Best Jewelry Store Near Me Kiawah, SC

KIAWAH ISLAND — This sea island town and a local conservation group have purchased land near the municipal center to protect it from development.

Kiawah Island purchased 2.7 acres of land at 4455 Betsy Kerrison Parkway — adjacent to the town’s municipal center — thanks to a partnership with the Conservancy of the Sea Islands. The nonprofit contributed by paying for a conservation easement, effectively preserving the green space and ensuring it will not be developed.

The town purchased the property for $1.2 million in a deal that closed in October, and the conservancy purchased the conservation easement for $300,000, according to a joint statement from Kiawah Island and the nonprofit.

The easement will help preserve the rural character and views of the Betsy Kerrison Parkway, protect local watershed resources and prevent development incompatible with the surrounding community, according to the statement. The property will be used for civic, cultural, recreational, educational and other public purposes.

“The effort reflects a broader approach to conservation — one that protects not only wildlife habitat, but also watersheds, rural landscapes, sense of place and community character,” the statement reads. “The acquisition is a strong example of timely action, creative problem-solving and partnership producing a lasting benefit for the community and future generations.”

This isn’t the first time the conservancy has preserved land along the Betsy Kerrison Parkway, or around the sea islands. Since 2022, the conservancy has worked to purchase roughly 100 acres of land along the road, with plans to turn it into a nature trail.

The Conservancy of the Sea Islands also recently launched a fundraising campaign to permanently protect Captain Sams Spit, which was one of the most fought over pieces of land along the South Carolina coast and had been the focus of nearly two decades of legal wrangling and multiple state Supreme Court rulings.

Hilton Head residents believe there’s no better place to be, and the readers of a renowned travel magazine agree.

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler, a U.S. luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, voted Hilton Head Island as the best Island in the nation. It’s the 10th year in a row that Hilton Head has received the accolade.

The Town of Hilton Head and the Hilton Head-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce, the island’s Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) responsible for marketing the island to visitors, made social media posts celebrating the win. Here’s how Hilton Head won, and where other South Carolina destinations placed.

How Hilton Head won

Condé Nast Traveler’s reader’s choice awards covers a wide range of destinations, attractions, hotels and more. The magazine’s survey allowed readers to rate candidates on criteria specific to each category. Ratings were on a five point scale: excellent, very good, good, fair and poor.

798,867 readers participated in the survey, according to Condé Nast Traveler.

The end result is a percentage which Condé Nast Traveler used to determine the rankings in each category.

The overall results were released on Oct. 6, and Hilton Head Island scored a 96.82, just .49 points higher than Kiawah Island, which took second place.

Below Hilton Head are two other South Carolina islands. Fripp Island, also in Beaufort County, took the 15th spot with a 90.54 and Isle of Palms took the 18th spot with an 89.04. Hilton Head also beat out famous islands in Hawaii, Florida and nearby Georgia’s Tybee Island.

Readers also ranked islands around the world by region, including in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and more. Hilton Head’s rating is the highest of all islands on the lists. Condé Nast Traveler is a U.S.-based magazine, and so some bias may have played a part in that.

South Carolina rankings

Condé Nast Traveler’s readers also ranked the best small cities in the U.S. One South Carolina city won, while another placed high on the list.

Charleston took first place for the fifth year in a row, and Condé Nast Traveler credited its history, culture, food and charm. Greenville made the fourth spot for its growing status as a “world-class destination at the heart of Appalachia,” according to Condé Nast Traveler. Savannah also found a spot at seven.

America’s #1 club fitter brings custom fitting experience to Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Willowbrook, IL – Club Champion, the nation’s leading club fitting and building company, is opening a new Mobile Fitting Studio on Kiawah Island, SC, expanding its national footprint to serve golfers on Kiawah Island and throughout the Lowcountry.

The new mobile studio, located in Freshfields Village at 165 Village Green Ln, Kiawah Island, SC 29455, gives local golfers access to Club Champion’s industry-leading custom fitting process. Using the industry’s largest selection of heads, shafts, and grips, fitters optimize every club in the bag for each player’s unique swing. Each session is led by highly trained Master Fitter and Club Builders and powered by advanced technology such as TrackMan and Club Champion’s proprietary A.I. Fitter Co-Pilot, which capture precise swing data to deliver fully personalized equipment recommendations.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Club Champion experience to Kiawah Island and the Lowcountry golf community,” said Nick Sherburne, Club Champion Founder. “Custom fitting has the power to change the way someone plays the game, and we can’t wait to work with golfers in this area.”

To celebrate the opening, Club Champion is offering $100 Full Bag Fittings and $50 all other fittings with custom club purchase (terms apply). For more information or to book a fitting, visit clubchampion.com.

Club Champion is the globe’s leading custom golf club fitter and builder. Club Champion has more than 160 Club Champion locations internationally, including studios in Canada, the UK, and Australia. Each studio offers golfers access to over 65 brands and more than 65,000 hittable head and shaft combinations. Club Champion has solidified their position at the top of the industry through comprehensive Tour-level fittings, unrivaled club building, and the use of top-tier technology, including their proprietary A.I.-based “Fitter Co-Pilot”. The company is headquartered in Willowbrook, IL and boasts more than 500 employees, including hundreds of the most highly trained Master Fitters in the world. For more information about Club Champion, visit clubchampion.com.

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — A stretch of Lowcountry coastline known as Captain Sams Spit is steps closer to receiving guaranteed protection from development thanks to an agreement between the town of Kiawah Island, the state and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

The agreement comes after almost two decades of effort to protect the land.

The state approved its share of the settlement, which includes a $37 million settlement share approved by the state legislature in August.

The town’s planning commission divided the land into three parcels. The Beachwalker Park parcel will go to the town, and two additional parcels will be owned by the state.

A conservation easement will cover the 76 acres of land. The Conservancy of the Sea Islands will help guarantee the easement.

Under the settlement, Captain Sams Spit will become a Heritage Trust preserve, the state’s highest form of protection.

Kiawah Island Mayor Bradley Belt said the town and the Kiawah community have been committed to ensuring there is no development at Captain’s Sam’s Spit and that it is preserved in its natural state in perpetuity.

“You can see the combination of strand-feeding bottlenose dolphins, you can see sea turtles nesting, you can see bobcats denning and you can see all these extraordinary migratory shorebirds,” Belt said. “It may be the only place in the world where all of these things come together. That’s why it’s so important and important to protect.”

The next step for the SCDNR is a letter of support from Charleston County to make the land tax exempt for the 2025 year. That request is on the agenda for Thursday’s finance meeting.

Once that is complete, the conservation easements need to go on record and finances will be exchanged.