What do you do when your attendees experience technology overload and they need a break from computers, tablets and mobile phones?
You venture outside for lawn games, of course.
Resorts are bringing back classic outdoor games popular in 1950s and 60s for attendees seeking a reprieve from intense meetings and people that just want good old-fashioned fun away from electronics.
“We’re catering to the growing demand for unique teambuilding with a variety of outdoor lawn games,” says John L. Parkinson, general manager at Hilton West Palm Beach. “We brought on a dedicated Director of Lawn Games who works directly with groups to build a robust outdoor experience.”
The fun’s just getting started when the sun sets at Hilton West Palm Beach, in Florida, which recently introduced a variety of glow-in-the-dark games such as bocce ball, ladder golf and bean bag toss.
Elsewhere in Florida, The Reach in Key West has giant poolside chess; the Aloft in South Beach features life-size tic-tac-toe, beanbag toss and oversized dice games and the Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village in Cape Coral has horseshoe toss, water balloon toss cornhole and ladderball.
In Hawaii, the Hilton Hawaiian Village is known for its traditional Hawaiian bowling and hula hoop competitions and the Aston Mahana at Kaanapali has oceanfront shuffleboard.
Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C., which is renowned for its nine championship courses, has been offering lawn games since it’s opening in 1895. Bean bag toss, bocce ball, ring toss and horseshoes highlight the extensive lawn game menu.
In Colorado, the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa encourages attendees to embrace the outdoors in the spring and summer with a lawn games menu featuring volleyball, croquet, badminton, miniature golf and disc golf and bocce ball.
The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor, Mich., offers bocce ball, croquet and horseshoes at its Beach Club.
For croquet enthusiasts, the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., has a spectacular complex with four full-size, USCA tournament quality croquet lawns and one practice/instructional area.
Archery is making a comeback and the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Va., has a range with ten stations with distances of 10, 10, 25 and 35 yards. Other resorts offering archery include the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H., Resort at Glade springs in Daniels, W.V., and Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Mont.
