Club + Resort Business July 2022

July 2022

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Bridging the Gap

at The Bridgewater Club

Also in this issue: July 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com

Competitive Advantages The Patterson Club’s Executive Chef Geo Lanez, MBA, CEC, is leveraging his experience and perspective to help improve all aspects of the club’s food and beverage program.

INSIDE Service That Goes the Extra Mile Controlling Food Costs Balancing Creativity With Comfort

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Club + Resort Business ISSN 1556-13X is published monthly by WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Avenue, 26th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114. Copyright ©2022. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Qualified U.S. subscribers receive Club + Resort Business at no charge. For all others the cost is $75 U.S. and possessions, $90 Canada, and $145 all other countries. Per copy price is $3. Postmaster: Send change of address notices to Club + Resort Business, P.O. Box 986, Levittown, PA 19058. Club + Resort Business does not endorse any products, programs or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright© 2022 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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INSIDE

July 2022 • Vol. 18 • No. 7

THIS

ISSUE

12

BRIDGING THE GAP

The Bridgewater Club used a clubhouse renovation to align more with the “fun and approachable” atmosphere and culture of the Carmel, Ind. property. (Photo by The Bridgewater Club)

18

Design Snapshot 24 ALL THE COMFORTS OF

Design + Renovations

REFRESHING THE WATERING HOLE

Clubs welcome back members to socializing with redesigned bars and pubs.

HOME, IN THE WOODS

Golfers can indulge at this centrally located turn station in the Ozarks.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

6

The Rob Report

8

Clubhouse Notes

10

July 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com

11

31 Club + Resort Chef

COMPETITVIE ADVANTAGE

26

SO FAR, SO GOOD TIME WELL SPENT Marketing + Management

THE ART OF CHANGE

Golf + Fitness Technology

BUILD A BETTER PROGRAM – A TEAM-BASED APPROACH Super In The Spotlight

A GENTLE PUSH LEADS TO A FULFILLING CAREER

Competitive Advantages The Patterson Club’s Executive Chef Geo Lanez, MBA, CEC, is leveraging his experience and perspective to help improve all aspects of the club’s food and beverage program.

INSIDE Service That Goes the Extra Mile Controlling Food Costs Balancing Creativity With Comfort

4 Club Index www.clubandresortbusiness.com

64 Product Showcase

66 Ad Index July 2022

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THE ROB REPORT

So Far, So Good WHILE I TRY TO make a point of looking forward and not dwelling on the past, six months seems like a pretty good time to take a peek back at the year thus far.

January is always the start of our busy travel season, which opens up in Orlando, Fla. for the PGA Merchandise Show.

This is a great opportunity to chat with Head Golf Professionals from around the country to see what they’re going to be stocking in their Pro Shops once Fall/Winter rolls around. Because COVID numbers were spiking in the Sunshine State, I decided to take a pass on an in-person visit but followed along virtually. I vow to have boots on the ground in 2023.

Joe Barks, who took on the role of Editor Emeritus, penned the club feature on Cattail Creek Country Club for the January issue. The Glenwood, Md. club recently unveiled its completely renovated clubhouse that entices members to visit more frequently and offers myriad reasons to stick around a little longer.

The opening issue of 2022 also included the much-anticipated Club + Resort Chef Cookbook and a special report on the Leaders in Clubs + Resorts. Needless to say, it was a big production to kick off the year … and my time as Editor.

We previewed the CMAA World Conference and Club Business Expo in our February issue. Having flown out to San Diego, Calif. for the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show a couple weeks earlier, it was a bit of a stressor hopping on another crosscountry flight so quickly. If you’re “keeping score” at home, you’ll remember that airplanes became an unexpected hurdle in my life in December 2019. The trip, of course, was worth it and we gleaned so much valuable information from booth visits and the annual Idea Fair.

Joe, again, penned our club feature— this time on Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford, Ore. The private club stands out for many reasons, but a few more-notable differences are batting cages, sand volley6

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It’s July, which marks the six-month period of my role as Editor of Club + Resort Business. Thankfully, working closely with Joe Barks from the time I joined the magazine, we were able to make a fairly smooth transition. ball and full-court basketball. Sounds like my kind of club!

We said hello to Top Ranked 2022 in March. Culinary Experiences led the way and we gathered valuable data from clubs across the country. For instance, 52% of clubs have a F&B minimum, 67% have a Sommelier on staff, and the average food cost in Top Culinary Clubs is 42%. How do these numbers match up at your club?

Joe profiled Grand Harbor Golf & Yacht Club in Ninety Six, S.C. for this issue.

Grand Harbor sits on the shores of an 11,400-acre, man-made lake and boasts a popular pizzeria. The Davis Love IIIdesigned golf course features replicas of Revolutionary War-era forts and structures … and even a moat.

Top Ranked Fitness & Wellness Facilities highlighted April and we, once again, learned a great deal about the industry.

The average size of fitness facilities was a little more than 20,000 sq. ft. and 83% of clubs included spa facilities. Also, the av-

erage club has about $440,000 in equipment, while Addison Reserve Country Club led the way with $2,000,000.

Joe said goodbye with his final club feature … this time shining the spotlight on The Springhaven Club in Wallingford, Pa. The suburban Philly property has a wonderful new Athletic Center and an enthusiastic band of members and staff to drive the club, which was founded in 1896.

Did you know the average size of Top Ranked Aquatic Centers & Pools is a little more than 34,000 sq. ft.? You would if you read our May issue. You’d also know that Bald Head Island (N.C.) Club received the highest grade of those who submitted data.

I’m hesitant to delve too deeply into the June issue since it’s so fresh, but I will extend kudos to Woodfield Boca Raton (Fla.) for being given the Top Ranked Racquet Facilities crown. Congratulations!

It was also our always-popular Ideas Issue. This year didn’t disappoint as clubs continue to innovate.

What does the rest of 2022 have in store? Stay tuned. We’ll continue our Top Ranked series and visit more properties to share what your peers are doing to keep members and guests happy, healthy, and ready for more. I’ve got a couple holes in my schedule. Give me a good excuse to feature your property.

Rob Thomas • Editor

rthomas@wtwhmedia.com

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

CLUBHOUSE NOTES

Time Well Spent GOLF IS A GREAT game, but it often requires a large investment of time. An 18-hole round played by a foursome will last about four and a half hours. Factoring in travel time to and from the course, and the check-in process before a scheduled tee time, a golfer probably needs to block off at least six hours for an 18-hole loop. It’s safe to say that a 9-hole round requires setting aside about three hours.

I know purists still enjoy a traditional 18-hole round on a Par 70/71/72 course, but the time commitment likely makes some interested beginners reluctant to try the game. In the past, it’s been difficult to ease into golf and try it out, if you will. A newcomer could go to a driving range, but let’s be honest - that can be a little dull.

There are many creative and fun opportunities available to golfing newbies who want to give the game a dry run in a shorter period of time. Destinations such as Topgolf allow a beginner to take some swings alongside higher level players at a range with food, drinks and an arcade-like atmosphere. Similar to reserving a lane for bowling, a range spot can be secured and a group of players can compete against each other in target and distance contests.

Would-be golfers who want to try the real thing have plenty of options available to them. Par 3 courses provide beginners with a comfortable, affordable and less time-consuming entry into the game. The National Golf Foundation (NGF) in January reported that nearly one-third of the 19 courses that opened in the U.S. in 2021 were Par 3s. The First Call in May reported there was “a net gain of par-3 courses in 2021 for the first time since 2000.” The NGF said there are 664 Par 3 courses in this country, with almost 80 percent being publicly accessible, but the organization noted some resorts and private clubs are adding Par 3 courses to their facilities.

I grew up playing at a country club that 8

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There are many creative and fun opportunities available to golfing newbies who want to give the game a dry run in a shorter period of time. had a 9-hole, Par 28 course with holes that ranged in distance from 75 to 278 yards. On a quiet day, a friend and I could play the whole course in about an hour. I ventured on to the course with my parents for the first time when I was 9 years old.

It’s doubtful that I would’ve stepped into the tee box at that age on a longer, more challenging course.

When my oldest son (now 22 years old) was about 10, he played in a 6-hole junior golf league at a municipal course. Players younger than him could play in a 3-hole league and of course, the older ones did a full 9 holes. At the time, I remember thinking that a short-course concept could be offered to golfers who wanted to experiment with the game and find out if they wanted to spend more time on the links.

This shorter-course approach is happening in some places. The Belmont Golf Course in Richmond, Va., which hosted the 1949 PGA Championship, has been converted into a 12-hole course, a 6-hole Par 3 course and an 18-hole putting course. Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Fla. is introducing a 6-hole loop with holes no longer than 145 yards that is “designed to be playable for any level of

golfer,” according to a post on the resort’s Facebook page. Streamsong will also have a 12-hole loop with holes ranging in length from 125 to almost 300 yards.

In this magazine, we’ve talked at length about how country clubs are providing more family-friendly activities. I’m curious about whether more clubs and resorts will begin offering Par 3 courses or 6/12-hole layouts as part of a strategy to draw more families to the game of golf. If children have a positive experience on a golf course with their parents and siblings, it’s a safe bet that many of them will become adults who participate in the game and share it with their children.

Perhaps more than any other sport, golf has long been perceived as serious, stodgy and set in its ways. The additional options now available to both new and experienced golfers is recasting the game as one that is more fun, flexible, accommodating and inclusive. Those types of changes bode well for the future of golf and that’s definitely well worth our time.

Phil Keren • Associate Editor pkeren@wtwhmedia.com

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

MARKETING + MANAGEMENT

THE ART OF CHANGE

By Connor Thompson • Membership & Marketing Director Interlachen Country Club • Winter Park, Fla.

STARTING, CHANGING OR TRANSFERRING roles can be an exciting and stressful

time for anyone within our industry. So many of us are coming out of two to three years of tremendous growth, and tremendous change to operations that occurred during the pandemic. Even now, many of us are re-learning how to thrive professionally post-pandemic. Although so many club fundamentals operate in the same way, it’s been my experience that each and every club has small, but impactful, nuances which make them unique. Navigating these nuances can sometimes be more difficult than rote memorization and application of your new club’s bylaws.

When C+RB reached out to me regarding submitting a piece about what can be brought to the table when changing roles or moving to a new club, I have to admit that I was a little unsure if I was the correct person to provide such valuable insight.

There are more seasoned, commensurate professionals in our industry who have been doing this a lot longer than I. However, after some deep reflection, and maybe a couple of pep talks, I came to the realization that I probably did know a thing or two about changing roles, and what can be brought on board—and left at the doors of your old club—when starting a new role.

For me, effective transition boils down to three things: Curiosity, Attitude, and Trajectory.

Curiosity—I have often heard it said that “being curious is better than being smart” and I wholeheartedly agree. Bringing tenacious curiosity to the table allows you to understand not just the process, but the 10

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meaning behind the process. Being curious will help you navigate these club-specific niche nuances, and ultimately help you succeed in your new role. It may also allow you to discover a better way to do something, or a more effective solution to a problem.

Too often people begin a new role and simply absorb what has always been done without asking “Why do we do it this way?” Sometimes the answer may be concrete, and you may learn that, prior to your arrival, continual trial and error allowed your new team to determine that the process in place is, in fact, the most effective. However, your curiosity may help you, and in turn your team, discover the process is in place as a result of the “just always been done this way” mentality. In instances of the latter, take the opportunity to make a creative change which will lead to a more effective solution.

Attitude—Sure, it’s cliché. But it’s true: attitude is everything. Generally, people seek out new roles because their former left something to be desired.

They’ve previously been left unsupported, overworked, or generally underwhelmed.

Bringing a good attitude is especially hard if it’s previously been a hat trick combination of all three. Leave those experiences, and any negative mindset that come with it, at the last club. Don’t let it damper any potential that is now in front of you. Consider it Tabula Rasa upon arrival. Use this new, fresh, completely blank slate to form a new mentality.

Trajectory—Understanding where your club is going, and where you fit in to

that plan is crucial to remaining successful in your new role. Take the time early on to figure out where your position fits in the club’s five and 10-year plans. This will allow you to plan and execute more effectively on a professional and personal level. Although the ins-and-outs of your day-to-day were likely discussed in the interview process, take the extra steps to ask where your role fits in the long-term and ask what you can do on a regular basis to support the club’s future endeavors.

If you’re in the membership and marketing realm, this may mean developing a sales plan to boost your membership over a number of years, or it may mean helping to create a system to immediately combat high attrition rates. If you’re coming into a food-and-beverage role, it may mean a total revamp of your club’s food or beverage offerings or reconstructing daily operations. A new Course Superintendent may need to develop a plan to successfully navigate a total course redesign within the next five years. In any of these instances, it’s important to have a deep understanding of where your role fits in at the present time, and how your role will evolve down the road.

No matter what your role, or what club you’re at—we are extremely lucky to work within this industry, especially after the trials and tribulations collectively faced over the last two years due to COVID. Take time to reflect on this fact. Take time to thank your membership for their support in unprecedented times. And, especially, take time to give kudos to your teammates and colleagues—they’re the most deserved of the praise. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

GOLF + FITNESS TECHNOLOGY

BUILD A BETTER PROGRAM – A TEAM-BASED APPROACH

By Matt Kilgariff • PGA Director of Player Development The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe • Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

ALL PLAYERS ON THE PGA and LPGA tour have a team of professionals what work in collaboration to assist them with their physical and mental performance. The team typically consists of a golf instructor who functions much like the head coach of the team. Other members of the team may include, but are not limited to, a mental game coach, physical and massage therapists, a chiropractor, and a performance trainer. These additional team members provide feedback to the golf instructor on the status of their player and how best to serve their needs.

