08/21/2026
My first experience on Kiawah Island was volunteering for the 2012 PGA Championship.
I was 20 years old at the time and had lived in South Carolina for most of my life. I had no idea Kiawah existed; the beauty and isolation of this island was fascinating.
A 23-year-old Rory McIlroy would go on to win his second major title by an unbelievable eight strokes following a 310-yard tee shot that lodged high in the fork of an oak tree on the 3rd hole.
My friend who hooked up the volunteer gig also set us up with a place to stay. A friend of his families was out of town and said we (my college buddies and myself) could stay at his house during the tournament. His house was a 20-million-dollar, 15-thousand-square-foot, 11-acre sprawling estate complete with its own putting green. It remains the nicest place I’ve ever stayed in my life.
Nearly 15 years and one PGA Championship later, I’ve had the chance to photograph hundreds of properties on this island. I’ve experienced it on its gloomy pre-hurricane days and on its perfect misty mornings. I’ve experienced it with thousands of others for golf tournaments and completely alone on remote points where the expectation of phone service is laughable.
I’ve collected a few images from over the years and plan to put together another series of images from the “in-between” moments on the island. Vignettes I spotted while loading up gear or vista views that made me pull off of the parkway and get the
camera out.
I hope you enjoy these.
