A $10,000 Hole in one was the highlight of the 7th Annual Las Vegas Corporate Invitational Golf Tournament, held April 19 to 22.
On the first day of the tournament, Marci Dubois, meetings and event consultant, Taco Bell Corp., Irvine, Calif., hit a perfect six iron into the 156-yard eighth hole at the Las Vegas Paiute Resort's Snow Mountain course and saw her ball disappear into the cup for her first hole in one, and a lucrative one at that.
Dubois' ace was the high point of a wildly successful tournament and event that was attended by about 175 corporate meeting and incentive planners, meeting service providers, and Las Vegas hoteliers. The event was sponsored by The Meetings Group of Prism Business Media, which publishes Financial & Insurance Meetings, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Other key sponsors included the Alan Waxler Group, which provided transportation services; HHG Brands Inc.; Maui Jim Sunglasses; American Hole 'n One; Hawaiian Tropic SunPak; and Callaway Golf.
A full field of 36 teams enjoyed two days of golf at two distinct venues. The Las Vegas Paiute Resort, a challenging desert tract with magnificent vistas, hosted the first day of the tournament, while Rhodes Ranch Golf Club — plush, playable, and fun — was the site of the second day's action. The team sponsored by Walters Golf, consisting of Brooke Dunn, senior vice president, Shufflemaster, Las Vegas; Bryan Thompson, vice president merchandise and marketing, U.S. Foodservice, Las Vegas; Brennan Blednick, director of sales, Walters Golf, Las Vegas; and Steven Wilkes, Ford Motor Co., were the overall tournament champions, and walked away with trophies, duffle bags from HHG Brands, and complete sets of Callaway woods and irons.
Sponsors included the following Las Vegas hotels: Aladdin Casino & Resort; Bellagio Hotel & Casino; Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa & Casino; Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; Harrah's Entertainment; Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort; Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino; JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa; Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino; MGM Grand Hotel; Mirage Hotel & Casino; Monte Carlo Las Vegas Resort Hotel & Casino; Palms Casino Resort; Riviera Hotel & Casino; Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa; The Venetian; and Wynn Las Vegas.
Golf course sponsors, along with Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort and Rhodes Ranch Golf Club, included American Golf Corp., TPC at the Canyons, Bear's Best Golf Club, Silverstone Golf Club, Golf Summerlin, Tuscany Golf Club, Sienna Golf Club, Arroyo Golf Club, Walters Golf, and OB Sports Golf Management.
Other sponsors included destination management company USA Hosts, Las Vegas Photography Co., Richard Petty Driving Experience, and Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining.
The Venetian hosted the group for the opening night poolside reception, while Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, fresh off a grand opening featuring rock legend Sting, hosted the final night's reception, awards ceremony, and banquet.