A team approach is just as important for a club member as it is for a tour player. Golfers often have a past medical history regardless of their age that may include injuries. Although I am a golf professional with a major in Kinesiology, there is no way I have enough knowledge on all injuries and surgeries that my players have had and how best to deal with them as they relate to their game. This is where I lean on medical professionals to give critical insight as to what is safe for a player and their body.

As I mentioned in the May issue of C+RB, The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe is fortunate to have Todd Gill MPT OCS, a physical therapist on board to collaborate with me and our members. There are times when crossover with physical therapy and chiropractor care happens. Both can perform hands-on manual treatments and have a thorough understanding of orthopedic injuries and healing timelines.

ADD - If you do not already have medical professionals on your team, consider adding them. Why? I find that having professionals I work closely with improves member retention and confidence.

Think about it this way … an injured golfer may leave the game and the club. Working with pros gives a member confidence that the swing they are learning is safe for their body and that the team will do all possible to keep them pain and injury free.

WHO – Find a medical professional who specializes in golf with a thorough understanding of the swing. Experience in an outpatient physical therapy setting or working sports-oriented chiropractor is preferred. Fortunately, TPI has a search function to find medical professionals in your area. A Medical 3 certified provider with TPI is someone who has dedicated themselves to understanding the game and the physical stresses it puts on the body.

MEET - Meet with candidates and ask them to do a TPI body swing assessment on a member or golf instructor. This will give you immediate insight about their ability, their willingness to collaborate, and their knowledge of golf injuries and biomechanics.

Candidates must understand that golf instruction is the primary

reason a member is seeking help. They must also be aware that collaboration is key to optimizing member experiences and outcomes, and that the golf pro as the head coach is the guiding force to lead the member on their path to better golf.

HIRE – Adding medical professionals can add to your revenue stream without adding to operational costs. Having a physical therapist and/or chiropractor on-site is a wonderful amenity and club offering that may set your club apart.

These pros typically require only small spaces to work. Utilizing existing space(s) in your gym or performance center is a fantastic way to get them started at your facility. Professionals can be brought on board as independent contractors. In this case, the club orchestrates billing members for services received and compensating the professional for service provided. With this type of contracted working relationship, the club creates a contract with the provider for services for a predetermined length of time and agrees on compensation for services at either an hourly rate or a percentage of sales. In this case, the club retains a percentage of the total sales. There is also an option to contract with the professional to provide services for a predetermined length of time, the pro retains the revenue or a portion thereof, and pays to “rent or lease” space from the club.

NEXT STEPS • Put the plan in motion and add to your team.

• Vet the idea of adding to your team with club management.

• Determine if there is underutilized space where a new team member could work.

• Ask club management, members, trainers, and other staff members for recommendations of professionals in expertise you are seeking.

• Check out mytpi.com. Go to “find an expert.” Search for TPI Medical 2 or 3 certified providers.

• Meet with candidates and ask them to do a TPI body swing assessment as mentioned above.

• Find the right person/s that you believe would be a good fit for your club, members and other teammates and work with HR on an agreement.

Matt Kilgariff is a PGA professional who spent much of his career working for Butch Harmon and the Harmon Family. He is currently the Director of Player Development at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Prior to joining The Bridges, Kilgariff was Director of Player Development at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Matt has also been part of TaylorMade’s National Advisory Staff since 2012.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

July 2022

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» Bridgewater Club

BRIDGING

THE GAP

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The Bridgewater Club used a clubhouse renovation to align more with the “fun and approachable” atmosphere and culture of the Carmel, Ind. property.

By Rob Thomas, Editor

WHAT BEGAN AS A “REFRESH” OF THE BRIDGEWATER CLUB evolved into a major enhancement of the (then) 15-year-old Carmel, Ind. club. General Manager Mike Gardner, CCM, PGA says the overall philosophy of the club is continual reinvestment in its facilities, team and membership.

Although the club is relatively new, the needs of the membership have continued to evolve over the past 15+ years,” Gardner says. “At minimum it was a refresh or restyling of the interior of the clubhouse. As we went through the strategic planning process the refresh evolved into something more and we found that we could not only update the design but move the club forward and ensure that it caters to the current and future members of the club.”

Photo by Betsy Barron Photography and Courtesy The Springhaven Club

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» BRIDGEWATER CLUB

Mike Gardner, CCM, PGA General Manager of the Bridgewater Club says management wanted the clubhouse to align more with the “fun and approachable” atmosphere and culture of the club.

Management also wanted the clubhouse to align more with the “fun and approachable” atmosphere and culture of the club.

“We aren’t a traditional, starchy club but instead a progressive, fun and inviting club,” Gardner says. “We also learned how much the focal point of the clubhouse, the bar, could truly become the melting pot and hub of socialization. Moving away from the traditional 10-seat bar and creating an oval, 36-seat bar that could enjoy amazing views outside, really tied everything together and ensured all members using the club in different ways could enjoy the clubhouse.”

From 2020 into 2021, the clubhouse underwent a high-style and dramatic transformation that encompassed nearly every aspect of the club including the Zinc bar, boardroom, ballroom, golf shop, fitness center, newly painted exterior, locker rooms, outdoor gathering spaces, re-shingled rooftops and beyond.

Not surprisingly, an overhaul of this magnitude wasn’t embraced by all, but has certainly received critical praise.

“With it being such a paradigm shift in the overall look and feel, for some it took a little time to understand,” Gardner says. “Once members were reintroduced into the spaces, after the pandemic, you could really see how the renovation lent itself to more socialization.

“To say that everybody loves it is a lie, but overall the mass majority of the membership loves the updates, new bar, enhanced outdoor spaces and increased socialization,” he adds. “In addition, the club has a waiting list for Platinum members and has never seen participation as great as we have in the past year. It has also been very rewarding to see so many younger members enjoying the club.”

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DYE DESIGN Golf course architect Pete Dye’s fingerprints can be found across his home state and certainly at The Bridgewater Club—with an 18-Hole championship course and a 9-hole executive course. Director of Golf Rick Witt, PGA describes the latter as “very member friendly off the tee but creates a fair challenge around the greens.

It is beautifully manicured and offers a nice variety of holes.”

Rounds played on both courses saw a dramatic uptick in 2020 due to the pandemic, but Witt says the club has started to see rounds normalize as restrictions relaxed throughout the country.

“Members are using the club more by playing more golf,” he says of the boost in activity. “Our tournaments are full for couples, ladies, and men’s events. It reminded both new and existing golfers how amazing golf is and how enjoyable it can be to be outside and spend time with your family and friends.”

To keep the golfing pipeline full, Witt says Director of Instruction Mike Abbott, PGA conducts myriad clinics to help with the growth of the game.

In addition to 27 holes of golf, The Bridgewater Club offers an extensive practice facility, which includes a 23-acre practice range with nine target greenside bunkers, 6-acre short-game area with a variety of short-game specialty areas, covered and heated stalls for winter and inclement weather, and an indoor hitting and putting room. The centerpiece is a 5,000-sq.-ft. golf shop, Witt says.

Maintaining the property falls under the hands of Jim Loupee, Director of Grounds, who has spent the last decade of a 42-year career at The Bridgewater Club. Although rewarding work, the challenges are present. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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Once a formal room used mostly for functions, the Legacy Room has been completely transformed into a bright and inviting space.

“It’s a big piece of property to get your hands around,” Loupee says.

“A lot of moving parts due to the size, amount of acreage and size of membership being the largest private club in the state of Indiana.”

Like any other club, staffing issues persist, but Loupee gets creative in recruitment.

“Word of mouth is our biggest advertisement,” he says. “We’ve had luck with the existing staff members bringing in someone they know. Having a referral [bonus] helps this also … and creating a positive working environment.”

FOCUS ON FITNESS Keeping members active and healthy is the responsibility of Fitness and Wellness Director Todd Landwehr and his staff. They enjoy approximately 7,000 sq. ft. of space, that includes a 1,300 sq. ft. group ex studio, Pilates studio with two reformers, fitness center with 37 pieces of cardio equipment, 15 linear strength

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» Bridgewater Club

The Bridgewater Club boasts an 18-hole championship course and a 9-hole executive course. A newly renovated, 5,000-sq.-ft. golf shop is the department’s centerpiece. Director of Golf Rick Witt, PGA says rounds played jumped during the pandemic, but the club is seeing traffic “normalize.”

machines, free weights area, multiple cable cross machines, TRX setup, 15 bikes for cycle classes, and a massage room.

Additionally, The Bridgewater Club boasts an indoor four-lane lap pool for aquatics classes, swim lessons and lap swimming. There are also six outdoor tennis courts, three of which are lined to create six pickleball courts.

With nearly 1,300 members, the four full-time employees who

manage the fitness department are kept busy, with the help of 48 year-round, part-time staff and 70 seasonal part-time staff in the summer months.

The Bridgewater Club utilizes weekly e-mails to keep members informed, as well as a dedicated fitness e-mail once per week.

“Programs are also listed through our membership app via phones, fliers within the facility and staff promoting directly to members,” Landwehr says. “Word of mouth is still very strong, as members are quick to recommend programs to other members.”

DIVERSE DINING The Bridgewater Club offers casual dining spaces as well as outdoor seating. The Zinc Bar is a vibrant space that features a 36-seat bar-top seating as well as two banquets, and 2- and 4-top tables. The Legacy dining room is a bright and inviting space that welcomes members to enjoy it leisurely, whether it is for simple conversation, a game of cards or dining.

Menu selections range from casual items to steak and seafood and the club changes the menu seasonally—four times per year.

Executive Chef Chris Nealy says continuing diversification of the menu ensures all needs are met.

“Whether it is fresh seafood or a casual burnt-end sandwich, the menu offers a wide variety to satisfy any pallet,” Nealy says.

The Zinc Bar, which is the hub of socialization at the club, is anchored by a 36-seat bar with expansive views of the outside.

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SETTING THE STANDARD With a plethora of entertainment options in the area, The Bridgewater Club has set itself apart from the competition through a progressive approach. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

“The club is the new model of country clubs, which is more like a private resort in your backyard,” Gardner says. “Not only is the private resort feel defined by its facilities, but also the culture. What makes this approachable, family-friendly environment possible is this is how the club was established from the

beginning. A lot of other clubs are working through this change, which can be difficult and hard to manage.”

What also makes the club different is the private ownership structure, Gardner says. This allows The Bridgewater Club to be more agile and adaptive at a much faster pace. C+RB

Executive Chef Chris Nealy says “the menu offers a wide variety to satisfy any pallet” from casual items to steak and seafood.

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Refres DESIGN + RENOVATION

the Wateri After two years of restrictions and social distancing, clubs are welcoming members back with redesigned bars and pubs.

By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

CLUBGOERS HAVE SOMETHING to toast: a return to pre-pandemic club life—and that means enjoying a cocktail with friends. With a recent surge in membership sales and waitlists growing by the mile, more facilities are addressing the need for expanded amenities, particularly in the casual dining space. To help keep up with demand, these clubs demonstrate how an updated bar enhances the overall social scene.

TWICE AS NICE At the West Bay Club in Estero, Fla., two bar overhauls in the last year have proven their worth. The January 2021 opening of the Signature Bar, followed by The Niblick last November, were part of a $20 million club-wide amenities-improvement project that incorporated member feedback. “The renovation task force, as well as the design committee, were both comprised of members that dictated renovation and design decisions,” says Marketing and Communications Manager Kaitlyn Schwab.

eshing

Photo Courtesy Cleveland Country Club

ering Hole The Signature Bar, whose contemporary design incorporates tones similar to the club’s nature preserve surroundings, is awash in neutrals and bold blues, offset by warm brass metals and glass details. Blue velvet Juliette chairs, stationed opposite round brass cocktail tables, offer a convenient alternative to seating at the horseshoe-shaped bar. Ambient lighting from globe fixtures complements the white quartz and brass-trimmed counter and frosted glass encasing the hanging storage above the bar. Operable walls that open onto an outdoor terrace seek to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor.

“This new feature provides additional seating for events and banquets and ample opportunity to enjoy the surrounding vista, further enhancing the strong ties to the design concept,” explains Schwab.

Installed with sound-abatement technology, the walls’ functionality extends to managing noise overflow from a busy dining facility.

The main design focal point of the Signature Bar, its wine wall, provides not only a strong visual, but a revenue-building stream for the member wine club. According to Schwab, the sold-out program yielded just under $30,000 in new member dues, not including the projected $70,000 in wine club member-only events. “The first four wine-purchasing events generated just over $25,000, and wine sales are up 325 percent,” she adds.

Also of note at the Signature Bar is the Member Spotlight plaque, which features a select member, accompanied by his or her photo, biography and signature drink featured on the menu. “It’s a great way to recognize our members, highlight

DESIGN + RENOVATION

WEST BAY CLUB Estero, Fla.

“The first four wine purchasing events generated just over $25,000, and wine sales are up 325 percent.”

—Kaitlyn Schwab, Marketing and Communications Manager

their achievements and further facilitate the sense of community we have at our intimately-sized golf club,” says Schwab.

Signature’s success was carried over to The Niblick, a space that was transformed last November into a casual pub with modern accents. Schwab describes it as “a comfortable, casual social center for camaraderie, craft cocktails, cold beer and artisanal foods.” Furnished with warm wood finishes throughout, the bar boasts a speckled granite counter, herringbone subway tile and custom woodwork back bar. Ambient lighting from metal and brass fixtures illuminates the bustling space, while Eurodoors that open onto an outdoor patio provide instant vistas of West Bay’s 18-hole course.

