Meeting planners and suppliers gather annually for golf, hospitality and a good time.

Event: M&C Annual Golf Invitational
The 2006 event was held at The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa in Litchfield Park, Ariz. This year’s event will be held Sept. 16-19 at Hershey Resorts, Hershey, Pa.

Meetings and Conventions magazine’s annual golf invitational began in 1992 as a relationship marketing event bringing advertisers (travel industry suppliers) and readers (meeting planning professionals) together to network, golf and have fun. Magazine staff from the special events, sales and marketing departments work each event.

The M&C Annual Invitational is the company’s largest and longest-running event. In addition, two niche market outings are also produced—the Pharmaceutical Meetings Invitational and the Financial Insurance Invitational.

Player recruitment:
Advertisers qualify for a team invitation through advertising participation in the magazine’s golf supplement. Each advertiser completes their foursome by inviting their three best clients. “We qualify all attendees to make sure they have meeting planning job responsibility,” Bernard W. Schraer, group publisher, Meetings and Conventions, says. “We also recruit and qualify additional meeting planner attendees through the magazine. Total attendance is about 125. Attendance has grown since its inception and we now maintain this group size to ensure a quality event.”

Recruitment challenges:
Some advertisers have difficulty completing a foursome, Schraer says, so qualified players are recruited from the magazine readership to help round-out foursomes.

Making it stand out:
The location, always at a top golf resort, changes each year, alternating between East and West venues.

Offer your players the opportunity to leave their golf clubs at home. International Golf Rental & Sales, Inc delivers premium golf club rental sets nationwide. They specialize in supplying large corporate and not-for-ptofit outings with rental golf equipment.

Course selection:
RFPs are sent to golf resorts that the magazine staff becomes aware of throughout the course of business. “Once proposals are submitted to us, the magazine selects the final location based on the resort reputation, number of golf courses, quality of golf courses, ease of transportation (air and ground) and other criteria to ensure a quality experience for our attendees,” Schraer adds.

Advice on working with course staff:
Schraer suggests planners always conduct a site inspection of the course and facilities, preferably during the same time of year as you plan to hold the event. “Ask for a food tasting to sample your menu. Make sure to position your objectives to the course so they can help you meet them,” he says.

Weather delays:
The annual event has experienced few interruptions from Mother Nature and it has never been cancelled. “We had one rain delay of about two hours during the first day of a tournament in South Carolina,” Schraer says. “Golfers were instructed to go to the clubhouse or halfway house where beverages and snacks were served until play resumed. We allow enough time in the schedule so that the delay did not affect other activities.”

Food and beverage:
“We always ask the representative of the host resort to attend the tournament the year prior to their event. This is an exceptional way to maintain a high-quality event and superior food and beverage,” notes Schraer. “Many resorts try to ‘top’ the food and beverage from the prior year. About three months before the event, the resort submits suggested banquet event orders (BEO) with menu selections. Our staff reviews and makes changes and a final BEO is selected.”

Format:
A modified scramble format has been used for the last several years. Players all hit from the tee and select the best drive, then play their own ball from there. The two best net scores for each hole determines the team score. “This seems to be a good compromise for both novice and competitive golfers,” adds Schraer. “We mix foursomes over the two-day tournament. Teams play together the first day, then are mixed randomly the second day. The players continue to compete for their original team but the mixed format promotes better business networking.”

Awards/gifts:
Team prizes are given for first, second and third place teams with a humorous prize for the team coming in last. Individual skill prizes are also given. Golf trips and golf equipment are typically awarded.

Incorporating technology:
If the venue has GPS-enabled golf carts, then that technology is utilized. The organization also uses a “very high-tech video/camera company that takes stills and video throughout the tournament and creates a video that we play at the beginning of the final awards banquet,” Schraer says. Team and individual photos of winners from the awards presentation are also incorporated into the video.

Cost-savers:
“Always use a travel professional to ensure airfare costs are the least expensive as possible. Shop around for equipment and premium vendors to make sure you are getting the best price on these items,” says Schraer. “Negotiate all contracts to save money.”

