes the Kiawah Island Golf Resort so amazing.

Flying to the Charleston Executive Airport (JZI) in Your Private Plane

If you have a private plane or jet, you can skip the layovers and fly to Charleston Executive Airport (JZI). It’s just a 27-minute drive to the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. JZI was first activated in 1943 and does not have a control tower. The CTAF is 122.8, and Charleston Approach and Departure can be contacted on 120.7. The airport has 100LL and Jet-A available, and they offer minor airframe and powerplant maintenance. Hangars and tiedowns are available.

Charleston Executive Airport (JZI) has two runways. Runway 09/27 is 5,350 feet long and 50 feet wide. It’s considered to be in excellent condition. Runway 04/22 is 4,313 feet long and 150 feet wide and is considered to be in good condition.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort History and Sustainability

Kiawah Island Golf Resort was established in 1976. It’s located on the barrier island of Kiawah. The resort is committed to sustainability and environmental friendliness. In fact, you might be surprised to find out that all five of the resort’s golf courses have been certified by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. They also source a lot of their food from local farms and fisheries, which helps local businesses while keeping the resort’s carbon footprint low.

Staying at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort

The resort offers numerous ways to stay, including The Sanctuary Hotel, Resort Villas, and Private Homes. The Sanctuary Hotel is a five-star hotel with 255 guest rooms, as well as suites. The hotel opened in 2004. However, care was taken to ensure that the new building gave the impression that it was a historic seaside mansion. They even went so far as to transplant 160 50-foot Oak trees to help give the hotel an older look and feel. The hotel provides guests with two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a fully equipped fitness center with personal trainers, room service, and weekly chapel services. Guests of the resort can also enjoy EV charging stations if they have an electric vehicle, a personal-use Volvo, and a fully functional business center.

If you’d prefer accommodations that feel more private, the resort also offers villas. They offer premier villas, deluxe villas, and resort villas. The premier villas provide guests with luxurious finishes and designer touches, along with full kitchens and bathrooms. The deluxe villas also offer full kitchens, bathrooms, and private bedrooms, but the environment is considered more relaxed. The resort villas are pet-friendly, affordable, and casually furnished.

If you’d like even more privacy or have a large group, you might prefer renting a private home. The resort offers two types of private homes, including premier and private. The premier homes have up to eight bedrooms and provide guests with housekeeping services. The private homes have between two and seven bedrooms and are perfect for small groups and family reunions.

Golfing at the Resort

If you love golf, you’ll be thrilled with the resort’s five golf courses, including the Ocean Course, Osprey Point, Oak Point, Turtle Point, and Cougar Point. All five golf courses boast Paspalum grass, which offers exceptional playability from teeing off to putting. Pete Dye designed the 18-hole Ocean Course where golfers can test their skills against the changing ocean winds. Osprey Point was designed by Tom Fazio. It’s also an 18-hole championship course. It’s considered very playable.

The Oak Point golf course was designed by Clyde Johnson. It’s an 18-hole course that allows players to test their golf strategies. Turtle Point was developed by Jack Nicklaus. It also boasts 18 holes and is designed to challenge the golfer’s mind. Cougar Point was developed by Gary Player. It offers golfers unmatched playability and stunning marsh views.

Tennis at the Resort

The resort also offers tennis and pickleball at the Roy Barth Tennis Center. Guests can play tennis and receive instruction. The resort even offers tennis packages, including the Winter Women’s Tennis Weekend and the Classic 2 Night Tennis Experience. They have similar pickleball packages.

Spa Days at the Resort

The spa at the resort offers a plethora of relaxing treatments, including facials, massages, and skin treatments. They also offer amazing spa day packages that last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. The Sanctuary Journey spa treatment combines a one-hour massage with a one-hour facial, and the Blissfully Unaware treatment combines a one-hour massage with a facial and a manicure and pedicure. They even have a Gentleman’s Spa Medley for men that combines a massage with a facial and pedicure.

Dining at the Resort

A resort stay wouldn’t be complete without some amazing food. Guests of the resort can dine at The Ocean Room at the Sanctuary Hotel, The Atlantic Room at the Ocean Course, Tomasso at Turtle Point, and Cherrywood BBQ and Ale at the Osprey Point Clubhouse.

The Ocean Room is a premier steakhouse, and guests must have a reservation. They offer wonderfully crafted cocktails and steaks, including filet mignon, oysters, shrimp cocktails, salads, soups, and a selection of sides, including creamed spinach, potato puree, and honey-glazed squash.

The Atlantic Room offers a selection of wonderful seafood. Guests can order the crab soup, crispy shrimp, salmon, the fresh catch of the day, steaks, and a selection of sides, including roasted cauliflower, potatoes with onions and Gruyere, and sautéed spinach.

Tomasso at Turtle Point offers fine Italian food. Guests can choose from the calamari, mussels, tomato-braised meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, shrimp scampi, steak, vegetable rissoto and chicken milanese.

The Cherrywood BBQ and Ale House is a great place to get some BBQ in a relaxed environment. In fact, it’s on the SC BBQ Trail. Guests can enjoy the smoked chicken quesadillas, smoked wings, BBQ nachos, salads, spare ribs, brisket, shrimp and grits, onion rings, BBQ pit beans, and coleslaw.

Bicycle Rentals

For guests who wish to explore the island, they offer bicycle rentals at the West Beach Bike Shop and The Sanctuary Bike Pavilion. Some reservations even include bike rentals, so it’s best to ask if it’s included with the accommodation fees.

If you’re ready for a golfing and tennis vacation on one of the East Coast’s premier barrier islands, you can’t go wrong with a stay at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort. Just fly your plane into the Charleston Executive Airport and take a short drive to the resort, where you can enjoy fine dining, excellent golfing, and relaxing spa days.