Golf course superintendent Gavin Johnson relaxes with dolphins on the daily ferry commute to his celebrated venue on the traffic-free Daufuskie Island
Lawrence, Kan. (April 13, 2016) – Gavin Johnson, golf course superintendent and director of agronomy for the past three years at the Haig Point Club on Daufuskie Island, S.C., may have the best work commute of anyone in golf.
Each morning, he boards a boat from Hilton Head, S.C., and leisurely plans his day while dolphins play alongside the ferry. The 35-minute trip from the mainland takes him to tiny Daufuskie Island, where cars are not allowed, and where the Haig Point Club’s challenging Rees Jones Championship Golf Course is the center of attention.
“I have a nice commute,” says the 37-year-old Johnson, an 11-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and a native of Liverpool, England. “I’d rather be on a boat than stuck in traffic each morning. The quiet time on the boat gives me a chance to plan my day and a chance to unwind before I get home.”
Once on the island, Johnson tends to the Rees Jones gem that opened in 1986 and continues to be one of the renowned architect’s favorites.
“I had never seen a property quite like Haig Point – with such a pristine setting and all the elements to create a great golf course,” said Jones, who has more than 400 golf courses to his credit and has become know as the “Open Doctor” for his work on many U.S. Open sites. “It has the ocean, the sound, the marshes, fantastic vegetation. I knew when I first saw it, we could build a world-class golf course here.”
And he did.
More than half of the golf holes have views of Calibogue Sound, with the signature holes being the par-3 8th and 17th, which play out to the water. Jones also loves the par-5 14th, which has a small peninsula green that jets out into the native marshland.
It’s Johnson’s job to care for the beauty that hosts the Rees Jones Collegiate Invitational each fall. And it’s a job he enjoys.
“We have a challenging golf course here, but it is something our members take pride in,” says Johnson, who often has professional golfers and celebrities as guests during the early part of the week of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Links (April 14-17) on the eastern tip of Hilton Head.
Johnson also embraces the lifestyle of the residents, who use only private golf carts as transportation on the island, which is just eight square miles. Slightly more than 100 families reside at Haig Point, where an old plantation mansion and a restored 100-year-old lighthouse serve a guest quarters, and the locals lead an active lifestyle that also includes tennis, swimming and horseback riding.
But it is the challenging golf course constructed in harmony with a fragile eco system that continues to be the pride and joy of Johnson and Haig Point Club members.
About GCSAA and the EIFG
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org. or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
Contact:
Craig Smith, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Phone: 800-472-7878, ext. 4431 or 785-691-9197 (cell)
csmith@gcsaa.org