Post-event:
Attendees are asked to complete a post-event survey evaluating each aspect of the event; and are asked to make suggestions. Staff meets about one month after the outing to incorporate any productive suggestions into the following year’s event.

Reference:
Golf Event Magazine

The ATT Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is a 72-hole PGA TOUR golf championship dating back to the 1930’s when Bing Crosby gathered a ‘few friends’ to raise money for charity… and have a little fun.

Top TOUR professionals team with Hollywood celebrities, world renowned musicians and the captains of industry as they compete for a $5.6 million purse. Foursomes rotate to Poppy Hills, Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach Golf Links Thursday through Saturday. The infamous ‘cut’ is made on Saturday night and the leading 60 professionals and 25 pro-am teams play Pebble Beach on Sunday for the championship.

If you want to play this golf clourse yourself at some point, perhaps within a large group. Refer to this California golf club rental company to supply your group with rentals.

Phil Mickelson won the 2007 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and will be back to defend the week of February 4 – 10, 2008.

2007
Phil Mickelson wins the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am – First place check is $990,000.

2005
Phil Mickelson wins the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am – First place check is $954,000.

1991
Poppy Hills replaces Cypress Point

1986
AT&T becomes title sponsor. Fuzzy Zoeller wins the pro portion as well as the pro-am with partner Mike Evans

1977
Bing Crosby dies on a golf course in Spain

1967
Spyglass Hill replaces MPCC

1947
First Bing Crosby National Pro-Amateur Golf Championship on Pebble Beach, Cypress Point and Monterey Peninsula Country Club. Ed Furgol ties with George Fazio. Sam Snead and Roger Kelly win the pro-am portion.

1946
Ted Durein and Dan Searle approach Crosby re reviving the tournament in Pebble Beach

1942
Tournament suspended during WWII

1937
Bing Crosby hosts the first National Pro-Amateur Golf Championship in Rancho Sante Fe, California. Sam Snead wins first tournament – First place check is $500

The Pebble Beach Golf Links
Since 1919, the exquisite beauty and unique challenge of Pebble Beach Golf Links has thrilled golfers and spectators alike. Pebble Beach has been the site of golf’s most prestigious tournaments, including the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the 1972, ’82, ’92 and 2000 U.S. Open Championships.

Pebble Beach Golf Links is ranked the No. 1 Public Course in America by Golf Digest in
2007.

Designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, the course hugs the rugged coastline, providing wide-open vistas, cliffside fairways and sloping greens. It is a delightful challenge for all players.

Pebble Beach Golf Links also includes chipping and putting greens and the Peter Hay Par-Three Golf Course and practice range. The Golf Shop and first tee are located directly across from The Lodge at Pebble Beach.

18 Holes
Par: 72

Black Rating (US Open Championship): 74.3/Slope 144; Yardage – 6,828

Blue Rating: 73.8/Slope 142; Yardage – 6,737

Gold Rating: 72.3/Slope 137; Yardage – 6,348

White Rating: 71.2/Slope 134; Yardage – 6,116

Red Rating: 71.9/Slope 130; Yardage – 5,198

Remember each of these golf courses do not always have sufficient golf club rentals available for large outings. If you find your group in need, refer to this Pebble Beach golf club rental company to help you out.

Spanish Bay Golf Links
Spanish Bay recalls the original Scottish concept of the game golf, established over five hundred years ago. This was the intention of the design team, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Tom Watson and Sandy Tatum, in their creation of a true links golf course. Links is an old Scottish word for sandy wasteland, usually near the sea, with bristly grasses and ever prevailing wind. The Links at Spanish Bay are so authentic that even the Monterey coastline mirrors the rugged, natural beauty of Scotland.

Here, the golf course provides you with the choice of using your regular shot or a low, running shot to play the firm turf while keeping the ball under the steady ocean breezes.

The Links at Spanish Bay was also built with a deep respect for environmental preservation. To further continue this mission, we have designated “environmentally sensitive” areas. Drops are allowed outside of these areas, so we ask for your understanding and cooperation to help us preserve the native plants, birds and animals that make this course so special.

