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Pinehurst.  Having relocated our headquarters to North Carolina, we could hardly not issue a full report on Pinehurst!  With eight courses, Pinehurst offers the most extensive on-site golf options of any resort in the world.  Pinehurst #2 is consistently rated among the top courses in America.  Rich in history, and indisputably beautiful, the resort is on many of our clients' short list when they need to offer a world-class experience for their top clients, producers, or suppliers.  So we dedicated a weekend in May to an up-to-the-minute look at this historic landmark.  Here are the highlights:

The Golf.  The short story: FABULOUS!  We played two very different courses; both were interesting, beautiful, and in superb condition.  A magnificent clubhouse, fine practice facilities, and a great staff (including excellent caddies) added to the experience.  
We played #4 first.  The last of the courses laid out by Donald Ross got an overhaul so complete that it has been officially listed as a Tom Fazio design since re-opening in 2000.  From the forward tees, I found it challenging but fair.  Bill, playing from the whites, considered it a fine test for skilled men.  (Both of us beat our handicaps.)   
On our second day, we played #8, the Centennial course.  The latest built (1996), it's also a Fazio design.  It's rated just a wee bit easier than #4, but it presents a distinct set of challenges.  An errant shot is more likely to land you in the trees, rather than a sandy waste area and, from the whites, a forced carry over water on hole #14 adds to the interest.  We had an equally fine time on this course (translation: it's pretty tough, yet we played well). 
Overall statistics, Pinehurst #4:  Par 72.  Five sets of tees.  Red: 5217 yards (70.6/123); Green: 5677 yards (72.8/131 women, 67.8/115 men); White: 6214 yards (70.4/125); Blue: 6658 yards (72.1/130); Gold: 7117 yards (74.5/136)
Overall statistics, Pinehurst #8:  Par 72.  Red tees: 5177 yards (68.9/112); Green: 5805 yards (72.5/122 women, 67.3/114 men); White: 6302 yards (69.8/121); Blue: 6698 yards (71.7/125); Gold: 7092 yards (74.0/135).
(Seriously, folks, no one needs to use the gold tees unless you've booked a PGA Tour player as your celebrity guest.)
There are three rate categories, with #2 the most expensive, #s 1, 3, 5, and 6 the least expensive (though hardly cheap), and #s 4, 7, and 8 in the middle. 
One important note: we rode, but took a forecaddy both days.  Our caddies not only spotted balls, but also gave us excellent course management advice, and did a fabulous job reading our putts.  No surprise, then, to learn that Red, our caddy on #8, had a bachelor's degree in professional golf management, and was about to leave to become assistant pro at La Costa.  
We highly recommend that our corporate clients take advantage of Pinehurst's extraordinary caddy program for their outings.  Forecaddies this skilled can keep a foursome playing their own balls moving quickly - not to mention save them strokes.  And both these courses are quite playable even for high handicap women (no forced carries from the red tees on either), so you're not locked into a scramble format.  

The Facilities.  You're immediately impressed by the gorgeous landscaping and stately buildings with that "Gone With The Wind" plantation look.  The wide verandas of the Carolina Hotel, lined with rocking chairs, invite you to sit and relax.  You're greeted by an attentive staff member and ushered through an elegant lobby with comfortable seating arranged in cozy groups.  Meeting and banquet spaces  abound, with rooms available at the Holly Inn and Manor as well as the Carolina (and, for executive retreats, small meeting rooms in the villas).  From a 400 square foot boardroom to the 9,600 square foot Grand Ballroom and 14,000 square foot exhibit center, there are rooms and breakout spaces for every size group.  The lawns, verandas, pool decks, and other outdoor spaces provide plenty of additional options for meal functions.  And Pinehurst's efficient shuttles get everyone moved quickly between the properties.  

The Other Resort Activities.  These include 24 tennis courts (6 lighted for night play), croquet, lawn bowling, swimming pools, and the Marina (with boating, fishing, sailing).  It's also an easy walk to the Village of Pinehurst.  Forgive the lack of detail; I skipped them all, and went directly to:

The Spa.  The spa complex is new, having been completed in 2002.  The fitness center is spacious, well-equipped, and free to resort guests, so I was surprised to find it otherwise deserted during my workout.  The spa, on the other hand, was filled with women -- in the treatment rooms, the whirlpool, lounging on chaises sipping the complimentary teas and juices -- well, you get the picture.  The facilities are excellent - spacious, elegant, sparkling clean, and with all the amenities, from thick, luxurious robes to scented candles in the treatment rooms and top-quality shampoo in the showers.  The staff was professional and polite, ushering clients briskly and quietly to and from appointments.    
I had a very competent massage, and a decent facial.  I wasn't blown away, but I admit my standards for spa services are stratospheric.  For a new spa in the Sandhills of North Carolina, I was pleasantly surprised.  

The Rooms.  We found ours, in the Carolina, charmingly decorated, and, except for the lack of a coffeepot, well-equipped.  (Free, delicious, morning coffee is available in the lobby.  And no one looks askance if you pad down barefoot in shorts and a T-shirt.)  Size-wise, the rooms were adequate, though the bathrooms were rather small.  Of course, with all the diversions available here, your meeting participants will probably not be spending a whole lot of time in their rooms.  

