Club + Resort Business May 2021

May 2021

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®

Making the Outdoors Great

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Culinary Experience

INSIDE:

Crème de la Crème CRB’s Top Ranked Culinary Experiences of 2021

A Bundle of Activity at Berry Hills CC Giving Practice Facilities Proper TLC

SPECIALTY ICE

Planning for weather conditions Workboard updates and task re-re-re-assignments

Accurate budget forecasts plus or minus half a penny

Maintenance schedule and equipment assignment mayhem Balancing irrigation costs with equipment and labor costs

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The John Deere OnLink Golf Course Management Solution can help you see your course more clearly than ever before. Maintenance schedules.

Team assignments. Workboard updates. Cost projections. These all can now be viewed and managed in one place.

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Berry Hills Country Club, Charleston, W. Va. ......................................18 The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. ......14,16 The Club at Mediterra, Naples, Fla. ............................................................9 Colleton River Club, Bluffton, S.C. ..........................................................34 Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Portland, Ore. .....................33

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Field Club of Omaha, Omaha, Neb. .........................................................26

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Long Beach Country Club, Long Beach, Ind. ........................................38 Mirabel Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz. ..........................................................30 Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club, Millsboro, Del. ....................9 River Bend Golf & Country Club, Great Falls, Va. .............................34 Wellesley Country Club, Wellesley, Mass. ............................................41 Wheeling Country Club, Wheeling, W. Va. ..............................................12 Willow Oaks Country Club, Richmond, Va. .........................................28 www.clubandresortbusiness.com

THE ROB REPORT

Tennis, Anyone?

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH racquet sports dates all the way back to elementary school, when my buddies and I would ride our bikes to Brooker Park in Ashtabula, Ohio to play tennis.

We found old racquets lying around the house— tucked away from when an older sibling or parent picked up the sport and eventually abandoned it for something else. While my earliest era came after wooden racquets, I was way before the advent of today’s modern versions.

The first racquet I used had a heavy steel frame with a small head and even smaller sweet spot.

We found tennis balls that would bounce just high enough for us to (try to) send them across the sagging net. They were better suited for the dog and a game of fetch, but we made them work.

We’d joke that we were playing Wimbledon, because the courts had huge cracks with grass peeking through. As you can imagine, a dead ball hitting a clump of grass made for some unpredictable bounces.

My skills developed enough to make the high school tennis team my senior year, after giving up my dream of playing baseball at a high level. While my eye had trouble differentiating a curveball or slider from a fastball, it was good enough to return most serves I faced on the tennis courts.

I continued to play recreationally through college and beyond, and even joined a men’s league while living in Dallas. I quickly learned there was a considerable jump from a 3.0 league to a 3.5 league, but I had fun at both levels.

I recently visited Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston, W.Va., and they’re remodeling their racquet facilities to add a pair of pickleball courts (and bocce) to meet members’ demands.

Spending most of my adulthood in Northeast Ohio, I’d trade in my tennis racquet for a racquetball racquet over the winter months. Both sports kept me fit and active, and served to provide the competition I craved.

I now have a pickleball paddle and am anxiously awaiting my chance to try that sport. In fact, it’s the fastest-growing sport in America. I recently visited Berry Hills Country Club (see page 18) in Charleston, W.Va., and they’re remodeling their racquet facilities to add a pair of pickleball courts (and bocce) to meet members’ demands.

Give me a decent reason to try platform tennis and squash, and I’ll quickly be in the market for more equipment.

What is your club doing to scratch the racquet itch?

Are you expanding your facilities? Please let us know.

Rob Thomas • Senior Editor

rthomas@wtwhmedia.com

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

May 2021

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EDITOR’S MEMO

Up to the Multi-Task Where club managers were hyperfocused just a year ago on preparing for the worst while scrambling to find new ways to make the best out of a situation that was not only unprecedented, but unnerving, many now find themselves having to deal with a much more pleasant “dilemma.”

Activity and plans to renovate, expand or build new clubhouses, golf courses and other facilities has ramped up to levels we haven’t seen in close to a decade.

At the same time, thanks in large part to an influx of new members who were also unnerved by the pandemic and flocked to join clubs as one of the few available safe refuges for their families, usage levels throughout the property are also at highs not seen in many years.

The new challenge for many clubs, then, is to get construction underway to maximize their future appeal (and take full advantage of current interest rates and other economies), while minimizing the disruption or annoyance factor for all those who now want to use the club— and in particular, those who have just become members and may be especially turned off by any impediments to full enjoyment of what they’ve just signed up for.

Again, this is a much nicer “problem” to have, and many managers and their staffs are embracing it as a challenge that’s a lot more fun to take on than what hit them in the face a year ago.

I recently interviewed Adam Kushner, General Manager/COO for the Berkeley Hall Club in Bluffton, S.C., for a segment of our “The Road Ahead” video series (https://clubandresortbusiness.com/ the-road-ahead-balancing-the-best-oftoday-and-tomorrow-at-the-berkeleyhall-club/) and asked him about how his club hopes to stay as fully open and appealing as possible as it starts a $5.1 million facility improvement project over the next 10 months.

“That’s actually one of the things that 6

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The new challenge for many clubs is to get construction underway to maximize their future appeal while minimizing the disruption or annoyance factor for all those who now want to use the club. our team has really been getting excited about: What can we still offer to our membership during this [active] time?”

Kushner said. “We’ve already started dining in our Learning Center, in a little room we call the Fazio room, where members can now have an outdoor lunch. We’ve also expedited service for people while they’re on our North Course playing golf, and we’re expanding what we’ve done at our pool and fitness center, to now have Saturday evenings with music and dining.

“Overall,” Kushner added, “we’re looking for all of the ways we can continue to offer outdoor dining [during the construction].”

It doesn’t just start, or stop, with dining-related challenges, however.

Finding effective ways to still accommodate the greater demand for use of the golf course, fitness facility, pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and other spots

around construction activity on your own property is also preferable to taking the approach often used in the past, of just setting up reciprocal arrangements with other clubs.

For one thing, those clubs are a lot busier now, too, and may be less inclined or prepared to take in outsiders. For another, your members themselves may be more reticent to go elsewhere, as concerns about comfort levels and safety still linger. And new members especially may not be too receptive to the idea of now having to go elsewhere, even if it is explained as a temporary situation.

Construction also adds to the always nagging issue of having ample and accessible parking, and a recent report about a solution that Dubuque (Iowa) Golf & Country Club found in that area as it starts a $3.4 million expansion project is also worth noting. The private club got the city of Dubuque to sell it over 11 acres of right-of-way adjacent to its property for half its assessed value, in return for taking on some responsibility for storm-sewer maintenance.

“These were little strips of land surrounded by country club land on both sides,” a city official said. “It’s hard to imagine we would ever use it, so it made sense to sell it.” And it made sense to ask.

Joe Barks • Editor jbarks@wtwhmedia.com

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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INSIDE

May 2021 • Vol. 17 • No. 5

THIS

ISSUE

24

Space Without Limits

Clubs’ outdoor spaces have never been busier, and properties that recently updated their fresh-air surroundings are seeing usage that now extends far beyond the traditional seasons.

(Photo Courtesy Maribel Golf Course)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

18

Club Feature

A BUNDLE OF ACTIVITY AT BERRY HILLS CC

The pandemic didn’t slow the pace at the Charleston, W. Va. club.

Course + Grounds 32 HOME ON THE RANGE

As practice facilities get more use, they’re also getting more TLC from maintenance crews.

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The Rob Report

6

Editor’s Memo

9

Management

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May 2021 www.clubandresortchef.com

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TENNIS, ANYONE? UP TO THE MULTI-TASK

MAKING SURE NEW MEMBERS AREN’T THAT WAY FOR LONG Golf Operations

WHEELING AND WRITING Golf Tech

USING DATA TO HELP LOWER SCORES Golf Tech

MAKING SENSE OF ALL THE NUMBERS Today’s Manager

A MAN FOR ALL REGIONS

Marty Ryan’s ability to succeed everywhere and with everyone has led to Lifetime Achievement recognition.

44 Culinary Experience

Crème de la Crème CRB’s Top Ranked Culinary Experiences of 2021

+ Resort Chef 47 Club Top Ranked Culinary Experiences

4 Club Index 8

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in Spotlight 38 Super GROOMED FOR THE JOB

Learning to care for turf has been an integral part of Brian Ray’s life and a big reason behind his career stability at Long Beach CC.

81 Product Showcase

Products at Work

TIME X5

The Landings saw good reasons not to stop at just getting one new clock.

54

Idea Exchange

A SWING AND A HIT

Dairy Creek GC makes the best of new realities with its new Swing Time facility.

86 Ad Index www.clubandresortbusiness.com

MANAGEMENT

MAKING SURE NEW MEMBERS AREN’T THAT WAY FOR LONG

By Carmen J. Mauceri, CCM • Chief Operating Officer/General Manager The Club at Mediterra • Naples, Fla.

HOPEFULLY, YOUR CLUB ENJOYS many new members

every year. When you acquire a new member, how well do you get to know them? How quickly do they get to know you? And, most importantly, what do they want and need?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou The new member arrives excited. They have a new opportunity to gain more friends, write a new chapter in their lives, and enjoy a new variety of amenities. Their first impression of you was great, and now they are ready to be convinced they made the right decision by joining your club.

So, everything is good, right? Maybe. If you don’t have a well-developed New Member Orientation Program, you might be leaving their first impression to chance.

I think we all know that it is important to make a great first impression and to make it right away. But we might be going about it the wrong way. Many clubs provide new members with manuals of information and give lengthy presentations—when all they really want to do is have a good time, already!

We, the professionals, need to understand that new members are not interested in knowing everything there is about the club all at once, or maybe ever. Sure, some people enjoy reading bylaws or committee-meeting minutes—but most just want to start making friends and enjoy their new club.

At Mediterra, our number-one goal for new-member orientation is to engage them…immediately.

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll learn.” ― Albert Einstein

The Club at Mediterra’s “Welcome Video” series films managers on site to provide “tenured insider” tips for “need to knows” such as the busiest times in restaurants and which events sell out quickly.

To create an engaging and thoughtful new-member orientation process, your team needs to think like a new member. If we just joined the club, what would our wish and needs lists include?

Here are seven things new members are thinking about, in no particular order: 1. We want easy access to information.

2. We want “insider tips.”

3. Who are the go-to people?

4. Did I miss something?

5. Is something coming up that I can do?

6. What is the easiest way to make a new friend?

7. I hope I do not have to sit through a boring presentation.

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MANAGEMENT

Personalized “starter kits” provided to new members at The Club at Mediterra include gifts selected based on preferences expressed in an online orientation, along with handy guidance sheets for website use and other keys to immediate engagement.

And here are seven things we do at The Club at Mediterra to try to answer these questions and meet these needs: 1. Providing easy access to information. Our orientation is self-directed and incorporates several mediums. After approval, new members receive their welcome letter, which includes a link to their online orientation to be completed at their leisure from anywhere in the world. The orientation is a flow-through read that provides a basic overview of the club with little clutter.

2. Providing “insider tips” through a new spin on orientation.

Our Welcome Video is a short film that features various managers sharing tenured-insider tips that will help every new member feel as if they have been here for years. To give you an example, the video covers “need to knows” such as the busiest days and times in the restaurants, which events sell out the quickest, how to properly rake the golf course bunkers, and who to contact if they are looking to buy a case of wine. It is a fun and engaging way of introducing the team and giving new members important ideas for getting the most out of their membership.

3. Getting to know the go-to people. After orientation is complete, we send an e-mail to every staff person providing them with the new member’s preferences, photo, and a short bio. We learn all we can about the new member from both the interview with someone from the Membership Committee and the required survey during the online orientation. The survey asks specific questions, from preferences and allergies to shirt sizes and favorite colors, which allows our team to personalize their experience before we even meet.

4. Making sure they didn’t miss something. After completing the online orientation, the new member schedules a followup meeting with our membership director, to make sure all questions have been answered. This is when the new member receives their Starter Kit and a personalized set of gifts (which were purchased using the information we learned from their survey). The Starter Kit is complete with guest policies, deportment, website instructions, and more. This makes sure the

member, who is probably on information overload, has handy guide sheets of the most relevant information for immediate engagement.

