Can You Play Kiawah Island Ocean Course on FSX Play? Here’s How

Kiawah Island Ocean Course is the course that made Rory McIlroy cry, and on FSX Play it looks spectacular enough to bring you to tears too.

The 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah was a bloodbath. McIlroy started the final round with a three-shot lead and shot 75. The wind was 25 mph. The course was unrelenting. And on FSX Play, you get to experience exactly what he went through, except in 4K resolution with LIDAR-accurate terrain data.

Why FSX Play’s Kiawah Is the Best Looking

The ocean is the star. Kiawah is defined by the Atlantic Ocean, and FSX Play’s water engine makes the ocean look alive. The waves roll in. The reflections shift. The water at Kiawah looks like real water, which matters more here than on almost any other course because the ocean is visible from nearly every hole.

The dunes are the other visual feature. Kiawah is built on a barrier island, and the dunes are massive. FSX Play’s 4K LIDAR data captures every dune, every elevation change, every slope. The 17th hole, a 430-yard par 4 that plays directly along the Atlantic, is one of the best-looking holes in the FSX Play library. The ocean on the left, the dunes on the right, the green in the distance — it looks exactly like the broadcast coverage of the 2021 PGA Championship.

The wind model matters at Kiawah more than any other course in this article. FSX Play’s weather engine treats wind as a three-dimensional force that changes with the terrain. The wind off the ocean hits differently than the wind over the dunes. The 2nd hole plays differently based on wind direction. The 14th par 3 is a club selection puzzle every time you play it.

How to Access It

Buy Kiawah Island Ocean Course from the Foresight online store. $40-60. Receive a license key. Activate it in FSX Play. Download and play.

Set wind to 15 mph minimum. Set conditions to firm. Play from the championship tees. Do not expect to break 90.

The Holes That Define the Round

The 2nd: A 550-yard par 5 that plays along the ocean. On FSX Play, the second shot is one of the toughest decisions in the library. Go for it in two and risk the wind. Lay up and leave a wedge that the wind will also affect.

The 14th: A 200-yard par 3 over water to a green surrounded by bunkers. On FSX Play, the water rendering makes the carry look exactly as intimidating as it should.

The 17th: The ocean hole. A 430-yard par 4 along the Atlantic. On FSX Play, this is the highlight of the round. The wind is in your face. The ocean is on your left. The fairway is narrow. The green is small.

The 18th: A 500-yard par 4 with the clubhouse in the background. On FSX Play, you will stand on the 18th tee, exhausted, and realize the course is not done with you yet.

The Cost Question

Kiawah on FSX Play costs $40-60. GSPro costs $250/year for the entire library.

If you own a Foresight system, Kiawah is a strong addition. The ocean rendering alone makes it worth the price. If you are platform-shopping, GSPro offers better value but FSX Play’s version looks noticeably better on the ocean holes.

For the full list of courses worth buying on FSX Play, read The Best Courses on FSX Play. Need the full software breakdown? Check the FSX Play Software Review.