Story Ideas

Sandestin Story Ideas and Angles

1. Located at the crossroads of some of the South's leading cities, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is a complete resort experience for both vacation and business travelers. A world unto itself, Sandestin offers the most varied on- and off-the beach experience in the South including authentic features such as award-winning sugar-sand beaches and the popular The Village of Baytowne Wharf, four championship golf courses, a full-service marina, world-class tennis center, kids’ recreation program and extensive shopping, dining and entertainment options, which make Sandestin a premier destination resort.
2. The opening of the Raven Golf Club (2000), The Village of Baytowne Wharf (2002), Baytowne Conference Center (2003), The Grand Sandestin (2003), Lasata (2004), Bahia (2005); Village Phase II, two Marriotts, Luau (2006) – continue the company's master plan and vision of redevelopment and mark the greatest renaissance in the resort's 30-year history

Meetings- and Trade-Focused Stories and Angles

1. Resort management story - How vice president and general manager Rob Babcock is steering a 2,400-acre resort through a $400 million, 10-year master plan of redevelopment that includes additional room inventory and new amenities. Despite Sandestin's constant state of change, Babcock continuously trains staff, adapts systems, and keeps his eye on the details to maintain the resort's high standards for service.
2. How to plan a successful meeting - Sandestin conference services department shares proven strategies for meeting planners, as it manages 65,000 square-feet of meeting space and hosts groups up to 1,600.
3. Choosing a condominium hotel vs. a traditional hotel for your next meeting - what is the difference between the two and what benefits and value does a condominium hotel provide that a traditional hotel does not.

Consumer-Focused Stories and Angles

1. Family learning vacations encourage parents and kids to have more fun together – Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort gives moms and dads looking to spend more quality time with the kids loads of group learning vacation activities. As time-pressed parents continuously seek new ways to spend more quality time with their kids, the 'family vacation' takes on new meaning and purpose. With the question of "where to go next year?" looming in the minds of moms and dads thinking about annual family vacation plans, resorts like Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort encourage and inspire family togetherness through group learning activities.
2. Planning the Family Vacation Online – The Internet can make vacation planning fun and easy for the whole family. Together, families can use travel Web sites to research, plan and book their vacation. Sandestin offers families a number of online family travel tips, along with its own online discounts and vacation planning features to help plan a Sandestin family vacation itinerary.
3. A Summertime Beach Vacation to Enjoy in the Fall - Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort joins the Beaches of South Walton to create a four-month-long celebration of fall festivals and events that offer vacationers a unique way to experience the traditional beach vacation when the temperature starts to cool.
4. Savoring Sandestin – From its own first-ever cookbook celebrating contemporary Southern comfort cuisine, to a roster of some of the South's best-known restaurants; from a year-round calendar of food festivals and tastings, to an illustrious list of award-winning chefs – Sandestin is a food-lovers paradise showcasing the flavors of the region.
5. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort offers a storybook wedding with a hint of Southern charm – The Magnolia Ballroom, the largest ballroom on Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast is perfect for wedding celebrations. More and more couples today are searching for a picture-perfect location to "tie the knot." As Southern destinations become more popular sites for romantic weddings,
   Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort offers couples Southern charm and hospitality against the backdrop of the sugary-white beaches of Northwest Florida - perfect for marital bliss. The Sandestin staff knows how important weddings are for couples and can assist in creating a stress-free and memorable dream wedding for brides and grooms and their guests. The resort will be a central gathering place for families and friends to share a special moment with the happy couple while enjoying the best Sandestin has to offer.
6. Shop 'Til You Drop - Sandestin provides vacationers with a rich array of unique shops and boutiques for those who enjoy discovering unique, regionally-inspired finds.

Golf- and Sports-Focused Stories and Angles

1. Golf By Numbers – 72 Reasons to Golf at Sandestin – At 34, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is showing that some things really do get better with age. Whether on leisure or business, the game of golf is the ideal sport to bring families, friends and business associates together. And where better to experience golf than at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort - the premier golf destination on Northwest Florida's Gulf Coast. In fact, when you add it all up, Sandestin is the ultimate golf getaway, consider … 72 holes of championship golf on 4 courses, 3 designed by world-renowned architects, plus the recently-opened 28-acre Village of Baytowne Wharf, 20 fabulous restaurants, 5 nightspots, more than 50 retail shops, and 323 days of sunshine throughout the year … all in one place.
2. Baytowne Golf Club is Redesigned – Since its opening in 1986, the Baytowne Golf Club at Sandestin has been a guest favorite, seeing more rounds each year than any other course on property, and twice given four and a half stars by Golf Digest’s “Places to Play.” Being a crowd favorite comes with a price, though. Baytowne, just a year shy of its 20th birthday, is enjoyed a total makeover in October 2006. Original course architect Tom Jackson supervised the project. The result is a much-improved experience for adults, but perhaps the most anticipated addition to the course comes in the form of junior tee boxes on all 18 holes, making it the only golf course in the area that caters specifically to juniors and families.
3. Active vacationers can improve their game or learn a new game with the many sports and instruction programs available at Sandestin – golf, tennis, sailing, fishing, water sports, bicycling and more are available for the sports enthusiasts seeking an active vacation experience. And for those that consider themselves a pro - Sandestin also hosts signature tournaments that challenge the leaders in sports with the annual Sandestin Triathlon, Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin and The Boeing Championship at Sandestin.
4. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort offers tailored golf instruction to suit unique abilities and strengths of women – At the Sandestin Golf Academy, learning the basics is the first step to improving a golfer's game. Recognizing the distinct differences between men and women golfers, the Sandestin Golf Academy offers golf instruction for women that prevents new students from being intimidated, and keeps familiar students coming back for more. The Academy's instructors help women golfers master the techniques necessary to play each of the resort's four championship golf courses and have an enjoyable experience in the process. According to Sandestin's golf instruction team, women tend to be more visual than men when it comes to learning the game. Therefore, the Academy uses a number of visually-oriented training tools including video swing monitoring where students can review their swing on a digital screen and learn the correct positioning for legs, back, arms and head.