5. Highlighting what’s coming up that they can do. As a new member, you may want to know what social events, groups, and other activities the club is hosting, and how you can get involved. At the follow-up meeting, our membership director highlights some of the most popular upcoming events that the new member may want to attend and provides them with their ‘Medi-Pass,’ which includes complimentary vouchers to use in each area of the club, further speeding up their engagement.

6. Helping them meet new friends right away. Now that they know some ‘inside tips’, have completed orientation, and are informed of the upcoming social events, it is time to make friends and start using the club. To help make that seamless, each new member is matched with an Ambassador from our Ambassador Committee, who invites them to an event or to dine, introduces them to others and is available to answer any questions, member to member. The Ambassadors are an invaluable resource to those who are new.

7. Avoiding the boring presentations. Instead of sharing a presentation with information new members may not remember, we host monthly happy hours where they can meet and mingle with other new members and the entire Ambassador Committee. These New Member Happy Hours include games like Ice Breakers, Scavenger Hunts or Department-Head Trivia with club managers.

These are just a few of the things that have worked well for us at Mediterra. It’s important to always remember that in the hospitality industry, we are here to have fun. And new-member platforms should be just that —fun, engaging, and multifaceted.

Because again, the goal is to make sure every new member feels welcome, involved, and part of your club’s fabric immediately—and aren’t “new” for long. C+RB

Contributions on current issues in Management are welcomed; if you’d like to submit an article or be interviewed for one, contact editor@clubandresortbusiness.com 10

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GOLF OPERATIONS

WHEELING AND WRITING Rich Conwell, General Manager/PGA Head Golf Professional at Wheeling (W.Va.) Country Club, writes a weekly golf column for the local newspaper. In addition to growing the game, he hopes to “change the stigma of the country club.”

By Rob Thomas, Senior Editor

RICH CONWELL, GENERAL MANAGER/ PGA Head Golf Professional at Wheeling

(W. Va.) Country Club, has only been in his current position since January 2021, but has been in the industry for almost 30 years.

Conwell recently crossed our radar when he introduced himself via a golf column in The Times Leader—a newspaper in Martins Ferry, Ohio. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pa., he loves teaching and growing the game of golf.

As he mentioned in his introductory column, Conwell has taught a PGA Tour Winner, two U.S. Amateur contestants and several club champions. He’s conducted a 160-person Junior Clinic, taught four Division I players and “with just as much pride,” Special Olympics athletes and more than 100 campers with spina bifida.

While not unheard of, it’s certainly not common for a club GM/Head Professional to lend a voice to the local newspaper.

“I have done this previously, at different stops in my career—when I was an Assistant a long time ago back in Williamsport, Pa., I wrote newspaper articles—and I’ve always liked to write,” Conwell says. “My mother used to tell me that I missed my calling [and that] I should have written a lot.

“So I got here [at Wheeling CC] and I’m like, ‘You know, we’re trying to change the image of this facility and change the image in the community.’ We’ve always kind of been the ‘club on the hill.’ We’re just trying to get really community-oriented, so I knew that would help.”

Even after only writing the column for a couple of weeks, Conwell quickly garnered some interest. After writing about junior golf, some parents reached out to inquire about lessons for their kids.

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For future columns, Conwell plans to cover topics ranging from the golf swing and the short game to equipment information, USGA rules sessions, golf course management, and more. He’ll even include some trivia questions for prizes (such as free lessons) and answer reader questions, for what he plans to be a very interactive exercise.

“I’ve done it everywhere I’ve gone,” he says, adding that people have even stopped him and asked him to sign their copy of the column. “I just like people to be out and about [and to] just play golf.”

The column isn’t the only thing Conwell does to interact with the community.

When it comes to growing the game of golf, he literally puts his money where his mouth is.

“I do what I think is a really cool thing for kids under the age of 18,” he says. “I charged a ‘dollar per age’—so a 12-yearold kid can come take golf lessons for 12 dollars. And most of the time I don’t charge them.”

Conwell, who had a sister who was physically and mentally handicapped, plans to start a Special Olympics program, too.

From talking to a “newcomers group” at the club to speaking at the local Lions Club, Conwell extols the benefits of playing golf.

“I really don’t stand up there and talk about the backswing, but I just say ‘Look, you know what, it’s a pretty good environment. You can do it your entire life. You’re 65 years old—do you want to start now?

Have a little fun with it.’ ” He also offers what he calls a “He’s Wrong Clinic” for women. Everything a guy has ever told them about the golf swing is wrong—except for what he’s teaching them in the moment.

“We just tee it up everywhere and go have fun with it,” he says. “We go over everything from how to drive a golf cart to how to repair a ball mark. It’s tailor-made for spouses of golf members that don’t play golf, or their friends.”

Conwell says he always tries to be “Mr. Golf” in the community. In November, he’ll be sworn in to the Board of Directors of the Tri-State Section of the PGA (which includes western Pennsylvania and western Maryland, in addition to West Virginia).

Before taking his position at Wheeling CC at the start of the year, Conwell was the PGA Golf Professional at Shorewood Country Club in Dunkirk, N.Y., since 2017, and while there, he earned the PGA Specialty Certification in General Management.

Prior to joining Shorewood, he served as General Manager of Uniontown (Pa.) Country Club.

Now that he’s at Wheeling CC, he sees an overall benefit for the exposure that the newspaper column and his other outreach efforts will have.

“The goal is to change the mentality and the view of this facility,” he says. “We just want to change the stigma of the country club. We are not standoffish. We’re not a museum. We’re actually made of people who like to play golf, hang out and have some fun.

“None of us have a stamp on the inside of our palm that says ‘member,’” he adds. “We’re just people, man. I don’t care what I’m going to shoot—let’s just go play and see if we can turn 98 into 92, or 104 into 99.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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GOLF + FITNESS TECHNOLOGY

USING DATA TO HELP LOWER SCORES

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

EVER WONDER WHAT AREAS OF THE GAME need to be addressed and improved to provide the greatest gains and lower scores? Every golfer does. Players such as Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau have obviously figured it out. Time and time again, they prove that “the power game,” or speed, are the keys to achieving their greatest gains on the course.

When it comes to increasing power, there are several areas professionals must assess and analyze. The first is strength.

In general, it takes great physical capability to swing a club at 100+ mph. This can often be gained through a proper “golfspecific” fitness program. Consider working with a Titleist Performance Institute Fitness Professional. They are well-trained and do an excellent job working with golfers on all physical aspects of their game.

In my personal practice, once I properly screen a student, we typically use Speed Sticks as a tool to gain speed. These help players increase swing speed through a concept called Over Speed Training. This works by reducing the weight of the golf club, therefore allowing the player to create a faster-thannormal golf swing. Every student that completes Speed Stick training with me gains a minimum of 5 mph of clubhead speed, with the average being closer to 10 mph.

Another step includes analyzing a student’s swing to be sure it is firing in the proper kinetic sequence. The best tool for measuring this ground-force reaction is a Swing Catalyst Motion Plate. A proper sequence should have peaks in the following order: horizontal, rotational, vertical. If the sequence is correct, then work can begin to increase certain forces to gain additional speed.

Once we have increased power, the focus can move to creating a better wedge game. I tell my students—especially the juniors—that they must strive to be the best wedge player in the world if they want to have a chance to succeed at a high level.

When it comes to the short game, it helps to create games for students that will quantify their practices and help them know when their practice is paying off. Games where scores are kept will provide real data to help show if and how a player 14

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“ Games where scores are kept will provide

real data to help quantify students’ practices and help them know when and how it’s paying off. “Every Shot Counts” is a great book with sample games in the back that may help to provide some inspiration.

”

is getting better. “Every Shot Counts,” by Mark Broadie, is a great book with sample games in the back that may provide some inspiration.

Lastly, there’s putting—the most individualized aspect of the game. There are countless setups, grips and strokes. The most important thing is that the golfer is comfortable in the setup.

My favorite tool for working on putting is the Blast Motion. It is a data sensor, placed on the grip end of the putter, that reads 11 parameters and connects wirelessly to a cell phone. The most important parameter is tempo, which is a 2:1 ratio.

The folks at Blast Motion have even taken their studies deeper and have found that the best putters in the world are .60 seconds to .30 seconds, back stroke to impact. I have realized that when I get my students to attain this ratio almost all mechanical errors are alleviated, because they are unable to take the putter back too far, which can often lead to deceleration through impact.

If your players really want to score better, working on wedge shots and putting can provide the quickest paths to lowering a one’s handicap—which is truly the most important data point when it comes to scoring. .

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.

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GOLF + FITNESS TECHNOLOGY

MAKING SENSE OF ALL THE NUMBERS

By Keke Lyles, Director of Fitness and Recreation, The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.)

AS IT GOES IN COUNTLESS areas of life—from determining the best home to purchase to figuring out which schools to send your children to—collecting as much numeric data as possible helps to inform important decisions. With the development of sport technology and the capability to collect endless numbers on individuals within a moment’s time, trends and predictions can be extrapolated, which can have a profound impact on not only an individual, but on a team, within athletes of a particular sport, or even across sports.

The accessibility of this extensive body of numeric data can be overwhelming and confusing for someone who is not a trained sports scientist or data analyst. The key to utilizing numeric data is to take a step back and consider how the information can help make things better. This all begins with the question: What problem are we trying to solve?

When assessing a country club or resort’s fitness operation, many additional questions need to be answered, including: What programs are being utilized? How many participants do you have? What are the costs of the different programs? What outside services should you bring inside? When should you replace older equipment? Are member needs being addressed? Are the members who use the fitness facility getting better? What role does your fitness center have in the overall experience? Is there any experience, or is it just an amenity?

Some of these questions are easily answered and tracked, and others are much more complex in nature.

It helps to begin with the edge of the puzzle, by using easily captured data metrics that provide a basic snapshot of how the business is doing. Metrics such as daily participation and the demographics 16

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to begin with the edge “ofIt thehelpspuzzle, by using easily captured data metrics that provide a basic snapshot of how a fitness operation is doing. Metrics such as daily participation and the demographics of those participants can provide a good read on the demands that need to be met.

”

of those participants can provide a good read on the demands that need to be met.

With this information, for example, a club is better informed when allocating resources to develop better programming. Market research will guide decisions on when to add or remove programs, based on objective information.

Then the rest of the puzzle can be attacked, by trying to answer harder questions while still utilizing the data to uncover the appropriate answers. The goal with these metrics is to capture a good understanding of your club’s offerings.

For example, questions to consider at this level include: When should we replace equipment? Should we expand or reduce retail offerings, or change it altogether?

These questions can seem more personal and based on experience and feel. However, proper data tracking will make it easier to determine the right answers.

How do you know when to replace equipment? Is it at the first sign of wear, or do you let it go a bit longer until it is really worn down? To answer questions like this, consider how often a particular piece of equipment is being used. A frequently used

piece of equipment should be replaced sooner than later.

Measuring retail performance may appear straightforward, by tracking sales.

But how does a club know if it is exceeding what sales should be, or if it’s underperforming? Looking at sales allows clubs to spot the trends. Does the club have consistent sales, or only at special events?

Understanding these trends will help guide you to the best course of action.

The final pieces of the puzzle, to round out the overall picture of how a club is doing, involves examining questions such as: What new initiatives is the club looking to roll out? Are people getting better? How is the member experience?

These answers are all individualized and can vary greatly. But the more a club can understand those individual needs, the more successful it will be in providing a lifechanging environment.

One good solution for simplifying the process of getting useful answers is through surveys. Quarterly or bi-yearly surveys are the best way to capture the collective ideas of all members and get a good read on how things are going overall. While it’s not possible to meet each member’s specific needs, understanding the general trends can show how to build more diverse offerings.

When putting all the pieces of a club’s puzzle together through numeric data and metrics, it’s helpful to keep in mind the questions the club wants to answer with the information that’s collected. This information will simplify the decision-making process, and the end result will be a great member experience.

Keke Lyles is recognized as a leader in human performance, with experience with professional athletes and Navy Special Warfare operators. He now leads fitness initiatives at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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» BERRY HILLS CC

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Photo Courtesy Berry Hills CC

A BUNDLE OF ACTIVITY AT

BERRY HILLS CC The government-mandated shutdown in 2020 provided the Charleston, W.Va. club with an opportunity to check off wish-list items from a member survey, as well as freshen the look of the clubhouse and pro shop.

