Planners who would like to add a leisurely and picturesque outing to the itinerary, namely one that bonds the team beyond the meeting room, should look to the Peach State’s many golf courses.
Some of the best courses are situated either nearby meetings-friendly properties or on-site at some of Georgia’s most popular resorts, and all are available for fun tournaments paired with meal functions, receptions, award ceremonies and other gatherings before and after play.
Stone Mountain Golf Club, Stone Mountain
Located just 16 miles from downtown Atlanta is the AAA Four Diamond Atlanta Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort, which features 40,000 square feet of meeting space and the Stone Mountain Golf Club.
The golf club has two scenic championship courses at the foot of Stone Mountain: Stonemont, with challenging narrow fairways and strategically placed bunkers, and Lakemont, with several holes along Stone Mountain Lake.
The golf courses, according to Jeanine Jones, spokeswoman for Stone Mountain Park, specialize in corporate tournaments and will customize both golf packages and food and beverage needs to suit any group.
The golf club complex, Jones adds, includes a restaurant, full bar and meeting facilities that accommodate up to 150 golfers.
“The Robert Trent Jones Sr. Room is wonderful for pre- and post-event functions,” she says. “And awards receptions can take place on the Commons Restaurant clubhouse deck overlooking the lake.”
The Club at Savannah Harbor, Savannah
Named “Savannah’s Golf Centerpiece” by Golf Magazine, the Club at the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa has been the annual home of the PGA Tour’s Champions Tour Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf tournament since 2003.
The Club at Savannah Harbor offers any tournament format a planner could dream up for their group, according to Jeff Hewitt, vice president of business development and destination services for Visit Savannah.
“It offers a fun format called ‘Chip off the Deck,’ a closest-to-the-pin competition that can be part of the group’s cocktail reception,” he says. “A mat is placed on the patio deck and contestants can chip for prizes.”
The Club also offers an air-conditioned pavilion that can seat up to 180 people, located between the 9th and 18th greens, for gatherings before or after hitting the links.
Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, Valdosta
Kinderlou Forest Golf Club, one of the newer kids on the block, opened in April 2004 and has since hosted six PGA Nationwide Tour events and many corporate group outings.
The topography of the golf course includes hills, making it unusual for the region, which is known for its flat terrain, according to Tyra Howard, spokeswoman for Valdosta-Lowndes County Tourism Authority.
Groups eager for lunch or dinner after play should reserve The Oaks, a restaurant that opened last August inside the clubhouse. Its menus feature steaks, fresh seafood and specialties including The 3 Putt, a lunchtime offering of three miniature prime rib sandwiches served on slider rolls and served with homemade au jus sauce.
Howard adds that The Oaks is undergoing an expansion project to add a large banquet facility for group gatherings.
Jekyll Island Golf Club, Jekyll Island
The Jekyll Island Golf Club, the largest public golf facility in the state, includes three 18-hole golf courses—Pine Lakes, Indian Mound and Oleander—that are all serviced by one clubhouse.
“They all begin and end at the same location,” says Rob Ellis, spokesman for the Jekyll Island CVB. “And the golf club offers an upstairs banquet space with beautiful panoramic views of all three golf courses.”
Jekyll Island, he adds, is able to accommodate any and all requests for corporate tournaments or group outings, including incorporating fun contests ranging from hole-in-one and closest to the hole to long drive and long putt.
“We are also able to provide many buffet options before or after the round, along with a private or public beverage cart while on the course,” he says. “We will then score your event, and gift certificates or prizes are available for purchase in our remodeled state-of-the-art golf shop.”
