Haig Point Club
Encyclopedia
Haig Point is a U.S.
private 1040 acres (4.2 km²) community on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
. Commonly referred to just as Haig Point, it is legally known as The Haig Point Club and Community Association, Inc. Founded in 1986 by International Paper
, it has been owned by its members since 2001, and member-operated since 2009.
Haig Point was ranked as one of the top 100 private golf course communities in the country by Links
in the mid-2000s. Haig Point's Rees Jones Signature Course, designed by Rees Jones
in 1986 and renovated by the "Open Doctor" in 2007, has been ranked in Golf Digest
s "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" and in Golf Magazine
s "Top 100 Courses in the World".
still exist on the property, dating back to the Colonial period
, and have been carefully preserved. Other artifacts are kept on display in the Strachan Mansion.
bought Haig Point from Charles Cauthen and the Daufuskie Island Land Trust for $8,453,328.18. Two years later, International Paper had set up extensive infrastructure, the lighthouse had been restored, and Rees Jones
had built the initial golf course. Also at this time (1986), the Strachan Mansion was moved from St. Simons Island, GA to Haig Point. The Mansion was essentially given away to International Paper by the Sea Island Company as they wanted the Mansion removed. The Mansion was barged up the Intracoastal Waterway
and restored to its present state.
In 2009, real estate agents Bea Wray, Tony Simonelli, and Andy Mason were appointed to run the Haig Point real estate sales operation. In conjunction with marketing firm Corder Philips, numerous activities were initiated in 2009, including advertising, open house tours, sponsorship of the Verizon Heritage
and the launch of a new website, HaigPoint.com.
Haig Point is located on the northeast end of Daufuskie Island. The island is one of the southernmost sea islands in South Carolina with both Hilton Head Island (to the northeast) and Savannah
, GA
(to the southwest) only a short distance away. Daufuskie Island is not attached to the mainland and can only be reached by ferry.
To the east lies Calibogue Sound and Hilton Head Island; to the south is the Daufuskie Island Resort at Melrose and the Atlantic Ocean
; to the west there is the Webb Tract and the mainland; and finally, to the north lies the Intracoastal Waterway
and Bull Island.
Haig Point and all of Daufuskie Island experiences large tides that can swallow and reveal large portions of the beach and vast tidal marsh.
Haig Point has also preserved many of the oyster
beds that line the Atlantic side of the island.
to the Atlantic Ocean
, with the Harbour Town lighthouse visible in the distance. While the original Beach Club has a pool, bar and barbecue
, the Calibogue Club, opened in November 2008, is a separate but adjacent two-story structure with capacity for 160 diners.
, the HPCCA Board of Directors is as follows:
Committee Assignments:
Haig Point has its own private ferry company that transports its members, their guests, and employees to and from Daufuskie and Hilton Head Island. The Embarkation Center on Hilton Head serves as both a ferry terminal and parking lot, as no cars are allowed in Haig Point - members and guests travel via golf cart or bicycle.
The Haig Point Ferry Company has three large ferries (Haig Point I, II and IV), two smaller ferries (Osprey & Pelican) and two smaller water taxi (Haig Point III & Sandpiper). In 2007, as a part of the club's long-range strategic plan, the Haig Point IV (with a capacity of 100 persons, including crew) was built and is now an active part of the fleet.
Haig Point is home to a variety of different animals including deer
, eagle
s, osprey
, falcon
s, squirrels, lizards, snakes, alligators and many different types of fish
and shark
s.
in this first issue. Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, Links featured Haig Point again in its July/August 2008 publication. The eighth hole "Calibogue" green of Haig Point's Signature Course was featured on the cover of the July/August 2008 issue.
Pat Conroy's book, The Water is Wide
, is a recounting of the year (1969) he spent as a teacher on Daufuskie Island teaching at the Mary Field School. With generous contributions from Haig Point members, other Daufuskie residents and various Lowcountry organizations, the school has been preserved as a community center.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
private 1040 acres (4.2 km²) community on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
Daufuskie Island is a residential "sea island" between Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina about offshore. The total island surface is just within the maximum length of and maximum width of ....
. Commonly referred to just as Haig Point, it is legally known as The Haig Point Club and Community Association, Inc. Founded in 1986 by International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
, it has been owned by its members since 2001, and member-operated since 2009.
Haig Point was ranked as one of the top 100 private golf course communities in the country by Links
Links (magazine)
Links is a U.S. bi-monthly golf magazine published by Purcell Enterprises, Inc. in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina...
in the mid-2000s. Haig Point's Rees Jones Signature Course, designed by Rees Jones
Rees Jones
Rees Jones is an American golf course architect.He was born in Montclair, New Jersey the son of legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones and the younger brother of golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr...
in 1986 and renovated by the "Open Doctor" in 2007, has been ranked in Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
s "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" and in Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine
Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...
s "Top 100 Courses in the World".
