By Nancy Mann Jackson
The golf course has long been a preferred venue for meetings, incentives and teambuilding events. But as spas and other activities become more popular among meeting groups, some planners may wonder whether golf has lost some of its luster. The truth is, hoteliers across the country continue to believe that golf courses are a great focal point for meetings and events.
“Golf is absolutely still important,” says Cameron Ellis, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, AZ. “Teambuilding is tough to do in another activity; it’s tough to get 50 people together for a Jeep tour or a balloon tour. Also, with golf, you can control the foursome. If you know who needs to be talking business to each other, you can make sure they’re all in the cart together all day. You can’t do that with other activities.”
Why Golf Works
While there are plenty of other meeting-related activities to choose from these days, many planners find that no other endeavor offers the same social and teambuilding benefits as golf. “It provides an invigorating outdoor platform that peels away inhibitions, allowing people to think more freely and move into new areas of creativity and interaction [that are] simply not possible in the confines of a conference room,” says Jim Bullock, Director of Sales and Marketing at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, FL. “Building trust and constructing true camaraderie in an organization occurs in the process of social interaction, and general sessions tend to be much too static environments. The golf course continues to be an extraordinary place to relax, reconnect and grow an organization.”
Golf also has a way of leveling the playing field, according to Ellis. “There’s a bonding that goes on [on the golf course],” he says. “Everybody has the same frustrations out there, no matter what their skill level. You get to share frustrations and share victories in a way that you don’t in other activities.”
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Three Important Questions
As is the case with most aspects of event planning, to put together an effective golf meeting, planners really need to know their groups and their groups’ preferences, and they have to understand how the golf event will fit into the rest of the meeting. Ann Walters, Director of Sales for Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO, recommends that planners start by asking themselves the following questions:
- How much time do we have to devote to a golf outing? “If the golfers have to rush through their game to allow enough time to shower and change before their formal dinner that evening, the golf outing will be less fun,” Walters points out.
- What caliber golfers are in my group? Planners need to know in advance whether their attendees are scratch golfers or more intense players. Cameron Ellis recommends including a section on the meeting registration form for attendees to include their golf handicap or skill level, as this information can help determine the best format for the golf outing. “To plan a successful meeting that effectively incorporates golf, the meeting planner needs to recognize that there are many levels of golfers,” Bullock says. “So creating a golf event that keeps everyone engaged is important to a successful outcome.”
- Do we want a formal or less formal outing? Formal golf outings usually include prizes, gifts and special events such as hole-in-one contests and shortest putt contests. If the group is just looking for a recreational day of golf, a less formal event may be in order; it will require less planning and may be more appropriate for groups of less experienced golfers. “The tournament format is perhaps the most important decision a meeting planner will make,” Bullock says. “For instance, if there are numerous high handicappers among the group, [a good choice is] a scramble, or even a ‘shamble,’ which is like a scramble except the group only uses the best tee shot and plays their individual balls from there. With the right format, even a not-so-good golfer can contribute to the team and ensures all participants are involved and enjoying the event.”
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Other Key Points
In addition to determining the needs of the group and your expectations for the golf event, planners should also rely on the resort professionals at their meeting site to help them create the ideal golf outing. “Planners should contact the on-site professional staff early,” says Brian Gerard, Director of Golf at Kiawah Island Golf Resort near Charleston, SC. “This allows the staff to understand what the planner is trying to accomplish with the event. For example, is it competitive or social? The staff should tailor the event to the planner’s needs.”
“Engaging a golf sales professional or golf pro at your destination will pay huge dividends to the success of your event,” says Richard Ross, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa at Buffalo Thunder in New Mexico, scheduled to open in August. “Many times the golf component [of the meeting] can be a burden to the meeting planner, so engaging those who can provide immediate and ongoing support can make a huge difference.”
In fact, helping planners determine how to structure their golf events is a crucial part of the salesperson’s job, says Cameron Ellis. “One of the most important things a golf salesperson can do is to guide a planner to a program that makes sense for what they’re trying to accomplish,” he explains. “Educating them, walking them through the process and giving insight should all be part of the job.”
Along with applying their basic knowledge of golf events to each individual meeting, resort professionals are also in touch with the latest trends and know how to work with them. Lately, for instance, “there seem to be more groups that only have time for a nine-hole golf tournament,” Ann Walters says. “Our nine-hole course still provides a challenge, but with a shorter time commitment.”
At Innisbrook, Bullock has noticed certain trends, including “shrinking budgets, shorter meetings and the need to creatively accomplish a variety of objectives during a conference – information exchange, building camaraderie and enjoying a little R and R,” he says. As a result, groups are leveraging the links in a number of new ways. For instance, “organizations continue to look for creative ways to incorporate golf with culinary functions,” Bullock says. At a recent event, Innisbrook Resort’s Executive Chef Andre Halston used his culinary magic to create a progressive dining experience, with a different cuisine at each hole.
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Accommodating Non-Golfers
Even if most attendees are on board, chances are that every meeting will include some delegates who don’t golf – and planners shouldn’t overlook them. Many resort professionals say that with a little foresight it’s easy to make even non-golfers feel included. “Attracting non-golfers to a meeting tied to a golf event isn’t as challenging as you might imagine,” Bullock says. “Simply offering attendees good ‘non-golf’ alternatives before, during and after the meeting will help attract the non-golfer to the event. Spa treatments, educational programs, destination tours and interactive culinary options are popular options. In addition, offering private golf instruction, group clinics and other opportunities to learn and improve your game will help create a safe environment for the not-so-serious golfer in attendance.”
Naturally, choosing a destination that offers a variety of activities beyond golf will certainly help balance a meeting that has a golfing component. But there are also ways to incorporate non-golfers into the actual golf event. “If golf is a centerpiece of the meeting, then offering unique events tailored to non-golfers – such as putting competitions, teambuilding exercises with a golf component, or an interactive ‘fan’ dynamic – can involve those who might not otherwise play,” says Ross.
“If the planner wants to incorporate the non-golfers into the golf event, the non-golfers can be the ‘official photographer’ or the beverage server for the tournament,” Walters adds. “Hole sponsorships or judges of the special events – such as the longest putt contest – can be a fun way to incorporate more non-golfers.”
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