Boulders Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, AZ

Michelle Dehne, events manager of dealer programs at MasterBrand Inc. in Howard Lake, MN, describes golf courses at luxury resorts as “nature’s ballroom.” Attendees can relax among peers, clients and partners and get business done. In this regard, golf greens are among the most productive meeting venues that planners can secure.

Across the country, golf- and spa-based resorts remain popular sites for corporate meetings and events. The mix of business and pleasure is a powerful combination, and attracts a large number of attendees who appreciate having top-flight amenities onsite.

The properties have perks for meeting planners as well. There is the option to build wellness activities into the event agenda or allocate a greater than usual amount of free time for attendees to choose their preferred escape from a long day’s worth of meetings and sessions.

While pickleball, sound baths and animal-infused yoga sessions are emerging as new wellness trends, traditional golf and spa options remain tough to beat. And when they are not available during an event, the amenities are missed, says Courtney Santillan, president of Tality Events in Boise, ID, which plans corporate meetings and incentives. “You always want to include golf and spa,” Santillan says.

Outside of amenities, the luxury resorts typically provide stellar service, an important piece to impress your VIPs and ease planners’ jobs. Here, we explore why you’ll score big with golf and spa resorts hosting your next meeting or incentive.

Out of the Rough

After working the phones to drive sales, build brand awareness and tend to clients’ needs, corporate workers long for escapes from the daily grind. Whether they are a few hours from the big city or only a few minutes from a major airport, luxurious resorts act as an oasis.

Mark Twain may have called golf a “good walk spoiled,” but there’s little that can take away from the paths, trails and scenic venues curated by resort staff that invoke awe and serenity.

Nestled on a 102-acre luxury estate along the coastline, the Mediterranean-style Terranea Resort, in Rancho Palos, CA, has the type of atmosphere perfect to draw attendees. The destination also offers more than 135,000 sf of flexible meeting and event space for up to 1,500 attendees.

The “elegance and sheer grandeur of the resort itself” made Dehne’s choice easy when selecting a site for an incentive program last year. “It offered stunning views and a wide range of activities; exactly the kind of elevated guest experience we wanted to deliver,”she says.

Another property known for being a scenic retreat is the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa in Galena, IL. Its remote, retreat-like environment about two hours outside of Chicago is ideal to take a meaningful break from the day-to-day duties while remaining productive, whether you are hosting a sales meeting, retreat, incentive program or teambuilding exercises. The resort’s environment naturally encourages more interaction and relationship-building among attendees as they wander around the premises. Evening receptions on the Point Patio overlooking the lake are just an example of how planners can take advantage of non-traditional venues as a breath of fresh air after a long day of education and meetings.

Within Range

Another aspect that planners search for when selecting a property is the convenience of its location. One of the great things about the Terranea Resort is that it is only a short drive from Los Angeles International Airport.

The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, AZ, has a similar appeal, as it sits 25 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, a major hub. Despite its desert location, The Wigwam can be best described as “lush and beautifully manicured,” according to Cindy Rosbrook, president and owner of Conference Solutions in Anthem, AZ, who has held corporate meetings at the resort for decades. “It’s a true hidden gem and on my list for best corporate meeting properties,” she says.

Getting away from it all definitely has its advantages for some groups. Captive Resources has been holding its annual meeting at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, WI for longer than the 18 years that Jason Gross, one of Captive Resources’ vice presidents of travel, has been with the company.

Located about 75 minutes from Itasca, IL, where Captive Resources is based, just outside of Chicago, Grand Geneva has proven to be a nice respite from the office, and the change of scenery has facilitated relationship-building between the company’s various teams, and helps bridge generation gaps among staff, Gross says.

Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL

Above-Par Service

The care for the grounds is often indicative of the type of stellar service attendees will receive at luxury golf and spa resorts. After organizing the Golbon food show in April 2026, Tality Event’s meeting team said Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, FL lived up to the reputation of its namesake founder. Harris Rosen, the independent Orlando-based hotelier, was a local hospitality legend who founded The Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida to create generations of top support staff. “Rosen sets the bar high,” says Erica Griebling, Tality Event’s special events coordinator. “It’s an absolutely phenomenal resort.”

Rosen Shingle Creek stood out because it catered equally to the 400 event attendees and 50 accompanying guests. And while the resort is massive — it has more than 1,500 guestrooms and sits on 255 acres — the mid-sized event always felt right-sized onsite due to the staff’s attention to detail. “The hotel might have been too big for us, but it didn’t feel like we were drowning,” Griebling says.

Santillan adds that the warm environment breeds loyalty among meetings and resort staff, many of whom have been at the Rosen Shingle Creek for more than 20 years.

Similarly, The Wigwam benefits from retaining high-quality employees, Rosbrook says. “The staff at The Wigwam maintains extensive tenure and understands the hospitality business, often a rarity these days,” Rosbrook says. “There’s very little turnover, so it is always like ‘coming home’ again.”

Captive Resources keeps coming back each spring to Grand Geneva Resort & Spa due to its strong satisfaction with the site. What began as a 35-person sales meeting has grown to approximately 200 attendees, and the resort has scaled alongside that growth.

As an example, the Grand Geneva closed both courses to accommodate the group’s massive interest in the event. More than 30 attendees came early to sneak in an extra round on the premier greens. About 20 attendees played pickleball instead and more than 30 took advantage of Well Spa & Salon. The staff’s ability to adapt to requests for meetings, golf and spa activities impresses Gross. “I am used to five-star resorts all over the world, and their attention to detail matches those.” He adds: “It’s crazy to say this among the hotel world, but it feels like more of a family-run business than a big corporation.”