Pre-settlement (8,000BC-1711AD)
Native American Indians occupied Daufuskie Island for thousands of years. Many artifacts have been found at Haig Point dating back to this time. Tabby ruinsTabby (cement)
Tabby is a building material consisting of lime, sand, water, and crushed oyster shells. It was developed and used by English colonists in Beaufort County and on the Sea Islands of coastal South Carolina, in coastal Georgia, and in northern Florida in the Southern United States...
still exist on the property, dating back to the Colonial period
Colonial America
The colonial history of the United States covers the history from the start of European settlement and especially the history of the thirteen colonies of Britain until they declared independence in 1776. In the late 16th century, England, France, Spain and the Netherlands launched major...
, and have been carefully preserved. Other artifacts are kept on display in the Strachan Mansion.
Haig era (1711-1810)
In 1711, James Cockran, an Indian trader and planter, acquired 500 acres (2 km²) of Haig Point (not yet called such). Five years later, the property was left to Richard Cockran Ash, who sold it to Archibald Niele in 1735. Having never occupied the property, Niele sold it to George Haig I later in the same year. Following Haig's death, Haig Point was left to George Haig III in 1790. In 1810, Haig put the property up for sale. While this was the end for the Haig family at Haig Point, the property is called Haig Point to this day.Expansion era (1810-1850)
Haig III sold Haig Point to John David Mongin for his son, David John Mongin in 1810. Sometime before 1823, but after 1810, the Mongins acquired the 600 acres (2.4 km²) Freeport Plantation. This created the nearly 1100 acres (4.5 km²) plantation now known as Haig Point. Having died in 1823, David John Mongin left Haig Point to his wife, Sarah. Two years later she married Reverend Herman Blodgett. Sarah Mongin Blodgett died in 1833 and Rev. Blodgett bought Haig Point from the Mongin family. After remarrying and starting construction on a new plantation house, Blodgett eventually sold Haig Point to William (Squire) Pope of Hilton Head Island.Confiscation and reacquisition (1861-1980)
In 1861, due to tax issues, Haig Point was confiscated by the U.S. Government. Five years later, Pope's heirs paid the taxes and reclaimed Haig Point. In 1872, the Popes sold the historic Haig Point Lighthouse and the 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) around it to the U.S. Government. Nearing the turn of the century in 1899, William Scouten bought Haig Point from the Popes for $2,500. The property stayed in the Scouten family for 58 years until in 1957 it was sold to Stiles Harper for $44,000. Harper sold it to George Bostwick for $134,000. Bostwick then bought back the famous Haig Point Lighthouse from the U.S. Government. Drawing this chapter of Haig Point history to a close, Charles Cauthen and Daufuskie Island Land Trust bought Haig Point, the Webb Tract and Oak Ridge for $2,875,000.International Paper era (1984-2001)
In 1984, International PaperInternational Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
bought Haig Point from Charles Cauthen and the Daufuskie Island Land Trust for $8,453,328.18. Two years later, International Paper had set up extensive infrastructure, the lighthouse had been restored, and Rees Jones
Rees Jones
Rees Jones is an American golf course architect.He was born in Montclair, New Jersey the son of legendary golf course designer Robert Trent Jones and the younger brother of golf course designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr...
had built the initial golf course. Also at this time (1986), the Strachan Mansion was moved from St. Simons Island, GA to Haig Point. The Mansion was essentially given away to International Paper by the Sea Island Company as they wanted the Mansion removed. The Mansion was barged up the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
and restored to its present state.
Member-owned era (since 2001)
In 2001, International Paper transferred all of the common property and amenities to the members of Haig Point. The golf course and other amenities were operated on behalf of the HPCCA by Troon Golf until the end of 2008. Since 2009, it is member-operated under the traditional model of a private club.In 2009, real estate agents Bea Wray, Tony Simonelli, and Andy Mason were appointed to run the Haig Point real estate sales operation. In conjunction with marketing firm Corder Philips, numerous activities were initiated in 2009, including advertising, open house tours, sponsorship of the Verizon Heritage
Verizon Heritage
The RBC Heritage, known for much of its history as the Heritage Classic, is a PGA Tour FedEx Cup event, first played in 1969. The venue has been the Harbour Town Golf Links at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina...
and the launch of a new website, HaigPoint.com.
Geography
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
, GA
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
(to the southwest) only a short distance away. Daufuskie Island is not attached to the mainland and can only be reached by ferry.
To the east lies Calibogue Sound and Hilton Head Island; to the south is the Daufuskie Island Resort at Melrose and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
; to the west there is the Webb Tract and the mainland; and finally, to the north lies the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
and Bull Island.
Haig Point and all of Daufuskie Island experiences large tides that can swallow and reveal large portions of the beach and vast tidal marsh.
