Wannamaker Trophy

The 2^nd weekend of August the PGA will hold their 94^th annual championship, the last of the 4 major golf championships.  What makes this tournament a little more special is that it has 20 PGA Club Professionals competing for the Wanamaker Trophy.  These are the golf professionals at your local private and public golf courses, the teaching pros, the club fitters, etc., not the touring pros.  They go through qualifying tournaments, culminating in a final tournament to see who gets the top 20 spots.

These top 20 local pros will make up a field of 156 players, including this year the top 108 ranked players in the world.  Defending his title will be Keegan Bradley, who last year became only the 3^rd player in nearly 100 years to win a major in his first try.  He is one of 13 past PGA Champions in the field, which also boasts 32 Major Champions holding 58 Major titles.  This is a very strong field.

Kiawah Island, SC The Ocean Course

This year the tournament will be hosted at Kiawah Island, South Carolina and played on the famed Ocean Course.  Kiawah Island held the 1991 Ryder Cup, remembered for the frantic play on the last round.  Maybe no other golf course outside of the British Isles is more affected by the wind than The Ocean Course.  From one round to the next, a player can experience up to an 8-club difference on holes depending upon the direction and strength of the wind.  During the relatively quiet practice rounds of the 1991 Ryder Cup, players hit 7 and 8-irons into the treacherous par-3 17th hole. By Sunday, with a stiff wind in their face, players were hitting everything from 3-irons to 3-woods. 

Located on the eastern-most end of Kiawah Island, it is a long, thin island that runs east to west, and The Ocean Course sits along its southern coastline. Because of this, there are no prevailing winds on the course.  The Ocean Course has more seaside holes than almost any other course.  10 of the holes go right along the Atlantic and the other eight run parallel to those holes. Course architect Pete Dye used the natural beauty of Kiawah’s seaside environment to develop an old links style course.

As with one of his other major properties, Sawgrass, Dye got a little help from his wife Alice in the design of Kiawah Island.  Alice is the one who suggested the famed 17^th hole at Sawgrass be an island green.  And in the case of the The Ocean Course, Alice is the one who suggested raising the entire course so the players could see the coastline from every hole.  In doing so, it exposed the course to the brisk, unpredictable winds and made it a demanding course when the winds are blowing.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort is located near the charming town of Charleston, SC.  The Resort has 5 different championship courses, including The Ocean Course.  For tennis buffs, it happens to be rated the #1 tennis resort as well.  It is also home to over 150 sea turtle nests!  The resort can arrange transportation to Charleston and back, or rent a car and explore on your own time. 

We have arranged several Kiawah trips, contact us to set up your group.  Whether it’s tennis or golf, Kiawah Island Golf Resort is An Excellent Adventure you will remember!

Few sports are more about individual performance than golf, but during the Ryder Cup that all changes.  The Ryder Cup is an event that is held every two years that pits the best golfers from the USA vs the best golfers from Europe.  It is arguably the biggest event in golf.  This year the Ryder Cup is being played at Medinah Country Club just outside of Chicago.

The captains for this year’s matches are Davis Love III for Team USA and Jose Marie Olazabal for Team Europe.  Each team consists of 12 players, the first 10 are selected on a points system over a two year period.  The last two players on each team are captain’s picks, they are selected from all eligible players by the respective captains.  

Play takes place over three days, the first two days teams play best ball and alternate shot format.  These are teams of two paired off against each other with the winning team of each match receiving one point.  On Sunday it is singles match play and some of the greatest drama in golf has taken place during the singles matches.  Players who are used to only playing for themselves really get a charge out of being a part of a team and the excitement on an international stage.

The other thing that sets the Ryder Cup apart from other golf tournaments is the involvement of the fans. Golf is a game which being prim and proper is very important, but at the Ryder Cup the crowd is encouraged to cheer on your team.  It is still not quite like going to a Cubs or Bears game but it is fun to be a part of the excitement.

B&G Excellent Adventures has put together a package for the Ryder Cup that includes:

Three nights lodging at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites (O’Hare) – 9 miles from Medinah

Ryder Cup Tickets (Friday-Sunday)

Breakfast daily

Transportation to and from the course

Ryder Cup ticket holder and lanyard

Onsite concierge service

Cost of this package is $1650 per person double occupancy,  $2199 single occupancy

Check B&G prices out against anyone else offering Ryder Cup hotel and ticket packages. Other companies to compare our packages to are Premiere Sports, Roadtrips.com, to just name a couple.

