As meeting planners look for fresh ways to engage attendees, golf stands the test of time. Golf remains a favorite because it offers something many activities cannot: a relaxed environment where business relationships develop naturally, conversations flow easily, and memorable experiences extend well beyond the meeting room.
Today’s golf resorts are evolving to meet changing expectations. Although championship courses remain a major draw, planners increasingly seek destinations that combine golf with wellness, outdoor recreation, culinary experiences, and activities that appeal to every attendee, whether or not they ever pick up a club.
“Golf saw a resurgence during the pandemic, with more people playing the game than ever,” says Ann McAuliffe, vice president of sales for Pebble Beach Resorts in Pebble Beach, Calif. “The sport is unique in its appeal to all age groups and can now be played on or off the course.”
The renewed interest has helped position golf resorts as complete meeting destinations rather than simply places to schedule afternoon tournaments.
At Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah, planners are seeking programs to maximize every minute attendees spend together. “Demand has fully rebounded and expanded,” says Kim Lower, director of sales. “Meeting professionals must justify ROI and business purpose. They’re searching for memorable experiences for greater impact in less time.”
Shared experiences
While golf has always provided opportunities for networking, today’s planners incorporate the game very differently than they did even a few years ago. In addition to traditional tournaments, many groups are incorporating putting contests, glow golf, golf simulators, short-course play, and friendly skills competitions that welcome participants
of every experience level.
At Pebble Beach Resorts, McAuliffe notes the emphasis has shifted toward making golf approachable while preserving its ability to bring people together. “Golf can serve as an icebreaker,” she says. “Glow golf during opening receptions, putting contests, closest-to-the-pin challenges, and pairing people together all help grow relationships.”
The resort’s Swing Suites also let attendees compete in a casual setting while relaxing over food and drinks.
“These various formats introduce fun competition without requiring attendees to be scratch golfers,” McAuliffe says. “It’s now a fun sport for all.”
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., takes a similar approach. Groups increasingly want customized golf experiences rather than one-size-fits-all tournaments, says Mike Silvestro, who manages golf groups for the resort. Planners often ask the resort’s tournament professionals to create branded competitions, customized merchandise, sponsorship opportunities, and formats tailored to their individual organization.
“They’re looking to our tournament team to help them come up with ideas,” Silvestro says. “Whether it’s branding, sponsorships, or tournament formats, groups want experiences that really shine and become memorable.”
Easy logistics remain an important consideration. The Broadmoor’s two championship courses, known as The Broadmoor Golf Club, are located on property, allowing attendees to walk directly from guest rooms or meeting spaces to the first tee.
“I get asked all the time, ‘How do we access the golf courses?’” Silvestro says. “Here, you walk over, the pro shop is right there, you jump in your cart, and the range is right there.”
Courses with credentials
A celebrated course can be an attendance driver, particularly for incentive winners and clients who may view the round as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Pebble Beach Golf Links, designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant and opened in 1919, has hosted six U.S. Opens, the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, and decades of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The U.S. Open is scheduled to return in 2027, giving groups the chance to play oceanfront holes associated with some of the game’s greatest champions.
“Incentive groups and client entertainment are the top groups looking for the entire destination experience,” McAuliffe says. “It’s a bucket-list experience for many. An invitation to Pebble Beach is one that people clear their calendar for, and it paves the way for meaningful connection framed by an unforgettable backdrop.”
The Broadmoor’s golf history begins with Donald Ross, who designed the resort’s original course, and Robert Trent Jones Sr., who later added and redesigned holes now included in the East and West courses. The East Course has hosted the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Open, and multiple U.S. Senior Opens.
Black Desert Resort offers a newer connection to professional golf. Its course—the final design of World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Weiskopf in collaboration with Phil Smith—winds through ancient black lava fields beneath southern Utah’s red cliffs. The property brought the PGA TOUR back to Utah in 2024 and hosted an LPGA Tour event in 2025.
“Golf-focused resorts continue to resonate with corporate groups because they uniquely deliver relationship-building, productivity, and high-end incentive value in one environment—something few other venue types can replicate at the same level,” Lower says.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort features three Pete Dye-designed courses—Snow Mountain, Sun Mountain, and The Wolf—approximately 25 minutes northwest of the Las Vegas Strip. Multiple tee options allow planners to match the experience to attendees’ different abilities, while The Wolf provides a marquee challenge for accomplished players.
Black Mesa Golf Club in Española, N.M., offers another bucket-list setting. Designed by Baxter Spann on Santa Clara Pueblo land, the course moves through sandstone ridges and high-desert terrain and has earned recognition from national golf publications.