Also available are chipping and putting greens. The Links at Spanish Bay is located at The Inn at Spanish Bay, off 17-Mile Drive near the Pacific Grove Gate.

18 Holes
Par:72

Blue Rating: 74.1/Slope 146; Yardage – 6,821
Gold Rating: 72.0/Slope 137; Yardage – 6,422
White Rating: 70.3/Slope 129; Yardage – 6,043
Red Rating: 72.1/Slope 129; Yardage – 5,332

SpyGlass Hill Golf Course
Ranked number five on “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” list by Golf Digest for 2003 – 2004.

Spyglass Hill Golf Course takes its name from Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel, Treasure Island, published in 1863. Local legend maintains that Stevenson once wandered the Spyglass area gathering ideas for his novels. A unique aspect of this course is that the holes are named after characters in Treasure Island. Hole names such as “Black Dog” and “Billy Bones” are hints for the unwary. As players attempt to master this difficult course, they may hear the laughter of pirates in the distance.

Spyglass Hill was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., as a part of the master plan for the Pebble Beach ocean front. S.F.B. Morse, founder of Pebble Beach Company, and chairman of the board of Del Monte Properties, envisioned a string of golf courses around Del Monte Forest’s shoreline. Morse commissioned Jones to design a course between Cypress point and Pebble Beach.

After six years of planning, Spyglass Hill opened on March 11, 1966. The design features two distinctly different kinds of terrain that influence the way the holes look and play. The first five holes roll through sandy seaside dunes challenging the golfer to carefully pick the safest path. The following 13 holes are cut through majestic pines with elevated greens and strategically placed bunkers and lakes to grab the errant shot.

Spyglass Hill is rated one of the toughest courses in the world from the Championship tees, boasting a course rating of 75.5 and a slope rating of 147. The PGA Tour consistently lists Spyglass Hill’s holes 6, 8 and 16 among the toughest on the tour, and during the 1999 United States Amateur, the stroke average of the field during medal play was in excess of 79.

Spyglass Hill is an annual co-host to the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, formerly known as the Crosby. Spyglass Hill co-hosted the 1999 United States Amateur during medal play rounds, and hosts many other world-class professional and amateur events each year as well.

Located one mile west of The Lodge at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill Golf Course also offers putting greens and practice range.

18 Holes
Par: 72

Blue Rating: 75.5/Slope 147; Yardage – 6,953
Gold Rating: 73.2/Slope 144; Yardage – 6,534
White Rating: 71.4/Slope 137; Yardage – 6,123
Red Rating: 72.9/Slope 133; Yardage – 5,379

Del Monte Golf Course
Opened in 1897, Del Monte Golf Course is the oldest course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi. Designed by golf and polo enthusiast Charles Maud, this inland course boasts a meandering layout that has challenged golfers for more than a century.

It was the original host of the California State Amateur, still played on Del Monte’s narrow, tree-lined fairways and small, well-protected greens, and continues to serve as one of three courses on which the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach Invitational is played.

Adjacent to Del Monte Golf Course, the Del Monte Pavilion offers an inviting outdoor setting for any special event. Whether you are hosting a corporate outing or a tournament awards ceremony, all events meet the impeccable standards of Pebble Beach Resorts.

18 Holes
Par: 72

Blue Rating: 71.5/Slope 127; Yardage – 6,365
White Rating: 70.1/Slope 124; Yardage – 6,052
Ladies’ Red Rating: Rating 70.8/Slope 115; Yardage – 5,429
Men’s Red Rating: 67.3/Slope 117; Yardage – 5,429

Annually sporting the largest crowds on the PGA TOUR, the FBR Open has gained legendary status on TOUR for being unlike any other golf tournament. Yes, the Phoenix TOUR stop is different from all the rest, but what makes it so? It starts with the unbelievable golf played by the likes of Aaron Baddeley, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh on the beautiful TPC Scottsdale and ends with the biggest galleries on TOUR. In between the golf and the galleries are The Thunderbirds. Hosts of the Open since 1939, this fine group of Valley business men has turned an ordinary “golf tournament” into a community event/happening — commonly referred to as “The Greatest Show on Grass” — and along the way have raised close to $46 million for Arizona charities.