Fit to a Tee

Golf maintains its driving power for corporate attendees because it blends recreation with a chance to talk shop. “Every business deal is made on a golf course,” says Griebling, only half-kidding.

Adds Santillan: “We heard multiple people say they wanted to come in early or stay late just to play golf.”

The experience is not unique. As proof of the power of hosting corporate groups at golf and spa resorts, Infinity by Marvin saw a spike in attendance and extended stays during its annual event at Grand Hyatt Scottsdale in Arizona. The gathering of 300 attendees this year was the first time the company kept everything onsite, including an awards gala, and it added a golf tournament as an exclusive activity. The experience was such a hit that the company president proclaimed there will be a golf tournament annually going forward. “We received great feedback,” says Elizabeth Ebner, one of Infinity by Marvin’s event planners, in Warroad, MN.

At some resorts, attendees will come to the event to play a course on their bucket list. Trump National Doral Miami’s Blue Monster course in South Florida has helped distinguish the resort as one of South Florida’s premier golf destinations. Planners of incentive groups and executive retreats can be equally successful organizing tournaments, charity events or more relaxed teambuilding experiences. The championship feel carries over to the meeting amenities, as Trump Doral has more than 100,000 sf of meeting and event space, including grand ballrooms, breakout rooms and outdoor venues, making it an ideal setting for board meetings and conferences for hundreds of attendees.

As one might expect based on its name, the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, FL is also a prime draw for attendees who are also avid golfers. The resort hosts one of pro golf’s top events, the Cognizant Classic, and the most famous of its four courses is the aptly-named Champion Course, which is a destination unto itself for many attendees of incentive trips, executive retreats and sales meetings. Clinics, tournaments and casual play can all be woven into agendas to encourage relationship-building in a relaxed setting.

Yet, the onsite amenities are wide-ranging and cater to all attendees, says Victoria Friel, general manager, and former sales and operations manager, of Kirkland Event & Destination Services, which curates luxury experiences for groups at the PGA. “PGA National Resort’s world-renowned golf courses and exceptional spa facilities create the perfect balance of relaxation and recreation,” says Friel.

A large part of the appeal of Captive Resources’ event at the Grand Geneva is the golf. Of the 200 attendees, 131 participate in a competitive tournament. Many players have low handicaps, demonstrating their prowess. Captive Resources strategically selects the foursomes to make sure the rounds are more than just a good time, Gross says. “The pairings are often specifically put together to develop these relationships and cross-pollinate across the company,” he says.

Dehne says MasterBrand took advantage of Terranea’s par‑3 course to transform a standard golf tournament into a true teambuilding event featuring multiple contests like driving challenges in the simulator, putting competitions on the practice green, and best‑ball scoring within each team.

A Whole in One

The all-in-one nature of the resorts adds flexibility for both attendees and planners. Ashley Vorlicek, Infinity by Marvin’s lead meeting planner, had never organized an event at a resort until an event they held at the beginning of this year. Having a dedicated, knowledgeable staff able to suggest options to maximize the property’s amenities proved invaluable to the small events team, Vorlicek notes. “Everything onsite was just so nice … it was night and day. It made things so much easier for us,” she says.

The result was a greater attendee experience, Vorlicek reports. “The partners found more time to network, and really enjoyed the space that the resort had to offer,” she says.

Some groups, like Captive Resources, may opt to take a full day for golf, spa and other recreational activities. But there is a growing trend to build in free time for attendees to choose to golf, enjoy the spa or hit the pool on their own time. Santillan says that many attendees extended their stay due to the resort’s onsite golf course. “As we start to integrate more leisure time for people,” she says, “it’s ideal to be able to have it right there onsite.”

Also a winning choice, Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, adjacent to the Camelback Mountains, offers 113,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space with Sonoran Desert views. It has a variety of high-end activities for planners and attendees, providing the type of elevated entertainment and dining experiences increasingly valued in incentive travel. There are four restaurants and multiple bars and lounges, including the award-winning Orange Sky Restaurant. The Showroom adds a Vegas-style entertainment component to evening programming. But it is really known for its gaming. It’s a fine way to decompress during executive retreats, leadership summits, larger companywide meetings and more held at the 496-room property.

Beyond the Fairway

It is nice to not have to leave the property when attending an event, but it is also nice to have the option to explore off-sites nearby. The PGA National Resort, for example, is located near a plethora of premier restaurant options in Palm Beach County, FL. “The resort is ideal for dine-around evenings and customized group dinners,” says Friel. “Clients have enjoyed sunset dinner cruises along the Intracoastal Waterway, as well as interactive teambuilding experiences paired with dining at the National Croquet Center.” Likewise, Trump National Doral Miami is a short drive to Miami’s vibrant entertainment scene.

Rosen Shingle Creek is not far from a plethora of possibilities in Orlando from off-site restaurants, theme parks and more. Santillan adds that the venue provided discounted tickets and shuttle service to nearby Universal Studios and reduced prices for tickets to Walt Disney World, which is a short drive away. Disney Springs, a retail and dining district within Disney’s campus, is also popular with attendees at meetings there.

As attendees seek out experience-laden gatherings, golf and spa resorts remain strong candidates for planners looking to accomplish a meeting’s objectives while providing leisure opportunities. |C&IT|