The PGA of America today announced that The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island will host the 2031 PGA Championship. Additionally, the 2029 Girls and Boys Junior PGA Championships will be contested at The Ocean Course and Turtle Point Golf Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
The 113th PGA Championship, scheduled for May 2031, marks the third time the best the PGA has to offer will compete for the Wanamaker Trophy. The property previously hosted the 2012 PGA Championship, won by Rory McIlrory and the 2021 PGA Championship, won by Phil Mickelson. It will join elite company as just the 9th course to host three or more PGA Championships. The PGA of America also conducted the 1991 Ryder Cup, 2005 PGA Professional Championship, and the 2007 Senior PGA Championship there.
“We are ecstatic to bring the Junior PGA Championships and PGA Championship to The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 2029 and 2031,” said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at The Country Club of Lansing. “Past PGA Championships at Kiawah Island have provided no shortage of memorable moments and historic performances, all taking place along a breathtaking coastal setting. The Ocean Course’s challenging layout and rich history make it an ideal destination for our Championships.”
The Ocean Course, designed by Pete and Alice Dye from 1989-91, is regarded as one of the best golf courses in the country. Located on the easternmost end of Kiawah Island, it boasts the most seaside holes in the Northern Hemisphere with 10 hugging the Atlantic and the other eight running parallel to those. Although the course was originally planned to sit behind the dunes, Alice Dye suggested raising the entire course to give players unobstructed views of Kiawah Island’s coastline on every hole.
The Ocean Course has consistently ranked among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest and 100 Greatest Public Courses in the United States, including 24th (100 Greatest) and third (100 Greatest Public) in 2023-24.
“We are proud to again be selected as the host course for the 2031 PGA Championship,” said Kiawah Island Golf Resort President Roger Warren, PGA. “The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Pete Dye’s brilliant seaside design, will present a formidable challenge for the strongest, all-professional field in major championship golf. We are confident our partnership with the PGA of America and the local community will produce another world class event.”
For more information on the PGA Championship, visit here.
Explore Charleston CEO Helen Hill issued the following statement on The PGA of America's announcement:
"Congratulations to Kiawah Island Golf Resort and the Town of Kiawah Island. The remarkable opportunities to host the 2031 PGA Championship and the 2029 Girls and Boys Junior PGA Championships are realized only through community and industry leaders' collective vision and unwavering commitment.
Events of this caliber are momentous for the entire Charleston region, and we are sincerely grateful for the PGA's trust in our community's capacity to host world-class championships catering to players, patrons, and other stakeholders.
Drawing from our past experiences with prestigious events like the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2019 U.S. Women's Open, and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, we understand the transformative power of these tournaments. They not only spotlight the resort, island, region, and state on a global scale but also yield substantial economic benefits.
Despite pandemic-induced limitations on attendance, the 2021 PGA Championship generated nearly $60 million in economic impact, bolstering state and local economies with over $8 million in tax revenues. The event's international broadcast reached over half a billion households, garnering over $160 million in media exposure for Kiawah and the surrounding area.
The Explore Charleston team eagerly anticipates collaborating with the PGA, resort, town, and broader destination stakeholders to ensure the unparalleled success of these championships."