 If you allow us the opportunity to serve you as your Ryder Cup hosts, we assure you that you will have the Excellent Golf Adventure of a lifetime. 

Call Bill at 909-319-6059 to setup your Ryder Cup golf experience.

billm@txievents.com

Augusta 16th hole ~ Image taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trainor/2401028798/in/photostream/

Master’s Week – Private Home Package

“A tradition unlike any other”, every year you hear those words from Jim Nantz on CBS. Why not experience what he is talking about. Whether you go to Master’s from Thursday – Sunday or you go to the practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday the chance to walk the hallowed grounds of Augusta National will create unforgettable memories. The azaleas and dogwoods in bloom, Amen corner, Raes Creek, or the egg salad sandwiches at 1960 prices are only are only a few of the sights, sounds and smells of the Master’s.

One of the best ways to enjoy the Master’s is to stay in a privately owned home in or around Augusta. These can be large homes that can be used for corporate gatherings or more modest homes for groups of friends that want to say within walking distance of the course.

Many people believe tickets for the Masters are impossible to come by, and while it is true that they passed down from generation to generation there is a large market for them.  They are expensive and the earlier you reserve yours the better.

On my first visit to Augusta it was almost a religious experience; we entered thru Gate 9 which is not at the main gate. As we walked in we are on the back nine at the 14^th hole. It was a crystal clear morning on Monday the first day of practice in 2001. My buddy and I did not say a word to each other as we walked around to Amen corner and I just pinched myself because I was here. We sat at the 12^th hole for a while and watched golfers come up on the 11^th hole then hit over the water and proceed to walk over the bridge to the famous 12^th hole. After walking for a while we heard loud roars coming from the par 3, 16^th hole, so we walked over to see what the fuss was about. During practice rounds after the players have taken their practice shots hitting over the water, they step up to the pond and skip the ball across the water. I would say 20% get the ball closer to the pin skipping it and the day we were there Fred Couples missed a hole in one by inches. It is a fun tradition not something you would expect at the Masters.

The whole experience of Augusta and all of its charm is definitely an excellent adventure.

Enjoying a baseball game in the sun!

Play Ball !!!

Growing up in LA in the 1970’s and early 80’s my friends and I use to go to Palm Springs every March and watch the Angels (although I am a diehard Dodger fan).  We would arrive at about 8:00 AM on a Saturday morning, set up our beach chairs behind the fence in right center field with our coolers full of beer, sandwiches and junk food. We would watch the games and hang out talking to the players.  It was an annual rite of spring.  One time on a back field we got to play catch with Nolan Ryan, not something that would probably happen today.  Another day some guys were heckling Clyde Wright as he was jogging in the outfield while the game was being played. They were getting on him pretty hard.  Clyde had pitched for the Angels for a few years but was now toiling for the Brewers (which was appropriate because he was allegedly quite a drinker).  He had enough abuse and jumped over the chain link fence, knocked us off our chairs and went after the guy, with his teammates in hot pursuit. It was a wild scene but something we would talk about for years!

Spring time brings new hope for the Dodgers.

Spring training in Arizona and Florida is the time when optimism springs eternal and even the Pirates have a chance to win the World Series.  During the exhibition season baseball is more the way it was in the old days, with players close enough to interact with fans.  Sitting in the Arizona sun on a lazy afternoon watching the Cubs, Dodgers, Angels, or your home town team as you sip a beer and eat a hot dog – it does not get much better than that.

B & G  would like to put together a spring training package for your group to watch your favorite team.  Now that would be an excellent adventure!

Monument Square Super Bowl XLVI

This city put on a show with free concerts every night in the Super Bowl village with Brett Michaels, Patti LaBelle, Dierks Bentley, LMFAO, and Darius Rucker as well as many more local bands playing on two stages all week long.  They also had streets blocked off from one end Georgia Street to the other with an 800 foot long zipline attraction, jugglers, ice sculptures and souvenir shops.  There was a festive atmosphere that I have never seen at any of the Super Bowl venues and I have been to quite a few. 

JW Marriott Indianapolis

One thing that makes Indianapolis unique as a Super Bowl site is that everything is centralized in a downtown location, the hotels, restaurants, convention center, and Lucas Oil Field.  For the three weeks we stayed downtown we did not even need a rental car, because we were able to walk anywhere we needed to go.

