How did Don Hunter become the new CEO at Haig Point Club on Daufuskie Island, S.C? With apologies to the great Hank Williams, I suppose you can say Hunter “saw the light.’’ Well… at least the lighthouse.
Here’s the story: On his second interview for the job at Haig Point Club – one of the country’s more exclusive private club communities – Hunter stayed in the 151-year-old Haig Point Lighthouse. No word on whether he saw the spirit of Maggie Comer – the lighthouse’s resident ghost – but he did see the purple and orange hues of a Calibogue Sound sunrise while seated on the porch of the structure’s 40-foot tower.
To be in a place like this, Hunter thought to himself, can’t be replicated.
“The most quiet place on earth.’’
Those sights and no sounds were enough to make Hunter move from his job as CEO at the Country of North Carolina (since 2019) in Pinehurst, N.C., to a 9.61-square mile island – only accessible by boat – off the tip of Hilton Head, S.C.
“The Country Club of North Carolina runs fantastic,’’ Hunter said. “The challenges were few and far between. So, for me, it was kind of like the difference between playing putt-putt golf and real golf. I want a challenging game.
“I think I’m a challenge-driven person. Haig Point has more moving parts than the average club.’’
Don Hunter
Beginning with transportation and logistics. All supplies to Haig Point, even the pencils for the Rees Jones-designed golf course, must come from the Mainland. Although private vehicles are allowed (via ferry) on Daufuskie Island, they are not allowed at Haig Point, making golf cars the primary modes of transportation for members and guests.
And, of course, what goes on the island and to Haig Point, particularly in terms of trash and recyclables, has to leave.
“I like that challenge,’’ Hunter said. “I like the fact that club is growing – sort of re-birthing. Our members wee ready for a new chapter. And I was ready a new challenge. My passion is everything that happens behind the scenes.;’’
Hunter has plenty of ammunition to mount that challenge. For example, Haig Point invested $1 million in club and community facility improvements for 2024 that include significant renovations to its iconic Strachan Mansion, roof replacements at key facilities, and new furniture throughout several venues. In addition, the club has invested $5.25 million to replace five-plus miles of interior roadways over the next three years.
New docks, piers, and floating docks (on Daufuskie and Hilton Head Islands) and a renovation to the golf course are other critical future investments. In addition to golf, the club has a tennis and wellness center, and one of the Southeast’s top equestrian centers.
Haig Point Lighthouse
Haig Point Club has 450 members, approximately half of whom are full-time residents in its estate homes and cottages.
“The club is great for golf in the spring and fall,’’ Hunter said. “It’s also a space where people bring their kids and grandkids. A lot of second- and third-generation families come here. It’s a special place.’’
One worthy of a challenge.
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Photos Courtesy of Haig Point Club