With such a vibrant space that continues to attract newcomers, the Niblick’s Friday night happy hour has amassed 275 members on a weekly basis—nearly double the pre-renovation amount.

“The renovated space and its complementary concept has been lifted up by high-margin items, such as the club-made pizzas which currently represent nearly 28 percent of food sales,” says Schwab. The Niblick, along with the reconfigured Signature Bar, has boosted membership, with an increase in dues revenue of 16 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

A PLACE OF COMMUNITY It only seems natural that memberowned Cleveland Country Club would orchestrate a renovated bar that would 20

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soon become a community destination. After the Shelby, N.C., facility was purchased in 2019 and a member survey indicated that a casual dining space and bar was on the top of their wish lists, construction got underway and was completed by September 2020.

To make the bar more accessible from its former tucked-away location, management opted for a restructured floor plan. “The old layout required the member or guest to wind through multiple rooms and then eventually come into the bar area,” says General Manager Allyson Kahl Darling. “We decided that it was important to open our walls, create an open floor plan and make the bar the centerpiece of the dining space.”

The new design also increased the bar’s occupancy from 10 to 24, with overflow seating provided by built-in high tops, community tables and deep-seated sofas. Large swivel bar stools sporting a rich walnut finish sit at a concrete quartz countertop, with back bar glass shelving that houses an extensive bourbon collection and built-in wine racks. Generously sized windows looking out to the golf course fill the room with natural light, helping to enhance the luster of the blue painted walls, pressed tin ceiling, leather and tweed fabrics and warm stained woods.

“The big picture windows have made a huge difference, as our members and guests are now treated to sweeping views of hole No. 18, the practice putting green, No. 10 tee and perhaps our greatest asset—the

beautiful sunsets that are visible from almost every angle of the new clubhouse,” says Club President David R. Teddy.

Since the bar opened while the pandemic was still in full swing, the updated design lent itself well to social distancing.

“In North Carolina, we were required to sit at 50 percent capacity,” says Darling, noting the benefits of the expanded layout and ample table space. “We also have a covered outdoor terrace adjacent to our bar area,” she adds. “Members were able to enjoy drinks and meals outdoors around the new firepits.”

The club has since broadened its wine offerings, bar specials and specialty bourbon collection in the revised digs. And with the addition of other social programs, F&B revenues have increased by 34 percent due in large part to the new bar.

With member usage on the rise and a direct uptick in private event programming, feedback about the new bar continues to propel the club forward. Member enthusiasm is so infectious, notes Teddy, it has carried over to the staff.

“I believe the new space has inspired a sense of pride in many of our long-time employees who have been with us through thick and thin,” he says. “I believe our hospitality team enjoys coming to work in the new space where a new heartbeat for our club is evident from the time we open, to the time we close.”

And as Cleveland Country Club gears up for its centennial celebration in 2027, www.clubandresortbusiness.com

CLEVELAND COUNTRY CLUB Shelby, N.C.

“I believe our hospitality team enjoys coming to work in the new space where a new heartbeat for our club is evident from the time we open, to the time we close.”

— David R. Teddy, Club President

members can rightfully raise a glass in their renovated digs—a place that Darling deems as “more than just a fixture; it is a place of community.”

GRABBING A SLICE OF CLUB LIFE What was once an underutilized space at WeaverRidge Golf Club in Peoria, Ill., has since become a go-to hangout where golfers

can grab a cold beer and some pizza, play a game of pool and practice their swing in the off season—all in one place. The aptly named Slice, which offers pizza, wings and other light fare in a sports-bar setting, opened in November 2021 and has since become a favorite spot for local golfers.

The casual eatery occupies a former ballroom that was primarily used for Sunday

brunches and golf outing events. But, as General Manager Matt Rogers explains, once the pandemic took hold, the room sat virtually empty. “We were also looking at additional ways to raise revenue in the winter as our club is in a seasonal climate,” he says. “Our goal was to create a comfortable, laidback area for golfers to go after their rounds to have a cold beverage and be loud.”

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DESIGN + RENOVATION

WEAVER RIDGE GOLF CLUB Peoria, Ill.

“Our goal was to create a comfortable, laidback area for golfers to go after their rounds to have a cold beverage and be loud.”

- Matt Rogers, General Manager

While WeaverRidge did not employ a professional designer for this project, management orchestrated a series of changes to transform the ballroom. New waterproof flooring that can withstand heavy foot traffic—not to mention spilled beverages—was high on the agenda. A sound-proof ceiling helps to absorb noise coming from a secondary restaurant on the same clubhouse floor, as does the extra insulation in the

walls separating the two restaurants.

To enhance Slice’s menu, the spot’s pub has been outfitted with two golf simulators, a pool table, dart board, shuffleboard and a gaming lounge. “It’s one of the largest in the Peoria area, allowing for extra space in between machines,” says Rogers of the gaming zone. During the pandemic, this additional real estate enabled social distancing.

Since its inception, Slice has created a

strong revenue stream for WeaverRidge, especially in the off season. With very little overhead, the casual dining and rec spot has not only been a boon for regulars, but for neighbors as well. “One of our goals in creating Slice was to create offerings for our pass holders that were not available at the local private clubs,” notes Rogers. “We have now seen a large uptick in local private club members patronizing our club now.” C+RB

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All the Comforts of Home,

In the Woods

Golfers can indulge themselves at this centrally located turn station, designed with a nod to its rustic surroundings.

By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

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Whether guests desire some mid-game sustenance or need to take cover from an unrelenting rainstorm, Big Cedar Lodge’s new comfort station is at the ready. The Ozark Mountains resort unveiled the latest addition to its Payne’s Valley Course this past spring. While the turn station is tucked away in a remote setting, it offers all the basic necessities … and then some.

The layout of the course prompted Big Cedar to provide a conveniently located destination station for its golfers.

“At two points around the middle of your round (tee box No. 8 and No. 10), golfers will pass a comfort station which sits on a lake, offering some of the most scenic views of the golf course, highlighting the scenery of holes No. 5, No. 8 and No. 10,” says Director of Golf Sales & Marketing Matt McQueary.

The new space has been custom designed by Bass Pro Shops (whose founder Johnny Morris also created Big Cedar Lodge) and an in-house fabrication team. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

The open floor plan includes a bar, pro shop and restrooms. Rustic touches are evident throughout, from the restored wood beams overhead, to the stone fireplace adorned by a moose head.

EASY ACCESS TO AMENITIES APLENTY Outside the 4,000-sq.-ft., two-story comfort station, a sturdy stone-faced structure beckons visitors indoors, where they are immediately ushered into an open floor plan. The spacious, one-floor spot houses a bar, pro shop and restrooms, with a basement reserved for storage. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the space with natural light, while custom-designed lighting fixtures enhance the overall aesthetics.

Rustic touches are evident throughout, from the restored wood beams overhead, to the stone fireplace adorned by a moose head. If visitors don’t fancy a drink at the

bar, they can help themselves to a variety of snacks (free of charge), including fruits, chips, granola bars, ice cream and other grab-and-go options. Also of note is Big Cedar’s signature bison hotdog which, according to McQueary, has become a club favorite.

After refueling, golfers can take a short stroll across the floor into the pro shop, with three racks of select merchandise, including apparel and accessories.

“We offer retail items, offering players a chance to buy additional golf balls if they happen to be running low mid round, rain gear if they are caught in a storm, as well as clubs and clothing if something catches

The 4,000-sq.-ft. comfort station features floor-to-ceiling windows and is centrally located to offer golfers a snack or shelter from a pop-up storm. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

their eye,” says McQueary.

Back outside, visitors can still take in the picturesque view from the outdoor patio, designed to hold up to 45 people.

FURTHERING THE BRAND When designing Payne’s Valley’s comfort station, special attention was given to the lodge’s brand. At the fireplace, a brass emblem showcases the course’s logo, while glass signage at the bar pays homage to the Ozarks native and World Golf Hall of Fame member Payne Stewart.

Appearances aside, construction of this space was not without its challenges. Since the renovation began after the course had opened, the team worked around golfers, so as not to interfere with their playing. The landscape also posed potential hazards.

“Due to the rugged terrain, access to course was quite difficult,” says McQueary.

“We had to have a special construction road built temporarily to allow equipment to gain access.”

Despite such hardships, the comfort station has been a tremendous asset. According to McQueary, overall feedback has been positive and has enabled the resort to maintain its reputation within the golfing community.

“Delivering our guests the best experience possible while visiting Big Cedar is truly our No. 1 goal,” he says. C+RB July 2022

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SUPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

A GENTL

LEADS TO A FULF

It wasn’t exactly love at first sight, but after brief courtship with the golf course, Mike Bogroff knew a career in turfgrass management would become a passion.

By Jeff Bollig, Contributing Editor

GROWING UP IN GOLF-CRAZY MICHIGAN, Mike Bogroff had no real exposure to the game or the golf course until he met his brother’s roommate at Michigan State, who happened to be majoring in turfgrass management. A few years later, while helping his uncle build an 18-hole par-3 executive course, he put two and two together and steered his course of action to golf course management.

“Working for my uncle opened my eyes,” Bogroff says. “I knew I wanted to work outside. Knowing what my brother’s friend did for a major and helping to build a golf course showed me there were 26

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opportunities. So, I changed my major and then focused on turf management. I thought it matched my interests.”

Fortune came Bogroff’s way one day when Dr. Paul Rieke, a professor at Michigan State, suggested he apply for an internship at Blackhawk Country Club in Madison, Wis. Working under the legendary Monroe Miller, Bogroff’s zest for the profession only grew.

He would finish his course work, then upon graduation returned to Blackhawk as a Second Assistant Superintendent from 2000-02.

“Monroe was wonderful to work for,” Bogroff said. “He taught you how to manage people. I was his first intern from a school other than www.clubandresortbusiness.com

TLE PUSH

LFILLING CAREER

Super in the Spotlight

MIKE BOGROFF Current Position: Golf Course Superintendent, The Pines Country Club, Morgantown, W. Va. Years at The Pines CC: 16

Wisconsin. I made an impression on him because my parents came down to Madison with me when I interviewed for the intern position. They became good friends with Monroe and stayed connected. He loved the Midwest work ethic and I had that. It was just a great situation to learn and launch my career.”

Q. Can you tell us about the driving experience with Monroe?

A. Well, Monroe usually drove to the annual GCSAA conference,

no matter where it was. One year, he asked if I and assistant Chad Grimm wanted to go with him. So, we drove from Madison to Dallas. It was the most awesome road trip. It took us four days. But the stories Monroe told were wonderful. I learned as much in those four days as I had any.

Years in Golf Course Maintenance Business: 23 Previous Employment History: Intern, Blackhawk Country Club, Madison, Wis., 1998; Second Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, Blackhawk Country Club, Madison, Wis., 2000-2002; Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, Traverse City (Mich.) Golf and Country Club, 2002-2005; Education & Training: Two-Year Certificate, Sports Turf Management, Michigan State University, 1999; Associate’s Degree, Turf Grass Management, Northwestern Michigan College, 2000.

Honors and Awards: Board Member, West Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association; 2011 Superintendent of the Year, WVGCSA

Q. You said you had two mentors that helped you in your

career, especially in the early days? www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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SUPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT to go for it. It was a tough decision because we really liked Traverse City. But the job growth in the industry was slowing down. It just made sense to apply and go for it.

Q. Only 27 years old at the time, how were those first few years

of being our own boss?

A. Well, I give a lot of credit to Steve Hammon. He was so good in

Golf Course Profile

THE PINES COUNTRY CLUB Website: www.thepinescc.com Year Opened: 1970 Ownership (Public, Private, Resort): Private Club (stockholders) Golf Course Type (Parkland, Links, Prairie): Rolling Parkland Course Designer (Renovation/Redesign): Edmund Ault / Aspen Corporation 2004 (Green Surrounds) No. of Holes: 18 Par: 71 Yardage: Forward – 5,019 yards; Back – 6,713 Golf Season: Open year-round (main season of play: April – November) Annual Rounds: 24,000 Grasses: Tees, Fairways: Bentgrass Roughs: Bluegrass, Rye, Fescue mix Greens: Poa annua/Bentgrass Water Features: 3-acre lake (used for irrigation) comes into play on four holes Bunkers: 64 A. I was very fortunate. After working for Monroe, I took an assistant position at Traverse City (Mich.) Golf and Country Club, working for Steve Hammon. He was wonderful. I could not have asked for better people to work for than Monroe and Steve. They were just great people who also had great leadership skills. They treated people with respect and communicated well. They also taught the value of giving back to the profession and that inspired me to serve on the board for the West Virginia chapter. I’m not saying managing turf is easy, but it’s often the people aspect that presents the biggest challenges – dealing with staff, members, vendors, etc.

Q. How did the job in Morgantown come about?

A. I met my future wife in Traverse City and she just happened to

be from Morgantown, W. Va. So, when the superintendent position at The Pines opened, let’s just say there were other considerations 28

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teaching his team on what it took to be successful. Every year at evaluation time we sat down and talked about what it took for me to advance to become a head superintendent. He helped me prepare for interviews as well. It was still a challenge those first years. I was younger, making some changes from what had been previously done and I was coming from out of the area. It helped that I had a veteran staff.

Hammon knew early on that Bogroff was headed to a leadership position in golf course management. “He was a mature person when he came to me and always showed great respect for others.