By Rob Thomas, Senior Editor

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» BERRY HILLS CC

BERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB in Charleston, W. Va. took full advantage of the government-mandated shutdown to come out stronger on the other side. Taking the opportunity to perform deferred maintenance and long-needed renovations to the clubhouse, management did everything from slapping on a fresh coat of paint to renovating the pro shop and completely overhauling the downstairs pub.

Four new pickleball courts and two regulation-size bocce courts are also in the works, with completion scheduled for Memorial Day weekend of 2021.

Brandie Thomas took over as General Manager just as the shutdown was taking hold, and jumped right in to quickly initiate the plans, which stemmed from a comprehensive survey of members. With the nearby Charleston Tennis Club garnering the attention of most serious tennis players in the area, Berry Hills decided to borrow space from the existing tennis facility and introduce the growing sport of pickleball to its members.

Berry Hills currently has about 400 active memberships, according to Thomas, and that number has increased because of the club’s appeal as a safe haven during the pandemic. With both full and social memberships available, a new approach has been successful.

“Waiving the initiation fee with a two-year membership commitment has been effective for us,” Thomas says.

Like just about every other club in the country, Berry Hills had to adjust on the fly when it came to hosting events in 2020.

Photo Courtesy John Sibold

“Weddings and galas are always our largest events each year,” Thomas says. “We can host up to 700 guests.”

While the pandemic greatly reduced the number of attendees, the club was able to successfully host smaller weddings in 2020. And it has bounced back strongly with additional bookings for 2021.

GOLF GAINS Director of Golf Barry Evans has been at the club for 31 years and says Thomas is the best General Manager Berry Hills has seen. That’s high praise coming from the 2002 champion of the PGA Club Professional Championship (now known as the PGA Professional Championship) and a member of three halls of fame.

Berry Hills’ 69-year-old, William Gordon-designed course is open year-round—only closing if there’s snow on the ground— but busiest from April through October. While a typical year sees between 12,000 and 13,000 rounds played, Evans says 2020 brought in between 15,000 and 16,000. The pandemic taught him to “be ready for anything,” he jokes.

With its “old-style mountaintop golf course…short and tight,” Berry Hills is private, but does offer some outside play, along with 20 or more outings a year, Evans says.

Gordon, a founding member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and two-time president of the ASGCA, said it was the most difficult course he ever created.

“To get a sufficient amount of level ground to lay out the holes, I had to use a total of 468 acres, which stretched out along the top of five ranges,” he said in a 1953 article that appeared in the Bristol (Pa.) Courier. “When it was completed, the course varied only about 50 feet in elevation.”

Members enjoy a full practice range

E

While the pandemic reduced the number of event attendees in 2020, Berry Hills successfully hosted a number of smaller weddings. General Manager Brandie Thomas, who has a background in event planning, reports that bookings are bouncing back in a big way for the 2021 season.

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and short-game area, plus a pair of indoor simulators with video and teaching software. The golf staff provides approximately 600 lessons each year.

The future of golf has been further brightened by Berry Hills’ initiation of the Operation 36 program, which is designed to teach beginners (both youth and adults) to play golf from as close as 25 yards, and then move back in yardage as they “graduate” from each step.

“In a year and a half, it’s grown from 13 to 90 participants,” Evans reports.

TURF TEAMWORK In his fourth year at Berry Hills, Golf Course Superintendent Russell Stewart started in 2017 as the spray and irrigation technician. With a degree in Plant and Soil Science/Turfgrass Management from the University of Kentucky, he credits the club’s leadership with promoting a healthy workplace.

“It has been very nice to see and experience the enthusiasm of the staff and from our members in

AT A GLANCE:

BERRY HILL COUNTRY CLUB www.berryhillscc.com Location: Charleston, W.Va. Founded: 1952 Golf Course Design: William F. Gordon Annual Golf Rounds: 13,000 Members: 400 General Manager: Brandie Thomas Head Golf Professional: Barry Evans, PGA Assistant Golf Professional: Christian Breed, PGA Grounds Superintendent: Russell Stewart Executive Chef: Anthony Bowyer Maître D: Mo Jenami

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» Berry Hills CC

Director of Golf Barry Evans, PGA (left), has been at Berry Hills for 31 years. The course generally sees 12,000-13,000 rounds per year, but that number jumped up to around 16,000 in 2020. Evans and his staff, which includes Assistant Golf Professional Christian Breed, PGA (below left), typically give 600 lessons per year—both at the practice facility and on the indoor simulators.

with less, while still being able to keep all areas maintained at the level needed to be ready when COVID restrictions were lifted and facilities opened,” Stewart says.

making sure that positive changes are being continued and that we are able to get the resources we need to do them,” Stewart says. “We have a great staff here at Berry Hills, and I can’t wait to see what amazing things are to come.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, Stewart’s staff was trimmed back, he says, to “alleviate any financial burdens that the lockdown might cause.” Those who were retained took advantage of the slow period to make some overdue repairs to the grounds caused by a tornado in the summer of 2019.

They also provided some labor for the clubhouse renovations.

“My staff did a phenomenal job of being able to do more

DINING DECISIONS When Thomas joined the club, she brought in Anthony Bowyer as Berry Hills’ new Executive Chef, and his approach since arriving has generated overwhelmingly positive feedback.

“We slimmed the menu down when I joined the team,” Bowyer says. “We, as a team, look at the popularity of items monthly and replace a stale item with something new and exciting. It gives my team a chance to toss all of their ideas around, build off each other, and answer members’ requests.

“I see a ton of pride go into the items that end up on the menu,” he adds. “The smaller menu allows us to be consistent with what we offer and to source local and the freshest possible ingredients.”

In 2019, C+RB reported on Berry Hills and Edgewood Country Club joining 24 other establishments in the area to participate in Charleston’s sixth annual Restaurant Week—the first time any private facilities were included.

While not counting out a return, Bowyer says Restaurant Week hasn’t been in the club’s “immediate forefront.”

“

It has been very nice to see and experience the enthusiasm of the staff and from our members in making sure positive changes are being continued and that we are able to get the resources we need to do them.

— Russell Stewart, Golf Course Superintendent

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”

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When Executive Chef Anthony Bowyer joined Berry Hills, he was tasked with slimming down the menu and introducing a fresh blend of new and exciting items for members to experience.

Photo Courtesy John Sibold

“I think we would love to participate again in the near future, but we have the importance of keeping our private membership happy and feeling safe from the pandemic,” he says. “We welcome any and all new members, but we are focusing on following procedures and regulations to protect our club and members.”

Like most clubs around the country, Berry Hills has seen a significant increase in memberships across all categories.

Increased dues revenue is now allowing management to explore additional amenities and services to improve the mem-

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ber experience. Given the unique terrain upon which the club sits, the club is exploring hiking and mountain-biking trails around the perimeter of the golf course. Other projects that are being considered include an on-site fitness facility, winter trap-shooting amenities, and improvements to the club’s short-game practice facilities. All ideas are viewed under the lens of “Will it enhance the membership experience?”

With the challenges of 2020 in the rear-view mirror and a new season in full swing, Berry Hills is now firmly focused on finding new ways to continue its growth. C+RB

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DESIGN + RENOVATION

SPACE LIMITS

WITHOUT

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Photo Courtesy Mirabel Golf Club

Clubs’ outdoor spaces have never been busier, and properties that recently updated their fresh-air surroundings are seeing usage that now extends far beyond the traditional seasons.

By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

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May 2021

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DESIGN + RENOVATION FIELD CLUB OF OMAHA Omaha, Neb.

“[Member events such as live music,

bourbon tastings and tapas/tequilas] drive even more usage, as those in attendance are generally non-golfers who end up returning to use the space when golfers are not around as much.”

—Greg Gilg, CCM, PGA, General Manager

PATIOS ARE FINALLY GETTING THEIR due. As soon as clubs were given the green light to reopen their facilities, these outdoor spaces came to the rescue as safe havens for socializing—and social distancing.

Offering a breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively), the places that were formerly designated as a post-game respite are now commanding more time and attention from their members.

RENEWED PURPOSE Adding purpose to an underutilized space was the main goal of a patio redesign at the Field Club of Omaha (Neb.).

As General Manager Greg Gilg, CCM, PGA, describes it, the existing space was an extension of the pool area that did not promote socializing.

“While it was meant to be a 19th hole, members would either go to their respective locker-room patios or the mixed

grille patio,” he explains. “When those filled up, our golfers would decide to go have post-round drinks elsewhere.”

So updating the patio area became a no-brainer, and it was reopened in April 2019.

While still a modest 900 sq. ft., the Field Club’s patio, located on the west side of the clubhouse next to the golf staging/check-in area, can hold approximately 50 guests. Accommodations have

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DESIGN + RENOVATION

SURPRISING PAYOFFS AS PART OF A MEMBER-DRIVEN capital improvement plan in 2018, the patio footprint at Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond, Va. was enlarged from just under 1,800 to approximately 5,000 sq. ft., enabling a major boost in member accommodations. And after two years of usage, the patio expansion has proved its worth even further, particularly over the last 18 months.

According to General Manager Christopher Welles, CCM, the updates increased the number of dining seats by 85 and provided new soft-seating areas for another 35. The result is two distinct zones for different age groups: one for families just off the club’s main dining area, and the other for ages 21 and up that is adjacent to the club’s smaller casual restaurant and bar area.

“With more space, we were able to social-distance and customize the setting as needed during COVID,” notes Welles.

Another unexpected benefit of the patio’s design came from the decision to install five quickconnect gas lines running under the patio surface.

While this setup was envisioned to provide the ability to add and move any gas feature, such as a firepit or chef’s cooking station, it has also serviced outdoor heaters during the pandemic’s colder months, extending the patio season.

At the back of the patio, an older practice putting green that had been converted into a lawn area was put to the test last fall when Willow Oaks hosted a “Tap Takeover” event for members.

A local brewery set up on the grass and gave members a welcome reprieve from their everyday routines. “We plan to host another one again this spring,” Welles reports.

At the back of Willow Oaks CC’s patio, an older practice putting green was converted into a lawn area and used for a “Tap Takeover” event with a local brewery.

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doubled in the new design, thanks to two 5 x 5 firepits—each of which seat 16 comfortably—and an external wall that doubles as a seating area.

While one firepit boasts a large sectional, the other has individual lounge rockers. Four patio tables with chairs, along with high-top chairs for the bar area, round out the myriad seating options.

Awash in a soft beige palette, the patio features landscape stone for the floor and landscape block for the sitting wall. Landscape lighting draws attention to the elevated surface. which was raised four feet in the new design. Flame heaters next to each table provide extra warmth during cool evenings.

The addition of a handicap-access ramp, although not required, has resulted in an unforeseen benefit for F&B operations. “Interestingly, it has helped significantly with getting heavy service items to the patio for when we do grill-outs,” notes Gilg.

During construction, the project ran into a snag when drainage was not added as per the specs. As a result, about 50 percent of the floor needed to be pulled up and repatched to eliminate standing water issues. “Squeegees were our best friend for spring 2019 rains, until we had that fixed,” says Gilg.

Addressing this issue enabled the club to tackle another potential hazard in advance. “We have a small strip patio, and we did not want to inundate that area with runoff from the patio,” Gilg adds. “So we trenched a drain to the main storm sewer, to make sure we didn’t have issues over time.”

Determining what type of food service to offer guests also impacted patio operations. While the club’s snack bar kitchen is www.clubandresortbusiness.com

PLANTATION LAKES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Millsboro, Del.

“From our beautiful bar area to our outdoor patio space and fine dining area, there is something to suit all taste buds.”

—Brian Fedish, PGA, General Manager

attached to the 19th hole, the chef only uses this workspace during the pool season. The club ultimately decided to create a special “Nibbles” menu (rather than full service) for a more streamlined process for the F&B staff.

“We are better because of those learning experiences, but our bumper seasons will always give us issues because of the distance between where the food is prepared and where it is served,” Gilg notes, adding that F&B makes up less than 10 percent of the 19th hole’s total revenue.

These challenges aside, the Field Club’s outdoor patio business has been booming. In addition to the past winter’s five igloos, which had a 93 percent booking rate over a

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DESIGN + RENOVATION

MIRABEL GOLF CLUB Scottsdale, Ariz.

“We wanted to take the ultimate advantage of our down-valley

views and spectacular sunsets. Outdoor dining is very important to our members; we have a full patio every night.”

—Marcie Mills, CCM, General Manager

three-month period, 19th-hole revenues were up 43 percent in 2019 and 68 percent in 2020.

