Barnsley Resort, situated on 3,300 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains 60 miles outside of Atlanta, offers an escape from city life that comes complete with ample meeting space and facilities.
The village feel of the resort and the surrounding scenery set the mood for outdoor group activities. Just a few of the resort amenities that can be tailored for groups are a Fazio-designed golf course, a 20-station sporting clays course, bird and predator hunting at SpringBank Plantation, and horseback riding.
“We are able to seamlessly blend the great outdoors with start-of-the-art facilities, not to mention Southern charm for days,” explained Buddy Nichols, director of sporting and recreation for the resort.
For more challenging and teambuilding-focused adventure, there is the Rodeo Roundup, during which teams participate in a series of Western-themed challenges such as roping competitions, horseshoe pitching, BB shooting, archery and Blind Horse Lead Obstacle Course, where participants are divided into pairs with one on horseback and the other serving as a guide on the ground, leading the horse and rider through the obstacle course. However, the guide is blindfolded, relying on directions given by the rider.
More curated options are available via the Barnsley Olympics, where teams compete in a variety events such as blanket volleyball, mountain bike and kayak relays, paintball and archery fisbee golf.
“A couple of the most popular teambuilding items are the scavenger hunt, which incorporates the history of the resort as well as an opportunity for the participants to explore the historic sites and natural environment, and The ‘Build a Boat, Sink or Float,’” Nichols said. “And we continue to see more and more requests for activities that give back to the local community.”
All the fun doesn’t have to be outside. The Sushi Chef Challenge is a Food Network-inspired adventure. A demonstration class is followed by a culinary competition with the resort chefs there to do the final judging.
Some big news at the resort is the upcoming addition of a new indoor and outdoor meeting and special events venue as well as a new 55-room inn. Upon completion, the resort will offer a total of 150 guest rooms and 14,300 square feet of indoor meeting space.
The Georgian Hall Conference Center will offer 9,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and 8,350 square feet available outdoors. The 5,000-square-foot Savannah Ballroom will have a capacity for 500 guests and can be divided into two smaller rooms. Additional spaces includes the 1,440-square-foot, divisible Dalton Room and the Estate Lawn.
The new event facilities are expected to debut in early 2018.