Spending an hour with Haig Point Club Chief Executive Officer Don Hunter is akin to getting a Master Class in private golf club management. One of the private club industry’s more respected leaders, Hunter came to Haig Point Club in March 2024 from the Country Club of North Carolina, where he had been CEO since 2019.
Haig Point Club, whose centerpiece is a Rees Jones-design golf course, is one of a handful of clubs along the Eastern seaboard accessible only by boat.
The Club’s private ferry service operates hourly from Hilton Head Island, where team members load and unload luggage, golf clubs, and an assortment of crates filled with supplies. Following a 30-minute ride on a double-decker ferry across Calibogue Sound, the loading and unloading is repeated.
Don Hunter’s Visionary Leadership at Haig Point
While the ride is the first Haig Point Club experience for potential homeowners and members, it was also the beginning of a learning curve for Hunter. At CCNC, Hunter created a club infrastructure that basically ran itself. He admittedly was looking for a bigger challenge when Haig Point came calling.
A Haig Point Club Ferry
Challenges and Innovations in Club Management
“Haig Point has more moving parts than the average club,’’ Hunter said.
Indeed. Those moving parts begin and end with the logistics of getting people and supplies on and off the island. Challenge accepted.
“I don’t think much prepares you for understanding of things that need to be moved to and from the facilities,’’ Hunter said as he sat inside the Grill at the Haig Point clubhouse. “Other places – the cars and trucks just arrive. Here, everything needs to be orchestrated.
“That was a learning curve – but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world because it’s what brings us peace. Everything is organized when it comes and organized when it goes. The team does a great job with it.’’
“And that creates silence because it’s all electric vehicles (golf cars only for homeowners and guests) within the gates. So it’s pretty cool.’’
Hunter is one of a new breed of private country club CEOs (compared to general managers) who have been entrusted to make decisions that previously were handled by a club’s directors or by separate committees within a club. Private golf club communities, particularly in South Florida, are increasingly adopting a CEO model to expedite decision-making and accountability.
“It protects the club from itself,’’ Hunter said. “It protects the integrity of the club in a lot of ways. I bid on contracts – it’s not my friends who get the jobs. It’s whatever is best for the club. If you were a member of a club in the 1970s and sold insurance, you expected the club to buy your insurance. We don’t really do business that way anymore. It is not good for the entire membership.
Rees Jones-designed course at Haig Point Club (Haig Point Club)
“My job is to seek balance and creativity. You see it a lot more these days because these are big businesses. This (Haig Point Club) is not a small operation.’’
The key to success for management and membership, Hunter said, is to listen.
“Know what you know and stand for what you know. The great thing about Haig Point – and even CCNC – is that most of our members have been members somewhere else. They graduated to a better experience. This (Haig Point) is a very exclusive experience. Most of our board members have been board members at other places and understand the business model here.’’
That business model, Hunter said, continues to evolve as the Club grows, with amenities such as an equestrian club and stables, and a fitness and wellness center. He recently appointed Director of Golf Jay Garrick to the role of Director of Operations to create better synergy between all departments.
“Jay’s role is to make (the departments) work like a sewing machine. Everything goes together and every stitch is straight. That gives me time to develop the strategic plan and manage the economics of the Club in a better way.’’
Feature Photo: Don Hunter (Haig Point Club)