Given the popularity of the space, Gilg does not expect to allow any small events on the patio in the months ahead, but will focus on member events such as live music, bourbon tastings and tapas/tequilas.

“These events drive even more usage, as those in attendance are generally non-golfers who end up returning to use the space when golfers are not around as much,” he observes.

SMOOTH LANDING At Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club in Millsboro, Del., plans for a new 22,500sq. ft. clubhouse, which houses the Landing Bar & Grille, included a 2,400-sq. ft. outdoor patio that opened in December 2019.

Part of a residential golf community, this space has been become well-utilized not only by its members, but by non-members visiting the Landing dining facility.

“From our beautiful bar area to our outdoor patio space and fine-dining area, there is something to suit all taste buds,” says General Manager Brian Fedish, PGA. Overlooking the tenth hole and neigh30

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boring Betts Pond, the upper-level patio is conveniently located on the south side of the Landing Clubhouse. The casual layout features a mix of neutral-toned high tops, bar stools and tables that mesh well with the calm blue tones of the Cape Cod-style clubhouse. Lighted ceiling fans add to the breezy vibe in the warmer weather, while an array of portable heaters take the chill off cool evenings.

Beneath the main patio is a separate outdoor space reserved for Plantation Lakes residents and golfers. “It’s a great spot to lounge after a round with friends and have a small bite and a few beverages,” notes Fedish, adding that food service is limited to the Putt Hutt concession stand.

Seating options (with total accommodations for up to 75) include an inviting cluster of Adirondack-style chairs surrounding a fire pit, seven umbrella-table-and-chairs sets, and plush loungers that match the clubhouse’s soft blue palette. A neighboring pergola provides a picturesque setting for intimate wedding ceremonies, and the area can be rearranged to host other private events as needed.

To help maintain longevity of the patio space, routine power washings keep the

main furnishings in tip-top condition. The club’s staff also makes a point of conducting routine walkthroughs to address any area that needs special attention.

While the patio has proved to be especially beneficial during the pandemic, the installation of a porch enclosure system later this spring will help to extend the season. According to Fedish, vinyl rolldowns will convert the area into a tent-like structure for cozy outdoor dining. “They will offer an additional space for more versatility with normal dining and for special events,” he notes.

TAKING THE LONG VIEW Maximizing a property’s natural surroundings was the ultimate goal of the patio renovation at the Mirabel Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. In February 2020, as part of a larger clubhouse renovation, the existing structure was expanded by tying it into the club’s peninsula bar area.

“We wanted to take the ultimate advantage of our down-valley views and spectacular sunsets,” explains General Manager/ COO Marcie Mills, CCM. “Outdoor dining is very important to our members, especially in Arizona.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

SUMMING IT UP On the south end of the building, the 3,222-sq. ft. patio features 1,369 sq. ft. of covered space, with the exterior roof protecting the bulk of the tables from the sun. The extended footprint bumps up the previous design’s occupancy from 48 to 80 guests. Members can choose to relax in one of several seating areas, ranging from high-top tables to custombuilt fire pit tables and an indoor/outdoor community table.

With each table spaced out, social distancing is easily achievable and strictly enforced. “The state of Arizona has rescinded all occupancy guidelines at this point, but we still follow CDC guidelines,” notes Mills.

Within each mini-environment, the overall design pays tribute to the natural landscape. Stone-top tables blend well with dining chairs in a mixture of grey and brown, with pops of color in the soft

blue and orange accent pillows (all in a fade-resistant fabric, to withstand the sun’s penetrating rays). Flooring is comprised of flagstone and brick, softened by accent and landscape lighting. Mounted heaters and ceiling fans provide the proper heating or cooling, depending on the weather—a necessity for the range of conditions that go with desert living.

In fact, Mirabel’s setting also influences the ongoing care and maintenance of its patio. “Since Arizona tends to be dusty, we need to blow off the patios and hose them down on a daily basis,” says Mills, and the patio furniture is also wiped down periodically.

During construction, a miscalculation of the roof’s load caused it to bow, which delayed the project by two months. After reinforcing the roof with stone pillars and steel, the remainder of the installation pro-

> Providing a mix of seating options > >

provides plenty of space for casual dining and get-togethers.

Added amenities such as firepits and porch enclosures help to extend the patio’s season and usefulness.

Patio designs that draw upon elements from natural surroundings influence the selection of materials and furnishings.

ceeded without a hitch. And just in time, as diners were eager to spend time at the club in a safe, open-air environment.

Since the patio’s February opening, dining revenues have increased by 37 percent and the firepit dining tables have proved to be a big hit for parties of 8 to 10. “Members are gravitating to outside dining with our perfect spring Arizona temperatures,” says Mills. “We have a full patio every night.” C+RB

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COURSE + GROUNDS

HOME ON THE

RANGE

Photo Courtesy River Bend G&CC.

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Golf course practice facilities have become destinations with multiple amenities, rather than just places to hit a few balls, and superintendents have adjusted their maintenance of these areas accordingly.

By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor

IF THERE HAS BEEN ONE given in the golf course industry in the past year-plus of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been that more golfers have flocked to courses to play the game.

“I don’t think it matters where you are. There definitely has been an uptick in golf,” says Jim Myers, CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent of Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Ore. Properties have become a welcome respite for many golfers, whether they’re longtime players or new to the game, and they also have found a home on the range at practice facilities.

And with many practice facilities now offering much more than a driving range, these areas have become destinations in their own right. The additional amenities, along with increased usage, have affected maintenance of these areas as well.

BELLS AND WHISTLES Some properties have received nationwide recognition for all the bells and whistles that their practice facilities have to offer. In 2020, for instance, Columbia Edgewater CC was named one of the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 50 Private Facilities for the ninth year in a row. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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COURSE + GROUNDS

From the River Bend Club’s indoor training facility, golfers hit from a tee out onto a practice fairway with six target greens and seven target bunkers.

The property’s practice facility includes a driving range with a one-acre grass tee, pre-stacked range balls, a variety of instructional swing aids, and two rain covers. The short-game area features a large target green, a tee box, two fairways and four bunkers, as well as a putting green.

Golfers can play shots on the nine-hole Mason Par 3 course, which is adjacent to the short-game area, from the yardage of their choosing, ranging from 55 to 135 yards, depending on the hole.

The practice facility at the 18-hole River Bend Golf & Country Club in Great Falls, Va., has placed in the GRAA Top 50 Private Facilities for nine consecutive years as well.

Its more than 24 acres includes two acres of bentgrass practice tees, two acres of Latitude 36 Bermudagrass practice tees, a four-acre bentgrass short-game facility with a practice putting green and a practice chipping green, and an uneven-lie area.

An indoor training facility includes two bays, which hold two people at a time, with golfers hitting from a tee out onto a practice fairway with six target greens and seven target bunkers.

This year, River Bend will launch a twophased renovation of the outdoor practice facility, which was built in 1999. The first stage, which will begin in August, will include the expansion of the bentgrass tees and the installation of new irrigation.

“We’ll work on the bentgrass when members are playing on the Bermudagrass,” says 34

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Golf Course Superintendent Luke Fisher.

He expects the work to take about two weeks. Once the tees have been seeded and allowed to mature during the growing season, they will be available for use in the spring of 2022.

River Bend will also expand its short-game fairway and chipping area this year. Currently, the outdoor practice facility has about 30 individual Astroturf hitting stations. After the renovation, however, it will become one long, continuous hitting station.

In 2022, the property, which has putting greens adjacent to the main clubhouse, will build an additional practice putting green.

NO REASON TO LEAVE As if the Colleton River Club’s two 18-hole golf courses – the Nicklaus Course and the links-style Dye Course, where scenes of “The Legend of Bagger Vance” were filmed —don’t give golfers enough reason to pick up their clubs, the Practice Park complex offers six additional ways to hone their skills. The practice facilities at the Bluffton,

“

S.C., property have made the GRAA Top 50 Private Facilities list for six years running.

The two courses each have their own double-ended driving range, and the Dye Course practice area also includes various practice bunkers that replicate Dye designs in different settings, as well as a chipping green under live oaks.

With 300 yards of Celebration Bermudagrass that recreate course-like conditions, the Nicklaus driving range includes four practice greens and target bunkers.

The short-game area features three practice greens, bunkers, cart paths, and pine straw. Designed to complement the Colleton River courses, two Nicklaus greens and one Dye green mimic on-course conditions.

Renovated in 2016, the six-hole, par-3 executive Borland Course is intermingled with the practice facility, so that golfers can plan nine holes. The Augusta-style layout features three ponds, and its holes are 60 to 90 yards in length.

The property also added a state-of-theart indoor/outdoor 2,200-sq. ft. Learning Center in 2017. And the Halfway Café in the Nicklaus practice area is another popular feature of the Practice Park. Located between the first tee and the main driving range tee, the 2,000-sq. ft. building has a portico on each side.

“The Nicklaus practice facility is heavily used later in the evening because of the

The practice facility is like the front yard of the club. It’s the first thing people see, so it has to look good.

”

— Luke Fisher, Golf Course Superintendent, River Bend G&CC

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

café,” Dugger says. “People can eat inside or outside. Guys gather there in the evenings and hit balls, have a drink and tell stories.”

PLAYING THE NUMBERS Myers says there has been more wear and tear on the Columbia Edgewater practice facilities in the past year because of increased play. In 2019, the property had 34,628 rounds of golf. That number increased to about 44,000 rounds in 2020.

Convenience is another factor behind the high usage. The property is about six miles from downtown Portland, so members frequently come to the course to practice during their lunch breaks or after work.

Three professionals—Dan Miernicki of the Korn Ferry Tour, Caroline Inglis of the LPGA, and Ryan Gronlund of the PGA Tour Canada—practice at Columbia Edgewater, along with many low handicappers from among the membership, notes Myers, so expectations for pristine conditions are high. “The members are really focused on practicing and building their games,” he says. “They want to practice as much as they play.”

River Bend G&CC, located in a suburban Washington, D.C., neighborhood, averaged 20,000 rounds in 2019. The number increased to 28,000 rounds in 2020. As a result, the practice facility received more use as well, which in turn led to more divots and more wear and tear on the turf.

With the property located in the transition zone, golfers practice on the Bermudagrass from June through September and on the bentgrass from April through June.

Because of its size, the practice area is sometimes used for events. The property holds a big Fourth of July party every summer where tents are set up on the bentgrass tees and bounce houses for children are put in the short-game area. The property also has an annual fall concert, Back From the Beach, at the end of September.

In addition, River Bend serves as a Drive, Chip and Putt qualifying site in the summer.

The pandemic created significant increases in play at the Colleton River Club as well, and the higher usage carried over to the practice facilities. “We did more rounds this year than the club had ever done,” notes Dugger.

“

We have implemented more care for high-traffic areas, and we spend more time to focus on areas such as the foot traffic in and out of the greens complexes. The club also made a $1 million investment in equipment, so we have the tools to produce a product that the membership is looking for.

”

—Jim Myers, Golf Course Superintendent, Columbia Edgewater CC

KEEPING UP WITH DEMANDS The Columbia Edgewater grounds crew www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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COURSE + GROUNDS Columbia Edgewater GC hosts the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic, the longest-running non-major on the LPGA Tour that will mark its 50th anniversary in 2021. That affiliation, along with relations with three touring pros who practice at the club regularly and many low-handicappers among the membership, puts a premium on practice-facility conditions as well as for the golf course. “The members are really focused on practicing and building their games,” says Golf Course Superintendent Jim Myers. “They want to practice as much as they play.”

maintains the entire property, and one of the defining features of the practice area is the turf itself. “Our practice area is all real grass,” Myers says.

The practice facility, like the golf course, features primarily poa annua as well as some bentgrass, fescue, and rye grass. The short-rooted poa is more demanding and requires more inputs, including increased fertility, than the other grasses.

Maintenance of the practice facilities includes mowing, raking bunkers, replacing divots, rolling greens, blowing off the turf, and basic cleanup. The maintenance staff also tries to promote turf growth as much as possible with more fertility inputs, topdressing, and cultural practices.

“The conditions on the practice facilities match the conditions on the golf course.

We try to keep the same conditions on the practice area year-round,” says Myers.

“We try to give the same product to our members that we give to the touring pros who visit our course.”

However, the maintenance staff keeps the greens on the Par 3 course slower in the summertime, when more children and families are golfing together or being introduced to the game.