“The scenery is high-desert golf at its best,” says Laurie Meredith, director of golf operations. “Combined with Santa Fe, the art, culture, and hotels, it becomes a destination people really want to visit.”
Fun by design
Novelty add-ons can loosen up an opening reception, energize a meeting break, or give non-golfers a low-pressure way into the experience. The most successful choices don’t feel tacked onto the agenda; they support the event’s purpose while giving attendees something to talk about.
Pebble Beach can bring glow golf into an opening reception, stage putting and closest-to-the-pin contests, or use simulator play as a casual mixer. The Hay, its Tiger Woods-designed nine-hole short course with a 20,000-square-foot putting course, can accommodate private tournaments and group buyouts. Attendees who prefer not to golf can follow the action, essentially turning the events into social gatherings for everyone.
Black Desert Resort’s illuminated two-acre putting green adds an after-dark option once daytime sessions conclude. Planners can organize team putting matches, accuracy challenges, or long-distance contests. TrackMan technology on the driving range and in the golf simulators can turn distance, accuracy, and swing data into measurable competitions.
The Broadmoor carries customization through the welcome experience, the course, and the awards presentation. Silvestro recently worked with a group on a Callaway-branded experience in its welcome area and continued the theme during the golf event. The resort’s golf team can also coordinate company-branded merchandise, tournament formats, sponsor elements, and prizes.
“Golf is golf, and it’s a great golf course, but we always ask, ‘What else can we do to really make this something that shines for our golfers?’” Silvestro adds.
Black Mesa Golf Club’s tournament package supports longest-drive and closest-to-the-pin contests, custom logo merchandise and golf awards, group clinics, and stations a professional out on the driving range. “It’s competition, but it’s friendly competition,” Meredith says. “People let their guard down and relax.” Meredith says the club will even open on a day when it is normally closed to accommodate a corporate event.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort’s tournament operation coordinates tee sponsor signs, amenities, scoring, and merchandise for groups. Those services give planners a framework for adding hole-by-hole challenges or team awards without managing every detail themselves.
Recognition can extend beyond the lowest score. Planners can add an award for the longest putt, most improved swing, liveliest foursome, and best team name, making it fun for everyone—beginners, avid golfers, and attendees who choose to simply watch
the action. What’s more, a short-course contest can fit into a tighter agenda, while simulator stations can remain open during
a hospitality reception.
Learn from the pros
Both experienced and beginner golfers can benefit from onsite instructors. Clinics, warm-up sessions, and short-game lessons give inexperienced attendees enough confidence to participate, while accomplished players can sharpen their skills.
For instance, group programs at Pebble Beach Golf Academy can include a brief presentation of Pebble Beach’s history and offerings, full-swing and short-game instruction, and guided play at The Hay. “The popularity of short courses has introduced that same dynamic in a smaller time window,” McAuliffe says, “and we see more groups taking this opportunity at our Tiger Woods-designed short course, The Hay.”
Coaching and warm-up sessions can begin before the first tee time and continue as each group tees off, while brush-up programs help experienced golfers prepare for the resort’s courses. Simulator sessions offer another relaxed way for planners to introduce iconic Pebble Beach holes.
Black Desert Resort’s Golf Academy offers private lessons and small-group clinics customized to players’ abilities. PGA-certified instructors can use the TrackMan-enabled driving range, chipping green, and illuminated putting facilities to create sessions ranging from a quick agenda addition to a more intensive golf school.
Black Mesa Golf Club offers Get Golf Ready clinics, customized group lessons, and skill-focused instruction by an onsite LPGA teaching professional. Its driving range, short-game area, and two putting greens can support rotating stations before tournaments or stand-alone team activities.
The Broadmoor’s Golf with a Legend package includes the chance for groups of 12 to 24 players to play with PGA TOUR’s legendary Hale Irwin, who has a storied history at The Broadmoor. As part of the three-day package, groups will enjoy a practice round on the East Course on the first day, followed by a round on the West Course and a clinic by The Broadmoor teaching staff on the second day, and a round of golf with Irwin on the East Course on the third day. Irwin will play an equal number of holes with each foursome. Planners can also work with The Broadmoor’s tournament team to arrange pre-round activities and use the resort’s two full-service practice facilities.
The objective isn’t necessarily for all attendees to become avid golfers. A successful clinic gives newcomers enough knowledge to feel comfortable, makes the activity less intimidating, and creates another shared experience among colleagues.
Gather by the green
Golf-adjacent venues allow the networking to continue after the final putt. Clubhouse meeting rooms, patios, and terraces can host strategy sessions, receptions, meals, and awards without losing the atmosphere that made the outing distinctive.
