Written By: Catherine Gilkey
www.smallmarketmeetings.com
South County, R.I.
The waterfront region that wraps around the southernmost edge of Rhode Island between Mystic, Conn., and Providence, R.I., has become one of New England’s best-loved vacation spots.
With that popularity has come a boom in golf. South County, R.I., has become known as the Golf Coast, with 17 public golf courses along its 100 miles of beachfront.
“South County’s golf courses have changed over the years to include some of the finest dining in the area, providing idyllic country settings for weddings and meetings,” Myrna George, president of the South County Tourism Council, said.
Eighteen-hole golf courses in the area include Fenner Hill Golf Club in Hopkinton, which has views of its 9th and 18th holes from its banquet facilities. Seventeenth-century stone walls attest to the public course’s mission to preserve New England’s past.
The Golf Pavilion, also in Hopkinton, is a learning center with PGA-quality bent-grass putting greens staffed by professional golfers.
Golf clinics are among the options there, and two on-site restaurants can be booked for private dinners and receptions. Larger groups can have outdoor gatherings overlooking the fairway, with a tent in case of rain.
The classroom building at the Golf Pavilion Learning Center is available for private gatherings.
Another meeting venue is the Whispering Pines Conference Center on the W. Alton Jones Campus of the University of Rhode Island in West Greenwich.
Because of its university ties, the center can arrange sessions on conflict management, personal stress management and creativity, among others. Overnight accommodations for up to 64 and meeting space for up to 100 are available.
(800) 548-4662 or (401) 789-4422
www.southcountyri.com