And they gave it back to him in return,” Hammon says. “I knew he was destined to be a Head Golf Course Superintendent, so I took him to green committee meetings, and we also discussed the issues facing the club. I also had him in the equipment shop in the winter to see what we were doing. I wanted him to get a well-rounded experience. He soaked it up. His even-keel nature is perfect for a golf course superintendent.”

Q. What makes The Pines fun to play and what makes it challenging?

A. The greens here are what have people talking. They slope from

back to front, so you do not want to be above the hole. We get them rolling fast. So, they can be fun or frustrating. You get outside the fairways, and you find trouble because they are tree lined.

The thing I like about the course is every hole is interesting. A lot of courses may have a few holes that wow you and the rest are all remarkably similar. We have great diversity here. Another aspect that people like is that the course is walkable. More so the front nine, but it does not beat you up in terms of elevation.

Q. What course management challenges do you face?

A. We are in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains at about

1,200 feet. You go 10 minutes east and you are in elevations of 3,000 and above. So, you get some interesting weather patterns in the region. We joke that storm systems move from the west to Morgantown and just before it hits, there is a split. We are at the Northernmost part of the transition zone, so we have both coolseason and warm-season grasses. The one thing that surprised me in moving from Michigan is how sustained the periods of heat and humidity are here. That means we face a great deal of disease pressure. We have a good preventative program here to keep disease down. We do some syringing of the greens to battle the heat. In the fall, when storms come up from the gulf or hurricanes up the coast, we can get some extended periods of rain from time to time.

Q. What is your location and what surrounds the course?

A. We are just outside of Morgantown to the northeast. We only have one home adjacent to the course. On one of the sides, we have a Beagle farm where hunting dogs get trained. There is also a West Virginia University research farm that borders the property.

They used to mine coal below the surface, and you can find a few www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Course + Grounds Operations Profile

Annual Course Maintenance Budget: $800,000 (includes labor) Staff Size: Seven year-round and three seasonal Other Green and Grounds Managers: Mechanic – Tom Dillsworth (40 years); Foreman/Spray Tech – Robert Sigley (38 years) Water Source and Usage: Local reservoir 1.5 miles away is pumped and water transported via a supply line to fill a lake on course; Use 7-9, million gallons annually.

Aerating and Overseeding Schedules: Greens – Spring core; Summer deep solid tine; Fall drill and fill; Fairways & Tees – Fall core.

(Use 400 tons of sand a year for topdressing).

Upcoming Capital Projects: Beginning this September: New swimming pool and pool house; Halfway house; Driving range and short-game facility.

entrances to caves. In the early 1900s it was still an active mine.

People do not go there because of the mold and other issues.

Q. Who is your clientele A. We have about 440 members. I would say that the membership

is distributed evenly between ages 30 and 70. We have several family members, but do not have many business memberships. We offer leagues and most of our members are from right here in the region. We are in a competitive area for golf, so having good conditions are important to us.

I manage compared to when I first started. I am more flexible and understanding in managing my staff. For a long-time I did not allow earphones to be worn. Now I allow it, but ask my team to always be aware of their surroundings.

I also think technology has allowed superintendents to do more and make the job easier in some regards. We can use a variety of apps to manage aspects of the course, including controlling irrigation. It has also enhanced communication so that superintendents can exchange information and best practices. C+RB

Q. Do you golf? Do you have hobbies?

A. I putt my greens every day, but I only play once a year. My wife

and I have three children, so family activities take up the free time.

That is one thing Monroe and Steve taught me is to understand that you cannot spend your whole life on the course. You need balance. I think I have been able to manage that aspect well. My wife is also very understanding of this profession and what it requires.

Q. I see a Mike Bogroff You Tube Channel?

A. Actually, that is my 17-year-old son Michael. We have many

mountain biking trails around here. He and his friends would strap GoPro cameras to their helmets and go ride, then upload the video to YouTube. Now they do not ride as much anymore. They just find the good jumps and natural ramps and go out and film that. I used to ride with Michael, but not as much anymore. I’m 44-years-old.

The body does not bounce back as quicky.

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Q. What has changed in your 25 years of golf?

A. Well, what has not changed are high expectations for good

conditions. There is increasing demand for faster green speeds.

Everyone wants fast greens that roll perfectly. When you deal with Mother Nature, you cannot be perfect all the time. It is also a big challenge to find and keep workers for the golf course. Every year I used to have a stack of resumes from students wanting jobs. Today, not so much. There are many positives to being on the golf course, but it is not for everyone. We are also competing with the Krogers, McDonalds and Starbucks and other places for workers. Young workers are just different these days. I have had to change the way www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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July 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com

Competitive Advantages The Patterson Club’s leadership team, including Executive Chef Geoffrey Lanez, MBA, CEC, is leveraging their experiences and perspectives to improve food and beverage.

INSIDE Service That Goes the Extra Mile Controlling Food Costs Balancing Creativity With Comfort

E D I TO R ’ S M E M O

WHAT DID YOU HEAR ME SAY? HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CONVERSATION with some-

one who wouldn’t maintain eye contact with you?

Or who grunted at inappropriate pauses, nodded at seemingly random moments, or interrupted you halfway through a thought?

I will be the first to admit that I have many pet peeves. But when someone doesn’t actively listen or cue properly during a conversation, I am quick to lose interest in the conversation.

Active listening is a critical part of communication.

Listening helps you build genuine and honest relationships. It motivates the person you’re communicating with and entices them to collaborate with you.

Active listening makes the person you’re conversing with feel like you genuinely care about the words they are saying and the thoughts they are sharing.

Growing up, my dad was known as the guy who put his proverbial foot in his mouth. He misspoke and was misunderstood at every turn, despite having the best intentions.

As a result, I’ve always been very cautious about how I listen and respond during a conversation. It may be a big part of why I became a writer and editor.

listen actively. Midway through our conversation, he stopped and asked me, “I want to make sure I didn’t misspeak. What did you hear me say?”

This question caught me off guard. As someone who prioritizes listening, I appreciated that he valued my comprehension of his communication. I distilled his points down and laid them back out for him. Then we moved on.

Good teams communicate well and often. Great teams share ideas, ask for feedback, have healthy conflicts, actively listen to one another and check for comprehension. We may disagree, but we know how to work through our differences because we fully understand one another’s side.

Life is busy. Kitchens are even busier. As a leader of your operation, you cannot allow listening to your cooks and colleagues become a secondary priority.

Take their communication seriously and you will set your culinary operation up for success.

Being intentional about strong communication makes all the difference.

Active listening requires three steps: 1.

Focus entirely on the speaker, 2. understand their message, 3. and comprehend the information.

A few weeks ago, I had a meeting with a senior-level colleague. He had a lot to cover, and I did my best to

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EDITOR Joanna DeChellis jdechellis@wtwhmedia.com 412-260-9233

www.clubandresortchef.com

THE NEW SOUS

GETTING TO KNOW THE CLUB INDUSTRY BEFORE MARCH, I had never see the inside of a club.

But when I heard there was an opening with Club + Resort Chef, I wanted to learn more. I knew it to be a great magazine, and I was eager to become an editor in a culinary-focused segment of the foodservice industry.

I like to travel, and I’ve always maintained that there’s something worth seeing—and eating—in every corner of the world. I’ve had my share of good food and interesting (sometimes unforgettable) meals: kottu roti in Sri Lanka, sautéed reindeer in Finland, budae-jjigae in Korea, aukstā zupa in Latvia, cuy in Peru and amok in Cambodia, to name a few.

Since March, I’ve been fortunate enough to see the food and beverages operations inside The Union Club of Cleveland, Westwood Country Club (Westlake, Ohio), Lakewood Country Club (Westlake, Ohio) and Ansley Golf Club (Atlanta, Ga.). And in my short time as an editor for Club + Resort Chef, I’ve eaten some of the best food I’ve had in my life—anywhere. I’ve been continuously impressed and constantly aware of how much I’ll have to learn about the club culinary world.

If you saw me at the 2022 Chef to Chef Conference in Nashville, I’d been at this job for two weeks. I was in

over my head—but I’m glad I was there. It was as good an introduction to this industry as one could have.

Since then, I’ve been inspired by club chefs’ knowledge—your endless drive to build your repertoire. In the face of myriad challenges, you show up every day to ensure members are happy and teams have what they need to succeed.

Most of all, I’m inspired by the kindness I’ve encountered, your sense of humor, and your readiness to drive a culture that values sharing ideas, work-life balance and equity. Club chefs seem to go out of their way to make room for others at the table.

By the next Chef to Chef Conference (March 5th through 8th in Miami), I hope I’ll recognize many more faces in the crowd. Until then, if you have a story idea, a recipe to share, or you’d just like to say hi, I’m here.

Thanks, Chefs, for your hospitality—and for letting me help tell your story.

SENIOR EDITOR Isabelle Gustafson igustafson@wtwhmedia.com 216-296-2041

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CONTENTS D

July • Vol. 11 • Issue 4

Behind the Plate 36 Catherine DiQuinzio, Chef de Cuisine, Bonnie Briar Country Club, shares her vegan ‘scallops’ recipe.

Competitive Advantages 38 Geo Lanez, MBA, CEC, Executive Chef of The Patterson

Chef Geoffrey Lanez, MBA, CEC, is leveraging their experiences and perspectives to improve food and beverage.

How TCC Thrives Under Pressure 42 Executive Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, AAC, relies on RATIONAL to help him and his team be more efficient and productive.

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Stepping Into a New Leadership Role Palmetto Bluff Club’s newly appointed Executive Chef is eager to learn the ins and outs of the culinary operation and work with the team to evolve and improve.

46

Club Chefs Balance Creativity With Comfort Successful club menus provide enough options that are simultaneously innovative, appealing and familiar.

A Toast to Summertime Breads 50 When it comes to baking up new breads for summer, these chefs are on a roll.

Five Fortified Wines to Try 54 Fortifi ed wines’ strength and aromatic quality make them perfect for members who want to sip something special.

That Goes the Extra Mile 56 It’sService all hands on deck for full- and part-time staff managing events of all sizes.

Controlling Food Costs 58 Club and resort chefs must understand the delicate balance between controlling costs and satisfying members.

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How a Strong Leader Supports the Culinary Team On the heels of a $1.5 million kitchen renovation, Rockaway Hunting Club looks to its culinary program, planned additions, and Executive Chef Matt DeCarolis for continued success.

32 Editor’s Memo 34 The New Sous www.clubandresortchef.com

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BEHIND THE PLATE

Catherine DiQuinzio, Chef de Cuisine Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, NY

CATHERINE DIQUINZIO, CHEF DE CUISINE of Bonnie Briar Country Club (Larchmont, N.Y.), believes club chefs must creatively accommodate every member’s needs and dietary requests. So, when she was asked to prepare an off-menu vegan dish, she jumped at the opportunity.

“I wanted to create something that would ‘wow’ this member,” she says.

After researching ingredients and scouring the cooler, it came to her: vegan scallops made with king trumpet mushrooms “to create the illusion that our member was eating a scallop dish.”

Vegan ‘Scallops’ with pea purée YIELD: 12 SERVINGS INGREDIENTS FOR PEA PURÉE:

2 cups 1 ea.

1/2 tsp.

6 leaves to taste to taste 1/4 cup

peas avocado garlic powder mint salt pepper water

PROCEDURE FOR PEA PURÉE:

1. Cook the peas in a steamer or pot.

2.. Drain the peas, and place them in the robot coupe with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth. Reserve.

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INGREDIENTS FOR SCALLOPS:

2 ea.

3 sprigs to taste to taste 1 tsp.

king trumpet mushrooms fresh thyme salt pepper avocado oil

PROCEDURE FOR SCALLOPS:

1. Cut the king trumpet mushroom stems into even circles. Take a sharp paring knife and score the mushroom (just enough to make a visible line) diagonally into an ‘X.’ 2. Season the mushrooms with fresh thyme, salt and pepper.

3. In a sauté pan on medium heat, add avocado oil. Once the pan is hot, add the mushrooms until golden brown. Set aside.

4. Optional: Once the dish is ready to plate, add vegan butter to the pan and heat.

TO SERVE: Spoon and swoosh pea purée on a plate, then top with ‘scallops’ and garnish with spring vegetables and micros.

www.clubandresortchef.com

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CLUB PROFILE

Competitive Advantages The leaders of The Patterson Club are leveraging their experiences and perspectives to improve all aspects of the club’s food and beverage program.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

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STRONG LEADERS CAN transform their operations. They chart a course from here to there and point the team in the right direction with clear, step-by-step instructions that outline the how, when and why.

At The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn., Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, MBA, Executive Chef, and Lindsey Levine, Director of Food & Beverage, exemplify effective leadership. They value and support their teams. They lean on one another’s strengths. They are transparent and excel at communication.

The work they’ve done collectively over the past year, along with the groundwork Lanez had done before Levine’s arrival, set a new foundation for growth at The Patterson Club that www.clubandresortchef.com

will have a lasting impact on the culinary program and the individuals within the team.

SETTING A FRAMEWORK Lanez has a solid culinary pedigree.

As an undergraduate student at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in Providence, R.I., he began building a name for himself by competing on the student level and studying under prominent chefs, including Joseph Leonardi, CMC, AAC, Director of Culinary at The Country Club (Brookline, Mass.).

After graduation, Lanez went on to earn his MBA from JWU and further established himself through his education, advanced training, certification and participation in various national

Geoffrey Lanez, CEC, MBA, Executive Chef, The Patterson Club

and international competitions.

Before joining The Patterson Club as Executive Chef in April 2019, he was the Executive Sous Chef of the Somerset Club in Boston, Mass.

