Retired PGA professional Craig Williamson used to have his name on a lot of golf bags. As the founding professional at Silverado Resort in California’s wine country and Kapaula Resort on Hawaii’s island of Maui, Williamson learned how to treat resort guests well and trained his golf staff to always do the same.
We sat down with Craig in La Quinta, California, where he is involved as a host for several Links Fellowships each week, and asked him how to make the most of your golf vacation.
How do I take advantage of a vacation opportunity at a nice resort?
Begin by asking why you’re going. Were you recommended to go to that property? Was there advertising that piqued your interest? Do they have a TV event there? It might be on your bucket list. And probably the weather is going to have an awful lot to do with your choice.
I get to a place I really want to go. How do I make the most of my experience?
Get the lay of the resort before you tee it up. Then you’ll know whether you’re better to play in the morning or the afternoon, depending on some of the other things that are available at that resort. If you’re going catamaraning or whale watching, that’s going to dictate what time of day you might play. In Hawaii, sometimes there are some properties where it is windier during a particular portion of the day than another. Those are considerations.
The only people that don’t have a great experience at a resort—if the resort is doing things correctly—are those people who didn’t do their research and have ended up at a place that is out of their comfort zone. People show up who can’t be comfortable. Maybe their playing skills are such. The resorts are going to have some pretty good golf courses and the designs are often by some of our finest designers. They don’t make it just a walk in the park.
At a resort, who is the most helpful person I can find?
You can be led in the right direction by the concierge, but the first point of contact is the person who receives you upon your arrival. These people should be welcoming and doing their work from their heart. This person can put you at ease and point you in the right direction.
If I’m weighing my dollars, what’s the best dollar I can spend at a resort?
Sometimes the accommodations are off the charts, and this eliminates some people. Yet sometimes you will find different options at the same resort—hotels, condos, etc.—with different price points for different people. So research the property and go to a place that you know before you arrive. Don’t be surprised. That’s a big mistake that a lot of people make. Research it so you know where your dollars are going.