But what really makes this one of the great places for a Super Bowl is the people of the city.  There is something about the hospitality and warmness of the people in the Midwest and in Indianapolis in particular that set it apart from other venues.  Everywhere we went the locals wanted to make sure we were having good time and did we like their city. The only thing that was a little out of character for them was their hate for Tom Brady and everything Patriots.  They are proud of their city, but one thing everyone was worried about was the weather.  On that score they got lucky and they had the warmest first week of February in fifty years. 

Lucas Oil Field is a great stadium, not as over the top as last year’s Jerry Jones Palace in Dallas but a perfect venue for watching the game.  With 63,000 seats everyone is closer to the action than in a 100,000 person stadium.  Everyone who came seemed to have a great time and here is hoping that the NFL will remember and give Indy another opportunity to host another Super Bowl.

All I can say is I cannot wait to go to the Indy 500 for the first time, and get back to Indy as often as possible for another EXCELLENT ADVENTURE.

Dormition Abbey, Jerusalem

The more I speak about our upcoming trip to Israelin late June of 2012, the more excited I get about sharing this incredible area with our group.  It also gives me the opportunity to work with my brother,  Bob Mooney the pastor of Messiah Lutheran in Yorba Linda, who along with his wife Jeannie will be hosting the trip.  We are embarking on a spiritual and historic journey that I promise everyone is a trip of a lifetime.

There is so much to see in the Holy Land, that it is impossible to see and do everything in the ten days that we are on the trip.  That said we are going to be able to see many of the holiest places in the world, as well as enjoy the countryside, and the diverse cultures of the region.  This is the center of the spiritual universe for so many religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Muslim.

Sunset at Jaffa

Our journey will begin in Tel Aviv, where we will be staying upon our arrival.  Our hotel the Dan Panorama is across the street from the Mediterranean Sea and a short walk to the historic fishing village of Jaffa.  We will then drive north, up the coast and then go east to the Sea of Galilee.  In our two days in this region we will visit Nazareth, Mt. of  Beatitudes, Mt. Tabor and the Church of the Transfiguration, and take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee.  The hotel for this stop is a Kibbutz hotel which will be a bit rustic but is right on the beach. 

From Galilee we will head south along the Jordan River visiting Beth Shean, and pools of Sachne on our way to the Dead Sea.  Floating in the Dead Sea is one of the unique experiences of a lifetime.  It is very hard to describe but because of the high salt content (10 times the salinization of the Pacific Ocean) it is difficult to keep your feet on the ground as the Sea just pops you up onto your back.  After a night at the Dead Sea we will visit the Masada and Ein Gedi on our way to the highlight of the trip which is the four days that we will spend in Jerusalem.  Our stay in Jerusalem is at the luxurious Inbal Hotel a 10 minute walk from the Old City.

I will continue in my next blog to talk about the things that we will be seeing and doing in  Jerusalem.  I have only touched on a few things and places that we will be visiting and everyone will have their own personal favorite. 

I want to invite everyone to join us on this truly Excellent Adventure.

If you interested in traveling with us please give me a call, Bill Mooney 909-319-6059 or email billmooney@bandgxlnt.com

Nineteen Seventy home in Lake Tahoe

One of the greatest ways to thank people for a job well done as part of a small group incentive is to rent a luxury home in beautiful location.  This can also be the place for a small meeting or family get together.  We have done this in many locales including Vail, Costa Rica, Cabo, and my all-time favorite Lake Tahoe.

Nineteen Seventy Living Room view

We rented a home on the lake which has just recently been put on the market to sell at $18 million. The home is called Nineteen Seventy (if your home has a name, it is special) and is 12,000 square feet and sits on the lakefront. Luxury amenities abound and provide unlimited possibilities for recreation and relaxation.  The 40’ high ceilings with a full wall of glass windows in the living room offer a stunning look at the deep blue lake and the surrounding mountains. It has nine bedrooms and a guest house with two more bedrooms. The group enjoyed the theater room which has a theater seating and a large screen for maximum viewing pleasure.   There is a Jacuzzi outside overlooking the lake and a large deck.  The home has its own boat dock, where we had a vintage old boat pull up to the dock and take us for a tour of Lake Tahoe.