“The [Patterson] Club had suffered a great deal of turnover within its culinary leadership,” says Lanez. “Three or four chefs had come and gone in about five years.”

Lanez knew he’d have his work cut out, but he was ready for the challenge.

“We started from the bottom and used the disruption as an opportunity to restart with a new, stronger foundation,” he says.

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CLUB PROFILE

The Patterson Club’s 40-person culinary team stretches across four kitchens, serving the Grill Room, Banks Dining Room and Patio, The Turn, snack bar and banquet operation. The club does $2 million in annual F&B.

Most practically, this meant deepcleaning the kitchen and teaching the staff the fundamentals of cookery and culinary ops. It also meant writing standard operating procedures for all parts of the operation, from menu switches to inventory and receiving to sanitation and food-handling.

“I was told that the priority was to fix the food, but I learned very quickly that I couldn’t fix the food unless I first fixed the team’s culture,” says Lanez.

His goal, albeit lofty, was to unlock the team dynamics he was accustomed to at his previous post. He wanted his staff to make better decisions, increase productivity, drive culinary innovation and have higher levels of engagement.

“I threw the whole world at them and gave them the chance to accept it or move on,” says Lanez.

Some stayed, and others left. Those who stayed subscribed to the plans Lanez had laid out, and these individuals have become valuable members of The Patterson Club’s 40-person culinary team. They went back to basics and focused on fundamentals. They evaluated the membership needs and wants. They developed relationships with vendors and sourced higher-quality ingredients.

Today, the culinary program at The Patterson Club stretches across four pristine kitchens, serving the Grill Room, 40

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Banks Dining Room and Patio, The Turn, snack bar and banquet operation. With 450 members, the club does $2 million in annual F&B, and its culinary philosophy is simple and direct: Execute at the highest quality.

“I want to change what people think of the club culinary industry,” says Lanez. “I want them to know that if they work here, they can take days off; they don’t have to miss every birthday party or wedding, and they will create incredible food and get a deeper education along the way.”

COMPETE TO LEARN Lanez took the downtime during the pandemic to restart and rebuild the operation pragmatically and systematically.

“We used the time as productively as we could to safely train the team, create new systems and catch up, so when the world reopened, we’d be better positioned to thrive,” says Lanez.

With the pandemic mainly in the rearview, Lanez wants his team to spread their wings and continue to develop as technical culinarians. He has been encouraging them to compete in many of the same competitions he’s participated in.

“Competition enhances learning,” says Lanez. “These events expose cooks to different skills and people, and they encourage mastery in an effort-based way. In my experience,

the approach one takes to competition translates to everyday work habits.”

Thanks to Lanez, The Patterson Club supports a culture of competition by paying for travel and expenses and giving employees the time off to compete.

“My favorite Elon Musk quote sums up my theory on competition,” says Lanez. “‘If other people are putting in 40-hour work weeks, and you’re putting in 100-hour work weeks, then even if you’re doing the same thing, you know that you will achieve in 4 months what it takes them a year to achieve.’ It means that competitions and the prep leading up to them will help me and my team learn faster.”

A PERFECT MATCH When a capable club chef like Lanez is buttressed by an equally ambitious director of food & beverage in a property ripe for change, the pathway to success becomes more precise, robust and dynamic.

Levine started at The Patterson Club in January of 2021 on the heels of a profoundly successful career in full-service restaurants. She has opened and managed Michelin-starred restaurants all over New York City. She has built beverage programs from scratch and received dozens of awards for her work.

Levine was eager to impact a different side of the foodservice industry. www.clubandresortchef.com

Director of Food & Beverage Lindsey Levine (top right corner of the right image, pink shirt) has transformed the service environment at The Patterson Club. She prioritizes training, education and the club’s prevailing service-minded philosophy.

When the position opened at The Patterson Club, she was intrigued.

“I loved the idea of having an offseason to analyze and reset,” she says.

“In full-service restaurants, you tend to put a band-aid on everything. There’s never any time. I was attracted to the idea of being able to strategize and fix problems at their root. I was also eager to have a less transactional experience with guests.”

At The Patterson Club, cash is never exchanged. The focus is entirely on hospitality and service. Since coming on board, Levine has gone over the front-of-house operation with a finetoothed comb. She has restructured service styles and drafted a vision for her team. She has built extensive and ongoing training programs for the staff, too.

“Our team must understand that their role is to create a member experience,” she says. “In a club, we’re not trying to drive revenue. We’re here to provide a service that can’t be found elsewhere.”

That philosophy applies to how Lanez manages the culinary side as well as to the experience crafted in the dining room.

“When the staff understands the food and culture of the club, they take ownwww.clubandresortchef.com

ership of it, and that creates a community between the employee, employer, manager and member,” says Levine.

“I call it ‘FBS,’ and it stands for Food Beverage Service. All three things must match and operate on the same level, like a kick line.”

Levine persuaded the board to invest in support, training, programming and education for all of her staff members in the same way they support competition for culinarians.

“We have 31 service points, and we discuss one daily,” says Levine. “Training is ongoing and ubiquitous. Chef and I have weekly meetings to discuss the positives and the negatives. Everything we do, we share. And our solutions are always reinforced by our why.”

MAKING IT THEIR MISSION Both Lanez and Levine want to reshape the hospitality labor landscape.

Lanez is eager to fix work-life balance for chefs and cooks, while Levine intends to create a well-rounded food-andbeverage environment for front-of-house employees that isn’t reliant on tips.

“We both want the same thing,” says Levine. “We want to create a deeper sense of professionalism around hospitality and culinary—and the only way

we’ll get there is by starting here.”

In March 2022, The Patterson Club hired Tom Bartek, CCM, CCE, as its new General Manager. Both Levine and Lanez were involved in the search.

They outlined the characteristics they wanted in a manager, and both managers were delighted by the hire.

Bartek has a culinary background and graduated from JWU, just like Lanez. He has had an impressive management career in prestigious clubs, including Bryn Mawr Country Club (Lincolnwood, Ill.) and Montammy Golf Club (Alpine, N.J.).

“My first impression of The Patterson Club was that there was already much structure in place,” says Bartek. “I gather a great deal of that can be attributed to [Lanez] and [Levine]. But I appreciate these managers’ eagerness to improve as leaders and help their teams grow as professionals. “[Lanez] is humble and attentive,” he adds. “He knows his strengths and weaknesses and has worked to improve both. [Levine] is as strong a manager as I’ve had the honor of working with. With these two capable managers at the helm, the future of The Patterson Club—and the industry as a whole—is bright.” C+RC July 2022

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PRODUCTS AT WORK

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How TCC Thrives Under Pressure Executive Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, AAC, relies on RATIONAL to help him and his team be more efficient and productive.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

WHAT SEPARATES THE COUNTRY CLUB (Brookline, Mass.)—host of the 2022 U.S. Open—from others is its team’s ability to perform in high-pressure situations, whether on the course or in the kitchen.

Joseph Leonardi, CMC, AAC, Director of Culinary Operations, is a prime example. He has been with TCC for over six years and has accomplished much during his tenure. He says a great deal of his success comes from his ability to prepare and plan, be organized and intentional, and consistently meet the demands of challenging situations.

Take his approach to sous vide cooking. When Leonardi was a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Culinary Team USA, he learned much about sous vide and was introduced to RATIONAL combi ovens during his time abroad.

“The ease of use and the efficiency of the RATIONAL combis impressed me,” says Leonardi.

Up to that point, TCC relied on circulators for sous vide cooking. Leonardi was eager to replace the circulators with equipment that would be simpler for his staff of more than 30 cooks to use while also delivering consistent results.

“I went to a RATIONAL training in Chicago where I was able to spend time with the corporate chefs,” says Leonardi. “I took what I learned there and created a presentation for my General Manager and Board here at TCC. I explained the impact these ovens would have on the operation and how that impact would far outweigh the cost. I showed them that if we had these units, we would save on labor and improve quality and consistency for the long term.” www.clubandresortchef.com

The club approved the purchase, and Leonardi invested in two RATIONAL iCombi Pros. The impact was immediate. TCC’s culinary team could cook with more control and precision on a larger scale than ever before.

A few years later, TCC invested in another two units, and just before COVID, the club added a self-venting unit to its combi arsenal.

“We chose the self-venting unit so we could place it in an area of the kitchen that’s accessible by both garde manger and banquets,” says Leonardi.

Because the combis can bake, roast, grill, deep-fry, poach and sous vide, they’re helpful to all parts of the operation. TCC chefs and managers can also log in to ConnectedCooking—RATIONAL’s secure online platform—to check recipes, update software and access HACCP data from their smartphones.

“I can’t speak for other clubs, but for me and my staff here at [TCC], these units are vital to our HACCP program,” says Leonardi.

When TCC first purchased the units, Leonardi relied on many of the pre-programmed recipes. As he and his team have grown more comfortable with the ovens, they have developed many of their own recipes, which Leonardi programs into the units. In doing so, TCC maintains consistency across menus no matter the cook’s skill level in the kitchen.

“For any chefs considering purchasing a RATIONAL, it’s a no-brainer,” says Leonardi. “Our units have helped us improve so many different parts of the operation.

They make our recipes foolproof and our operations more efficient. I can’t stress enough how impactful they have been here at [TCC].” C+RC July 2022

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CHEF TO CHEF

Stepping Into a New Leadership Role

Palmetto Bluff Club’s newly appointed Executive Chef is eager to learn the ins and outs of the culinary operation and work with the team to evolve and improve.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

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TAKING ON A NEW ROLE as Executive Chef at a storied club comes with challenges. There are subcultures within the team that must be navigated and overcome. There’s a membership base whose trust must be won. And there are expectations for an immediate improvement to the food and often the service, too.

Seasoned chefs who were once key members of a culinary team have to essentially start over, proving themselves and their abilities to the cooks, managers and members. It’s not easy, but it is possible with hard work, self-awareness,

patience and immersion.

Rhy Waddington knows this journey well, as he is only a few months into his new role as Executive Chef of the Palmetto Bluff Club (Bluffton, S.C.). After serving as Executive Chef of Winged Foot Golf Club (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) for more than a decade, he has embraced the newness of Palmetto Bluff, and he’s eager to improve upon an already impressive culinary program.

Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): Why did you decide to leave Winged Foot?

What was the transition like?

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Rhy Waddington (RW): Winged Foot is such a special place, and the club played a huge role in my life and career.

I was at Winged Foot for more than 12 years, and while I loved my job, I was looking for a new challenge, an opportunity to lead multiple teams and make an impact in a different market.

As I’ve grown as a chef, I get great satisfaction in teaching and mentoring the next generation of culinarians. Knowing that my Executive Sous Chef from Winged Foot, Chrissie Bennett, was promoted to Executive Chef was one of the most gratifying moments in my career. [Bennett] is an absolute talent who has worked hard and deserves all the recognition she gets.

I hope to mentor the culinary team here at Palmetto Bluff similarly.

C+RC: Tell us about your new property.

RW: Palmetto Bluff Club is 20,000 acres nestled along the May River, and it is one of the most beautiful properties I’ve ever seen. Once you enter the gates, it’s a six-mile drive to the first village. The road is framed with large oak trees skirted in Spanish moss.

Under the Palmetto Bluff Club umbrella, we have eight kitchens, a 1950s fire truck converted into a wood-fired pizza truck, and a working farm with six acres planted for the summer. We plan on building a large commissary kitchen at the farm that will help support the current restaurants and act as a training center for our culinary team.

The commissary kitchen will house our bakery and pastry department, led by our Executive Pastry Chef Jae Newby.

We will also have a butcher and banquet kitchen.

We have a growing membership of approximately 1,200 members, and we do about $8.4 million in annual F&B. C+RC: What do you think the club already does well from a culinary perspective?

RW: Palmetto Bluff has always had great southern hospitality. We bring that hospitality to the forefront of everything we do—from our member services to how we interact with our teammates.

C+RC: Where do you see the most F&B potential in the program?

RW: It all starts at the farm! It is the heart and soul of our culinary team. We meet weekly at the farm to discuss the week’s events, menu changes and available produce for the weekly menu changes.

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We have so many fantastic local ingredients to feature from our property and beyond, including May River oysters, flounder, spotted trout, Cheshire Pork from North Carolina—and the list continues.

Our community is important to us, and we want to support our neighbors as much as possible.

C+RC: How do you hope to capitalize on that potential?

RW: We have built strong relationships with local farmers and purveyors. We invite them to speak at our weekly culinary meetings to add an educational aspect for our staff. For example, our local fishmonger talked about the available fish for the week and specific boats and locations where the fish has been caught. And one of our members is one of the world’s leading olive oil tasters. We held a class for our staff about olive oil with him leading it.

Above all, we want to invest in our team members so that they grow as culinarians and, in return, have a rewarding work environment.

Our team members and their growth are essential to my role. We have implemented a 4% service charge for hourly culinary staff to help attract the best of the best chefs, cooks and interns.

C+RC: What have been some of the other changes or improvements you’ve made thus far?

RW: The most significant impact we have had is menu changes and frequency of menu changes, highlighting local purveyors and adding a Chef de Cuisine for each outlet. The feedback has been fantastic, and I look forward to growing meaningful relationships with the membership.

We are creating a culture of inclusion and ownership.

I’m lucky to have such an engaged team of professionals and a fantastic Executive Sous Chef named Don Yamauchi.

C+RC: You’re also about to bike across the country.

Can you tell us more about that?

RW: I’m incredibly excited about this! Rhonda Vetere, a good friend from Winged Foot, asked me to join her team for Race Across America (RAAM), the longest and most challenging road race in the world. We are raising funds to support veterans and first responders’ mental health and suicide awareness. We are aiming to raise $1 million. C+RC (Learn more at www.alignedalliance.org.)