The practice facilities open a half-hour before the first tee time, and Columbia Edgewater’s assistant superintendent schedules staff to work on the practice facilities, main course, and Par 3 course every day. Rather than assigning specific people to the practice area, however, these duties are rotated among staff members.

The maintenance team members get two days off a week during the winter, and work 12 days on and two days off in the summer.

While the Columbia Edgewater grounds 36

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crew members typically work half-days on Saturdays and Sundays, they have worked longer hours since play has increased with the pandemic, to maintain the practice facilities and the golf course to the expected standards.

“Maintenance has changed because of the amount of play we have been getting,” Myers says. “We want to keep the same standards. We couldn’t do it without increasing the hours [for] the turf department. [But our crew members] are used to the hours and are dedicated to the club.”

Recovery for the turf has been a challenge during the winter with the increased play, Myers reports, and the crew has spent more time filling in divots. “We’ve implemented more care for high-traffic areas, and spend more time focusing on areas such as foot traffic in and out of the greens complexes,” he says.

Just as the grounds crew has invested in the property, Columbia Edgewater has invested in the maintenance department, by providing state-of-the-art equipment.

“The club made a $1 million investment in equipment,” says Myers, who has played golf in 30 countries on five continents to find ways to improve his turf-management skills. “We have the tools to produce a product that the membership is looking for.”

At River Bend, Fisher estimates the maintenance-department budget for the practice facility is at least $500,000, out of its total budget of $2.1 million for the 18-hole golf course and common grounds.

With the location of the practice area, its conditioning is paramount.

“The practice facility is like the front yard of the club,” says Fisher. “It’s the first thing people see, so it has to look good.”

One full-time staff member, along with the help of an additional crew member each day, maintains the River Bend practice area.

The full-time employee spends about 50 hours a week on the practice area, and his helper spends about 20 hours a week there.

When the golf course is closed on Mondays, more staff members will devote additional time to the practice area for tasks such as divot repair.

River Bend also aerates the practice facility two times a year. The maintenance staff members topdress the greens weekly, verticut the tees monthly to help with recovery, and make bi-weekly fungicide applications.

They mow the greens daily and the tees and fairways every other day. They monitor the turf to water as needed. The grounds crew uses the same piece of machinery to verticut the tees and to vacuum divots and haul them off every day.

EQUAL ATTENTION At Colleton River Club, the annual maintenance budget for the Practice Park is $100,000. Dugger says three full-time employees spend 6,000 manhours a year to maintain the Nicklaus practice facility.

The maintenance staff rotates the care of the practice area among crew members, and one person mows the practice area every morning. Other maintenance duties include edging bunkers, pruning azaleas, filling in divots on the range and tees every day, and changing cups three times a week.

“It’s rolled into our normal operational flow. We treat it exactly the same as we treat the Nicklaus Course,” says Dugger. “I want the golfers to be able to practice on something that replicates what they’re going to experience on the golf course.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

The maintenance staff can use a machine in the bunkers on the golf course, notes Dugger, but not in the practice-facility bunkers. “There’s a challenge because, with a practice facility, the bunkers are so much smaller,” he explains. “We have to spend a little extra time there to make sure the bunkers are in good shape.”

The Colleton River maintenance staff topdresses the practice area every two weeks, and give it weekly foliage spray and growth-regulator applications. In addition, wetting agents and soil-fertility applications are used bi-weekly, following the same regimen used on the golf course.

Crew members start on the practice facilities, which are located near the clubhouse, at 6 a.m., and tee times begin at 8 a.m.

“The practice facilities are the first thing we do every morning,” Dugger says. “We only have about an hour to get them ready. It takes some logistics and some thinking, but they make Colleton a special place.”

MEETING EXPECTATIONS The superintendents agree that practice

areas and member expectations about the facilities have changed through the years.

Fisher, who has worked in golf course maintenance for 20 years and been the Superintendent at River Bend for three of his 16 years there, says practice facilities used to be located on “leftover land” on a property. “No thought was put into it.

People would just go out and hit a couple of balls before their round,” he says. “Now they have become a destination for people to go and spend time on their game.”

Dugger, who has been in golf course maintenance for 34 years and at Colleton River for 23, says practice areas have become more than a driving range. “They replicate the shot experience that you would see on the golf course,” he says.

Myers has seen similar changes in his 28 years as a GCSAA member. “Practice areas were used just as a warmup area,” he reports. “Now, golfers use practice areas to sharpen their games. There will be more demand for them. The practice facility is going to become just as important as the golf course itself.” C+RB

SUMMING IT UP > With more amenities and increased

> >

usage, golf course practice facilities have increased in importance and require more time and maintenance inputs from grounds crews.

At upscale properties, the practicefacility conditions try to replicate the turf conditions of the golf courses.

The education of their memberships is one of the most effective tools that superintendents have to keep practice areas in top condition.

MORE ONLINE For an extended version of this story, go to www.clubandresortbusiness.com

FORE Supply is dedicated to keeping your staff and guests as safe as possible. Call or visit us online Celebrating to find out more about our sanitizing options as well as our other COVID-19 related supplies!

Years

Together we’re stronger.

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(800) 543-5430 May 2021

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SUPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT

GROOMED JOB for the

From the age of 15, working on a golf course and learning how to care for turf has always been an integral part of Brian Ray’s life. And that’s a big reason why he’s had notable career stability, with superintendent duties at Long Beach (Ind.) Country Club for his entire professional tenure.

By Jeff Bollig, Contributing Editor

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Photos by Nick Sinnott / Chicago Photography Classes

Super in the Spotlight

BRIAN RAY Years at Long Beach CC: 20; hired in March of 2001

by Serviscape, LLC (an outsourced maintenance management company) as the Assistant Superintendent; promoted to Superintendent in February 2005.

Years in Golf Course Maintenance Profession: 28 (including summer jobs, internships, full-time).

Previous Experience: • Summer grounds crew during high school and college at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Country Club • College internship at Elmcrest Country Club, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Education & Training: • Associates Degree in Turfgrass Management from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa • Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa in 2000 • Yearly continuing education to maintain Class A status with GCSAA and chemical application license

BRIAN RAY FINDS IT HARD to imagine himself doing anything different than being a golf course superintendent.

Golf and golf courses have been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. It began in his youth, playing several times a week with his brother at public courses in his hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In high school, he played on the same team as PGA, British Open and Master’s champion Zach Johnson.

Ray’s father Bruce was the arborist at Cedar Rapids Country Club, and that introduced Brian to life as a golf course worker.

At 15 he did grunt work, stationed in the cart barn to clean clubs and carts and operate a range picker. The next year he joined the maintenance staff and held a position on it throughout his high school days.

“I loved working outdoors, mowing grass and seeing my stripes—it was like art,” Ray says. “And I spent so much time on the golf course growing up, it just seemed natural to work there. As a teenager, the early mornings were tough, but I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

After high school, Ray stayed in Cedar Rapids to get his Associate’s degree in Turfgrass Management from Kirkwood Community College, all while still working on the golf course. He then went off to Ames, Iowa and Iowa State University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture in 2000. In his last year, he served an internship at Cedar Rapids’ Elmcrest Country Club, under the legendary superintendent Rick Tegtmeier.

“It was great to learn from one of the best,” he says. “Rick definitely had his course dialed in and was well-respected by the crew. If you messed up, he let you know—but he was always fair, which I admired.”

From there, it was off to the far northeast corner of Indiana on the shores of Lake Michigan, to work as the Assistant Golf Course Superintendent at Long Beach Country Club —and Ray has stayed there for 20 years, the last 16 as Superintendent of the club that is part of a community located in the northeast corner of Michigan City, Ind. He filled C+RB in on that extended chapter of his made-forgolf life in this conversation: C+RB: It’s unusual that you’ve been at

the same golf course for your entire professional career of 20 years.

RAY: Yes, it’s been a good ride. I like the

golf course, I like the members and I like who I work for. It’s been a good arrangement, and I feel very fortunate.

C+RB: Explain your arrangement.

RAY: I actually work for Serviscape, a golf

course management company. We are contracted to maintain the golf course at Long Beach and have done so since 1985.

My boss is Clay Putnam, who now owns the company and was a former golf course superintendent himself. The club has a Board of Directors and a greens chair that I also report to.

Serviscape manages five courses, but also has expanded to lawn care, commercial landscaping and outdoor Christmas décor. It’s been a good arrangement for me and the club.

C+RB: What’s the geography of the

region and the golf course?

RAY: Northwest Indiana is marked by

swell and swale topography, as remnants of ancient Lake Michigan. There are also many marshes, lakes, rolling prairies, farmland and oak/hickory forests.

Due to our proximity to Lake Michigan, there are many sandy dunes with some reaching 200 feet, including “Mt. Baldy.”

The area is also known as the Rust Belt, and home to the Indiana Dunes National Park.

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SUPER IN THE SPOTLIGHT Golf Course Profile

LONG BEACH COUNTRY CLUB

The majority of the golf course was built on sandy dunes, with the exception of a few areas built over peat bogs. We’re located about halfway between Chicago and South Bend, just off Lake Michigan about a quarter-mile. You cannot see the lake because of the development, but there are times when you can hear the waves.

C+RB: What makes the golf course fun, yet

challenging to play?

RAY: The course is nestled in the sand

dunes just blocks away from the shores of Lake Michigan and there are oak trees that are more than a hundred years old throughout the property.

There is an abundance of wildlife and it’s not uncommon to see deer strolling about, hawks perched in the trees, sandhill cranes circling above, red fox in search of prey, and a multitude of waterfowl.

We have classically contoured smaller greens, strategically placed bunkers that require accurate shot placement, and a couple of water features coming into play on three holes. There are also three holes offering beautiful panoramic views from high atop the sand dunes. Tight fairways,

small greens and strategically placed bunkers make it a challenge.

C+RB: What’s your biggest agronomic

challenge?

RAY: The golf course is dynamic and condi-

tions change daily, so providing consistent playing surfaces and growing Poa annua on sandy soils that tend to get hydrophobic are my biggest challenges.

In recent years, summer patch has become an increasingly problematic disease on my greens as we get into late July, and August, and dollar spot is an ongoing battle.

Being so close to the lake also subjects us to the lake breeze.

C+RB: The golf course has undergone

changes. Tell us about those.

RAY: The course was designed by Dr. Wil-

liam Hall in 1924. Except for some minor tweaks, it remained unchanged until the mid-1970s, when architect Ken Killian was brought in. Some of Killian’s suggestions were implemented, but major changes didn’t occur until the early 1990s, when Dr. Michael Hurdzan developed a master plan.

At that time, significant changes were made

Website: longbeachcc.org, getserviscape.com Year Opened: 1924 Ownership: Private Golf Holes: 18 Course Type: Classic Parkland Course Designer: Dr. William Hall Course Redesigns: Hurdzan & Clarke in the late 1980s, and most recently Todd Clark of CE Golf Design Par: 72 Yardage: 6,570 yards Golf Season: Typically Mid-March until the end of November Annual Rounds: Typically 12,000; in 2020, an all-time high of 20,000 Grasses: • Tees, Fairways: Bent/Poa annua mix • Roughs: Kentucky Blue/Rye mix • Greens: Bent/Poa annua mix Water Features: Six-acre lake on 6th hole and a ¾-acre pond between 7th and 8th holes Bunkers: 40 bunkers with Pro Angle sand and one large waste bunker on the 11th hole

including rebuilding greens, rerouting holes and adding bunkers.

In 2010, we brought in architect Todd Clark of CE Golf Design to be an ongoing consultant for the course. In 2017 Todd developed his own master plan to update and enhance the course. We divided that plan into three phases, which were prioritized based on impact and need. We are excited about the updated look. C+RB MORE ONLINE

For an extended conversation with Brian Ray, see the online version of this article at www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Course + Grounds Operations Profile Staff Size: 3 full-time and 10 to 12 seasonal employees to manage Long Beach Country Club; Serviscape (owned and managed by Clay Putnam) employs about 75 at peak season Water Source and Usage: Six-acre lake, watering the golf course Aerating and Overseeding Schedules: In the spring and fall, everything is solid-tined and heavily topdressed. In the last two years, the club has started to verti-drain the greens in late October, to open deep channels for water and air movement and to encourage deep root development. The greens are also solid-tined monthly throughout the golf season with needle tines for gas exchange, so they don’t become anaerobic. No overseeding schedule, but periodically areas of the rough that have thinned out are seeded.

