Par for the Course
Wisconsin Golf Resorts Deliver Group Outing Experiences That Stand Out
By: Melanie Radzicki McManus
Golf has long been the sport of business. So sitting your company’s next conference or outing at a golf resort is an obvious choice. And since Wisconsin is powered in large part by tourism, the Dairy State has a wide variety of golf resorts from which to choose. here are four solid choices.
GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA
The four-star Grand Geneva Resort & Spa sits just outside the popular tourist community of Lake Geneva, which is snugged around sparkling Geneva Lake in southeastern Wisconsin. The 575-guest room resort offers 62,000 square feet of meeting space, including 35 breakout meeting rooms, a 7,680-square-foot Grand Ballroom, a 12,000-square-foot conference center and a 13,500-square-foot convention center.
Golf enthusiasts will appreciate Grand Geneva’s two championship courses, each of which boasts a new GPS yardage system. The Brute, 7,000+ yards, is a rolling, par-72 course with 28 bunkers that is considered to have one of the most challenging layouts in the Midwest. The Highlands is a Scottish-style course originally laid out by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, then updated twice, once by Bob Cupp and once by Bob Lohmann.
A special team building staff is on hand to assist with activities off the course, such as the Catapult Competition, where groups design, build and test their prototypes, then compete with each other for distance and accuracy. In the Clean The World program, teams take part in certain mental and physical challenges before assembling kits containing basic hygiene products for people in need.
When not golfing or team-building, guests have access to a spa, salon and fitness center, at the latter, you can play basketball and tennis, take a yoga class or scramble up a 35-foot-tall indoor climbing wall. Dining options include the Geneva ChopHouse, known for its hand-cut steaks and seafood, and Ristoranté Brissago, serving Italian cuisine, including regionally made pastas, cheeses and olive oils. grandgeneva.com.
