A Corporate Day on the Green – How to Golf in the Yarra Valley

Golf in the Yarra Valley is an easy choice when it comes to corporate activities that are close to Melbourne but far enough away to be a real ’getaway from the office’.  The ‘green’ isn’t just on the golf course – it’s all around you in the picturesque undulating hills and forests that make golf a visual spectacle as well as a physical and mental feat!

The Yarra Valley Trail Golf courses are well facilitated to host groups large and small, with plenty of accommodation choices, both on and off the course, a host of amazing restaurants featuring our world class food and wine, and conference facilities that are state of the art. Regardless of budget or length of stay, when you plan a team/corporate golf event or conference in the Yarra Valley, you are also providing your people with a highly valued ‘trip away’ –  a reward for past success and the right kind of incentive for the future.

Even if not everyone in your team plays golf, it’s possible to make the game fun for all.

Here are five different and engaging ways to invigorate your next corporate golf day and bring the team together:

1. Best Ball: An easy way to make golf fun and a great team bonding activity. In Best Ball, everyone tees off and plays their own ball. Teams of two or more players work best. The score that is recorded at end of each hole is the lowest individual score. Adding together the lowest score only from each hole is the team score. The lowest overall team score is considered the ‘best’ team. Take this one all the way to the green at Warburton Golf Club or Marysville Community Golf as just two suggestions.
2. Scramble or Ambrose: A great option when you have a large group of mixed abilities. Participants play in two- or four-person teams and everyone tees off on every hole. The second shot is then played from the spot where the best drive landed. The third shot is played from the best second shot, and so on until the first ball is in the hole. This game can be played on any golf course and we have eight great options for you to choose from right here in the Yarra Valley.
3. Speed Golf:This is a great option if you’re on a schedule and need a timely activity that fits neatly into your conference schedule. There’s no such thing as a leisurely stroll in Speed Golf, and this form of play will appeal to both the ‘competitive’ and the ‘team-orientated’ in your group. In Speed Golf the objective is to play as quickly as possible, sprinting between shots and swinging without losing accuracy and consistency. At the end of the round, each players’ final score is calculated by adding the number of played shots on their scorecard to the time taken to complete the round. The lowest individual or team score wins. Gardiner’s Run Golf Course in Lilydale, and Eastwood Golf Course in Kilsyth, are great options for a quick game and are also close to home!
4. Beat the Pro:  Consider engaging the golf clubs’ inhouse golf pro for a team lesson to get everyone swinging well, or develop an incentive and reward scheme for people to participate in a 1:1 skills session. Add a little fun to the golf game and engage the golf pro to play with you – offer ‘mini-comps’ around the course with the incentive to ‘beat the pro’ on a par 3 tee off, or see who can outdrive the pro on a longer fairway – up the stakes for your team and ask the golf pro to wear a blindfold! Ask about the services of the PGA-qualified golf professional at Yarrambat Park Golf course or at Yering Meadows Golf Club.
5. Prizes for the people:Nearest to pin, longest drive, best team, longest putt, most bizarre socks, straightest drive, the hole in one award, 1st, 2nd3rdand last place (otherwise known as the NAGA award but you’ll need to google to find out what that means!). There’s no end to the amount of awards you can muster up for your teams. Your after ‘golf’ party can be an event to remember with a great combination of serious and fun awards, and gifts for recipients. Golf clubs such as RACV Healesville Country Club and Yarra Valley Lodge have fantastic conference rooms and gathering spaces for your event.

See our Yarra Valley Golf Trail guide and Yarra Valley Business Events for all the information you need to organise your next conference and/or group booking at one of our glorious golf courses.  The Yarra Valley is a world-class destination that your people will truly appreciate – and that’s good for everyone.

And remember the golf gifts/welcome packs for when your participants arrive – logoed hats, polos and golf balls are especially welcomed by your team, but give them a design edge so that they are contemporary and collectable – because a golf day done well in the Yarra Valley means they will want a repeat performance next year!

NB: Always call the golf course and make a booking – some clubs and facilities are members only, or may require a group/corporate booking for access.