Tee Off & Kick Back
A guide to the history of golf and spa resorts
By: Steve Winston
By now, you know that meetings at golf, spa and hot spring resorts tend to draw more attendees. They offer a refreshing atmosphere, often in scenic or unusual settings where attendees enjoy activities, experiences and informal networking opportunities not available in more traditional settings.
The 20th century saw scores of notable golf resorts spring up across the country, followed in short by scores of spa resorts – and then scores of resorts featuring both. We’ll likely never know who came up with the brilliant idea of holding meetings at these resorts, but whoever it was is owed a tremendous debt of gratitude by today’s meeting planners. That person helped take business gatherings out of hum-drum conference rooms and onto the links – allowing meetings to transform into experiences.
In the picturesque southeastern corner of Wisconsin, Lake Geneva has been a popular resort area for U.S. travelers since the late-19th century . It catapulted into international prominence in 1968, when Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner opened a Playboy Club resort on the lake – transforming a bucolic little town into a magnet for Hollywood glitterati. Grand Geneva Resort & Spa came along in 1994. It has an extensive golf education program, along with two championship courses. The Highlands course is a Scottish-style set of links originally designed by Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye, while the appropriately named Brute course runs for more than 7,000 yards – with 68 bunkers to further increase the challenge.
“Having a variety of recreational opportunities at your meeting is crucial,” says Leslie Johnson, director of sales and marketing at Grand Geneva. “Incorporating golf and spa is ideal for creating team-building activities and leisure. Golf, of course, is also a great way to connect with a client or colleague on a personal level and it really does help build relationships. And with activities such as golf and spa to enjoy after the meetings, you can count on an enthusiastic, cohesive group.”