Haig Point has also preserved many of the oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
beds that line the Atlantic side of the island.
Golf club
The Haig Point golf amenity consists of 29 holes of golf, a two-way driving range, two practice greens and a clubhouse. The Club's Chief Operating Officer is Stan Waterhouse, Director of Food and Beverage is Scott Seger and Director of Golf is Jason Cherry.Signature Course
Haig Point features the 20-hole Rees Jones Signature Course, an innovative original design that launched Jones' solo career. Set along the Calibogue Sound, the course features two distinct routings, the Haig, which has fewer forced carries, or the Calibogue, which is more challenging. Numerous holes have different playing angles depending upon which routing is selected, while two of the par-3s have entirely separate holes - thus a 20-hole course. Opened in 1986 to immediate critical acclaim, the course was renovated by Jones and reopened in late 2007. These renovations were lauded by Golf Digest and are a part of Haig Point Club's long-range strategic plan.Osprey Course
The Osprey is Haig Point's 9-hole golf course (giving Haig Point 29 holes of private Rees Jones golf). The Osprey is geared more toward relaxed family play or a quick outing.Beach club
The club's Calibogue Club is located along the beach on Haig Point's "Outer Banks." It overlooks the Calibogue Sound, a major waterway connecting the Intracoastal WaterwayIntracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, with the Harbour Town lighthouse visible in the distance. While the original Beach Club has a pool, bar and barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
, the Calibogue Club, opened in November 2008, is a separate but adjacent two-story structure with capacity for 160 diners.
Dining
Dining options include casual fare at the 30th Hole Grill in the Clubhouse, while the Calibogue Club offers true waterfront dining for lunch and dinner.Equestrian center
Haig Point has a private stabling facility that offers programs for all ages and abilities, including carriage rides and horseback riding. The center also offers lessons in English or Western seats. Pony rides are available for children.Board of directors
- President & Executive Committee Chair: Judy Wade
- Vice President: Nate Jones
- Secretary: Debbie Hull
- Treasurer: Rod Farrell
Committee Assignments:
- Architectural Review Board: Joe McGonnell (2nd board member Kevin McCallion)
- Marine Transportation Board: Debbie Hull
- Finance: Rod Farrell (2nd board member Nate Jones)
- Golf and Greens: Rick Cohen
- Membership: Holger Opderbeck
- Revenue Generation: Kevin McCallion
- Audit: Henry Absher and Bill Horan
- House: Carol Sanford
- Tennis: Nick Akers
Strachan Mansion
The historic Strachan Mansion, moved from St. Simons Island via barge in 1986, serves as a charming guesthouse with an intimate bar and billiards room.Lighthouse
The Haig Point Lighthouse was built in 1873. Open for private tours when not occupied, it is currently used as a guesthouse as well as a venue for weddings, receptions and special events. As legend goes, the ghost of a young maiden, Maggie, still occupies the site.Ferry company
The Haig Point Ferry Company has three large ferries (Haig Point I, II and IV), two smaller ferries (Osprey & Pelican) and two smaller water taxi (Haig Point III & Sandpiper). In 2007, as a part of the club's long-range strategic plan, the Haig Point IV (with a capacity of 100 persons, including crew) was built and is now an active part of the fleet.
Wildlife
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
s, squirrels, lizards, snakes, alligators and many different types of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s.
Popular culture
Haig Point was the first golf course and golf course community featured in the first publication of Links Magazine (then titled Southern Links), the March/April 1988 issue. Links also featured the Palm Beach Polo Golf and Country Club and an interview with Gary PlayerGary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
in this first issue. Celebrating its twentieth anniversary, Links featured Haig Point again in its July/August 2008 publication. The eighth hole "Calibogue" green of Haig Point's Signature Course was featured on the cover of the July/August 2008 issue.
Pat Conroy's book, The Water is Wide
The Water Is Wide (book)
The Water Is Wide is a 1972 autobiography by Pat Conroy and is based on his work as a teacher on Daufuskie Island, South Carolina, which is called Yamacraw Island in the book. A film adaptation, titled Conrack, was created in 1974, starring Jon Voight...
, is a recounting of the year (1969) he spent as a teacher on Daufuskie Island teaching at the Mary Field School. With generous contributions from Haig Point members, other Daufuskie residents and various Lowcountry organizations, the school has been preserved as a community center.
Awards
- Ranked on "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses" by Golf DigestGolf DigestGolf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
, 1986–2000. - Ranked among the "Top 100 Courses in the World" by Golf Magazine.
- Ranked on "America's Best Top 100 Residential Courses" by Golfweek Magazine, 2005-2009.
- Named a "Top 10 Best, Private-equity, Country Club in America" by The Golfer magazine.
- One of "America's 100 Premier Properties" by the editors of Links Magazine and cited as "Best for Golf." 2006/2007 & 2007/2008.