The 2008 edition will mark the 73rd playing of the Open, and the fifth as the FBR Open, making it one of the five oldest events on the PGA TOUR.
If you are thinking about attending the 2008 FBR Open, there are a few things you should know. First, parking is never a problem. A number of large lots are located in proximity to all the action and patrons have the choice of walking to the event or being shuttled practically to the front door. Second, ticket access is simple. Due to the design of the FBR Open course and grounds, an unlimited number of people can witness great golf action. Thus, tickets are never sold out. Finally, there’s the TPC Scottsdale itself, one of the finest venues on the PGA TOUR for players and fans alike. If you want to play this golf clourse yourself at some point, perhaps within a large group. Refer to this Arizona golf club rental company to supply your group with rentals. Remember, they don’t call it the “Stadium Course” for nothing. There’s room aplenty to watch the key shots on all of the critical holes. Crucial are the final four holes, which offer classic risk/reward options for the game’s top pros.

Not long ago, Robb Report, one of the nation’s leading upscale lifestyle publications, named Scottsdale, Arizona as the “Best Place to Live in the United States for Golf.” To folks in the know, the announcement came as no surprise. So who are these “folks in the know?” Basically, they’re everyone from vacationers to longtime residents to PGA TOUR pros. The prestigious award only confirmed what these folks have felt for a long, long while: For the perfect golf experience, there’s no better place than Scottsdale.

It’s easy to understand what elevates Scottsdale in the pantheon of golf rankings. No other destination can boast of such remarkable diversity. There’s a solid mix of traditional, tree-lined courses and desert, targetstyle designs. There’s an appealing blend of special-occasion “trophy” courses, and
modest “family-friendly” and “beginners” courses. There are top ranked municipal
tracks and super-exclusive country-club retreats. Private and public. Resort and retirement, modern and classic. Throw in seemingly endless sunny skies, gentle breezes and mountain vistas; top professional tournaments such as the FBR Open,
the Tommy Bahama Challenge and the Grey Goose Gateway Tour Championship; plus acclaimed golf equipment manufacturers, golf course architects, top instructors and golf schools; superb resorts and spas, restaurants, arts, nightlife and shopping,
including golf ’s most honored retail store – In Celebration of Golf –
and it becomes quite clear: When it comes to golf, Scottsdale has it all.

Remember each of these golf courses do not always have sufficient golf club rentals available for large outings. If you find your group in need, refer to this Scottsdale golf club rental company to help you out.

Courses that best epitomize this breed include the TPC of Scottsdale, home
of the best-attended golf tournament in the world, the FBR Open; the
Talon and Raptor courses at Grayhawk, home of the Tommy Bahama Challenge;
and the award-winning tandem at Troon North. Other Scottsdale-area
public-access desert standouts include Sanctuary at WestWorld and Legend
Trail in Scottsdale,We-Ko-Pa on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Sun-
Ridge Canyon and Eagle Mountain in Fountain Hills, the aptly named
Boulders in Carefree, Dove Valley Ranch and Rancho Mañana in Cave Creek, Las Sendas in Mesa, the Raven at Verrado in Buckeye and Trilogy at Vistancia in Peoria.

If you would like to host an outing at one of these fine golf courses, but do not want to lug your golf clubs across the country, visit www.golfrentalandsales.com.

The Buick Invitational, is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the “West Coast Swing.” The tournament was originally known as the San Diego Open, and was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host during much of its existence. The Buick Invitational is the 4th event on the 2007 PGA Tour Schedule, and is part of the Tour’s FedEx Cup Competition.

From 1952-53, the tournament was played at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California before spending 1954 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 1955 the event moved to Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego, California, and after the 1956 event was played at Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, California, the event returned to Mission Valley CC until 1961. In 1962, Mission Valley CC changed its name to Stardust Country Club (and now is known as Riverwalk Golf Club) and the event stayed there from 1962-63; after spending 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, California, it returned to Stardust CC until 1967.

