Cradle of American Golf Continues Its Standing as a Top-Tier Group Destination
PINEHURST, N.C. – Pinehurst Resort, the Cradle of American Golf and one of the leading corporate meeting and event venues in the Southeastern U.S., has named Karen DiCarlo Director of Group Sales.
With 25 years of hospitality industry leadership, DiCarlo has been an integral part of the Pinehurst guest experience since her arrival nearly 20 years ago. Prior to her promotion, she served as the resort’s director of event services and catering, overseeing all aspects of conference planning, catering sales and event production and décor.
“Karen’s institutional knowledge, detailed organization and dedicated commitment to hospitality made her the perfect fit for this challenging leadership position,” says Eric Kuester, vice president of sales and marketing at Pinehurst Resort. “She’s naturally suited to carry on the hallmarks of what makes Pinehurst such an iconic and desirable destination for groups and to help us move forward and prepare for the new reality that the challenges of the past year present.”
Having faced the challenges of Covid-19 pandemic head-on over the past 18 months by providing all of its guests with the care and concern outlined in its Pinehurst Promise, the resort is positioned to continue its standing as a top-tier group destination. With more than 80,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and an array of outdoor meeting locations, Pinehurst accommodates all forms, sizes and styles of corporate events.
Karen DiCarlo, Director of Group Sales
“We are grateful to see the demand for corporate gatherings increase again, and we are ready to welcome larger groups back to the charming Village of Pinehurst,” DiCarlo says. “While we understand the Zoom era isn’t going completely away anytime soon, nothing compares to the feelings of fellowship and productivity fostered by coming together. For those who are still more comfortable ‘visiting’ us remotely, we provide a technical element that is both seamless and dependable.”
Even amid the uncertainty of the past year, Pinehurst Resort continued to pursue its long-term plans and partnerships carefully and respectfully. In September 2020, the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced it would build its second headquarters, as well as an innovation and test-center hub, on the resort’s campus.
Concurrently, the USGA named Pinehurst’s famed No. 2 golf course as its first U.S. Open Anchor Site. Artfully restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2011, No. 2 will host five U.S. Open Championships in the span of just 23 years (2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047), an unprecedented run in the history of golf in America.
And in June 2021, Pinehurst Resort received the approval to build a new lodge overlooking the popular Cradle short course. A luxury hotel featuring 34 rooms, the lodge is slated for completion prior to the 2024 U.S. Open Championship. It will feature a rooftop bar and a variety of unique, first-class amenities and services for its guests while also elevating the championship experience at future U.S. Opens.
“Even after such a trying year, it’s still an exciting time to be at Pinehurst,” Kuester says. “We’ve been fortunate to benefit from a resurgence in the interest of the game of golf and feel like we’ve been able to continue our legacy as good stewards not only of the game, but for the people who play it. Now, we look forward to fully welcoming back corporate guests with the same kind of hospitality, but with an inspired blend of innovative ideas and memorable winning moments.”
The Pinehurst Resort Group Sales team is:
- Karen DiCarlo – Director of Group Sales
- Kimberly Bryan – South, Southeast, West, Canada and International
- Tiffani Sheppard – North Carolina
- Brey Garske – National Golf Accounts, Nonprofits, Midwest
- Nimisha Barth – Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
- Derek Noll – North Carolina
About Pinehurst Resort
Established in 1895 in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst Resort & Country Club is a 2,200-acre property featuring nine outstanding golf courses, The Cradle nine-hole par-3 short course, 75,000 square-foot putting course (Thistle Dhu), 16 clay tennis courts, an award-winning spa, other recreation and social activities for families, and elegant accommodations across one hotel, two inns, villas and condos.
Widely known as the Cradle of American Golf, Pinehurst hosted more single golf championships – including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup and PGA TOUR Championship – than any other site in North America. Golfers enjoy layouts designed by the game’s greatest architects, including Donald Ross, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Gil Hanse, Jack Nicklaus, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio and Ellis Maples.
Pinehurst Resort, in concert with the United States Golf Association (USGA), was recently selected as the first U.S. Open Anchor Site and will host the championship in 2024, 2029, 2035, 2041 and 2047. The resort is slightly more than an hour from Raleigh-Durham International Airport, 90 minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport and only a half-day drive from many East Coast cities. To book tee times and golf packages: www.pinehurstresort.com, 855.235.8507.
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