The Food.  Delicious, with plenty of menu options, from barbecue buffets to elegant gourmet banquets.  The sumptuous breakfast buffets in the Carolina Room are not to be missed (even with an early tee time!).  

The Service.  Impeccable.  Not only is everyone polite, efficient, and knowledgeable, they actually seem to be enjoying their jobs.  Now that's hospitality.  

The Downside.  An hour and a half from RDU airport (but a pleasant drive in daylight, and well worth the time).
The Upside.  We're the same hour and a half by car - and we'll be happy to come to supervise your golf event.

Our ratings for Pinehurst (see Ratings Key):  
Golf:  Double Eagle
Facilities:  Double Eagle
Rooms:  Birdie
Food:  Double Eagle
Spa/Fitness Center:  Eagle
Service:  Double Eagle
Overall:  Double Eagle

The Broadmoor.  We were delighted to be invited to the "Publisher's Cup", hosted by Meeting News and Successful Meetings magazines, held this year at the Broadmoor.  A perennial Mobil Guide 5-star, and AAA 5-diamond award-winner, the resort's signature course is, like Pinehurst's, a Donald Ross design.  The highlights:

The Golf.  The short story: Spectacularly scenic - but too hard for many women.  
We played the East Course (Ross) first.  The Broadmoor's description is "a more forgiving course, with wide fairways and large greens".  The pro's tip was that the true challenge of the course is the undulating greens.  (We quickly signed on a forecaddy to help us read them.)  And the conventional wisdom is that the ball flies further at that altitude.  The men played from the gold tees at 6093 yards (rather than the whites, at 6562), and posted plenty of good scores.  The women, on the other hand, struggled mightily.  At 5921 yards from the forward tees, whatever distance boost we got from the altitude was swallowed up by the total yardage.  The course was beautiful, and in great shape, but just too long and hard for most women. 
Our second round was on the West Course, a Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design.  It's shorter than the East, but a bit narrower, with some truly punishing rough.  It's also routed further into the mountains, and therefore even more scenic.  On the other hand, it opened up the possibility of errant shots lost forever off a cliff -- and the greens were trickier.  I managed one par (on the shortest par 3), and found it far more enjoyable than the East.  It's still very tough, especially for women, but a much better choice  for a corporate outing.  And we'd recommend a scramble if you've got a mixed group.
There is a third course, the Mountain (an Ed Seay/Arnold Palmer design), which has its own clubhouse.  Currently, only 9 holes are open. 

The Facilities.  Wow!  You're bombarded with beauty.  The resort wisely takes advantage of the majestic mountain views with terraces all over the place.  Indoors, the feel of the main building is something like a European opera house - with ornate ceilings, spectacular chandeliers, and furniture that would be at home in Versailles.  Yet it manages to maintain a relaxed, rather than stuffy, atmosphere.  From meeting rooms for 10 to two 18,000 square foot exhibit halls, groups of all sizes can be accommodated.  The function spaces span not only a variety of sizes and styles -- clubby rooms in the Golf and Spa building, relaxed western openness in the Cheyenne Lodge, elegantly formal ballrooms, and, of course, those terraces.

The Other Resort Activities.  Nine tennis courts, three swimming pools, plus horseback riding, hiking, rock climbing, jeep tours and other "outdoor adventures".  And, of course, the fitness center and spa.  I am sorry to say that, although the spa looked terrific, and I heard great reports from the women in the group, I can't review it personally.  I was so wrung out from the golf that I didn't manage a trip to the gym, and I failed to make a spa appointment.  

The Rooms.  Heavenly.  Generous and beautifully decorated, with a big, comfortable bed complete with featherbed and tons of pillows.  A coffee bar with the Broadmoor's special blend. And a bathroom to die for - huge, with double vanity, soaking tub, separate shower and toilet room, fluffy robes, spa toiletries -- the works.   After a nap, I realized I hadn't missed the spa at all.  

The Food.   Excellent - fresh, delicious, and varied.  We totally pigged out.

The Service.  Polite and efficient.  With multiple wings and buildings, finding your way around can be a challenge when you first arrive.  We were impressed at how patient and helpful the staffers were when we stopped them for directions.

Our ratings for The Broadmoor (see Ratings Key):  
Golf:  Eagle/Birdie
Facilities:  Double Eagle
Rooms:  Double Eagle
Food:  Double Eagle
Spa/Fitness Center:  Not rated
Service:  Double Eagle
Overall:  Double Eagle

Our ratings key:
Double Eagle:   Outstanding/  Recommend without reservation for the most discriminating clients
Eagle:               Excellent/  Recommend for all but the most selective clients   
Birdie:              Above average/  Typical clients will be well pleased 
Par:                  Average/  Many clients would enjoy
Bogey:              Below average/  Not for our clients
Double bogey:  Well below average/  Not recommended for anyone