In 1968, the event began its relationship with Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, where it has been played ever since. In the current tournament set-up, players will split the first 36 holes between the North and South Courses, then play the final 36 holes on the South Course. In 2008, Torrey Pines-South will be host to the U.S. Open.

Torrey Pines Golf Course is a municipal public golf course owned by the city of San Diego, California. It sits on the coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the community of La Jolla south of Torrey Pines State Reserve. It has two famous golf courses, the North Course and the South Course. The South Course was designed by William F. Bell and redesigned by Rees Jones in 2001. It is now a par 72 course at 7,607 yards in length from the back tees.

If your group would like to organize a golf outing in San Diego at this great golf course or one in the area, be mindful of making your guests travel with golf equipment. This San Diego golf club rental company can assist you with all of your rental needs in San Diego. They serve the entire US and guarantee your satisfaction.

Much like Bethpage Black on Long Island, Torrey Pines boasts a unique method to ensure continued public access to the course. On weekends, individuals arrive as early as 6 p.m. the prior night to get in line for the first come / first serve tee times that are given out from sunrise till the first reservations at 7:30 a.m..

Torrey Pines is the home of the PGA Tour Buick Invitational each year in January or February. It hosts the San Diego City Amateur Golf Championships every June, and the Junior World Championships every July. It will also host the US Open in 2008.

The Buick Invitational, is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the “West Coast Swing.” The tournament was originally known as the San Diego Open, and was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host during much of its existence. The Buick Invitational is the 4th event on the 2007 PGA Tour Schedule, and is part of the Tour’s FedEx Cup Competition.

From 1952-53, the tournament was played at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California before spending 1954 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 1955 the event moved to Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego, California, and after the 1956 event was played at Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, California, the event returned to Mission Valley CC until 1961. In 1962, Mission Valley CC changed its name to Stardust Country Club (and now is known as Riverwalk Golf Club) and the event stayed there from 1962-63; after spending 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, California, it returned to Stardust CC until 1967.

In 1968, the event began its relationship with Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, where it has been played ever since. In the current tournament set-up, players will split the first 36 holes between the North and South Courses, then play the final 36 holes on the South Course. In 2008, Torrey Pines-South will be host to the U.S. Open.

Torrey Pines Golf Course is a municipal public golf course owned by the city of San Diego, California. It sits on the coastal cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the community of La Jolla south of Torrey Pines State Reserve. It has two famous golf courses, the North Course and the South Course. The South Course was designed by William F. Bell and redesigned by Rees Jones in 2001. It is now a par 72 course at 7,607 yards in length from the back tees.

If your group would like to organize a golf outing in San Diego at this great golf course or one in the area, be mindful of making your guests travel with golf equipment. This San Diego golf club rental company can assist you with all of your rental needs in San Diego. They serve the entire US and guarantee your satisfaction.

Much like Bethpage Black on Long Island, Torrey Pines boasts a unique method to ensure continued public access to the course. On weekends, individuals arrive as early as 6 p.m. the prior night to get in line for the first come / first serve tee times that are given out from sunrise till the first reservations at 7:30 a.m..

Torrey Pines is the home of the PGA Tour Buick Invitational each year in January or February. It hosts the San Diego City Amateur Golf Championships every June, and the Junior World Championships every July. It will also host the US Open in 2008.

According to Meeting Professionals International, more than $122 billion is spent annually in the U.S. meetings industry (2006). This money is most commonly spent at resort hotels, city hotels, suburban hotels, conference centers, restaurants, country clubs, convention centers, and at nearly every unique venue imaginable.

Whether at a corporate environment, association, non-profit or government agency, the most popular corporate events typically fall into one of the following programs:

1. Seminars and Conferences
Purpose: Organizations plan and hold these meetings with targeted audiences, and provide them with relevant information.

Description: Seminars are usually shorter events, lasting a couple hours, ½ day or a whole day. They have single or multiple speakers, and keep all participants together in the same space. Conferences, on the other hand, typically have multiple sessions that occur concurrently. They are typically held at hotels, begin with a keynote session and then hold breakout sessions by topic. A conference is usually planned for 2/3 of a day, one day, two days or sometimes longer.