Upcoming Capital Projects: Currently finishing phase two of three-phase upgrade.

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TODAY’S MANAGER

A MAN FOR ALL REGIONS Marty Ryan earned Lifetime Achievement recognition through the Excellence in Club Management Awards for handling many challenges adeptly through his distinguished career—including moving from the New York area to head a club with entrenched Bostonians.

By Joe Barks, Editor

Long before he had to navigate clubs through the disruptions caused by the pandemic, the Great Recession or 9/11, Marty Ryan learned to adapt to change and challenge in both his personal life and his career arc, while always displaying the trademark optimism and affability that put him on the path to earning Lifetime Achievement recognition through the Excellence in Club Management awards (see box, pg. 43).

At the outset, it appeared Ryan wasn’t destined for the club industry at all. He grew up in Newark, N.J. and was introduced to all aspects of hospitality at an early age, performing busboy and barbacking duties at The Clipper Ship, a restaurant and tavern run by his family that was a popular stop for commuters when returning home from working in New York City. But the rioting from civil-rights unrest in Newark in 1967 claimed The Clipper Ship as one of many casualties from the upheaval that greatly reduced the busiwww.clubandresortbusiness.com

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TODAY’S MANAGER

ness and employment opportunities in the city.

That change led many in Ryan’s family and circle to seek work elsewhere in the New York metropolitan area, including at golf and country clubs in the towns and suburbs surrounding Newark. As a young teenager, Ryan heard through those connections of an opportunity to work as a busboy at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J.—and once he ventured into that world, the rest is club-management history.

“It was such a revelation when I first went out of the city to see the Montclair property,” Ryan recalls. “The manicured lawns, the pool, the grand clubhouse with flowers around the front door—it was hospitality Disneyland, and I felt like I was entering a castle.”

The work ethic that had been honed at an early age by serving demanding New York commuters in a busy city establishment soon caught the eye of Montclair’s General Manager, who told Ryan he wanted him to work there each summer during high school. That led to a steady progression of responsibilities in the club’s shoe and locker rooms, bars and dining rooms that continued while Ryan studied Hotel Administration in college, and eventually to a series of Clubhouse Manager and Assistant GM positions at Montclair GC, as well as other clubs throughout the greater New York region.

MATTERS OF INTEGRITY Ryan never envisioned that he would leave the New York area and was certainly on a path that would lead him to a fulfilling and rewarding career without ever having to move elsewhere. But while he was Clubhouse Manager at another New Jersey club, he got the clear sense that he was being groomed for the purpose of pushing out the current GM, who was someone he respected and valued as a mentor. “It

was a matter of loyalty,” Ryan says. “I had to get out.”

“Getting out” in the early 1990s, however, involved a little more effort than just checking postings on Indeed. com or networking through LinkedIn. A friend from college who knew of Ryan’s interest in making a move alerted him to a classified ad that had been placed in the employment opportunities section of The Boston Globe—the actual physical newspaper, because the online version didn’t yet exist—by Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club, which was looking for a new General Manager.

While thinking that Wellesley probably wouldn’t have any interest in bringing a “New York/New Jersey guy” to Massachusetts, Ryan still sent (mailed) his resume and a cover letter to the club, and he looked good enough on (real) paper that he was called (on the telephone) for an interview. The process eventually led to Ryan’s natural affability and conversational skill finding personal connections between those he was talking to at Wellesley and people he knew in his area, and an offer to be the club’s new General Manager.

Here, too, however, Ryan’s strong sense of loyalty and integrity came into play. Wellesley wanted him to start immediately at the start of its spring season, but he stressed that he had important duties coming up at his current club, including a major golf outing and weddings that he had worked with members to arrange, that would prevent him for making a move until July.

Rather than spoil the deal, however, he was told that his concern about how and when he could leave his current club confirmed that he was “just the type of manager that [Wellesley] was looking for”—and the stage was set for a new and extended chapter that would be marked by unprecedented success for both Wellesley CC and Marty Ryan.

The commemoration in 2020 of his 29 years of service as Wellesley Country Club’s General Manager included a demonstration that while there’s only one Marty Ryan, he has gained many “fans” from among staff and members through his trademark affability and unending devotion to service. Ryan now serves as General Manager Emeritus, mentoring Brian Lynch as the club’s new General Manager.

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HONORED

BY THEIR PEERS

While Marty Ryan didn’t actually pose with all of the U.S. Presidents at this “gathering,” it’s not too far-fetched to imagine that he would have been front and center if asked to ensure impeccable service at such an event—and probably be the most engaging conversationalist as well.

JUST DON’T MESS WITH THE SOUP That chapter did get off to a bit of a jumpy start, Ryan relates, that gave him some pause as to whether it was “going to last.” In his first week, he ventured into the dining room and was beckoned by a member of the 111-year-old club’s founding family. “You’re our new General Manager?” the man asked in his best Boston Brahmin accent. “Well, just remember—we don’t put tomatoes in our chow-dah.”

In the second week, another member called Ryan over to ask, “What’s wrong with you? We’ve never had a manager who wants to have conversations with us—it’s very odd.” But none of this deterred Ryan from continuing to win people over with his engaging, always-effervescent personality and unending devotion to impeccable service.

“It’s just the ‘walnut challenge,’” he says of his consistent approach to all of the people he’s met and worked with and for through the years. “If you run into a shell, you just need to find delicate ways to crack it and get to the meat.”

Twenty-nine years later, it’s now long been proven that the relationship between Marty Ryan and Wellesley Country Club’s membership and staff was definitely destined to last. In addition to a successful centennial celebration, a series of major clubhouse and facility improvements, and several successful golf tournaments, his steady leadership steered the club through the other challenges that emerged during his tenure.

And he’s still making his mark, retaining General Manager Emeritus status and an active daily schedule as he continues to mentor Brian Lynch, who arrived as Assistant General Manager in August 2019 and was named to succeed Ryan as Wellesley CC’s new General Manager in October 2020.

“My schedule hasn’t changed, and there’s still so much on [our club’s] plate,” Ryan says with his usual energy. “[The arrangement is] a good business practice to avoid some of the mistakes you see with succession plans. I’ll focus on bringing Brian along to take over the reins, and continue to help support the building blocks that create the right atmosphere for everyone to all work together.” C+RB www.clubandresortbusiness.com

The Excellence in Club Management (ECM) Awards were established by the McMahon Group, Inc., the St. Louis-based consulting firm, in 1997 and have been co-sponsored by Club + Resort Business since 2006. The National Club Association became an additional sponsor in 2018.

The annual awards are selected through nominations submitted on behalf of qualified candidates by other parties. Award recipients are selected solely on the basis of their achievements at the club they currently manage.

Awards in four categories are given each year: • The James H. Brewer Award, for a manager of a Country/Golf Club with 600 or more full-privilege members • The Mead Grady Award, for a manager of a Country/Golf Club with fewer than 600 full-privilege members • The Mel Rex Award, for a manager of a City, Athletic or Specialty (Non-Golf) Club • The “Rising Star” Award for an assistant club manager Lifetime Achievement Awards for a retiring club manager are also included as part of some years’ ECM honors.

A Selection Committee comprised of a peer group of leading club managers conducts the judging for the ECM Awards.

A full listing of the judges, in addition to information on past winners and on how to nominate candidates for future years’ awards, can be found at www.clubmanageraward.com.

Because the annual ECM Awards Dinner could not be held this year, the 2020 recipients of the Excellence In Club Management were announced through a special webcast on March 2nd. The webcast, sponsored exclusively by ForeTees, was conducted in an “Academy Award” format that included remarks from the award winners after they were announced. The full webcast can be viewed at https://clubmanageraward.com/ project/2020-excellence-in-club-management-awards-broadcast/

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PRODUCTS AT WORK

TIME X5 With multiple golf courses and myriad activities, The Landings Club saw the need for a signature clock that could help keep everyone on pace. After members rallied to support the cause, enough donations were in hand to get not just one clock, but five.

By Rob Thomas, Senior Editor

The Landings Club on Skidaway Island is a private, residential golf and athletic club located 12 miles from historic Savannah, Ga. Members have access to six championship golf courses, 31 tennis courts, 11 pickleball courts, eight bocce courts, seven unique restaurants, four clubhouses, five swimming pools, and a 52,000sq. ft. wellness center.

What members didn’t have, though, was a signature clock that could be well-positioned on the property to alert golfers of their upcoming tee times.

Talk of adding clocks originally began in 2019, when the club embarked on a $25 million revitalization project, which culminated in the unveiling of the new Marshwood Clubhouse. If there was any extra money after that project, member Tom Souls reports, one of the items on a “wish list” would be to use it for a clock. “[It turned out] we didn’t have money in the project for doing that, but we were sitting around and I was kind of frustrated,” Souls says. “I was talking with John [Palermo, another member] and Cliff Frohn, who at the time was our President, and said, ‘You know, we’re building this beautiful place—why can’t we have a classy clock like every other classy club has?’”

The first thought was to sell personalized bricks to raise some money for a clock purchase, but then the mindset quickly shifted.

“We thought, we can get this done—there are people around here who will donate to this,” Palermo says.

“As we were talking among ourselves, someone else said, ‘I’ll put $1,000 in. Are you good?’” Souls adds.

It quickly snowballed from there—in one night while sitting around over drinks, eight members committed to $8,000. And in only two days, reports Gary Lorfano, the club’s Marketing Strategist, members raised a total of $130,000. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

5 That led to the decision to procure not just one, but five, clocks that could be placed strategically around the property, to help keep golfers on time and on pace at all of The Landings Club’s courses.

After looking into getting a well-known brand of clock, but discovering it can only be put on courses that host PGA Tour events, The Landings Club turned to The Verdin Company, the sixgeneration, Cincinnati, Ohio-based family business that has made cast-bronze bells, carillons, tower and street clocks, and other streetscape furnishings since 1842. “[The Verdin clocks] work a hell of a lot better than the [other] clocks anyway,” Palermo jokes.

After they were custom-designed, manufactured and delivered, placement of the Verdin clocks at The Landings Club was on a campus-by-campus basis, in strategic positions where the most people would be able to see them—either on the driving range or near the practice green. Gone were the old “sandwich board” clocks, in what Lorfano refers to as a “significant upgrade.” The fifth, and final, clock was placed at the Franklin Creek Tennis Center.

Another draw of the Verdin clocks, he adds, is their lack of required maintenance; now that they are in place at The Landings Club, he jokes, the staff ’s only job is to keep them clean.

“The biggest benefit was the enhancement to the club,” Lorfano says. “[The clocks reflect] pride in ownership and really elevate the club experience.”

The first clock—for the Marshwood Clubhouse—was ordered in March 2020 and installed in June of that year. The remaining clocks (colored black with gold accent painting) were ordered that June and installed in September. Each is equipped with a custom header panel that reads “THE LANDINGS CLUB.” And having active members like Souls and Palermo made raising funds for the cause a breeze, Lorfano notes.

“If you have members who want to donate, it’s a very easy way to fund it,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to ask your members. It’s always better when members are asking members.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

IDEAEXCHANGE A SWING AND A HIT

By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor

NOTHING GOOD CAN BE EXPECTED to come out of back-to-back hits from a drought and a pandemic. But the administrators of golf facilities in California’s San Luis Obispo County have found ways to take on that double whammy and still come away with a winner.

In October 2020, the county opened Swing Time, a Toptracer range that offers an interactive and social experience for golfers of all levels, on two former golf holes of Dairy Creek Golf Course in El Chorro Regional Park. Toptracer is a subsidiary brand of Topgolf Entertainment Group, and the entertainment venue is a combination of a driving range, sports bar and restaurant, and computer technology.

“Swing Time is one of the varieties that TopGolf has created, to move golfers from TopGolf to the golf course,” says Josh Heptig, Director of Golf Operations for San Luis Obispo County Parks and Recreation.

The county’s three golf courses were struggling prior to the pandemic, so officials converted Dairy Creek to a nine-hole course, made up of Nos. 10–18, after letting the front nine go fallow. That decision was driven by the loss of 60% of Dairy Creek’s water supply, Heptig says.

The golf course receives its reclaimed water for irrigation from a nearby men’s correctional facility. However, when the state prison system was realigned to get back to 100% occupancy, the facility let half of its inmates go, resulting in the reduced water supply.

“We still needed a source of revenue, so we added Swing Time,” says Heptig.

