Historically, golf and spa events have experienced a stereotypical gender divide: Men play golf, women go to the spa. But all that is changing - and quickly. "It's starting to shift. We do see quite a few more guys [in the spa]," says Jeff Schott, Jurlique Spa director at the FireSky Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, AZ. "Where it used to be the occasional random one or two guys, it'll now be five to 10 guys in the group. At the same time, I watch [as groups are] getting on the bus to go play golf, and there are a lot more women. It's changing."

Why? One reason might be growing acceptance. Schott - himself a golfer - explains that people naturally fall into two types of "relaxers:" "active" and "passive." This doesn't necessarily have anything to do with gender, but reflects a simple personality trait. Now that today's business world is more aware and tolerant of individual preferences, Schott says, men and women can choose the kind of downtime activity that most appeals to them. He says that younger generations, in particular, are contributing to this blending.

Simultaneously, spas have recognized an increased interest from male clients and are actively trying to attract men, while golf resorts are seeing more female putters on the course. Mike Lindsey, director of golf operations at Scottsdale's McCormick Ranch Golf Club, says women now account for 40 to 50 percent of golf lessons given, "where before it was 10 percent."

So, given this new normal, are there ways in which incentive planners can promote gender-balanced activities, encouraging ladies to hit the green and male attendees to hit the massage table? The short - and resounding - answer is: yes.

One of the key ways in which spas are attracting male corporate clients is by focusing more broadly on health and well-being, and less on one-time pampering. "You see a lot of spas focusing on the wellness piece and not just the relaxation piece," confirms Jason Parsons, general manager of the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club in Naples, FL. "When you're signing up for a massage therapy, they want to know your history, they want to know where your aches and pains are, they want to know what's working well for you and what's not working well. This is something your body requires. It's a big stress reliever for a lot of people."

"Men are becoming increasingly comfortable with frequenting spas for rejuvenation, and see it as an overall investment into their well-being," according to Clare Matthews, director and co-founder of male skincare line VitaMan, as quoted in a July 2012 Hilton Blue Paper on spa trends. "Those catering to this audience best are the ones who tailor their products and services to men specifically and don't treat them as an afterthought."

Spa menus are changing to reflect this focus on men and overall wellness, Schott says. Firesky's Jurlique Spa features the 30-minute Well Groomed Ritual for Men manicure and the 60-minute RAW Man Facial. The spa tagline at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is "experience personal wellbeing," and one of its featured treatments is the Neuro-Muscular Massage Therapy, targeting those with "neck, shoulder, back and hip discomfort, and range-of-motion problems." The La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, CA, was recently voted the "No. 1 Wellness Spa in the Nation" by Spa magazine and boasts a 50-minute Men's Executive Facial. Schott says that for one golf-centric group that was coming in, his spa team even underwent training on how to target golf muscle groups. David Gabri, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), says corporations should also embrace this approach to spa treatments because it's good for morale and their overall image. "Spa treatments are therapeutic, and companies want to talk more and more about how they care about their employees."

Women on the Greens
There are also a lot of ways in which golf resorts are encouraging women to get in the game. One of the main barriers to getting people of either gender on the course is a lack of familiarity with the sport, say the experts. "It's a hard sport, and people who don't really know it tend to shy away from it," Schott says. It also requires specific equipment that not everyone may have access to, adds Gabri.

Many courses, like La Costa, have begun offering a wide range of clinics based on skill set. Other clubs have female golf pros, who can be "more comforting" and are helpful to integrate into the program because "they are more sensitive to unique issues to women playing golf," Gabri says.

There are also specific group formats that incentive planners can suggest to encourage both female and novice attendees to get on the green. Lindsey says his club offers lessons "in the parking lot," where the pro will begin the clinic in a casual, less intimidating spot away from the hubbub of the course. Another option is express tees, which "make it easier to experience as a group," Gabri says. "The PGA has a whole concept called ['Tee It Forward.'] We all want to be the big man [hitting the ball] from way back, but they say it's a lot more fun if you move forward. It's not as far, doesn't take as many shots, and moves the game faster."

Scrambles also achieve this abbreviated game, as do putting contests and nine-hole games. This accelerated speed can be helpful particularly for women, since a traditional round of golf can be time-consuming and potentially interfere with attendees' schedules.

For One, for All
There are also ways in which golf and spa resorts are making it easier for planners to incorporate both spa and golf into each attendee's agenda. At the Chateau Elan in North Atlanta, for example, the 19th hole on the golf course is called the 19th Lounge and is co-located with the spa.

Another option is offering spa treatments upon attendees' arrivals, he adds. "So, say I check in but don't have to be somewhere till 6:30 p.m.; the organization has arranged for us to take advantage of this opportunity and booked us time [at the spa]," Gabri says. "And during the course of the event, they may have incremental spa visits for those who couldn't [partake in the on-arrival treatments]."

With golf, Gabri says, "They use a glo-ball to [illuminate] a hole not too far away, and they introduce golf prior to the opening dinner. There's a lot of that kind of integration into the social events that happens with putting tournaments. That's really a lot of fun - everybody gets a chance, and it gets everybody talking."

Schott says he witnessed a group play a nine-hole executive course and then provide 30-minute spa services for everyone afterwards. He suggests to planners that another interesting option would be to offer novice golfers a quick lesson followed by a spa treatment, so they could get the best of both worlds.

At the end of the day, both the spa treatments and the golf games are a way for attendees to relax, unwind and get to know each other in a different environment. When playing golf, "we build team camaraderie while we're enjoying the outdoors and the enjoyment of sport. It encourages incremental collaboration and discussion," Gabri says. And after emerging from a spa treatment, "attendees [are] fully relaxed and the atmosphere is totally different," Schott says. "The locker room gets loud! It's a neat thing to see the difference between when they go in and when they come out. It completely transforms people." This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy