Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Bringing together local businesses and neighbors of Bergen County
Good Neighbor Podcast: Bergen
Ep # 132 Golf, Getaways, and Good Times
Tired of the same old golf outings focused solely on networking and competition? Join us as we discover an entirely new approach to enjoying the game with Zena Spevak, founder of Fairway Retreats.
Zena reveals how her passion project evolved from casual golf meetups with friends into a thriving business creating curated getaway experiences specifically designed for women golfers. Unlike traditional golf trips, these retreats balance nine-hole rounds with spa treatments, jazz clubs, casino visits, and community building. The result is a perfect blend of sport, self-care, and social connection.
"Golf is amazing meditation without any effort," Zena explains, highlighting how these retreats transform the game into a mindful experience that connects players with nature and themselves. From Myrtle Beach to Saratoga Springs, each destination offers unique opportunities beyond the fairway, creating memorable escapes for women looking to briefly step away from daily responsibilities.
What began as small groups of four friends has expanded to accommodate eight participants, with plans for further growth. Zena shares her vision for the future, including upcoming trips to Mount Airy Casino and research into new locations like Asheville, North Carolina. Her approach reimagines golf not just as a sport, but as the centerpiece of a holistic retreat experience that nurtures both body and spirit.
Ready to experience golf in a whole new way? Visit fairwayretreats.com to discover upcoming trips and join a community of women who've found the perfect balance between pursuing their passion for golf and creating space for relaxation and connection.
Fairway Retreats
Zena Spevak
(201) 694-3718
zenaspevak@gmail.com
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Doug Drohan.
Speaker 2:Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast. I am your host, doug Drohan, from Bergen Neighbors Media Group, and today we have a really interesting guest, an interesting business. It's Zena Spevak of Fairway Retreats. And when you think of Fairway, I mean I'm thinking, okay, this is the supermarket, fairway Retreats, okay, I'm going on a retreat somewhere you know, to meditation. But that's not what this is about. So, zena, tell us so, welcome to the show, thank you, thank you. So Fairway Retreats, if you, once you start to explain it, if you go on your website at fairwayretreatscom, you'll know that it's about going out and hitting some balls on the fairway, right?
Speaker 3:Exactly, exactly, and it's not only about golf, it's about community getting together, sharing interests, and it's a lot, a lot of fun, hopefully, together, sharing interests.
Speaker 2:And it's a lot, a lot of fun, hopefully with the good weather. Yeah, I know, right, I mean that's been a problem here in New Jersey lately. So tell us a little bit more. What is Fairway Retreats? What's the mission statement?
Speaker 3:Sure. So I started playing golf about five years ago and in Bergen County and we started to get together with a small group of women because we share the same interests and it could be music, yoga, and I came up with this idea that we can actually travel out of Bergen County and go in a little further. So I started facilitating retreats for small groups like eight people, four and four, and we would travel like Florida, we would travel we've traveled quite a few places and we we would go out to eat, we would make reservations for music, we would do some yoga it depends on what group I host. So it became so much fun and usually it's like about three, four days could Could be a weekend, it depends on what people want.
Speaker 2:Right, right, so is it like? I know there's a guy in Bergen County who has a networking group that's based around golf and I was invited once. Usually, if you're a member, you play every week or something like that, and then you can invite a guest, but it's nine holes and then lunch afterwards they used to do 18, but then people thought it took too much time. But the whole idea is it's supposed to be like a bni where you can network and a lot of people say, oh, a lot of deals are done on the golf course, um, but that's not exactly what this is about, right, it's not purely business no, no, no, no at all.
Speaker 3:It's actually about taking care of yourself. Like you want to get away from your husband, your family, the children for a weekend. For example, we go into Saratoga, take a bath, walk in the you know, try the waters and enjoy the park music. We go into a jazz club. So it's about really getting. And we're playing two rounds of golf, nine holes in two different courses, so you play nine holes.
Speaker 2:Okay, you play nine holes Okay.
Speaker 3:Yes, we do play nine holes, and if somebody wants to stay and play 18, they are welcome to do so.
Speaker 2:Now, the big thing that we've left out is this is primarily geared for women.
Speaker 3:Yes, so I do belong to Wigan, which is a woman's golf organization. So these are all my friends at this point. But if, uh, when I get bigger and then you know when, co-ed is welcome and uh, again it will be, depending on, let's say, in september we are going to. I'm planning a trip to go to mount airy lounge casino, so of course, uh, couples are welcome, men are welcome. Everybody likes to gamble. A little gamble is good.
Speaker 2:So now you have an event coming up or you had one.
Speaker 3:No, I have next weekend. We're going to Saratoga Springs for four days Nice. Do you all drive up together Saratoga Springs?
Speaker 2:for four days Nice.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we stayed in the park.
Speaker 2:Do you all drive up together, or like when you went to Myrtle? So you went to Myrtle beach just like a couple?
Speaker 3:of weeks ago. Yes, we, we fly. Yeah, saratoga, we drive separately, or if anybody wants to drive together, they welcome. It's only two and a half hours, so it depends on the situation. Really, in the future, maybe we get a driver in a big van. That would be fun. The problem is really with the golf clubs and the luggage. It's so much stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. How long has this business been around?
Speaker 3:So last year I just um started uh this year, but in years before I've done groups of four people. We always went together and I did all the reservations and and uh organizing everything. So I love doing that. That's my passion, it's my retirement plan.
Speaker 2:Oh, your retirement plan right. What did you do?
Speaker 3:I still work. I still work. I work as a bookkeeper.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, nice, nice. So if somebody were to book this, they're paying through. Whatever the fee is. It covers the golf. Yes, it covers the hotel. It covers transportation. How does it work?
Speaker 3:So it depends on the outing.
Speaker 2:If you're flying to Myrtle Beach.
Speaker 3:Everybody pays their own airline ticket, so it would include usually breakfast, golf, hotel and maybe some entertainment. It depends. It depends again on a um what we doing.
Speaker 2:Right. So if you're there, if you do a four day trip, you're playing nine holes each day.
Speaker 3:Oh, no, no, no, we only play in the most. We play in two rounds, not each day. No, well, we are, like I said, we uh women's, especially with women, we are usually playing nine holes everywhere. So, um, I mean, if it's some special golf course and everybody wants to play 18, we will do so because we have other things to do besides golf. You know, um, like to, I love to dance, I love music, so, everywhere, I do a research for jazz, I love jazz and, yes, and like I said, saratoga Springs, we all go in for a bath and a spa. We go into a spa, definitely a spa.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice, yeah, and I've been in Mount Airy Casino. I haven't played golf there, but the course looks nice from, you know, outside the window of the hotel.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, I don't know. I've never played golf there either, so this is going to be my first time. I'm excited about it and you know what the best is it's a weekend, so nobody can have to take a time off from work. And it's not a long drive, yeah yeah, it's under two hours probably.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:That's great, I mean. So how many women have you know? Obviously you just started this, but you said you max it out at eight per trip.
Speaker 3:Yes, right now I do eight and hopefully next year I will do more and maybe go in.
Speaker 2:Do people know each other? Or some people are going to have it and they're going along and they so far everybody knows each other from um, from the, the women's uh organization.
Speaker 3:Yes, mostly everybody knows each other. Mostly share room, but you can do a single occupancy, of course.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yes, go ahead.
Speaker 3:My next is I'm going to Asheville next month just to do a research. Really, I've been to Asheville, north Carolina, before and it's amazing they just started opening the golf courses from the hurricane. So I'm really excited for next year to organize a couple of trips to Asheville.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice, I've never been, but I hear it's a great town, yeah, so I guess, like for people who you know, obviously you're, you're in New Jersey, so I guess most of the people that are coming are are from the Northern New Jersey area and, and what's the average age? Would you say, like, these are women that are, don't have young kids at home. They're, you know they can, they can leave. You know whoever Exactly? Yeah, okay, okay.
Speaker 3:Yes, exactly, we're not going to be talking about age at all.
Speaker 2:Right, right.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So I mean it's nice. I mean you know one of the things that people you know when you play golf, um, I've had some friends of mine say, oh, golf's not really a sport. I'm like, well, you try, you know, hitting a ball that's just sitting there. Uh, correctly, you know it takes coordination, it takes hand-eye coordination, takes, um, you know, hip and and um, you know a mental. You know the mental part of it is so big when you're playing for four hours or whatever it is. But the other part of what makes golf nice is usually you're in the night, the location is serene and it's beautiful. Even if it's a golf course in Paramus or whatever you know, you have this little oasis away from the hustle and bustle and it's nice to be out on. You know grass and water and birds and other things like that. I mean, do you find where? What do people enjoy more? Playing the nine holes together or the things you do afterwards?
Speaker 3:Oh, definitely, definitely both. I mean to go out after is very necessary, but I have to mention it's very important that you said meditation. So I do, I do meditation. And for me to go on a golf course, it is amazing meditation without any effort, and women are usually more relaxed than men. Uh, playing, I think I noticed, because we're not competitive as much as men and we, we, just I, I personally, like you said, to to concentrate and to connect with the ball and to with earth and with the course. It is just an amazing, amazing experience for me yeah yeah, now is this for golfers of any level.
Speaker 2:Do you most of the women? You know they've played before they can. They can hit the ball down the fairway.
Speaker 3:They know they know the yes, okay, you have to know how to hit the ball and if you don't, you go to a course and you take lessons. It takes a while, definitely, otherwise you can't really enjoy the game, like when we play nine holes, they tell us you have two and a half hours.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:Because there are people behind you, there are people in front of you. You got to move.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean two and a half is a long time for nine holes, but yeah, I mean I'm 210, okay, yeah yeah, oh yeah, and the thing is, you know, just keep it moving, um, but uh, yeah, if you, you know, I've had people say, oh, you know, I'd love to play as I go out. When was the last time? Oh, you know, I went to the range once or twice. I'm like, uh, it's going to be really, exactly, you know, not only challenging but probably frustrating and you may not want to spend that a hundred hours or whatever it is to play. That's great.
Speaker 2:I mean, you're talking to a golfer I love. I wish I could play more, but you know, I think your, your mission of, you know, obviously being women led right now is a, is a really great idea because, you know, I don't see too many women on golf courses unless they're Korean. You know, korean women seem to be taking up the sport a lot more than non-Koreans. But when I did play, I said I did have a group of four women ahead of me. So I was like, interesting, because I hadn't seen that for a while, but you know it is.
Speaker 2:It is a great sport. I love what you're doing and, and you know, having to travel and go to some really beautiful courses is a great idea. So so how would people, how would people uh, you know reach out to you?
Speaker 3:so on my website I have a very nice website fair alone, fair alone, fair alone, taking about. I've taken about thinking about, uh, fairway retreats. com. All the information is there. Um, that's about. That's about it.
Speaker 2:Is there a phone number, so they would just do everything online, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there is a phone number, there's an email. Uh, all the information is there All right.
Speaker 2:Well, why don't we say what the phone number? There's an email, uh, all the information is there. All right. Why don't we say what the phone number and email is?
Speaker 3:sure it's 201-694-3718 and my email is info at fairway retreats. com so for your upcoming um trips, are there still?
Speaker 2:is there still availability for Saratoga?
Speaker 3:There is only one space left, but no hotel, so I guess not. And of course for Mount Airy Casino L we. I just just put it on the website. So okay, and that's not september 20th and 20th right, right, and maybe something else will come up before. I'm thinking of a couple more courses, but we'll see nice, nice.
Speaker 2:have you ever uh played at crystal springs resorts like wild Turkey? Many times many times. Unfortunately.
Speaker 3:Yeah, unfortunately we can't stay there because it's so, so expensive. It became crazy expensive, but we would drive there and just play. Yeah yeah, great Gorge and Crystal Springs. There are so many golf courses there and it's wonderful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's nice there. Yep, very good. All right, Zena. Well, thanks very much for being a guest on the show, and we're just going to have Chuck say a few parting words and you and I'll be right back.
Speaker 3:Thank you, Doug. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpbergen. com. That's gnpbergen. com, or call 201-298-8325.