Originally, the plan was to convert the Dairy Creek land into a regular driving range. But to get input from community members about how to best use the property, the county held meetings and created focus groups during a nine-month period from late 2017 to early 2018, and that led to thinking about something more than a typical practice facility.

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And listening to the community has paid off—Swing Time has doubled or tripled the number of people on the property, Heptig says. On Presidents Day weekend in 2021, for example, the 208 spaces in the Swing Time parking lot were full and more cars were parked by the entryway.

So far this year, the nine-hole golf course has averaged 130 to 150 players daily and an average of from 200 to 220 people per day have visited Toptracer, Heptig says.

About 1,500 people have been to the restaurant alone, “[and] we expect those numbers to get bigger,” he adds.

At Swing Time, people can learn to play golf, learn about the golf clubs in their bag, virtually play famous courses such as St. Andrews or Pebble Beach, participate in long-drive competitions, and play other games. Toptracer’s advanced analytics help golfers fine-tune their swings by analyzing the ball’s path, speed, apex, curve, carry, total distance, and more.

“People have the ability to hit one shot after another,” says Heptig. “It gives you feedback after every shot, so you can make instant adjustments. Targets light up and change colors when people hit them, so it’s interactive.”

Reservations are highly recommended, as Swing Time stays booked. The facility has 10 bays and each holds a maximum of four

people. It opens at 10 a.m. every day and stays open until 10 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and until 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The property has hired additional staff members to cover all of the shifts, Heptig says.

The cost is $20 per hour per bay during the early-bird hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $30 per hour for “Happy Hour” from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and $50 per hour in prime time from 5 p.m. to closing.

Asked to describe the target audience for Swing Time, Heptig replies with one word: “Everybody.”

“TopGolf brings in customers, and the goal is to grow the game of golf,” he says.

“When people finish other recreational activities from softball to mountain biking, they will try Swing Time.”

To get them on the golf course as well, the county offers specials for Swing Time customers, such as discounts on golf carts or green fees, or a free bucket of range balls Dairy Creek is also the home course for the men’s and women’s golf teams of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and through that relationship, the Tom Lehman Learning Center was developed on site with pro golfer Tom Lehman.

The Center includes short-game, putting, and whole-shot areas, plus Toptracer.

San Luis Obispo County also has plans to add a zipline course, a miniature golf course, go-karts, and camping cabins to the property within the next six months.

In the meantime, the Toptracer facility continues to draw people to Dairy Creek.

“I would encourage anybody to try and explore the different varieties of what golf is,” says Heptig. “It’s bringing a different demographic of crowd. The whole community is rallying behind it.”

The Swing Time facility on the former front nine of Dairy Creek GC includes an interactive feature, with targets that light up and change colors when they’re hit.

(Editor’s Note: A video report on Dairy Creek’s Swing Time facility from C+RB’s “The Road Ahead” series can be viewed at https://clubandresortbusiness.com/ getting-into-the-swing-time-at-dairy-creek-gc/) www.clubandresortbusiness.com

May 2021 www.clubandresortchef.com

Culinary Experience

Crème de la Crème CRB’s Top Ranked Culinary Experiences of 2021

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Eva Barrios, Executive Chef Royal Oaks Country Club, Houston, Texas David Clark, Executive Sous Chef EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, Va. Eva Barrios, CEC, Executive Chef K. Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC Royal Oaks Country Club, Director of Culinary Operations, Houston, Texas

Myers Park Country Club,

David Clark,Charlotte, Executive N.C. Sous Chef Josh Breuler pcurran@wtwhmedia.com Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, Va. jbreuler@wtwhmedia.com DIGITAL PRODUCTION MANAGER Vincent Horville, Executive Chef, K. Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC SENIOR MANAGER WEBINARS/ Reggie Hall The Metropolitan VIRTUAL EVENTS IN MARKETING Director of Culinary Operations, Club of the City of rhall@wtwhmedia.com Washington Lisa Rosen Myers Park Country Club, (D.C.) lrosen@wtwhmedia.com Charlotte, N.C. DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST

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Jeremy Leinen, Executive Chef,

Vincent Horville, Executive Chef,Club, Atlanta, Ga. Dunwood Country The Metropolitan Club of the City of Matarazzo, CEC, Executive WashingtonMichael (D.C.)

Chef, Farmington Country Club, Char-

Jeremy Leinen, Executive lottesville, Va.Chef, Dunwood Country Club, Atlanta, Ga.

Lawrence McFadden, CMC, GM/COO,

Michael Matarazzo, CEC, Executive The Union Club, Chef, Farmington Country Club,Cleveland, Ohio Charlottesville, Va.

Colby Newman, Executive Chef,

Lawrence McFadden, CMC,(Mich.)

GM/COO, Grosse Pointe Yacht Club The Union Club, Cleveland, Ohio

James Satterwhite,

Colby Newman, Executive Chef, Executive Pastry Chef, Grosse Pointe (Mich.) Yacht Club

Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club

James Satterwhite, DrewChef, Tait, Executive Chef, Executive Pastry Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club, Charlotte (N.C.) Country Club

Fort Myers, Fla.

Drew Tait, Executive Chef, Kelly GreensJ.Golf & Country Club, Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC Fort Myers, Fla.

Executive Chef, Ansley Golf Club

J. Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC Atlanta, Ga. Executive Chef, Ansley Golf Club Atlanta, Ga.

N OV E M B E R C L U B I N D E X

Properties featured this M AY CLU B I NinD E issue X

BallenIsles Club Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Properties featuredCountry in this issue

Boca Grove Golf and Tennis Club Boca Raton, Fla. Austin Country Club Austin, Texas 70 Cherokee Town & Country Club Atlanta, Ga. The Club at CarltonClub Woods Woodlands, Texas Mass.

68 The Country ofThe Pittsfield Pittsfield, Mountain Scottsdale, Ariz. Fla. 64 CoralDesert Ridge Country Club Fort Lauderdale, The Everglades Club Palm Beach, Fla. The Country Club Pepper Pike, Ohio 62 Fiddler’s Elbow Bedminster, N.J. Country Club of Detroit Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. 66 Forest Lake Club Columbia, S.C. Detroit Athletic Club Detroit,Club Mich. Fort Wayne, 60,Ind. 70, 76 Fort Wayne Country The Gasparilla Inn &Club Club BocaBeach, Grande, The Dunes Golf and Beach Myrtle S.C. Fla. 78 JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa East Ridge Country Club Bossier City, La. 78 Miami, Fla. Fairview Country Country Club Greenwich, Kalamazoo Club Conn.

Kalamazoo, Mich. 54 Kenwood Country Club Cincinnati, Ohio Lakewood Yacht Club Seabrook, Texas 78 Kings Creek Country Club Rehoboth Beach, Del. Sycamore Hills Golf Club Fort Wayne, Ind. 78 Myers Park Country Club Charlotte, N.C. Quail West Golf and Country Club Naples, Fla. River Run Country Club Davidson, N.C. Sedgefield Country Club Greensboro, N.C. Sherwood Country Club Thousand Oaks, Calif. www.clubandresortchef.com

22 24 14 26 20 34 18 14 30 10 14 18 26 18 28 24 20 24 22

www.clubandresortchef.com

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4/15/21 7:02 PM

CONTENTS May • Vol. 11 • Issue 3

- 56 Crème de la Crème Club + Resort Business and Club + Resort Chef have released the list of Top Ranked Culinary Experiences for 2021.

F

52 Editor’s Memo

Don’t Be Mad At Me

54

Chef’s Thoughts

60

Top Ranked #1: Detroit Athletic Club

62

Top Ranked #2: The Country Club

64

Top Ranked #3: Coral Ridge Country Club

66

Top Ranked #4: Country Club of Detroit

68

Top Ranked #5: The Club at Carlton Woods

70

Taking the Reins at DAC

74

Rhy Waddington Wins Australian Lamb Competition

Jeff Perez, CCC Fairview Country Club

Detroit Athletic Club’s new Executive Chef has big shoes to fill and a deep desire to succeed.

Winged Foot’s Executive Chef explains the inspiration behind the dishes that helped him take the title.

76

Laying the Groundwork

78

Getting in on the Action

Detroit Athletic Club’s Executive Manager, Charles Johnson, CCM, hired a Certified Master Chef to carve a new path forward for a storied culinary program.

Interactive food stations are as much about the food as the chef’s showmanship..

Photo courtesy of Detroit Athletic Club

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www.clubandresortchef.com

, WHOA This Changes Everything

Introducing New

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FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1945 • PROUDLY MADE IN THE USA ©2021 Johnsonville, LLC

Dishing

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DeChellis

DON’T BE MAD AT ME I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS about shar-

ing the results of our new Top Ranked Culinary Experiences program.

The purpose of Top Ranked is to highlight the various aspects of the private-club industry that drive membership and retention, while providing an industry benchmarking tool that supports capital expenditures to deliver exceptional member experiences and captures best practices from club to club.

As I worked on this project, I was concerned chefs would feel like I was picking favorites. I was worried some might be mad at me for their club’s ranking. This is the last thing in the world I would want to happen.

To that end, we developed a point system with an independent group of chef judges (no one judged their own club) that would deliver a level playing field for evaluating submissions.

Well, the results are in and I think we have the beginning of a program that will drive our industry further and allow us to continue to learn, share and grow together.

I’ve spent my career trying to support this industry and build club chefs up, helping connect you with your peers and shine the brightest spotlight on chefs, programs and initiatives.

I consider myself lucky. I love what I do.

I’m never one to pass judgment on any one culinary program. However, through Top Ranked we can collectively measure the data behind the culinary programs, to help foster a baseline for better understanding of how we can improve and continue to grow our value to our members.

The more I worked through Top Ranked, the more excited I became about the data and how it can be used to improve the industry. This is a great start.

As you comb through the rankings, remember it’s less about where you fall on the list and more about giving you information and data points to benchmark against.

Every single club that participated submitted photos, menus and data that I plan to use in the coming year to inspire, connect and showcase those of you who were bold enough to participate in our first-ever ranking program.

The program will get better.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, both good and bad.

EDITOR Joanna DeChellis jdechellis@wtwhmedia.com 412-260-9233 52

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www.clubandresortchef.com

The savings really do stack up.

Below you will see the average savings that over 12,000 chefs, superintendents, pro shop merchandisers, and club managers gain from a ClubProcure membership. While provided tremendous purchasing power, they still hold the freedom to select the ClubProcure contracts and programs that fit their needs. ClubProcure is a procurement platform designed specifically for golf and country clubs. These are just a few of the reasons why over 4,000 properties leverage ClubProcure to improve their bottom line.

food and beverage $4,353

turf equipment $3,185 clubhouse needs $2,475 fertilizer/chemicals $1,375 general maintenance $770 pro shop supplies $485 course accessories $350

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CHEF’S THOUGHTS

Jeff Perez, CCC Executive Chef Fairview Country Club Greenwich, Conn.

Jeff Perez, CCC, has been the Executive Chef of Fairview Country Club (Greenwich, Conn.), since 2002. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he has served as President of the Club Chefs of Connecticut and was the Featured Chef at the renowned James Beard House in 2015 and 2016.

He is also a regular guest on WGCH Radio in Greenwich CT. 1. You’d be surprised to learn that I am a certified sommelier.

2. If I could trade places with one chef, it would be Jonathan Waxman.

3. One of my most memorable meals was at Guy Savoy in Paris. I had the artichoke soup with truffled brioche, and it was unbelievable.

4. My go-to drink is Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc.

5. My last meal would be caviar and champagne.

6. My worst culinary creation was a purple potato soup with bleu cheese.

7. If I could change one thing about my club it would be to make the members show up for their reservation times.

8. The most important thing in my kitchen is my staff.

9. If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be a weatherman.

10. I knew I wanted to be a chef the first time I saw a guest smile when they ate something I cooked.

11. The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was to cook a filet mignon, medium rare, for a member’s poodle.

12. I love being a club chef because I love the interaction with members and guests.

13. When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m working out on my Peloton.

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ability to supervise and cook simultaneously “The is the most important quality in a sous chef. ” 14. My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was not delegating enough and overworking myself.

15. I cook a scrambled egg, steamed vegetable and salad dinner at home, but I’d never cook it at the club.

16. If I could have dinner with one person, it would be Julia Child.

17. The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was work hard and be honest, and good things will happen.

18. My favorite celebrity chef is Jacques Pepin, because his story is amazing.

19. I’d lose my job if I took the veal chop off the menu.

20. I want to learn more about traditional Mexican cooking because the layers of flavor are so complex.

21. My favorite ingredient is saffron.

Truffle is the most overrated ingredient. Fennel seed is the most undervalued ingredient. I detest okra, and I can’t live without garlic.

