Seeing Travel as a Host and a Guest
As PGA of America Head Professional at Cougar Point at South Carolina’s Kiawah Island Resort, Josh Wagaman hosts scores of groups each year, many led by fellow PGA of America Golf Professionals. For Wagaman and his team, every trip is about more than golf – it’s about creating a memory.
“Since people started traveling again after COVID, golf groups cherish an experience more than maybe ever before,” says Wagaman, President of the Carolinas PGA Section. “We do an absolute ton of group travel hosted by PGA of America Golf Professionals, and we’re certainly honored that they trust us to host them. They’re not just coming here to play golf, they’re coming for the level of service and the entire experience.”
Customization is key. Wagaman’s staff works with trip leaders to tailor everything from pairings to post-round events. The impact goes beyond the resort’s five golf courses to its golf shops.
“It used to be someone wanted to get a hat or shirt because they played here, but now it’s really more of a way of remembering the experience,” Wagaman says. “The apparel and accessories they buy now represent a different kind of memento: Such as, ‘This is where I took my dad on a golf trip for his 70th birthday.’”
Kiawah Island has also embraced the trend toward balance when helping visiting professionals plan their itineraries. “What used to be 36 holes a day is now 18 or maybe 27, then some time at the spa or the beach. It’s a guilt-free golf trip because even if your spouse doesn’t play, they’re going to have a lot of leisure options.” To offer even more off-course options, Kiawah Island plans to add a pair of golf simulators this winter.
Wagaman says he doesn’t see other resorts as competition. Instead, he looks at other destinations as part of a family that serves golfers.
“We certainly keep an eye on what other top resorts are doing, because in this business you’re always learning from others, but we don’t compete directly, I don’t think,” Wagaman says. “For example, I love Pinehurst and it’s one of my favorite places to visit. But we’re not going to try to copy them because we’re different places with different DNA.”
Wagaman’s travel hosting prowess is helped by the fact that he also travels with members from Kiawah Island’s own membership. They mostly take day trips to area courses, but the goals are the same as a weeklong international excursion – deepening relationships and making connections.
A local travel outing led to a special connection at Kiawah Island. On a day trip, Wagaman told a group of members about Kiawah Island’s PGA HOPE clinics and programming for Veterans. The members were so impressed that they started an annual fundraiser to support additional PGA HOPE programming.
“It’s been really touching, and I don’t think it would have happened without traveling with our members and playing golf with them,” Wagaman says. “They got to know more about PGA HOPE, and it moved them on a level where they really wanted to help support the initiative.”
