Courtesy Keswick Hall
No clubs? No problem at Kingsmill
Bogged down with briefcases, laptops and luggage, the last thing an overburdened business traveler wants to do is drag along a set of golf clubs.
Of course, travelers can always rent golf clubs. But when a meeting group is large, gathering enough rental clubs can also be a challenge.
Staff at Kingsmill Resort near Williamsburg, Va., realized early on that renting enough clubs for corporate group of 180 — about 75 percent of which were traveling from other countries — was going to be a challenge.
“To rent clubs for 100 some people logistically is a nightmare,” said Chris Kelley, national sales manager. But there were other reasons the resort decided to offer the group a nontraditional golf event.
“It was also a high-profile group and there was a lot of emphasis on results, so taking an afternoon off to play golf” wasn’t a good fit, said Kelley.
The resort remedied the situation by creating a multidimensional golf event that “gave everyone a taste” of the game, said Kelley.
Tables and food stations were set for an outdoor reception on a terrace that overlooks two of the resort’s three courses. A guitarist played cover songs.
Three golf-related activities were designed along the fringes of the terrace. There was a nine-hole putting contest on the practice green, a closest-to-the-pin bunker shot from one of the sand bunkers nearby and a best-drive contest.
Using tree branches and other materials, resort staff re-created the back nine of Kingsmill’s Pete Dye River Course on the putting green. The more avid golfers enjoyed the driving contest the resort added drive-simulator technology that allowed golfers to see their swing. “The interest in that was more from the avid golfers, who took more swings,” said Kelley.
Overall, the evening was a hit and even those who didn’t play enjoyed the setting and the food and drink. “One component we wished we had added was spa chairs so we could give people two- to three-minute massage,” he said.
“When all was said and done, the evening cost under $20 a person,” said Kelley. “A round of golf on the River Course would have been $150 and up.”
757-253-1703
www.kingsmill.com
Let Annika be the answer
If time and money aren’t in short supply, a day spent with this generation’s greatest female golfer can be arranged.
Annika Sorenstam, the Swedish golfer who won 10 major championships, eight LPGA Player of the Year awards and 85 tournaments worldwide, is now star of the Annika Academy, a golf school in Reunion, Fla., near Orlando.
Golfers can train with Sorenstam and her staff at the academy, but the team will also go on the road to work with small corporate groups.
Although the academy customizes programs, a popular format for incentives or client appreciation events is a day of golf with Sorenstam. Average group size is around 30 people.
An interesting golf course at or near a group’s meeting venue serves as the event site. Sorenstam and about a half dozen of her staff, including her swing coach Henri Reis, are on hand.
The day begins with breakfast, during which Sorenstam and her team meet and greet golfers.
“We try to put people at ease,” said Pam Kehoe, the academy’s director of operations.
After breakfast, the group heads to the driving range, for a 30- to 60-minute clinic led by Sorenstam. From there, smaller groups rotate through a series of training stations that focus on an aspect of the game, such as putting or chipping.
Those sessions last until lunchtime. Some groups opt for a sit-down gathering; others prefer to grab box lunches and head to the golf course for a round with Sorenstam and her team.
During the shotgun-start competition, Sorenstam and crew spread out among the holes. She plays two holes with each group.
Her team members work with the golfers, reinforcing what they learned during the clinic “but in a fun way,” said Kehoe.
When play ends, Sorenstam poses for commemorative photos. A cocktail reception closes the day, and Sorenstam takes the floor for a Q- and-A session. Many, but not all of the questions concern golf.
“They also love knowing about her family and her love of cooking. They’ll want to see picture of her kids,” said Kehoe.
What golfers seem to enjoy most about the day, not surprisingly, is spending time with Sorenstam. What is surprising to many is how down-to-earth, personable and funny Sorenstam is. Being the holder of one-third of all LPGA records has not gone to her head.
“She is fun and witty and engages the guests,” said Kehoe. “She jokes with them, asks them questions, makes them feel like she is a friend of theirs.”
888-266-4522
www.theannikaacademy.com
