The team at Anthem Country Club (Henderson, Nev.) brought the holiday cheer to the golf course this year by updating the “superintendent’s revenge” with a Grinch-themed experience that prioritized laughter and creativity over the scorecard.
“The concept has existed in golf for years, but we loved the idea of reimagining it,” says Jennifer Neal, Clubhouse Manager. “It gave us the opportunity to create something festive, interactive, and unexpected while staying true to the spirit of the game.” 
How the Grinch stole the show
The entire event was designed around the goal of creating a lighthearted, entertaining atmosphere that members would not forget.
“[We wanted] to give our membership something fun, unique and memorable during the holiday season—an experience that went well beyond a traditional golf event,” says Neal. “We wanted members to laugh, connect with one another and enjoy a completely different kind of day at the club.”
Director of Golf Travis Long took on the role of the Grinch. Long, who has been with Anthem for more than 17 years, fully embraced the character, adding another layer of entertainment to the day.
Meanwhile, the grounds team got to work creating Grinch-inspired challenges throughout the golf course.
“Think piled tires, tree obstacles and other unexpected challenges placed strategically throughout the course,” says Neal. “The creativity of the setup is really what brought the theme to life and gave golfers something to react to at every turn.”
Neal says 90 members participated—an overwhelming and gratifying response to a first-year event.
A clubwide collaboration
As members took part in the fun, plenty of planning happened behind the scenes to bring this event to life.
Alicia Dominguez, Director of Events and Communications, says the club began preparing about four months in advance, with departments working together to develop the course challenges, coordinating logistics, and building excitement among membership.
“This was genuinely a club-wide effort,” says Neal. “Our events team handled planning and execution, the golf team managed tournament operations and member engagement, food and beverage ran beverage service throughout the course, and our grounds team designed and built the themed course challenges.”
The payoff was clear. Members embraced the event, generating the kind of organic buzz clubs hope for when launching something new.
“Months later, people are still bringing it up,” she says. “That’s the best feedback we could have asked for.”
Sometimes the most successful events happen when everyone—members and staff—gets to have fun and not take themselves too seriously, Neal says.