2. Trade Shows
Purpose: Organizations attend trade shows as a lead generation activity, or host one to reinforce their image as an industry leader among those who attend, such as members, customers, prospects and suppliers.

Description: Event planning for trade shows involves negotiating sponsorship rates for trade show booth space, advertising and promotion at the event, and sometimes speaking opportunities at the event for the leadership at your company to speak. Many logistical details exist to assure that the trade show booth, promotional materials, giveaways, and staff arrive on time for your company.

3. Executive Retreats and Incentive Programs
Purpose: This is where the big bucks are spent on a per person basis. Often held at luxury resorts in exclusive destinations, and they receive the most visibility in an organization. Business development and organizational planning are the topics of the agenda.

Description: Executive retreats and incentive trips typically last between three and five days, and require attention to site selection, lodging, transportation, catering, business meetings, and golf and other activities. Negotiation skills must be sharp because these programs involve all aspects of event planning.

4. Golf Events
Purpose: One favorite event at every organization is to hold its annual golf outing. Relationship management is the primary objective; however, business content must always drive event planning, not the other way around.

Description: Most golf courses prefer their clients to reserve tee times either first thing in the morning or at 1 p.m., if you are not renting out the course and clubhouse for the whole day. That can cause scheduling issues as it relates to the business meeting content. During the planning phase, it is important to keep internal clients on track, and not allow them to minimize the business time.

If you will be utilizing golf club rentals. Plan for this in advance. Many golf courses don’t have a heavy inventory of rental equipment. If they don’t have sufficient rentals, contact www.golfrentalandsales.com

5. Appreciation Events
Purpose: These programs allow an event host to spend informal time with its guests in a non-traditional environment, giving both parties an opportunity to build a rapport and learn more about mutual business priorities.

Description: There are limitless possibilities and types of appreciation events that organizations hold throughout the year. Common programs include:

Dinner and theater
Day at the race track
Suites at sporting arenas
Day and evening cruises
Private parties at music festivals
Holiday parties
Tickets to the most popular events in town

From: Rob Hard at About.com

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The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic is a professional golf tournament played each January in California’s Coachella Valley. Part of the PGA Tour’s early season West Coast Swing, this tournament is well known for its celebrity pro-am, as well as having five daily 18-hole rounds of competition vs. the PGA Tour standard of four rounds. Currently, “the Hope” is the third event on the Tour’s annual schedule, and is also part of the Tour’s FedEx Cup competition.

Founded as the Palm Springs Golf Classic in 1960, the tournament evolved from the Thunderbird Invitational that was held in Palm Springs from 1954 to 1959. Its format remains unique among PGA Tour events, being played over five days and four different courses. From 1960-62, the tournament was played at Thunderbird Country Club and Tamarisk Country Club, both in Rancho Mirage, California; Bermuda Dunes Country Club in Bermuda Dunes, California; and Indian Wells Country Club in Indian Wells, California. Bermuda Dunes has been used every year of the event and Indian Wells every year until 2006, but the roster of courses from which the event has chosen the other two courses to be played has evolved over the years. In 1963, Eldorado Country Club, also in Indian Wells, California, replaced Thunderbird Country Club. From 1964 until 1968, La Quinta Country Club in La Quinta, California replaced Tamarisk Country Club, but in 1969 Tamarisk Country Club rejoined the event and alternated annually with Eldorado Country Club until 1986 (Tamarisk Country Club’s last turn being in 1985).

An evolution towards courses more suited to modern professionals began in 1987. From 1987 until 1994, and again from 1998 to the present, a course at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California (the TPC Stadium Golf Course in 1987 and the Arnold Palmer Private Course thereafter) became a permanent member of the roster; from 1995-97, Indian Ridge Country Club in Palm Desert, California replaced PGA WEST. To make room for a new permanent member, Eldorado Country Club and La Quinta Country Club alternated from 1987-89 (Eldorado being used in 87 and 89), after which Eldorado Country Club was dropped from the roster. From 1990-2003, Tamarisk Country Club and La Quinta Country Club followed a “1-2″ alternating arrangement, where Tamarisk was played the first year and La Quinta CC the next two; this pattern was deviated from when Tamarisk was used in 2004 (a La Quinta CC year by the pattern), although the 2005, 2006 and 2007 events were then played at La Quinta CC. In early 2005, a local charitable foundation gave its new course, The Classic Club in Palm Desert, California, an Arnold Palmer-designed track, to the tournament, making the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the only event on the PGA Tour that owns its own facility; The Classic Club took the place of Indian Wells in 2006.