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Club Chefs Balance Creativity With Comfort Successful club menus provide enough options that are simultaneously innovative, appealing and familiar.

By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor

AT THE PANDEMIC’S PEAK, members clung to the familiar, and comfort foods saw an unprecedented resurgence in popularity. While the definition of comfort food is subjective, mainly based on region or nostalgia, members reached for their own versions wherever they could find them.

Now, as members gather, clubs find themselves in a position where they must walk the line between menuing the foods members know and love and offering trendier dishes they might like to try.

At Stonegate Golf Club in Kissimmee, Fla., comfort foods equate to liver and onions, prime rib and fried catfish, says Executive Chef Nezzar Battle.

He and his staff make sure to always listen to members about what they want to eat, he says, and they pay close attention to buying patterns. Liver and onion, prime rib and fried catfish nights “always sell out.”

More squarely aligned with greater pandemic trends, pizza, too, has been hugely popular among Stonegate GC’s 5,000 members, says Battle, both by the slice and whole pies.

“Right now, I sell about 480 pizzas a day,” he says. “[In addition to our main menu], we have a display window where we feature specials. I encourage the staff come up with creative pizzas that they want to make.”

The club’s three restaurants include a bar and grill; a steakand-seafood restaurant with rotating themes; and a bistro for made-from-scratch pizzas, plus salads and sandwiches.

Other menu mainstays include a bourbon-flamed peach salad—an unexpected hit—as well as mahi-mahi and crab cakes, the latter inspired by Battle’s time in D.C. He’s originally from Jacksonville, Fla., and lives in Orlando now.

But Battle spent time in Alaska, Colorado, and California and www.clubandresortchef.com

says he incorporates regional foods and lessons from each on his menus.

“I used to roll so much sushi in California,” he recalls. “Now we have a spicy tuna tartare that I can’t take off the menu.”

COMMON GROUND At Coral Bay Club, a seasonal property with 600 members and two dining areas in Atlantic Beach, N.C., “any kind of fish dish” does well, says Executive Chef Genevieve Guthrie. Examples include fried shrimp, soft-shell crab bites, shrimp and grits, poke bowl, spicy tuna bowl, and zing-zing tacos, with battered shrimp tossed in a mild, slightly sweet sauce with Asian slaw and pico de gallo.

Stonegate GC’s spicy tuna tartare, a member favorite, was inspired by Executive Chef Nezzar Battle’s time in California.

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FOOD

Stonegate GC’s bourbon-flamed peach salad (pictured right) was a “a huge hit,” says Executive Chef Nezzar Battle, and is now a menu mainstay.

“We also do a pecan-dusted flounder meunière,” she says.

“We pan-sear the flounder then top it with a lemon-wine-herb sauce and crab meat.”

Other staples include the sandbar salad—with shrimp, crab, mango, heart of palm, oranges, spiced pecans, coconut and a light citrus vinaigrette—and a summer salad with seared salmon, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, mango and oranges. It’s finished with a poppyseed citrus vinaigrette and spiced pecans.

Coral Bay Club’s members are relatively health-conscious, says Guthrie. Still, it’s a tricky balance, determining what to keep, add or 86 based on what members say they want versus what they order.

“We survey members at the end of the year,” Guthrie says, “and of course, they’re all saying, ‘healthy, healthy, healthy.’

But then they revert to fried shrimp and soft-shell crab. We do our best to find common ground.”

The other challenge, she notes, is keeping menus fresh without overwhelming operations.

“Our season is mainly from Memorial Day to Labor Day,” she says. “Historically, we changed the menu monthly, but that made it hard to train staff—especially with ongoing labor challenges. Now we change [the menu] around the Fourth of July. But we still offer features and a fresh catch daily.”

Comfort foods with a seafood focus—like this cioppino from Stonegate GC—are especially popular.

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A MORE EDUCATED CONSUMER While Coral Bay Club’s membership is “pretty open to trying new and innovative concepts,” says Guthrie, chef’s tables allow her and her staff to shine, on- and off-season.

Members who come to a chef’s table event are more adventurous, as they don’t know what the menu will be, she notes. “They come in for the experience.”

Milwaukee (Wisc.) Athletic Club’s Executive Chef, Tom McGinty, agrees that members and guests are eager for new, in-person experiences, and they’re more educated about what they eat than ever before. This puts club chefs in a challenging but exciting position.

“We have to make sure we’re aware of what’s happening from a trend perspective so we can create dishes that are compelling,” he says.

The 140-year-old club, with 850 members, reopened this year following a $62 million renovation. It now features a rooftop restaurant that’s open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus another restaurant that’s yet to open but will feature additional daily lunch offerings and a Friday night fish fry.

Upon reopening, the club stuck with some of its greatest hits, McGinty says, while gradually introducing new flavors and ingredients. The goal was to blend trending dishes with more familiar ones to reinvigorate menus.

“Comfort food is evolving and becoming a bit more sophisticated,” he says. “We do a salmon dish, but we serve it with ancient grains, including sorghum berry.”

A new comfort-focused summer hummus dish at the club features sweet potato, tahini and za’atar spice.

And the oyster mushroom shawarma—made with crispy oyster mushrooms seasoned with a shawarma spice— features a tzatziki sauce made with coconut yogurt, so it’s vegan-friendly.

On its winter menu, Milwaukee Athletic Club serves macaroni and cheese with “a more artisanal approach,” McGinty says, made using taleggio and brie instead of cheddar and American.

“Members are always going to order mac and cheese,” he says, “but if you can offer them something a little bit different within the familiar, it’s a win for everyone.” C+RC

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PASTRY

A Toast to Summe

When it comes to baking up new breads for summer, these chefs are on a roll.

By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

AS THE SUMMER KICKS into high gear and club menus are magically transformed for the onslaught of cookouts, picnics, weddings and other outdoor events, so too are breads and rolls that must stand up to condiments, barbecued meats and other warm-weather ingredients.

While the heavier textures and crusts of holiday table breads are put on the back burner in favor of lighter flavors, chefs are finding ways to incorporate new items into their repertoire—not only for those members who relish a juicy burger, but for the calorie-counting, health-conscious clubgoer as well.

FRESH AND FLAVORFUL At Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, Pastry Chef Lindsey Richards is focused on creating breads and rolls that take sandwiches to a whole new level. After spending the past five years perfecting her craft—she moved up from the role of assistant pastry chef three years ago—Richards cut her proverbial teeth at the Venetian in Las Vegas, fresh out of culinary school.

“I trained under an amazing pastry chef there,” she says, “and it prepared me to work on my own as a pastry chef.”

With a concentration on breads that taste as good as they perform (handheld sandwiches are well-represented on the lunch menu), Richards has been seeing Lindsey Richards, a shift in top bread choices as of late.

Pastry Chef, “I am noticing that members are going Glen Oaks CC 50

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mertime Breads more toward brioche for buns, even for hot dogs,” she says.

On a recent menu, beef burgers, Iowa pork tenderloin, salmon burgers and chicken sandwiches were all enhanced by brioche buns.

Ciabatta, another selection that’s quickly becoming a club favorite, has earned a designated spot on the lunch lineup with a French dip hoagie, as well as a roll studded with Asiago cheese and sun dried tomato oil.

“In place of white or wheat bread, ciabatta holds up great on buffets,” she notes, “and the ciabatta bun doesn’t seem to get soggy when you add tomatoes or dressings to sandwiches.”

For summer events, Richards plans to keep things simple with white bread rolls. On the artisanal bread front, she expects to employ a sourdough starter that she began cultivating last year. And for those members with dietary restrictions, gluten-free and vegan rolls are also on the menu. For these, Richards swaps shortening in place of butter and almond milk in place of whole milk.

“I have found that the vanilla-flavored almond milk works well for sweet rolls,” she adds. “It adds a really nice flavor.”

VARIETY AND VERSATILITY Mixing up her bread menu with plenty of choices is the M.O. for Michaela Adams, Executive Pastry Chef at Willow Point Golf & Country Club (Alexander City, Ala.). The past four years heading up the club’s pastry department, after stints at clubs in North Carolina and Texas, have enabled Adams to fine-tune her selection and address a myriad of member tastes.

On the menu this summer, which is heating up to be a busy season, Adams will showcase French, Cuban and focaccia breads, along with pretzel and onion rolls. www.clubandresortchef.com

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PASTRY

“With supply chain constraints, the ingredients for these choices are easily attainable and easily scaled for large-scale production,” she notes of their practicality for cookouts, private parties and other member events.

Even though Adams makes a point of expanding bread and roll flavor profiles, she believes that classic recipes will remain at the forefront of her menu.

“Traditional burger buns will always dominate the varieties we offer,” she says. “A scratch-made soft bun is versatile, easy to produce and cost-effective.”

Of note on Willow Point’s menu is the classic burger enveloped in the signature ‘Michaela’s bun.’ While this bread is primarily designed for use with traditional condiments and toppings, it also holds up well on with the club’s ‘Instagram burger,’ topped with fried egg, avocado and bacon with pepper jack cheese.

Sliders, another summer selection, are making a strong presence at weddings and golf events. Because they can be made from the same dough as soft burger buns—albeit with some minor changes—slider buns are useful for mass production. And when it comes to creating a viable option for those members counting calories, flatbreads are the perfect answer.

“Their versatility is seemingly endless,” says Adams.

SUMMER SWEETNESS Desserts aren’t the only vehicle where sweetness prevails at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, Calif.

Thanks to Executive Pastry Chef Robert Bogin, members are able to sample breads and rolls incorporating a widereaching flavor palate.

Bogin’s culinary creations are the result of a storied pastry career that began at the The Los Angeles Country Club and The Jonathan Club (also in Los Angeles), followed by the opening of his farm-totable restaurant Pedalers Fork in 2013.

“This venue served as the only restaurant, bike shop and coffee shop in the world,” says Bogin of the place where he experimented with different flavor pairings.

Much like the evolution of Bogin’s career, North Ranch’s bread program continues to grow with new creations starring locally produced ingredients.

North Ranch CC features a wide Among the latest range of buns on the menu, including Executive Pastry Chef breads is an IPA burger Robert Bogin’s squid ink brioche. bun, featuring Ventura, 52

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This summer at Willow Point G&CC in Alexander City, Ala., Executive Pastry Chef Michaela Adams will showcase French, Cuban and foccacia breads, along with pretzels and onion rolls.

Calif.-based Topa Topa Brewing Company’s Chief Peak IPA. “This bun has a sweetness and floral honey notes from Piru Canyon Ranch with Topa’s IPA tropical background flavors,” describes Bogin.

Other popular selections for summer include the brioche roll, for which Bogin uses Anchor butter from New Zealand, and a pretzel bun that has become a member favorite.

“This bun is tender and sweet and poached in a baking soda bath, which gives it a great crust and texture,” he says.

When putting together new summer bread recipes, Bogin likes to put a fresh spin on classics, exemplified by his pretzel hot dog and burger buns. He also enjoys taking his innovation to new heights, as he recently did when rendering a squid ink brioche bun for a mahi mahi burger.

“The sky’s the limit when it comes to bread,” he says.

His cornbread, another summer staple, is enhanced with plenty of butter, honey and brown sugar.

“This, baked in a cast-iron skillet, leaves an unbelievable texture and taste,” Bogin notes.

While sweet breads and rolls are core fixtures on North Ranch’s menu, Bogin also taps into his knowledge of healthconscious breads that he developed at Pedalers Fork. One of these standouts is his quinoa roll, a vegan roll that incorporates quinoa and whole wheat flour. He also prides himself on creating blends of gluten-free flours that are specific to each type of bread or recipe.

“I spent many hours in January tweaking and playing with a gluten-free pizza crust,” says Bogin, “which I can honestly say I like almost as much as my traditional pizza crust.”

Watch out, hamburger; those al fresco pizzas might just become a new summertime favorite. C+RC www.clubandresortchef.com

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BEVERAGE

5 Fortified Win Fortified wines’ strength and aromatic quality make them perfect for members who want to sip something special.

By Robert J Mancuso, CMC, DipWSET, Contributing Chef Editor

FORTIFIED WINES VARY IN color, flavor, origin and sweetness, yet they all have one thing in common: fortification.

Fortification is the addition of a distilled spirit to wine either during or after fermentation. This process increases alcohol content, thus killing off yeast and stopping fermentation. The English popularized fortification in the late 17th century to preserve wines for long sea voyages, and it hasn’t changed drastically since.

Most fortified wines today reflect what wine tasted like 300 years ago. Madeira, Marsala, port, sherry and vermouth are the most common. Despite being a touch out of vogue, sommeliers, chefs and clubhouse managers can find exceptional quality at a great price—if they know what to look for.

HOW IT’S MADE There are many ways to fortify wine. It’s not always as simple as adding a distilled spirit or brandy.

Madeira is heated and oxidized to replicate the voyage across the equator as part of its maturation process.

Sherry, a truly unique wine in the world, is exclusively produced in the wine-growing region of Jerez, which is situated in a triangle of land formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Sherry is typically fortified after the fermentation is complete, rendering most sherries initially dry, with the sweetness added after and aged using the Solera system of fractional blending.

Port is typically fortified halfway through fermentation before the sugar is turned into alcohol.

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have a long history rooted in the South of France and are considered the original fortified wine. These wines were perfected by Arnaud de Villeneuve, a director of the University of Montpellier and doctor at the court of Majorca, who discovered mutage, the basis behind this unique style of wine.

5 TYPES TO TRY Because each type of fortified wine is unique to its region, and most have variations in the production method, take a deep dive before you start selling them to your membership. (Though these wines make excellent additions to a club’s wine program, as they generally last forever, can be sipped slowly, and are unique.)

Here are a few of my favorites: MOSCATEL DE SETÚBAL If you’re looking to uncover a gem for your members, look no further. Moscatel de Setúbal comes from the southern part of Portugal and is an exceptionally wellvalued alternative to a tawny port.

The grape for Moscatel de Setúbal is Muscat of Alexandria, a white wine grape from the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. It’s also one of the go-to grapes for fortified wine and can be pretty complex. With over 200 varieties, the fortified world favors two cultivars; Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains (Italy’s Moscato Bianco) and Muscat of Alexandria (Spain and Portugal’s Muscatel).

Look for “superior” bottling, which requires additional aging and exhibits more depth and nutty flavors. The first sip of Moscatel de Setúbal will remind you of dried herbs, date www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Wines to Try paste, marmalade, roasted cashew and apricot compote.

When shopping for Moscatel de Setúbal, look for producers with quality reputations like Quinta da Bacalhôa or Adega de Palmela.

MUSCAT OF SAMOS Muscat of Samos is a simple sweet Muscat wine from the semi-mountainous island that bears the same name.

There are a few different varieties to choose from, including Vin Doux, Vin Nectar, Vin Doux Naturel Grand Cru and Anthemis. These quality tiers will help guide you.

As with most muscat wines, you’ll find flavors and aromas of dried apricot, white flowers like orange blossom, and tropical nuances of ripe pineapple, mango and peach. Quality Samos will have deeper notes of toasted almond and butter pecans. Some of my favorite producers are Kourtaki and Tsantali.

MUSCAT DE BEAUMES DE VENISE Established in 1943, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée-ranked wine made from grapes grown on vines at the foot of the Montmirail mountains in France.

Muscat de Beaumes de Venise is semi-sweet and must have a minimum residual sugar of 100 grams per liter in the final wine. This produces a tropical, honey-like flavor with hints of white flowers, dried apricot and golden raisin.

Look for quality producers like Domaine de Durban or Pierre Amadieu. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

RASTEAU VIN DOUX NATUREL Located in the Côtes du Rhône’s hot, Mediterranean climate, Rasteau wines are 90% Grenache. Rancio styles are produced with a minimum of two years of oxidative aging, often in glass carboys.

Grown on clay and limestone, the grape’s rootstock takes cover from the rounded cobblestone, which retains heat, storing it during the day and releasing it at night.

Your members will love the typical aromas and flavors of sweet mulberry, ripe blueberry, licorice, savory herbs, hints of earth, bitter cocoa and pine.

I have Domaine de Verquiére and Domaine de Beaurenard in my cellar.

RUTHERGLEN Rutherglen Muscat from Australia— also known as “stickies” because they’re so sweet—is one of my favorites. Four different classifications require increasing years of aging.

For the most part, Rutherglen wines have pronounced aromas of dried fruits like prunes, raisins and sultanas.

They have some secondary aroma from oak maturation of chocolate, coffee, nutmeg, spice, as well as a touch of vanilla. These aromas are mixed with complex tertiary notes from deliberate oxidation that come across as dark caramel, walnut and orange marmalade.

Some of my favorite producers are Campbells Rutherglen Muscat and RL Buller Fine Victoria Muscat. C+RC July 2022 March 2022l lClub Club++ Resort Resort Chef Chef 55

BANQUET

Service That Goes the

EXTRA MILE It’s all hands on deck for full- and part-time staff managing events of all sizes.

By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

AT THE HEIGHT OF wedding season, clubs are accented by the colorful dresses and suits of wedding parties and guests against a backdrop of black-and-white-clad personnel. With servers and waitstaff busily scurrying to and fro as they replenish bread baskets, clear away empty plates and make room for the next course, they signify a carefully orchestrated dance that assures efficiency and premiere service.

As they make up the past two years of limited gatherings imposed by pandemic restrictions, clubs have resumed full banquet operations, which requires staffing. While banquet managers fine-tune game plans for special events, they must create a service culture that attracts reliable employees and affirms a club’s stellar reputation.

LIKE FAMILY

Guided by Banquet Manager Paul Williams, Atlantic City CC staff have developed an eye for detail and perfect timing.

Rather than use staffing agencies, he employs extra part-time employees to work weddings and other large events.

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Banquet Manager Paul Williams prides himself on knowing his staff so well that when it comes to servicing an upcoming event at the Atlantic City Country Club (Northfield, N.J.), he is 100 percent confident his crew will get the job done.

“I try to train my staff to take my job because you are only as good as your team,” he says.

While he’s spent the past six years at the club, Williams got his start just down the road at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino, filling in when the banquet manager was on vacation. Before heading up banquets at ACCC, he began as restaurant manager and learned the business from the bottom up.

While Williams’ banquet staff is separate from the club’s restaurant, he relies on a core group of employees who have outside jobs, including two teachers, a fireman and a pharmacy technician. Rather than use staffing agencies, he employs extra part-time staffers to work weddings and other larger events. Like his permanent crew, these workers juggle their shifts with other work and school commitments. To ensure that his banquet team maintains specific standards www.clubandresortchef.com

When creating a welcoming environment for Lake of Isles guests, the Director of Catering, Bethany Arico (pictured in blue), advises staff not to underestimate the power of having a smile on their faces.

of excellence, Williams strives to create an environment of respect and knowledge, bolstered by his constant coaching.

“Never settle for status quo,” he says. “You should constantly be looking to improve because who is great today will be average tomorrow.”

Besides creating memorable table settings and displaying proper etiquette, Williams and his staff have developed an eye for detail and perfect timing. He likens the ability to finetune his processes to a baseball coach, knowing where each player excels.

“As a coach, you need to know your team members’ strengths and weaknesses and put the right people in the right positions,” he advises. “I wouldn’t put a baseball player with a weak arm in center field, just like I wouldn’t put a server who isn’t good with customers as a front server.”

Knowing how to handle obstacles as they emerge is key to remaining consistent in banquet service. Williams isn’t one for placing blame when things go wrong; instead, he values the importance of those who can find a solution and credits problem-solving skills for obliterating potential pitfalls before a customer is aware of them.

“One of my old bosses would say, ‘There are no problems; there are challenges.’ It is how you handle the challenge that matters,” Williams says.

He recalls a past incident when a small wedding party brought a cake that did not travel well. Taking matters into his own hands (quite literally), Williams went to the store, bought some icing and cake decorations, and resurrected it—with “minimal pastry skills.”

As the fallout from the pandemic continues to unfold, Williams relies all the more on his team, one that he proudly notes has remained relatively consistent throughout his tenure. In turn, he provides them with a stable work environment that enables them to grow professionally.

“I try to supply them with the tools and knowledge to do their job correctly,” he says. “My team knows what is expected of them, and I like to coach on the fly to reinforce those expectations.”

A WELL-OILED MACHINE Leading by example is the mantra of Bethany Arico, Director of Catering at Lake of Isles in North Stonington, Conn.

The former banquet manager, who has spent the past 12 years at this Troon club, credits her previous food and beverage manager for teaching her the ropes. As a result, she’s www.clubandresortchef.com

not afraid to roll up her sleeves and pitch in when necessary.

To get her staff up to speed on the day’s agenda, Arico emphasizes the importance of “on-the-spot training.”

“If you have ever worked on a banquet before, it is very hands-on—and that is always the best way to train,” she says.

A mixture of full-time, part-timers and weekend-only staffers well-versed in working weddings make up a solid, wellbalanced banquet crew poised to handle any event size.

“We don’t need to rely on temp help for large gatherings, as we are fortunate to have different levels of the food and beverage department,” she says. When needed, she can pull from the on-site public restaurant to work an event, illustrating the value of cross-training.

When defining what makes a functional service environment in the banquet space, Arico stresses communication and efficiency as demonstrated by solid leadership: “You want to be efficient when serving a table as well as clearing the table,” she says. “Be seen by guests; however, be invisible to guests, so you are not obtrusive.”

One of her key pieces of advice: Never underestimate the simple act of having a smile on your face to ensure a welcoming setting for members and guests.

Because communication is an essential element of a successful banquet operation, Arico listens to her staff and gets involved whenever they need an extra pair of hands.

“There have been times when I have helped carry dinners out due to emergencies or even call-outs for the day,” she recalls.

And when the pandemic forced her to revamp the banquet operations, Arico advised her team to focus on what they were permitted to do safely instead of what they couldn’t.

“There was a point in time that we were not allowed to offer passed hors d’oeuvres, so we adjusted and made a station out of them where our staff would serve,” she explains.

Whatever obstacle her banquet staff encounters, Arico firmly believes that the power of positive reinforcement serves her well as a team leader.

“You have to act as a cheerleader for the staff,” she says.

“There is nothing we can’t do.” C+RC July 2022

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MANAGEMENT

Controlling

Food Costs

Club chefs must diligently and creatively control costs while simultaneously satisfying members.

AS COSTS CONTINUE TO RISE AND SUPPLY CHAINS remain unpredictable, clubs are feeling the pinch. Some are offsetting costs by trimming menus and rotating dishes, others are raising banquet prices to offset a la carte, and more are passing the increases along to members and guests while explaining the cold, hard truth that everything simply costs more now.

“No matter what type of operation you run, chefs must work toward the target their property has set for them,” says Gordon Maybury, Director of Culinary at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa in Aventura, Fla.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

REEVALUATE AND REIMAGINE Turnberry runs a 24.5% food cost across the resort, considerably lower than most private country clubs. Regardless, Maybury is diligent about hitting that target. In April, the resort evaluated prices year over year and found that the property’s cost of goods went up 25% from 2021.

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FOOD + BEVERAGE

When the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa compared prices year over year, Gordon Maybury, Director of Culinary, found that cost of goods increased 25%.

“Some ingredients are outrageously expensive,” says Maybury. “Seabass is nearly double what it was last year, and chicken breasts are up 60%.”

Maybury and his team combed through the report and were surprised to discover that high-cost items, like filets, have only gone up by a small percentage. In contrast, items the property doesn’t even charge for, like disposable cutlery and ketchup packets, have skyrocketed.

“This is where the food-cost equation—beginning inventory value plus all monthly purchases minus ending inventory value divided by total food sales—becomes complicated,” says Maybury.

He stresses the importance of inventory management, reducing food waste and intelligent pricing. Everything is considered at Turnberry, from garnishes to the size of the bowls on buffets to the type of lettuce served in salads.

“We talk with our team and constantly ask if there’s a way to tweak a recipe so we aren’t raising the price to an unreasonable level for our guests,” says Maybury.

Turnberry’s central purchasing department is an essen-

tial partner in helping culinary hit its food-cost target. Many of Maybury’s purchases go out to bid through its central purchasing group so the property can get the best quality for the best price.

“We’re fortunate to have nine kitchens and 120 employees between culinary and stewarding,” says Maybury. “We can move our team members around and produce items inhouse that would cost us a great deal to outsource. This also helps control costs.”

Turnberry is also not above removing or modifying dishes that are too costly to offer. For example, crab was taken off the raw bar, and some of the property’s burgers have dropped from an 8-oz. patty to a 7-oz.

“We’re also working with our vendors to lock pricing for an entire month,” says Maybury, who credits Turnberry’s volume with the ability to rate-lock.

“Chefs willing to change and not afraid to challenge the members, guests and teams will succeed,” says Maybury.

“Those stuck in a ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mindset will have a tough time.”

FIGURING OUT THE FREEBIES

Whether it’s candy in the lobby, coffee in the locker room, snack mix at the bar, or apples by the tennis courts, most clubs cater to members with a handful of complimentary offerings.

“We have to take everything into account when we build our spreadsheets and figure out our costs,” says Will Rogers, CEC, CCA, Executive Chef of The Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. “It’s important for a chef who is new to a club to find out what cost goes where when it comes to all the giveaways.”

For the most part, clubs are able to absorb these types of freebies and offset the cost in a number of other ways. Other clubs, like Butterfield Country Club (Oak Brook, Ill.), assign these items a whole separate code.

“My food cost is just food,” says BCC’s Executive Chef Eric Wiemeyer.

“Sugar for coffee, locker room snacks, and plasticware have individual codes that aren’t associated with food cost.”

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REDUCE AND REORGANIZE The Cosmos Club (Washington, D.C.)—a much different type of operation than Turnberry—is a private social club located in the nation’s capital. The club does about $5.5 million in F&B and runs a 38% food cost.

Executive Chef Will Rogers, CEC, CCA, says the club’s food-cost percentage has risen 2 points in recent years, but it could have been much more substantial, given the rising cost of everything. He and his team have kept that number low by streamlining menus and focusing on cross-utilization.

“Many of the dishes we serve on the banquet side are based on dishes on our a la carte menu, which helps save on prep and labor,” he says. “We’re also trying to balance different proteins and cuts to help offset costs.

Cosmos members love lamb chops. Instead of always serving chops, Rogers might braise a lamb shoulder and turn that into a pasta dish, roll the shoulder into Swiss chard or maybe even do a lamb loin instead of the chop.

Reducing waste through composting, sous vide and pickling has also helped.

“Fundamentally, we strive to use every ingredient to its fullest capacity,” says Rogers. “As a team, we discuss ways to use things like the tops of carrots and leeks, for example. We rely on sous vide for proteins, so we aren’t overproducing, and pickling has always helped us find a way to use products that might be nearing the end of their usable life.”

