Complete Long island Guide

At Kiawah Dye has used none of the gimmicks, such as island greens, forwhich he has become renowned. The only railway sleepers are laid side by side to act as walkways to some tees.

Instead, Dye designed a course as similar to the British links courses as he could make and featuring the beach and the wind of the Atlantic to their best.

'This is going to be the best course anybody ever built,' Dye said once in an uncharacteristic moment of boastful enthusiasm, 'but I don't deserve any credit. God had already done 90% of the work.'

Dye's courses are long - some of the longest ever built - and the Ocean Course is no exception. Its maximum length is 7371 yd (6734m) and as well as the two par 5s of between 520yd (475m) and 550yd (502m), it has two more that approach 600yd (548m).

The tees are often raised to make the tee shot more inviting and to take advantage of the outstanding natural beauty of the course. There isn't a house to be seen in any direction and though the sea isn't visible from every hole, it can be heard from most of them.

Long carries from the tees are a feature and when the wind is at its strongest it will be an achievement just to reach the fairway on some holes. Where possible, Dye has used the marshlands as obstacles to be driven over.