Reflections on a Career in Golf

At the end of 2019, Dave Britton decided that it was time to announce his retirement after 24 years as Dataw Island’s Director of Golf. He envisioned 2020 as a time of transition, completing plans in the works and smoothly handing off to the new management operation of the private golf club located in the South Carolina Lowcountry near the town of Beaufort. Little did he know...

“The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly affected our business,” Britton says. “We have adopted optional single-rider carts. We are emphasizing sanitizing of golf carts and have minimized touch points on the practice range, putting green, bag drop and on the golf course and in the golf shop.”

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Those safety measures have been effective, and Britton has been able to keep his staff working. “Although some of our golf events have either been cancelled or adjusted due to the social-distancing requirements,” he says, “the enthusiasm for golf has not declined. We are fortunate that our weather has been good all year, which has allowed our members the opportunity to play more golf than normal. At Dataw Island and other facilities in our area, golf rounds are up and sometimes dramatically.”

Enhancing participation in the game, he loves so much has been a focus for Britton during his decades at the helm. “We offer complimentary instruction for new members, new golfers, and those who have not decided to purchase a golf-amenity package,” he says. “Many who have participated eventually become active club members. We also offer a variety of clinics and give many individual lessons, which have been very successful in the growth of the golf program. Our Ladies 9-Hole group is particularly fun; it’s a low-pressure opportunity for new players to get outside and enjoy the natural landscape and socialize with fellow members.”

Dataw Island’s innovative membership options have also contributed to that growth, according to Britton: “Folks looking at Dataw Island enjoy the flexibility of our membership plans. The variety of golf and sports amenity options allow our residents to plug in at many different levels that suite their lifestyle.”

Community involvement has also been an important part of Britton’s tenure. “Dataw Island has reached out in many areas,” he says. “We have been part of junior golf with the First Tee of the Lowcountry program, Beaufort Junior Golf, and the Beaufort High School golf teams, as well as our annual collegiate tournament. We also have hosted a variety of charity events in my years here. Our members enthusiastically support many community fundraisers. For example, our Women’s Golf Association has a tournament to raise money for the Kesyerling Cancer Center at Beaufort Memorial Hospital. And our Men’s Golf Association runs tournaments to support a variety of local and national veteran’s organizations.”

In addition to those events, competitive inter-league play on both of the award-winning Dataw Island golf courses has kept Britton and his staff on their toes. “We are constantly striving to make the golfing experi- ence the best it can be,” he says. “We renovated Cotton Dike in 2011 and Morgan River in 2012. Added to that, we replaced all our cart paths with concrete in 2018 and 2019. In 2021 we’re looking at renovating our tee complexes so that golfers of all abilities can play from the correct distance and enjoy their experience even more.

“Off the courses,” he continues, “in the last few years we’ve added Bocce Ball and a History & Learning Center, built a new pool, bought and renovated the marina, and this year we rebuilt one of the croquet lawns and are building new pickleball courts and renovating our ballroom. There’s always something going on at Dataw Island.”

Looking back after nearly a quarter of a century on the job, Britton has a lot to be thankful for. “My fondest memories,” he says, “are the many residents, members, and guests that I have met and come to know over these many years. It’s truly what makes Dataw Island so special—people who move here from all over the country coming together to make a great experience for those who live here, work here and visit here.”

And would he have any advice for other soonto-be retirees, whether they move to Dataw Island or elsewhere? “Doing your financial homework,” Britton says, “is the most important thing that folks looking at a community can do. Make sure you understand all the dues and fees that are involved, and the local tax structure. The upfront work you do will be more than worth the effort. Combined with looking at the amenities, it will make your long-term experience a great one.”

While he will be stepping aside as Dataw Island’s Director of Golf later this year when a successor is hired, Britton will continue to work with the club as a consultant to the course superintendent. “Most people think that golf professionals play a lot of golf,” he says. “That’s not the case—we spend most of our time in the office and the golf shop. I’m looking forward to playing more golf, attending fewer meetings, answering fewer e-mails, and helping to keep the courses in good shape.

“So if you come to Dataw Island and see an old guy mowing the grass with a great big smile on his face,” Britton concludes, “that will be me.”