In January 2005, I was 17 years old, and the road from professional golf to luxury travel was nowhere in my plans. I had just been named South Africa’s Amateur Golfer of the Year for the second consecutive year.
I had won the Toyota Junior World Golf Cup in Japan, where I was fortunate enough to set a tournament record and win by seven shots. I had represented my country around the world. I had just signed with Chubby Chandler’s International Sports Management, alongside some of the biggest names in professional golf.
I thought I knew exactly how my life would unfold. I was wrong.
What Was My Dream at 17?
At 17, my dream was the same as most young golfers: to become one of the best players in the world. I turned professional believing the path was clear. I would play professionally, travel the world, climb the rankings and build a life in the game I loved.
Every decision I made revolved around that goal. Every morning started with practice. Every afternoon ended at the golf course. Every spare moment was spent trying to get a little better than the day before.
Golf taught me discipline long before I understood its value. It taught me resilience long before I experienced real setbacks. And it taught me that excellence is rarely achieved by accident.
What Did Golf Teach Me About Business?
Golf taught me accountability, preparation, patience and humility, and each lesson became invaluable when I started building a business. I didn’t realize it then, but golf was preparing me for something much bigger than a professional golfing career. It was preparing me for entrepreneurship.
People often see professional golf as a sport. I see it as one of the greatest educations I could have received. Golf teaches accountability because there is nobody else to blame. Golf teaches preparation because shortcuts are exposed quickly.
Golf teaches patience because success rarely arrives as quickly as you would like. Most importantly, golf teaches humility. The game has a way of reminding you that no matter how good you think you are, there is always another challenge around the corner.
How Did Professional Golf Lead to Luxury Travel?
My journey from professional golf to luxury travel began because touring made me fall in love with destinations. I became fascinated by the cultures, the hotels, the people and the experiences away from the course. Soon I was as interested in discovering a place as I was in playing golf there.
As my golf career progressed, I was fortunate enough to travel extensively. At first, every destination was simply another tournament. It was another golf course, another week, another opportunity to compete.
But gradually something changed. Without realizing it, my future was quietly revealing itself.
What Does Success Look Like Today?
Today, success looks very different from trophies and rankings. It means helping a family create memories they will talk about for decades. It means watching first-time safari guests see a lion in the wild, and seeing lifelong friendships form on one of our hosted journeys.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that success rarely arrives in the package you expect. At 17, success looked like trophies, rankings and professional golf.
Success is also receiving a message from a client saying, “That was the best trip of our lives.” Ironically, many of the skills that allow me to do that today were developed while chasing an entirely different dream.
How Did Professional Golf Shape Kent World Travel?
When I founded Kent World Travel, the move from professional golf to luxury travel didn’t really mean starting from scratch. I was building on thousands of hours on practice ranges, golf courses, airports and hotels. Those hours taught me attention to detail, relentless preparation and performing under pressure.
They also taught me the importance of relationships, and that extraordinary experiences are created long before the customer arrives. Today, we take guests across Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand and beyond.
We create luxury journeys, golf experiences, safaris and adventures for people who want more than a holiday. They want memories. And in many ways, that pursuit isn’t so different from competitive golf. Both are about creating moments that matter.
What Would I Tell My 17-Year-Old Self?
If I could speak to that 17-year-old version of myself, I wouldn’t tell him to change anything. I would simply tell him that the dream he’s chasing is important. But the lessons he learns along the way will be even more valuable.
Because sometimes life doesn’t take you where you originally planned to go. Sometimes it takes you somewhere better.
And often, the path that seems like a detour turns out to be exactly where you were meant to be all along.
About the author: Matthew Kent is the Founder & Director of Kent World Travel and a former professional golfer. He designs and hosts world-class travel experiences for private club members and HNW clients.