It’s one thing to have a signature course, but combining golf with the overall hospitality experience makes for a truly remarkable destination.
I’ve written before that Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., is, in my opinion, the best destination golf facility in the country.
Most of us know about the courses that are simply superb, but at Bandon, it’s the whole experience—from the time you drop off your bags until you drive away—that is uniformly excellent. The staff, the food, the accommodations, and the overall “feel” of the facility is second to none.
General Manager/Vice President Hank Hickox, management company KemperSports, and owner Mike Keiser have every reason to be proud. Since Bandon Dunes opened in 1999, they have maintained and improved on a stellar facility. Donald Trump may not agree, but there is no finer golf experience in the U.S.
But Arcadia Bluffs in Arcadia, Mich., may be in the running to be competitive with Bandon in terms of the total golf experience. It is situated on a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan and the course is spectacular (though difficult). Here, too, from the time you drive up and drop off your bags to the time you leave, the staff is friendly, willing to help, and seems to have a sense of joy that you are at their facility.
This kind of attitude is not a sole function of hiring practices, which are important, but of the overall management philosophy and execution. At no time or place was the attitude of the staff anything but positive and indicative of a willingness to help.
Just as Bandon Dunes is managed to near perfection, so too is Arcadia Bluffs. In today’s golf industry, where more courses are closing than are being built, it is no small achievement to have a public golf facility that is maxed out on golf rounds, accommodations almost always filled to capacity, and a staff that conveys the notion that they want you to have a superb time—and seems to be enjoying themselves as well.
It’s one thing to have a signature course, but combining golf with the overall hospitality experience makes for a truly remarkable destination.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.