His and Hers: Kiawah Island Club, Kiawah Island, S.C.
05/01/2005
Kiawah Island Club, Kiawah Island, S.C.When Kiawah Island Club first built the Sasanqua Spa exclusively for its 1,500 members—homeowners on Kiawah Island, near Charleston, S.C.—controversy swirled around it like a cyclone. “Everyone said it was insane,” recalls Karen Bacot, director of marketing for Kiawah. “They thought we would build this spa, and it would stand empty.”
Two years later, the appointment book is full, and not just with women’s names. Bacot explains: “We gave all the members a free treatment when we opened, and some of our male golfers were converted.”
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A treatment room in the Sasanqua. (Click image to enlarge)The appeal is largely due to its status as a members-only spa, which manifests an exceedingly serene atmosphere. Constructed out of cypress, stucco and poplar-bark tile, the 8,900-square-foot spa is built on 9-foot piles in the marshland. Designer Clodagh used natural materials like river stones, teak and concrete, then added floor-to-ceiling windows to let natural light pour in. “We have the luxury of being in a pretty place,” says Bacot. The theme of the treatment menu highlights the woods (a lavender massage), the marsh (heated mud wraps) and the sea (salt scrubs).Kiawah Island Club members gain exclusive access to two championship golf courses: Cassique and the River Course. Designed by Tom Watson, Cassique recalls the great links courses of Scotland, with tricky blind shots and little protection from ocean breezes. The 6,960-yard course ranges over fields, forests and marshland, and is routed to be played in many different ways. It has a 74.2 rating and a 137 slope.
Set on 300 acres along the Kiawah River, the Tom Fazio–designed River Course has a manicured, parkland setting that most golfers find more forgiving. The course measures 7,039 yards from the tournament tees, with a 74.7 rating and a 142 slope. Should you tire of those two courses, there are five more on the island: the Ocean Course by Pete Dye, Osprey Point by Tom Fazio, Turtle Point by Jack Nicklaus, Cougar Point by Gary Player and Oak Point by Clyde Johnston.
Single-family homes on Kiawah Island range from $535,000 to $29 million. Undeveloped lots range from $190,000 to $9.5 million.
Kiawah Island Club, 843.768.3400, www.kiawahislandclub.com