Resident Golf Professionals
If you come to Kiawah Island Golf Resort to improve your golf game, you won’t be disappointed. Our staff consists of 18 PGA Certified Class A Professionals with 25 certifications between them. Each certified professional has had extensive training to receive this prestigious certification. Many programs are offered on the resort that is offered in a private or semi-private environment.
The Tommy Cuthbert Golf Learning center offers state-of-the-art video instruction technology designed to improve your swing, as well as current golf fitting systems. A private teaching area including driving range, practice green and sand bunker is available. Packages can be built for your training needs. Let one of our reservation agents put a package together for you. (800) 571-1570.
Brian Gerard, PGA
Director of Golf
Ric Ferguson, PGA
Golf Groups Tournament Manager
Ric Ferguson started at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in 1989. During that time he served as the First Assistant at each Osprey Point, Turtle Point, and Cougar Point. Since becoming a Class A PGA Member in 1996, Ferguson has held the position of Head Professional at four of the Resort’s five golf courses; Turtle Point (1.5 years), Oak Point (1.5 years), Cougar Point (14 years) and Osprey Point (9 years). Ric became the resort’s Tournament Manager in 2023, overseeing all tournament setup for resort golf groups and the KIGR National Pro-Am, since 1999, played on all five resort courses. In 2006, Ferguson earned PGA Certification in General Management.
Stephen Youngner, PGA
Head Professional, The Ocean Course
Stephen Yougner has been with Kiawah for over 20 years, starting as an assistant golf professional at Osprey Point. He was the head professional at Oak Point for three years prior to starting his current role in 2006 as the head professional at The Ocean Course. A class A PGA professional, he is also certified in golf operations and general management. Stephen has served on the Carolinas PGA section Board of Directors and has also served the national PGA in a number of different roles. He was a member of the PGA Apprentice Committee, the PGA Performance Trak task force and Team CPP, a mentoring program for the PGA certified professional program. In addition, he has also served as a member of the Carolinas PGA Section Awards and Honors Committee. Stephen was named the Carolinas PGA Section Merchandiser of the Year in 2009 and 2012. He was also recognized as the Carolinas PGA Section Horton Smith award winner in 2010 for contributions to PGA professional education. He was the PGA Head Professional during the 2007 Senior PGA Championship, the 2012 PGA Championship and the 2021 PGA Championship and served an important role in planning both PGA Championships as a member of the Executive Committee.
Deron Lee, PGA
Head Professional, Osprey Point
Deron Lee joined the Professional Staff at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in the beginning of 2013. During his time here, he has held positions at The Ocean Course (Assistant Golf Professional), Oak Point (Head Golf Professional), and Osprey Point (Head Golf Professional). He served on the Carolinas PGA Board of Directors from 2021-2026, and the National PGA University Committee from 2022-2026.
Mark Schaffer, PGA
Head Professional, Turtle Point
While Schaffer came to Turtle Point from The Ocean Course where he has served as first assistant professional beginning in 2003 before becoming head professional three years later. However, he’s no stranger to this stellar Jack Nicklaus design as it is where he started his employment working as an assistant pro there in 1997. He served as first assistant from 1999 to 2003 prior to his move to The Ocean Course, where he served as first assistant from 2003 to 2006. Schaffer earned his PGA membership in 2004 and is certified in General Management and Golf Operations. He was named as one of the “Top 25 Assistant Golf Professionals” by Golf Shop magazine in 2005. Schaffer attended
Southwestern Oklahoma State University on a golf scholarship. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married since 1997 and have three sons.
Josh Wagaman, PGA
Head Professional, Cougar Point
Originally from Lewisburg, West Virginia, Josh came to Kiawah in 2008 after graduating with a B.S. in Business Administration from Methodist University. He served as First Assistant at The Ocean Course and at Turtle Point prior to joining Cougar Point. Josh is one of only 64 PGA Professionals to have earned certification in all six areas of the PGA certification program. While an assistant at The Ocean Course, Josh was awarded the Carolinas PGA Assistant of the Year in 2011. His leadership within the Carolinas PGA has spanned roles as Chapter Director, SC At-Large Director, Secretary, and Vice President, highlighted by his term as President (2024–2026) and his current role as Honorary President. Josh’s peers have recognized his contributions with several honors, including Assistant Professional of the Year (2011), Resort Merchandiser of the Year (2015), and the Professional Development Award (2020). Josh developed and has led PGA HOPE Kiawah since 2018, using golf as a powerful tool for healing and connection for local Veterans.
Sean Romano, PGA
Head Golf Professional, Oak Point
Sean Romano was born and raised in Canton, Connecticut and went to Endicott College where he graduated with his B.S. in Sports Management in 2009. Sean joined the resort in 2013 after working for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks Front Office in their ticket sales department. Sean has worked at four of the resorts five golf courses in various roles, with the majority of his time spent at Cougar Point serving as their 1st Assistant Golf Professional, during which time he obtained his PGA membership. Sean assumed his current role as Head Professional at Oak Point in early 2023. Sean is a certified PGA Hope instructor and started the Evan’s Scholar Caddie Program, a full housing and tuition college scholarship awarded to golf caddies with limited financial means, at Oak Point. Sean has a passion for growing the game of golf and has made it a point of emphasis to foster relationships with local schools to help drive more participation in the game.
Jeff Stone, GCSAA
Golf Course Superintendent, The Ocean Course
A Graduate with honors of Lake City Community College Turf Program, Jeff Stone joined the Kiawah team in 1989. He served as Head Golf Course Superintendent at Cougar Point from 1990 until 1992 and Turtle Point from 1992 until 2003 before assuming his role as Head Golf Course Superintendent of The Ocean Course in 2003. Stone worked with Jack Nicklaus on Turtle Point course renovations in 2000 and with Pete Dye on his 2004 course renovations at The Ocean Course. Stone has been a Class A GCSAA member for 16 years. He and his wife, Ashley, have two children.
Lance Stone, GCSAA
Head Golf Course Superintendent, Turtle Point
Steve Miller, GCSAA
Golf Course Superintendent, Osprey Point
Steve Miller is a 1986 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University turfgrass program. He has been at Kiawah since 1987, were he has served as Superintendent at The Ocean Course, Cougar Point, Turtle Point and Osprey Point. Miller has been a Class A GCSAA member for over 20 years. Miller and his wife, Carolyn, have a son and two daughters.
Brad French, GCSAA, CGCS
Golf Course Superintendent, Cougar Point
A graduate of The Ohio State University, Brad French earned a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture and worked for the Athletic Department at OSU before joining the Kiawah team in 1995 as Assistant Superintendent at Marsh Point (Cougar Point). French served as Superintendent at Oak Point for 3 years before moving to Cougar Point in 2003. French has been a Class A member of CGCAA since 2001 and is CGCS Certified since 2004 (one of only four CGCS Certified superintendents in the Charleston area and one of only just over 1,000 worldwide). French and his wife, Bridget, have a son and a daughter.
Lee Painter, GCSAA
Golf Course Superintendent, Oak Point
After graduating from Catawba Valley Community College Turf Program in 2005, Lee Painter accepted an Assistant Superintendent position at Seabrook Island. In 2008, Lee joined Kiawah Island Golf Resort as 2nd Assistant Superintendent at The Ocean Course. While there, he helped host the 2012 PGA Championship. In 2014, he became the First Assistant at Osprey Point until 2018 when he was named Head Golf Course Superintendent at Oak Point. Lee has been a member of the GCSAA for 12 years, and is a Board Member of the Coastal Plains Carolinas Golf Association. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two sons.
