Hotel: The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina

Address: 12 Kiawah Beach Drive, Kiawah Island

Website: www.kiawahresort.com

TraveLife Ranking: 4+ Stars

Rooms: 255

Room Rates: From $219 (golf packages)

Awards: The Sanctuary has been named “Best New Resort Hotel” by one of those chic magazines and the awards given the golf resort as a whole consumes four pages in the Kiawah media guide. TraveLife would like to add to that award list by naming Kiawah Island our best golf resort in North America.

Highlights: Most people are attracted to Kiawah Island, just outside Charleston, because this is the home of five great golf courses, including the legendary Ocean Course, which, it says here, is the best resort course in North America. However, they have to sleep somewhere and it doesn’t get any better than The Sanctuary. As its name suggests, this is an escape from reality. The hotel’s beach is one of the best in the south and the hotel’s spa is continually being singled out for its excellent treatments. This resort hotel comes dripping with southern charm. History: What we’re seeing here is living history. The Ocean Course is already being mentioned alongside Pebble Beach and Pinehurst, and one day will have the same allure as the Old Course in Scotland. The Sanctuary sits on land where Native Americans camped 3,000 years ago.

Interior Highlights: This is pure south right down to the mint juleps they serve in the southern-style lounges that sit off the main lobby. The portraits hanging over those rooms have that Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara look about them and their colourful, well appointed furnishings are all about comfort. The hotel’s sweeping staircases are so authentic you expect a hooped-skirted southern gal to come dancing down them at any second. Everything about the public areas here is first class.

In The Next Room: The Ocean Course is where much of the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance” was filmed. So stars Matt Damon and Will Smith along with director Robert Redford hung their hats in some of the lavish Sanctuary guestrooms. They obviously told their friends because other Hollywood types have been seen roaming the golf course and hallways.

The Rooms: The rooms here are more spacious than most and many look out on the resort’s lovely courtyard and snow white beach – considered one of the best on the East Coast. In fact, the resort is touted as the finest oceanfront hotel built on the East Coast in over 20 years. The rooms come with large marble showers, five fixture baths, private water closets and shuttered bathroom windows – a very nice touch that gives these rooms a homey feel. For those who rate rooms by the number of electronic gadgets they come with, then the Sanctuary doesn’t disappoint. Things like 27 inch TVs, satellite service and DVD players will keep you entertained before climbing into a bed made of Egyptian cotton sheets. There’s also a soaking tub and all the designer bath products you can stuff into your suitcase.

Amenities: Besides the five championship golf courses, the Sanctuary comes with a highly rated spa that has earned a four-star rating from the well respected Mobil Travel Guide. The spa offers all the treatments imaginable and is wrapped in some wonderful features like native wood and trickling water. But let’s not kid ourselves; Kiawah Island didn’t get to become the top golf resort in North America because of its spa, no matter how good it is. This is South Carolina’s “Golf Coast” and the five courses here are equal to anything you’ll find in the world. The Ocean Course, where they once held the Ryder Cup (1991) is all that it’s hyped to be and more. This is one of those “I have to play before I die” courses and I’m hoping for a long life because I’d like to play it again.

Restaurants: The Ocean Room is the Sanctuary’s signature dining establishment and was named “Restaurant of the Year” by the Charleston Post. The room features delicate seafood fare and some spectacular ocean views. There’s also Jasmine Porch where traditional Low Country favorites are served in a southern atmosphere; Loggerhead Grill, which caters to the beach set; and The Lobby Bar, where guests are entertained with live music. Each of the five golf courses also has their own dining establishments and these 19th hole stops offer some par excellence dining.

Shopping: No great golf resort would be complete without a great golf shop and the Sanctuary has the Kiawah Golf Shop offering all the latest designs that put golfers on the right fashion course. Each of the five courses offers pro shops where merchandise and a limited amount of equipment can be purchased. There are seven other shopping establishments in the Kiawah Resort complex with this scribe’s favorite being the Straw Shop where some authentic Low Country handicrafts can be bought.

Close By Charleston and all its historic wonders are just a short drive away. However, if you don’t want to leave the Island, then there’s the beach and lots of natural wonders that will keep you awestruck during your stay.

Tips: Save your money because to come here and not play the Ocean Course is like going to Rome and not visiting the Vatican. It’s the best $200 you’ll ever spend. For those on a fixed budget, there is plenty of accommodation off the island and you can still come on to Kiawah to play the courses or have a meal at the Sanctuary. Charleston Golf Inc., (www.charlestongolfguide.com ) can help arrange accommodation and offers golf packages that are very affordable. They’ll even get you on the Ocean Course.