I just returned from my annual golf trip to the Reunion Golf Resort with 11 of my golfing buddies. A couple of my friends discovered Reunion years ago and we have been organizing this trip annually for a while now. This particular trip was over the top fantastic with the quality of golf, the lodging facilities, the perfect weather, and the exceptional customer service handling a big golf group like ours seamlessly. Every year we travel to Reunion to play 36 holes a day for the first 4 days, then 18 holes on the last day, rotating through the Nicklaus, Watson and Palmer Signature Courses. I met with Darin Hoff a few years ago planning this trip, and was fortunate enough to play a round of golf with him on the signature Watson Course. I was able to see how a real golf professional swings a club and navigates through 18 holes of a truly beautiful golf course. Darin was telling me his story while he shot a 68 without even trying. I wanted to relate his story and showcase a fantastic golf destination that is only about 3 ½ hours from Naples! If any of the golfing readers want to plan a golf trip with a group, with the family or just a spouse, Reunion has it all!
Fine: What is your professional background in general and where have you worked in the US?
Darin: I am a PGA Certified Professional and have been a golf professional for the past 24 years. My highlights include stints as Head Golf Professional at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fiddlesticks Country Club in Fort Myers and The Brickyard at Riverside in Macon, GA.
Fine: How did you first get into golf and at what age? Did you have a special coach or mentor?
Darin: I got into golf by complete accident. I was a baseball player growing up. It’s all I did in my waking moments other than eat. Two things happened that set me in my path to being a golf professional. First, my adopted Grandma’s best friend was a lady named Bee Stewart who happened to have a son named Payne who had just won the 1982 Quad Cities Open. That is how I initially got introduced to the sport. Secondly, I was caddying for my dad and three clients one Saturday morning and they let me hit a tee shot off the 12th tee and I hit it past all of them. To my surprise and Dad’s chagrin, the clients, not knowing that it was my first swing ever, felt that Dad had set them up and they took their bags off the carts and left. Dad lost the account, but I got to drive the cart back to the clubhouse, which was quite a thrill for a 12-year-old kid. Dad and I went back the next day and I recorded my first 18-hole score of 140. I was hooked!
Fine: What are some of your work/career highlights?
Darin: Obviously, my time spent at Bay Hill is high up the list. Getting to know Arnold Palmer was so surreal that it can’t be put into words. I’ve had such a blessed career; it’s hard to list all of the great things. I think the best is the people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet along the way, both celebrity and every day “Joe’s.” That’s what makes our business so great!
Fine: I know you can shoot par or under in your sleep, but what is your best golf round ever, what was the course, and how old were you?
Darin: There was a day, but it’s not today. I peaked in the late 90’s before Payne died. My best round was really a “Groundhog Day” experience as I shot 65 to break the course record at my home course in Michigan (Four Lakes CC). I was even par standing on the 14 tee and finished eagle-par-eagle-birdie-eagle. That was a Wednesday and then I backed it up on Friday and Saturday with two other 65’s that were a bit more conventional. My only regret was that it was in a $10 game rather than the weekend of a major!
Fine: How did you first come to Reunion Golf Resort and how long have you been there? Darin: Reunion has been a huge blessing and a great transition from my role as a golf professional. I had played Reunion while I still lived in Orlando and had gotten to know Kevin Baker (Director of Golf). I had lost touch with Kevin until November of 2011 when PGA Magazine had invited me to Reunion as part of the PGA Ambassador’s program where I got the chance to reconnect with Kevin. When they were looking to find a Golf Sales Manager, Kevin and I chatted and the rest is history. That was May of 2012, so I’m nearing the 2-year mark.
Fine: How many golf groups do you handle per year? What is the largest group Reunion has hosted?
Darin: For 2012, I handled 143 groups across our collection of Reunion Resort, Hammock Beach Resort and Innisbrook Resort. I have the upper Midwest and Ontario, Canada as a territory so you can imagine with the winter that they have had, my phone and email have been on the run. My Delta Golf Open is the largest event that Reunion handles on a yearly basis. They bring nearly 600 participants and it’s the best week of the year as it stretches our staff and our property, but I wouldn’t trade that week for anything. Great people…great fun!