“Golf resorts offer a complete luxury experience in one destination, combining meetings, dining, and golf,” McKeany says. “They create a productive but relaxed atmosphere that encourages stronger engagement and relationship-building among attending guests.”
The Broadmoor Golf Club includes three meeting rooms named for Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones Sr., and Dow Finsterwald, along with the Judy Bell Foyer, Golf Club Porch, and Championship Patio. The patio accommodates receptions of up to 400 and overlooks the courses and surrounding mountains, while the porch provides a smaller setting for post-round refreshments or luncheons.
Pebble Beach’s Fairway One Meeting Facility sits steps from the first tee of Pebble Beach Golf Links. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the first fairway, and the terrace can accommodate outdoor receptions or meeting breaks with up to 225 guests. The entire Fairway One complex, including the meeting facility, guest rooms, and two four-bedroom golf cottages, can be bought out for an exclusive group experience.
The clubhouse patio at Black Mesa Golf Club is available for meetings and private parties, offering views across the Española Valley toward the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountain ranges. The Black Mesa Grill and bar can support a post-round meal and awards programs, keeping the group together after play.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort’s flexible spaces range from an intimate conference room to a 5,000-square-foot venue overlooking the desert and golf courses. Indoor rooms and outdoor terraces allow groups to move from a meeting to golf, and then to cocktails, dinner, or a recognition ceremony, without leaving the property.
These venues also give non-golfers a way to be part of the experience. Attendees can join the group for an opening clinic, watch a putting contest, meet players at the clubhouse, and take part in the reception or awards program, even if they skip the full round.
Time to connect
While golf adds a fun activity to meetings, planners still need golf to support a business objective. Pairings, formats, and post-round gatherings can be designed to entertain clients, reward performance, or bring together colleagues from different departments and regions.
Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort continues to see demand from finance, technology, healthcare, and luxury brands seeking an upscale setting that combines productivity, networking, and hospitality, according to Ayeesha McKeany, marketing and public relations representative for the resort, which is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Paiute Tribe. “Spending several hours together on the course seems to encourage stronger business relationships, team camaraderie, and client connections in a way traditional meeting rooms often cannot,” McKeany says.
Recently hosted groups offer practical examples. The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association returns to Black Mesa Golf Club annually, using the outing to entertain customers and show appreciation to its members. Other companies bring sales teams as a reward for strong performance.
Thoughtful pairings can be as important as the competition format. A scramble helps beginners contribute without feeling responsible for every shot. A short-course event can rotate attendees through more interactions than a conventional round. Client groups can place company leaders with customers they need to know better, while internal meetings can mix generations, regions, or departments.
“It gives people a chance to find out better who they’re working with or for,” Meredith says. “They will talk about different things that they normally wouldn’t get a chance to talk about at a conference, at the dinner table, or during meetings.”
Golf’s rhythm helps those conversations develop without forcing them. Attendees can discuss business, focus on the next shot, laugh at a difficult hole, or simply enjoy the setting. That balance is difficult to recreate during a scheduled networking break.
Beyond the fairway
Golf should remain central to a golf-and-meetings program, but planners still need options for attendees who do not play or who want a break between rounds. A few carefully selected alternatives can broaden participation without turning the agenda into an unrelated list of resort amenities.
“The opportunities are so abundant that we have created an itinerary builder for our guests to maximize their time at Black Desert Resort,” Lower says. “As planners become more intentional with their agenda design, it must include a distinctive experience for all attendees, not just the golfers.”
Pebble Beach groups can pair golf with kayaking or paddleboarding in Stillwater Cove, spa time, or a trip along 17-Mile Drive. The Broadmoor offers fly fishing, hiking, ziplining, mountain biking, pickleball, and excursions to Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods. Black Desert Resort’s setting supports guided hikes, e-bike rides, canyoneering, pickleball, and
spa experiences.
Those alternatives work best when they complement the golf program. A planner might schedule a beginner clinic and putting reception for the entire group, then offer championship golf and an outdoor excursion during the same afternoon. Everyone reunites for dinner or awards with a different experience to share.
Golf resorts will remain competitive by protecting the game’s enduring strengths while removing barriers to participation. Storied courses and famous architects may attract attendees, but creative contests, professional instruction, short formats, distinctive meeting spaces, and expert tournament teams make the experience work for an entire group. As Lower says, “It’s not just about meeting space and guest rooms any longer. The real ROI includes more.”
Golf’s lasting value remains straightforward: It gives people time together, a little friendly competition, and room for conversation. Resorts that make the game welcoming, inventive, and easy to incorporate will continue helping planners drive engagement—one round, clinic, contest, and connection at a time.
