Standing on the tee 119 yards from the intimidating island green at the famous number 17 hole at the TPC THE PLAYERS Stadium Course, you soon discover if you’re a contender or pretender as a golfer.
Playing golf on one of the world’s iconic courses was one of the many highlights of a productive Meetings Focus Live! event Nov. 2-5 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Enhancing the overall experience were the accommodations and meeting facilities at the 510-room Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa. Set on 63 beautifully landscaped acres, the property features 99 holes of golf, including two championship layouts at TPC Sawgrass, and 61,000 square feet of meeting space.
Away from the fairways, the Meetings Focus Live! attendees were introduced to each other at an opening night reception, dining on fish tacos and pasta with Bolognese sauce.
“For planners, it’s a great way to meet new people, exchange ideas and break away from the daily grind,” says Ron Slucker, president of IMPACT 365, an event planning company in Chicago. “You get different perspectives on how to approach certain issues and problems and new ways to accomplish goals.”
Attendees at the reception were introduced to John Chen, CEO of Geoteaming, a Seattle-based company that planned and executed a high-tech teambuilding experience and corporate social responsibility activity for the event.
The following day, everybody was up early for a “scramble” format tournament on the recently enhanced and refurbished TPC Dye’s Valley Course.
After the round, there was a business exchange in the Champions Ballroom between suppliers and planners.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of planners,” says Drew Toth, director of sales and marketing for Mission Resort & Club, a resort with two 18-hole golf courses in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., near Orlando. “Several had specific business to discuss and even requested site inspections at our resort.”
The keynote speaker the following morning for an education session was Bill Hughes, the general manager/regional director of TPC operations. In a highly entertaining presentation, Hughes emphasized the importance of experiential travel.
“You can have a fantastic resort or destination, but it’s really about how you make people feel,” Hughes says.
Later, the attendees proceeded to the TPC Stadium Course for a spectacular and memorable round of golf.
“We left a few golf ball souvenirs in the water at the island hole,” quipped an attendee.