Reducing waste is a much simpler task now that the club has one centralized storage location in the kitchen.

“During the pandemic, we rethought our storage systems and decided that a central location would prevent hoarding and waste,” says Rogers. “We now have one common dry storage area and one common ripening rack. Our walk-ins have also been reorganized so there are common bins for things like herbs, dairy, eggs and produce.”

All of these strategies serve a dual purpose beyond reducing waste. They encourage Cosmos’ culinary team to be more creative and communicative within the team and with the purchasing office.

“There was a period where foie gras was less expensive than crab,” recalls Rogers, noting that crab is an ingredient he can’t 86 from menus. “Fortunately, Cosmos has a purchasing manager and clerk who monitor these things and put them out to bid. We communicate with those individuals multiple times weekly to discuss inventory, sales and pricing.”

Keeping the lines of communication open is the best way for Cosmos to prioritize fiscal prudence and quality.

BALANCING REALITY WITH RESPONSIBILITY Butterfield Country Club (Oak Brook, Ill.) is a traditional country club with more than 600 members. The club does www.clubandresortchef.com

To reduce food costs at The Cosmos Club, Executive Chef Will Rogers, CEC, CCA, (right) centralized storage and launched a comprehensive composting program for waste.

about $6.5 million in F&B with an even split between a la carte and banquet. BCC runs a 30.4% food cost.

Executive Chef Eric Wiemeyer says the club has become much more fiscally minded in recent years. He attributes this a shift to an increase in legacy members working to set the club up for continued success over the long term.

“We rely on our banquet operation to drive down the cost of our a la carte program,” he says. “We also try to be very transparent with the membership and explain why we must raise a la carte prices.”

Wiemeyer changes menus every six to eight weeks at BCC. When he changes the menu, he changes the prices.

Once the menu is printed, he tries not to double back.

“We decided that, for this fiscal year, we needed to universally raise prices 10-20% so we could better absorb all the fluctuations in the supply chain,” he says. “This strategy relies on proper ordering, receiving and inventory controls.”

Wiemeyer stays closely involved in the process. He regularly communicates with accounting to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, and he works with his vendors to forecast based on pre-pandemic numbers.

“I tell my vendors up front that I’m a very needy customer,” he says. “I also hold them accountable.” C+RC MORE ONLINE: Check out the online version of this article for downloadable resources as well as more on beverage cost controls.

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MANAGER to CHEF

How A Strong Leader

Supports the Culinary Team On the heels of a $1.5 million kitchen renovation, Rockaway Hunting Club looks to its culinary program, planned additions and Executive Chef Matt DeCarolis for continued success.

By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor

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ONE OF THE MOST complex elements in managing a club as established as Rockaway Hunting Club (Lawrence, N.Y.) is implementing thoughtful changes that continue to move the operation forward. But as Frank Argento (pictured far left), who has served as the club’s General Manager for the past 12 years, knows, change demands support from leadership and buy-in from members.

With summer in full swing, Rockaway is busier than ever, and its membership continues to grow. The club recently approved a master plan that includes a new swimming pool and snack bar facility and an outdoor dining space off the main clubhouse. These changes represent Rockaway’s commitment to current and future generations of members.

Through it all, Executive Chef Matt DeCarolis has done an incredible job with the culinary program, reports Argento. He transitions seamlessly between busy and slower seasons and is eager for the changes ahead.

Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): Tell us about the food and beverage program at Rockaway.

Frank Argento (FA): We do about $1.2 million in annual food and beverage and have more than 500 members.

We’re a destination club; most members don’t live locally. During the off-season, around November through December, we serve lunch six days a week and dinner two nights a week.

January through March, we serve lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and dinner on Saturday night.

Every May, Chef puts together a new lunch menu. From May through September, we serve breakfast and lunch six days a week and dinner three days a week. Once we get to the off-season, that menu is scaled back. Our a la carte dinner menu is changed weekly.

C+RC: What do you view as Chef DeCarolis’ most significant strengths?

FA: He’s highly creative and always willing to change things up to keep www.clubandresortbusiness.com

members excited and engaged. He’s constantly looking for new ways to present dishes, especially in buffets, and he’s diligent about quality.

He does everything well, but [he’s exceptionally skilled] with fish and different types of seafood. Anytime scallops are on the menu, they sell out. He made monkfish recently that members loved, and his branzino is excellent.

He’s organized and flexible. Sometimes members don’t tell us exactly what they want until a day or two before [they dine with us]. Even though it can be very stressful, he always tries to accommodate every member. He’s also especially sensitive to members with food allergies, which has become a big part of our business.

I appreciate and feel blessed to work with someone of his skill level.

I’ve been here 12 years, and he’s been here for 13. He’s highly professional, and he’s just a very good person. It’s worked out well for us both so far.

the kitchen, say hello to every team member, and ask about their families.

That’s an essential part of my role— ensuring the staff knows I value them at all levels. They don’t have to make appointments with me. My door is always open.

It’s an honor to be the General Manager of this club. I do everything possible to ensure our staff and members have whatever they need.

C+RC: What’s next for Rockaway?

FA: We’ve recently approved a master plan, which includes a pool with a snack bar and an outdoor dining space on the back porch of the main clubhouse. It’s an offering we need to continue attracting younger members with families.

We’re already seeing an uptick in membership. People are eager and excited to be a part of this club. C+RC

C+RC: What drives food and beverage success at your club?

FA: Our staff is very accommodating to members’ needs, and the food is highquality and consistent.

C+RC: In what ways do you support Chef DeCarolis?

FA: My job is to ensure the board and the house committees understand the economics [of our culinary program].

We’ll lose money in food and beverage, but having [these groups] understand why we do what we do is my role. It’s also my job to advocate for Chef and the things he needs.

In 2018, I advocated for a kitchen renovation with the board. Our kitchen was 60 years old at the time. I worked with Chef and the board to ensure the renovation happened, and he got all the equipment he needed. We spent $1.5 million on a brand-new kitchen.

C+RC: In what ways do you support the culinary team as a whole?

FA: I believe it’s vital that our people feel valued. Every day, I walk through July 2022

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Club + Resort Chef 63

PRODUCT SHOWCASE � ��� � � � � � �� �� � ��

P���� + P���� T����� + C�����

Amazing Ambiance

Have A Seat

Product: LED Light Kit Features: ▶ To create the perfect ambiance for outdoor dining after dark, add our new LED Light Kit to the ribs of your umbrella ▶ Kits of 8 or 4 elements fit on ½-inch or ¾-inch diameter ribs ▶ Each light uses only 1.5 watts, providing the equivalent of 125 lumens ▶ Three settings from subdued to bright ▶ Individual LED arms attach to round ribs and connect to the battery pack ▶ Fully charged battery pack lasts up to 8 hours ▶ Rechargeable battery pack designed to fit on 1 ½-inch and 2-inch diameter poles ▶ Can be ordered with umbrellas or aftermarket

Product: The Louis Bar Stool

by Eustis Chair Features: ▶ Bar stool version of our popular Louis Stacking Chair ▶ Unmatched 20-year warranty ▶ Proudly made in the USA ▶ Elegant, durable, and comfortable ▶ Customizable to meet your needs ▶ Proprietary Eustis Joint® construction

FiberBuilt Umbrellas & Cushions www.fiberbuiltumbrellas.com

Eustis Chair

Outdoor Comfort

www.EustisChair.com

Product: Windsor 5 Ft. Teak Bench Features: ▶ Stemming from an aesthetic that defined beauty by simplicity, the Windsor 5 ft. long Teak Bench embodies clean, unadorned style ▶ With its large proportions and broad, flat arms, the Windsor bench blends with a variety of settings ▶ The Windsor has an 18-¼-inch deep seat and 2-¼-inch square leg timbers ▶ Thick legs and rails make the Windsor Bench reliable for public spaces ▶ The low-maintenance choice, teak outdoor wooden bench can be left outdoors year-round and will weather to a silvery gray over time

Country Casual Teak

www.countrycasualteak.com

Stylish Seating

Product: Platform Cushion Features: ▶ Platform showcases the creative art of modular seating with refined style ▶ Fully configurable for multiple seating options or as a stand-alone sofa ▶ Modular pieces attach via interlocking clips (included) ▶ Commercial-grade aluminum frame and UV resistant fabric ▶ Manufactured to meet the demands of commercial use ▶ Perfect as a gathering spot for large events or primary seating for everyday lounge areas

C����� + G������ A Cut Above

Product: Toro® Greensmaster® 1000 Series Features: ▶ The Toro® Greensmaster® Fixed-Head Series introduces a new design that synchronizes the operator and the machine to help eliminate operator error and negative influence on the turf ▶ Convenient operation allows the mower to slow down or come to a full stop during turnarounds without disengaging traction to line up for the next mowing pass ▶ Telescoping loop handle allows each operator to adjust to their personal size easily ▶ All operator controls are within easy reach ▶ Equipped with 3.5 HP (at 3600 RPM) Honda engine with ample power for cutting and accessorizing ▶ Module design makes for easy maintenance — saving both time and money

Toro

www.toro.com

Tropitone

www.tropitone.com

64

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Club + Resort Business

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July 2022

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

chef tochefconference.com

FLORIDA

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Amenities

Food + Beverage

Keep Kool

Product: Koala Kool Pre-Moistened Towels Features: ▶ Extra Large, single use, 100% Cotton Koala Kool Towels are 25 inches x 5.5 inches, and are infused with “Kooling” Eucalyptus essential oil ▶ Freeze, unroll, enjoy ▶ Great for around the neck to keep you “Kool” ▶ Perfect for use at a golf or country club, poolside, and more ▶ Great amenity for tournaments ▶ Serve cold from the refreshment cart or at the clubhouse restaurant

Tri-C Club Supply - Duffy’s www.DuffysTriC.com

Member Services + Activities

Wheel It In

Product: Flash Bars Features: ▶ The Portable Bar Company designs and sells innovative, high-quality portable bars and accessories ▶ Our fold & roll portable bars are some of the most stylish and customizable traditional portable bars on the market ▶ Our innovative Flash Bars are ultra-portable, permanent-looking bars that provide unmatched look and function customization ▶ These portable bars work for a variety of applications from portable bartending to restaurants to large concert venues ▶ Intuitive online tools allow users to design a custom bar and see estimated pricing before taxes and shipping ▶ Visit theportablebarcompany.com to design a one-of-a-kind bar today

Staying Connected

Product: The Essential Suite ▶ The Essential Solution for Incredible Member Experiences ▶ Your members don’t stop being members when they leave your facility. Clubs with great retention rates don’t get lucky — they continue to go above and beyond for their members onsite and online, creating memorable experiences and encouraging community at all times ▶ With the Essential Suite, real clubs are seeing happier members, better retention rates and increased profits with tools for staff and members both at the club and beyond ▶ Mobile POS & Ordering ▶ Take orders and make sales anywhere ▶ Membership Analytics Predictor ▶ Identify at-risk members and take action ▶ Website & Mobile App ▶ Build member connections from anywhere ▶ Digital Payments ▶ Increase cash flow and convenience for members ▶ Location-based Marketing ▶ Identify and target the right audience

The Portable Bar Company

Clubessential

www.theportablebarcompany.com

www.clubessential.com

ADVERTISER INDEX BARILLA BarillaFS.com

37

FIBERBUILT UMBRELLAS & CUSHIONS 21 866-667-8668 / www.fiberbuiltumbrellas.com

BEL BRANDS FOODSERVICE www.belbrandsfoodservice.com

33

FIRE WITHIN 888-240-9758 / www.firewithin.com

30

BUTTERBALL FARMS INC. www.butterballfarms.com

49

“FORE” SUPPLY CO. 800-543-5430 / www.ForeSupply.com

17

CHEF TEC 303-447-3334 / www.ChefTec.com

63

68

CRES COR www.crescor.com

59

LANDMARK GOLF COURSE PRODUCTS 888-337-7677/ www.rinowood.com MINOR’S FOODSERVICE www.minorsfoodservice.com

53

DUFFY’S TRI-C CLUB SUPPLY 800-274-8742 / www.duffystric.com EUSTIS CHAIR 978-827-3103 / sales@eustischair.com 66

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Club + Resort Business

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July 2022

3

15

OUTDOOR LIGHTING PERSPECTIVES 23 804-999-5847 / OutdoorLights.com/hospitality

OW LEE 800-776-9533 / www.owlee.com

22

PEACOCK + LEWIS AIA 561-626-9704 / 239-631-2332 www.peacockandlewis.com

9

PERENNIALS AND SUTHERLAND www,perennialsfabrics.com www.sutherlandfurniture.com

2

SIERRA NEVADA HOSPITALITY 800-969-0999 / garyplatt.com/hospitality

31

SOUTHERN PRIDE www.southernpride.com

67

YAMAHA 866-747-4027 / YamahaGolfCar.com

7

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

FIRED UP WITH FLAVOR When you invest in a Southern Pride, you will be supported by a third-generation, family-owned and operated company with a network of distributors that will take care of you from start-to-finish. Each line of Electric, Mobile or Gas units are designed and built with the highest-quality materials. Accuracy of our controls, ease of use and consistent heat, ensure a finished product that will keep your customers coming back.

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PASTRY PERFECTION!

THE MONTAGUE® VECTAIRE® OVEN

Choose from Montague’s renowned gas-powered, indirect-fired “muffled” design or electric models engineered for consistent precision-temperature baking. Both are built from heavy-duty stainless steel and feature a robotically-welded angle iron frame, solid door trunnion, heavy gauge wire racks, plus a wealth of other design advantages.

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