Hawaii Suppliers Address Rising Corp. Interest In Golf

In assessing the financial contribution of meetings and incentives to Hawaii's economy, one cannot ignore the role played by America's leading corporate and leisure activity--golf.

How important is teeing off to the islands' bottom line? According to Janet Brown, director of meetings and incentives for the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, "just about everything we help arrange includes some golf."

Contributing to the game's rising popularity in corporate circles is the increase in women who are picking up the club. Brown said that when the Meeting Industry Ladies Organization showed up at the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island two months ago, more than 300 meeting professionals converged on the two Waikoloa golf courses for planned activities.

"Women are coming here along with the men on business, and they too want to be part of the sporting activities," said Kimberly Mikami, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii Hilton.

Another source of growth is the pool of inexperienced players attending corporate functions. Mikami said her property offers a program that introduces the game to non-golfers, an appealing option for planners. Those who have never held a club before can participate in a beginners' school where they'll progress through a series of stations learning how to swing, chip, putt and get out of bunkers. "This is a neat thing for those who want to take part in the golfing end of the activities, but have never had the opportunity to take lessons before," Mikami said. A follow-up round of nine holes also can be included in this activity.

But there are plenty of activities for non-playing delegates as well. "A full-service resort, such as the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, offers not just golf, but many activities non-golfers would enjoy, such as a 25,000-square-foot spa, a fascinating dolphin program and a wildlife program," Brown said. "When non-playing spouses are along, these value-added facilities can really be important."

Another important strategy centers on enhancing and customizing the game for the corporate client.

Rick Castillo, head pro and golf director at the Wailea on Maui, said he can set up just about any kind of golf event a company might want, from straight play to a full-blown, professionally run shotgun tournament. "We can put together a special putting course, or coordinate a private week-long academy," he said. "We can even arrange to get smoking golf balls if you want."

It's not unusual for a company golf outing to offer more than the tournament: Many participate in clinics, private lessons and video instruction. The quality of the course and even the number of courses are important considerations when selecting a meetings venue.

Because the travel industry realizes the importance of the golf component, several courses on the islands are associated with one or more hotels.

"We work closely with the adjacent Marriott Hotel--a high percentage of the guests book tee times," said Walter Agena, director of sales and marketing for the Kauai Lagoons Golf Course. "We cooperate with them on a daily basis to set up group tournaments and golf programs for their clients."

Other hotels that have relationships with golf courses include:

* On Lana'i, The Challenge at Manele and The Experience at Koele are part of the Manele Bay Hotel and The Lodge at Koelea resort complex now managed by Rosewood Hotels, which includes a 12,000-square-foot conference center with three meeting rooms.

* On Maui, more than a dozen courses are associated with hotels. Kaanapali, for example, is a well-established meetings center with more than 4,400 rooms at six hotels and three condominiums, including the Hyatt Regency Maui, the Maui Marriott Resort and the Westin Maui. Conference facilities include outdoor theaters, several meeting rooms, ballrooms and breakout rooms. One of the two championship golf courses was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., and the other by Arthur Jack Snyder.

Kapalua in West Maui boasts three 18-hole courses--two designed by Palmer and one by Ben Crenshaw.

* The 9,000-acre Princeville Resort community on Kauai includes the 27-hole Makai Course, the 18-hole Prince Course and the Princeville Hotel. The hotel includes a 6,600-square-foot grand ballroom and an adjoining 2,800-square-foot Bay Terrace with four conference rooms.

* The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island offers 21,000 square feet of function space. Its sister property, the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, features an 8,428-square-foot ballroom, six meeting rooms and over 50,000 square feet of outdoor function space. Guests at both properties can play golf at the Mauna Kea's seaside championship golf course.

* Oahu offers close to 20 courses, including the Ko Olina Golf Club, a new course highlighted by cascading waterfalls and rolling fairways. Guests at the Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki can take a shuttle from the city center to the 27-hole Hawaii Prince Club and to the links course at Kuilima by the Turtle Bay.

In addition to hotels, groups are using golf courses as separate meetings venues. At Maui's Wailea Golf Club last spring, a new state-of-the-art training facility invited non-golfing groups to use the area. The first major event brought 600 guests to the site for a dinner reception. Sixty tables were set on the plateau of the driving range, and 13 of the island's major restaurants set up dining stations around the area.

For more-experienced golfers, the chance to share the same turf with world-class pros brings some groups to Hawaii during major golf tournaments.

Pro-ams are used as powerful incentives for major corporations. A top salesperson or a big client can be teamed up with a high-profile player such as Tiger Woods or Corey Pavin.

In addition to playing with the greats, participants are given attractive gifts and prizes such as golf bags, shoes and clubs.