Fine: I know Reunion is popular with many baseball teams in Spring Training – what are some of the teams that frequent Reunion Resort?
Darin: We see most of the guys that practice around the Orlando/ Kissimmee/Lakeland areas like the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and my life-long favorite and 2014 World Series Champions… the Atlanta Braves. That’s the really neat thing about our business…you never know who you’re going to see on one of our properties on a daily basis. Fine: What makes Reunion so special compared to other golf resort destinations? Darin: First, it’s the only property in the world that has 3 signature courses from the Legends of Golf at one location, Palmer, Nicklaus and Watson! We also house the only one of its kind, “ANNIKA Academy,” and yes, we see quite a bit of her! Our accommodations are like no other that I’ve ever seen. We offer 1-3 bedroom villas that range upwards of 2200sqft as well as 3-6 bedroom homes for accommodations. My favorite part of the resort personally is “Eleven.” It’s our rooftop restaurant and bar on the 11th floor that has a pool and observation deck that allows you to see fireworks on a nightly basis from Disney!
Fine: What does Reunion have to offer for families other than just golfers?
Darin: Reunion is the perfect property for families. First, we are 6 miles from the main gate of the Walt Disney World Complex. Second, our accommodations allow our families to spread out with Mom and Dad having a King suite while the kids can share a queen suite and a 3rd bedroom with two double beds. This allows your family to return to the resort and enjoy a comfortable experience rather than piling the whole family into a cramped hotel room. Finally, we have a state-of-the-art Water Park at the resort that comes complimentary with your resort access. What a better way to finish the day than relaxing in our lazy river while the kids take advantage of the kids splash zone.
Fine: For many years, the Nicklaus course has not had a clubhouse, but a temporary set-up – are there plans for a new clubhouse?
Darin: Yes, that’s been a soft spot for us for the past few years, but there is exciting news on the horizon. Last year, Encore Homes and Resorts acquired a portion of the land on the Nicklaus side of our property and have detailed their plan for constructing a very special clubhouse on our Nicklaus course as well as the construction of an additional water park.
Fine: What does a typical work week look like for you during the busy season?
Darin: I tell people that I have the best life of anyone they’ll ever meet. First, gone are the 60-80 hour weeks that I knew as a Golf Professional. I’m pretty much a Monday-Friday guy. I get in the office around 7:30ish and try to be home by 6pm to see my wife and kids. My very busy season is two fold. With my responsibility of the Midwest and Ontario, I normally see groups express interest between 4-9 months in advance of their trip, so I get pretty busy starting in August and will stay that way through May. Aside from contracting the group, I also like to take an interest in each group as they come to the property, so I’ll make sure to see the guys throughout their stay. For my groups that go to Innisbrook and Hammock Beach, it means some travel to the other properties as well. I try to play with my clients as much as my demands will allow which is never enough, but I really enjoy getting to know the guests. After 2-3 years at a facility, your Member-Guest starts to feel more like a family reunion. The same can be said about assisting our golf groups.
Fine: What are some of your favorite things about Reunion?
Darin: The golf is fantastic, our accommodations, and our “Eleven” restaurant are all very special, but I would say that my favorite thing about Reunion is the people. We have the best collective group of people I’ve ever been around. When you come to Reunion, make it a point to spend some time with my brother, Chef Ha. He’s one of the top sushi chef’s in the world and although we look different, I can assure you that he’ll confirm that we are family . Fine: How can the readers of Fine Magazine find out more information about Reunion? Darin: That’s the easiest question you’ve asked. You can go to www. reunionresort.com to see what the resort has to offer. You can also go to www.salamanderhotels.com to view our entire collection better known as the Grand Golf Resort of Florida.
I can be reached directly via email at dhoff@reunion.com or by phone at 407-396-5382.
F ine At wor k with D arin H o ff www.reunionresort.com dhoff@reunion.com 407-396-5382