But most of all, this beautiful mountain getaway allowed this group to bond in a way that having a meeting in a hotel would have never allowed.  The group continued to talk about business while they enjoyed scotch and while playing pool in the den. 

We went out to dinner one night but the other two nights we brought in a magnificent chef from the area, Marcie Stettler.  The first night our guest enjoyed appetizers, salad, locally caught salmon, risotto and a decadent chocolate soufflé for dessert.  The last night dining experience included filet mignon, stuffed potatoes, local fresh picked vegetables, and bread pudding with a cream sauce. For the night out on the town our guest started off at Jakes by the Lake with an irresistible dinner and then off to the casinos, where a wild night was enjoyed by all. 

Nineteen Seventy Patio view of Lake Tahoe

This is the kind of home that most of us can only dream of spending time inside.  But our group was afforded the opportunity to enjoy a weekend of relaxation and fun. This long weekend energized them as a group, in speaking to them later this was bonding experience that they all enjoyed and brought them closer together as a management team.  Many of them had worked together for years but this was the first time they spent quality time with each other away from the office. 

The cost of this trip was not significantly more than if they had each had their own room at the Hyatt on theNorthShore.  But while I love the Hyatt, the experience here was much richer.

This was a trip in a beautiful place that allowed our group to share in an Excellent Adventure.

LSU vs. Florida Game

Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy attending sporting events.  I have been blessed to go to a lot of great games and have seen many incredible moments.  But one sport is above all the rest when it comes to being at the game, there is nothing like attending college football games in the fall.  I have grown up an USC fan and have attended games at the Coliseum since I was a little kid; USC v Notre Dame and USC v UCLA are always fun.  I have been to the Big House in Michigan, been to Penn State, numerous Rose Bowls, Stanford, Cal, but I had not seen anything until I went into SEC country and saw LSU play Georgia a couple of years ago.

SEC football is different, the passion of the fans around the SEC is unequalled and so is the tailgating.   I took a small group from southern California and we were invited to tailgate with Billy Long (Crescent Crown) and his family and friends.  They welcomed the group with a southern hospitality and charm that you do not find anywhere else.  There tailgating tradition for food is unique. They had cut in half big black oil drums that were filled with gumbo and jambalaya that was prepared by a great Louisiana chef.   You had to stir with an oar from a boat to cook the food evenly.   Needless to say the spread was off the charts.  Nowhere in the world is the food better than in New Orleans area and this was no different, by far the best meal I have ever had a tailgate (sorry mom).

LSU "Death Valley" Stadium

The nickname given to their stadium is Death Valley.   We walked around and we saw the players and the band parade through the fans yelling, screaming, and singing the fight song.  Thousands of fans line the street for this traditional walk to the stadium 90 minutes before kickoff.  They say that 175,000 people tailgate at LSU games and the stadium only holds 90,000. 

We enter the stadium and go to our seats.  We are in the lower section on the LSU side but as you look the stadium is massive and it seems to go straight up.  The noise is loud and continuous the fans are crazy; it was one of the loudest places I have ever been.  They were playing a late afternoon game and everyone was lamenting the fact it was not a night game because it is even louder and LSU almost never loses at night.   But this was not their night as Georgia pulled away in the fourth quarter for the win.

Everyone who is a sports fan should get to experience SEC football.  If not in Baton Rouge, I am sure the same thing takes place on Saturday afternoons in Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, Knoxville, and all other SEC locations.  Even if you are not a football fan, it will be a truly wonderful day and I promise it will be an Excellent Adventure!

Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon

How many meetings have you attended in monstrous, beige, completely enclosed large hotel ballrooms?  Going down one of 4 giant hallways that look the same after walking for 15 minutes in the same hotel that you are staying?  Never seeing the light of day?  Maybe it’s time to make your corporate meeting more meaningful, successful, and memorable.  Then reach high and take your meetings to a new level!

Mountain resorts are mostly known for their winter season.  How fun is it to sit by the massive fireplaces after a fun but exhausting day enjoying snow skiing or snowboarding, snowmobiling, sleigh and dog sled rides, toboggans, or other activities?

But don’t forget most, if not all, resorts also have a great summer-time season as well.  You can usually do various types of bike rides, white water rafting or a leisurely canoe ride, rock climbing or some peaceful fly fishing, golf, and even horseback riding.  And you can enjoy all of this while breathing in the fresh, crisp mountain air – and leaving your gloves, coats, and boots at home!  Summer in the Mountains means less people and Lower Rates!