The 2008 course rotation will consist of SilverRock Resort in La Quinta, La Quinta Country Club, the Arnold Palmer Private Course and The Classic Club.

The tradition of choosing the tournament’s “Classic Girls” from among the area’s collegiates began in those early years, with the earliest tournaments having a celebrity dubbed “Classic Queen.” The earliest titleholders included Debbie Reynolds, Jane Powell and Jill St. John. The queens of the 1970s included Barbara Eden and Lynda Carter.

The Classic’s biggest draw, both then and now, was the celebrity pro-am competition which attracted some of the era’s biggest celebrities. According to the BHCC official website, those celebrities included:

Bing Crosby
Burt Lancaster
Kirk Douglas
Phil Harris
Desi Arnaz (one of the founders of the aforementioned Indian Wells Country Club)
Ray Bolger
Hoagy Carmichael
Dwight Eisenhower (the first US President to play in the pro-am)
The first tournament was won by Arnold Palmer with a final score of 338, or 22 under par. The record would stand for the next twenty years.

Bob Hope, who was possibly Hollywood’s greatest golfer, added his name to the tournament in 1965 and became the Classic’s Chairman of the Board.

The 1970s saw stars like Frank Sinatra make their debuts. Gerald Ford played his first pro-am in 1977, making him the second former president to play in the tournament.

History was made at the tournament in 1995 when the pro-am team of Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Bob Hope and defending champion Scott Hoch teed up for the tournament’s opening round. The event marked the first time a sitting president – Clinton – had played during a PGA tour event and perhaps the first time three presidents had ever played together.

For 2007, the purse and 1st prize are $5,000,000 and $900,000 respectively.

Its long history has made the event synonymous with golf in the Coachella Valley. Additionally, the allure of Hope’s name, even after his death, has convinced the Hope estate, tournament organizers and corporate sponsor Chrysler to include the legendary entertainer’s name on the tournament for as long as a substantial portion of its proceeds are given to charities.

The tournament’s format is also a tough sell for many players, such as Tiger Woods, who has never played there. It takes place over five days, four of which include celebrity players. That means rounds take far longer and the presence of so many spectators out to catch a glimpse of their favorite TV, film or music star, can turn even an early round into a far more informal endeavor, which many golfers don’t appreciate.

If you are planning a large golf outing in California, be sure to contact the golf course to see if they have enough golf rentals to accomodate your group. Otherwise, all California golf club rentals and California golf equipment rentals can be delivered directly to the hotel prior to your outing. Contact a golf club rental company to reserve rentals for your tournament.

Below is a list of the host golf courses for this years golf tournament in La Quinta, California.

The Classic Golf Club
Silver Rock Golf Resort
La Quinta Country Club
PGA West

Planning a Golf Vacation

Planning a golf getaway? Maximize your time on the course by taking a few simple steps.

Call on-staff golf pro in advance.
The key to traveling comfortably is traveling light. You don’t need to bring along every club you own. Instead, research your course ahead of time, and decide which clubs you can’t live without.

Rent top-of-the-line clubs.
You can also try renting golf equipment. Renting gives you the opportunity to try out the latest models and technology. Many specialty golf rental companies will deliver the clubs to the airport of your choice.

Reduce back strain with wheeled bag.
When traveling by air, keep your clubs as protected as possible. Opt for a hard side travel bag, preferably with wheels. If you’re shipping your clubs in advance, choose a company that specializes in shipping sports equipment.

Use golf travel packaging company.
For stress-free travel planning, let a golf packager do all the work. They can set up lodging, transportation and tee times, and leave you free to focus solely on your swing.

Reference:
Fine Living