One of the many places becoming popular is Sunriver, Oregon.  This area is located about 15 miles south of  Bend in Central Oregon.  It is not just for family vacations – the 4-Diamond AAA rated Sunriver Resort has over 44,000 square feet of meeting space.  The meetings rooms are what you would expect in the mountains – Large exposed beams and large windows with sweeping views of the outdoors.  At Sunriver Resort you can choose from 3 different facility locations, including outdoors.

Crosswaters Golf Course - Ranked #28 in Golf Digest "America's 100 Greatest Courses"

After the meetings are done, all of the above summer activities are waiting for your guests.  Our recent small group enjoyed afternoons of bike riding (Sunriver Resort has 35 miles or bike paths), river floats, cave exploration, golf, and a visit to the 7,000 year old Lava Lands Crater or the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.  The Volcanic Monument has over 50,000 square acres and is at 8,000 feet high.  The Resort has 3 golf courses, including Crosswater Golf Course which hosts a Senior PGA event.  Crosswater is listed at #28 on Golf Digest’s “America’s 100 Greatest Courses”, and the course crosses the Deschutes River and Little Deschutes River 7 times, hence the name.  And make sure to look up on #13 tee – a family of Eagles have their home in a tree!

The Deschutes Brewery, brewer of the award winning craft beer favorite Black Butte Porter

Central Oregon has plenty of dining options available between Sunriver and Bend. Sunriver has many restaurants, both casual and fine dining.  In Bend, one of the more famous restaurants is the Pine Tavern, which has 2 giant Ponderosa Pines INSIDE the restaurant.  Great view over the pond and definitely unique.  And one of the best casual restaurants is the Deschutes Brewery, brewer of the award winning craft beer favorite Black Butte Porter.  Its dark and its good!  Everyone definitely enjoyed our time there.

When thinking about generating excitement over “boring” company meetings and making them productive think out of the box and go to the mountains (see previous post on Park City, Utah also).  Summer, Fall or Winter, make your meetings more unique and memorable than the big city boring convention room.  Your guests will be more energetic and excited about their surroundings.  Call us to help make even a corporate meeting An Excellent Adventure!

When I meet new people and I’m asked what I do, I tell them that I make people’s travel go smoothly so they can enjoy their trip.  When asked specifically, I tell them about the events and places and logistics we set up for corporate and individual travel.  Most people only hear the places we’ve gone, both nationally and internationally, and comment “How Fun!”  And it is…most of the time.  We have had some interesting situations to deal with however.  We have had to drive clients around in a blizzard, had a group holed up during a hurricane, had a landslide just miss our van, and our partner Rebecca has even had to cut a VIP’s nails!

However, taking groups to watch the summer racing season at Del Mar is a great time for everyone.  It is a fun, easy way to reward yourself and celebrate those special occasions and accomplishments.  Take the time to entertain your family and friends, applaud and cheer your clients and co-workers.  It is a great way to relax and build camaraderie.  Everyone is asking each other what horse they will bet on, shouting for their horse to make a charge or stay up front, cheering when they win!!  And using other language when they don’t!  All of it is very exciting.  Watch the serious dissect the Racing Form, and then watch the others pick their horse because they like the name and color!  You know who wins, right?!

You can rent a suite and guests can have their own lunch served to them, enjoy a great view of the entire race track, and you will even get your own private wagering booth! It is inexpensive, and with groups you can get your own bus pass for easy in and out.  Stay at a local hotel and make a long weekend out of it!

The Del Mar Race Track opened in 1937, with co-owner Bing Crosby welcoming the first guests through the gates.

Bing co-owned the track with his friends Pat O’Brien, Jimmy Durante, Oliver Hardy, and Charles Howard, owner of the great racehorse Seabiscuit.  When the track opened, horse racing ranked second to only baseball in sports popularity.  In 1938, the new racetrack received national headlines when a $25,000 winner-take-all race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti was broadcast for the first time on NBC radio.  It has been a staple of summer racing ever since.

Call us to help you set up an inexpensive and fun weekend.  The track opens the third week of July and goes until the first week of September each year.  Come to the seaside track and hear Trevor Denman speak his famous phrase “Aaand away they go.”  We can help make this An Excellent Adventure!