22. I don’t like to brag, but I’m almost 60, but I look much younger— must be the EVOO facials.

23. My most embarrassing moment in the kitchen was as a newbie, I used a head of garlic in one portion of escargot when the recipe called for one clove.

24. I’d like to see more club chefs get more involved with a professional chef organization.

25. My favorite cookbook is The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Clairborne.

26. My favorite kitchen hack is using a flatted #10 can as a diffuser under a pot of béchamel, so it doesn’t burn.

27. I am motivated and inspired by researching, eating and traveling to different countries.

28. The hardest service of my career was on St. Patrick’s Day in 1987.

A line cook and myself did more than 500 covers in one hellish day after everyone called in sick.

29. The most popular item on my menu based on sales is the cobb salad.

30. My favorite junk food is chocolate.

View the extended conversation with Chef Perez at www.clubandresortchef.com www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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Culinary Experience

CRÈME DE LA CRÈME A C+RC Staff Report

THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER. Club + Resort Business and Club + Resort Chef have released the list of Top Ranked Culinary Experiences for 2021.

The following pages showcase the list of club and resort properties in order and as judged independently by a panel of club chefs from several of the industry’s most well-respected properties.

The rankings reflect the judges’ scoring of submitted entries that included data on annual food-andbeverage revenue, membership size, weekly cover counts, banquet capacity, a la carte and banquet menus, food costs, certifications, front- and back-of-house photos and more.

The judges scored each entry independently, assigning points to the various aspects of the data and information submitted.

In addition to the profiles of the Top 5 rankings included in this issue, details about the food-and-beverage programs of all the Top Ranked Culinary Experiences will be presented online at clubandresortchef.com, with many of the menus and ideas shared editorially in the year ahead.

Ranking

Club Name

Location

Dir. of F&B/ Executive Chef

No. of Members

Annual F&B

F&B Minimum

Average Weekly Covers

Banquet Capacity

No. of Kitchens

Food Cost

Sommelier on Staff

1

Detroit Athletic Club

Detroit, Mich.

Shawn Loving, CMC

5,225

$13.5 M

N

6,034

1300

3

36%

Y

2

The Country Club

Pepper Pike, Ohio

Scott Ryan, CEC, AAC

625

$3 M

N

700

350

2

38%

Y

3

Coral Ridge Country Club

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Udo Mueller, CEC

850

$2.7 M

Y

1,500

200

2

56%

Y

4

Country Club of Detroit

Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.

Brian Beland, CMC

950

$4.35 M

Y

2,000

750

3

40%

Y

5

The Club at Carlton Woods

The Woodlands, Texas

Wesley Tyler, CEC, CCA

710

$3 M

Y

1,500

550

2

45%

Y

6

Forest Lake Club

Columbia, S.C.

Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC

1,100

$2.8 M

N

3,000

600

5

43%

Y

7

John's Island Club

Vero Beach, Fla.

John Farnsworth

1,394

$10.4 M

Y

7,077

1,200

5

46%

Y

8

Bear Lakes Country Club

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Patrick Fagen, CEC, AAC

597

$1.5 M

Y

900

200

1

48%

Y

9

The Club at Ibis

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Jerome Nicolas

3,400

$7.6 M

Y

1,350

600

7

50%

Y

10

Woodfield Country Club

Boca Raton, Fla.

Bart Messing

1,278

$8 M

Y

5,000

450

6

43%

Y

11

The Club at Mediterra

Naples, Fla.

Joachim Buchner, CMC

900

$4.2 M

N

800

250

3

43%

Y

12

Edgewood Country Club

River Vale, N.J.

Anthony Villanueva

350

$4 M

Y

1,000

450

2

41%

N

13

Medinah Country Club

Medinah, Ill.

Matthew Gilbert

1,000

$6 M

Y

10,000

300

6

40%

Y

14

Southern Hills Country Club

Tulsa, Okla.

Jonathan Moosmiller, CMC

935

$5 M

Y

1,800

400

4

38%

N

15

Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club

Palo Alto, Calif.

Brian Healy

593

$4.1 M

Y

1,000

482

3

42%

Y

16

Glen Ridge Country Club

Glen Ridge, N.J.

James Haberstroh

580

$3.5 M

Y

2,500

270

2

43%

Y

17

Army Navy Country Club

Arlington, Va.

Doug Anderson

6,500

$8.5 M

N

4,000

550

6

39%

N

18

Cherokee Country Club

Knoxville, Tenn.

David Pinckney

1,000

$4.5 M

Y

2,000

550

4

45%

Y

19

Baltimore Country Club

Baltimore, Md.

Richard Jallet

3,200

$6.5 M

N

2,000

600

4

39%

Y

Fort Wayne, Ind.

Anthony Capua, CSC

450

$2 M

Y

750

185

2

42%

N

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Culinary Experience

Ranking

Club Name

Location

Dir. of F&B/ Executive Chef

No. of Members

Annual F&B

F&B Minimum

Average Weekly Covers

Banquet Capacity

No. of Kitchens

Food Cost

Sommelier on Staff

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Michael Crain

2,612

$7 M

N

7,200

500

4

57%

N

21

The Country Club at Mirasol

22

Carmel Country Club

Charlotte, N.C.

Ryan Cavanaugh

1,450

$7.5 M

N

6,000

875

3

40%

Y

23

Bonnie Briar Country Club

Larchmont, N.Y.

Matthew O'Connor, CEC, WCEC

440

$1.8 M

Y

1,000

300

2

43%

N

24

Fiddler's Elbow

Bedminster, N.J.

Michael Weisshaupt

860

$8 M

Y

3,500

380

6

32%

Y

25

North Andover Country Club

North Andover, Mass.

Donna Whelden

200

$800 K

Y

650

120

1

43%

N

26

Sawgrass Country Club

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Michael Meuse

1,475

$5 M

Y

2,000

500

4

43%

Y

27

Bonita Bay Club

Bonita Springs, Fla.

Richard Brumm, CEC, CCA

2,100

$5.5 M

N

6,000

550

6

45%

Y

28

Governors Club

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Benjamin Guaman, CEC

620

1.14 M

Y

929

320

2

46%

Y

29

Forsyth Country Club

Winston Salem, N.C.

Blair Cannon, CEC, WSET II, CFE

2,812

$3.47

Y

2,938

750

4

37%

Y

30

The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Jon Hearnsberger

405

$2.4 M

N

1,200

300

4

37%

Y

31

The Philadelphia Cricket Club

Philadelphia, Pa.

Ben Burger

1,672

$6.5 M

Y

2,000

500

4

38%

Y

32

White Bear Yacht Club

Dellwood, Minn.

Tim Haze, CEC

250

$950 K

Y

900

220

3

42%

Y

33

Overbrook Golf Club

Villanova, Pa.

Stephen Pribish

1,200

$4 M

Y

1,499

500

3

40%

Y

34

Quail West Golf & Country Club

Naples, Fla.

Tim Recher, CEC, AAC, CWX

1,200

$3 M

Y

2,500

500

4

45%

Y

35

Hopkinton Country Club

Hopkinton, Mass.

Shawn Balian

485

$1.8 M

Y

780

200

2

39%

Y

36

Old Ranch Country Club

Seal Beach, Calif.

Joseph Flores

1,024

$5.7 M

Y

2,100

960

2

38%

N

500

$2.5 M

Y

600

200

2

39%

Y

Y

3,000

500

6

51%

Y

37

Troon Country Club

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Alejandro Martinez

38

Wycliffe Golf and Country Club

Wellington, Fla.

Christopher Park

1,800

$7 M

39

Orinda Country Club

Orinda, Calif.

Thayer Johnson

786

$2.5 M

Y

850

200

4

40%

N

40

Shelter Harbor Golf Club

Charlestown, R.I.

Joey Abitabilo

345

$1 M

N

1,200

300

1

N/A

Y

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Culinary Experience

Ranking

Club Name

Location

Dir. of F&B/ Executive Chef

No. of Members

Annual F&B

F&B Minimum

Average Weekly Covers

Banquet Capacity

No. of Kitchens

Food Cost

Sommelier on Staff

41

Rehoboth Beach Country Club

Rehoboth Beach, Dela.

Andrew Maggitti, CEC

800

$1.8 M

Y

700

400

4

41%

Y

42

Reunion Golf & Country Club

Madison, Miss.

Billy Kistler

557

$2 M

Y

2,307

500

3

40%

Y

43

Spring Run Golf Club

Fort Myers, Fla.

Steve Joynt

847

$1.4 M

Y

1,500

300

1

46%

N

44

Stone Eagle Golf Club

Palm Desert, Calif.

Jon Tice, CCC

225

$900 K

N

700

125

1

36%

Y

45

Heritage Hunt Golf & Country Club

Gainesville, Va.

Brian Baer

407

$1.4 M

N

450

350

2

34%

N

46

Isleworth Golf & Country Club

Windermere, Fla.

Andres Rumis

400

$4 M

Y

1,500

250

2

43%

N

47

Manor Country Club

Rockville, Md.

Peter Gems

858

$3.5 M

Y

500

300

3

40%

N

48

Franklin Hills Country Club

Franklin, Mich.

Keith Bjertness

480

$2.5 M

Y

1,750

300

3

52%

Y

49

Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club

Coto de Caza, Calif.

Michael Nirtaut

1,439

$5.3 M

Y

1,650

500

2

38%

N

50

Sleepy Hollow Country Club

Scarborough, N.Y.

Carlo Bigi

600

$5 M

N

800

1,000

3

45%

Y

51

Beach Point Club

Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Peter Assue

650

$2.5 M

Y

350

500

2

43%

Y

52

Washington Athletic Club

Seattle, Wash.

Eric Floyd

9,500

$6 M

N

5,003

550

2

30%

Y

53

Colleton River Club

Bluffton, S.C.

Robert Wysong, CEC

575

$2.1 M

N

990

300

3

58%

Y

54

Burning Tree Country Club

Greenwich, Conn.

Raul Torres

500

$2.5 M

Y

570

220

1

47%

Y

55

Abenaqui Country Club

Rye Beach, N.H.

William Yeaton

620

$1.7 M

Y

592

240

1

34%

N

56

Boca West Country Club

Boca Raton, Fla.

Roger Brock

6,000

$13 M

N

10,110

2,200

7

54%

Y

57

Kelly Greens Golf & Country Club

Fort Myers, Fla.

Drew Tait

939

$1 M

N

600

150

1

49%

N

58

Baton Rouge Country Club

Baton Rouge, La.

Ben Randow, CEC

980

$3.50

N

1,000

450

3

42%

Y

59

Congress Lake Club

Hartville, Ohio

John Hammack

350

$2 M

N

1,000

400

3

50%

Y

60

Berkshire Country Club

Reading, Pa.

Bradley Fisher, CEC, CCA

550

$2.8 M

N

550

500

4

45%

Y

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Culinary Experience

Ranking

Club Name

Location

Dir. of F&B/ Executive Chef

No. of Members

Annual F&B

F&B Minimum

Average Weekly Covers

Banquet Capacity

No. of Kitchens

Food Cost

Sommelier on Staff

Boone, N.C.

Micheal Armes

355

$750 K

Y

1,300

180

3

38%

Y

61

Hound Ears Golf Club

62

Wanakah Country Club

Hamburg, N.Y.

Jeff Kolbas

400

$1.6 M

Y

N/A

400

1

40%

N

63

Beechmont Country Club

Cleveland, Ohio

Michael Valentino

370

$1.8 M

N

1,340

350

3

42%

N

64

Walnut Creek Country Club

South Lyon, Mich.

Drew Sayes, CEC

600

$2.6 M

Y

900

300

3

42%

N

65

Hampton Hall Club

Bluffton, S.C.

Jared McElroy

944

$1 M

N

500

300

2

44%

Y

410

$1 M

N

650

175

1

39%

N

66

The Bedens Brook Club

Skillman, N.J.

Jacqueline Baldassari

67

Lehigh Country Club

Allentown, Pa.

Randy Zerfass

628

$3 M

N

150

240

2

39%

Y

68

Wayzata Country Club

Wayzata, Minn.

Paul Neu

572

$3.2 M

Y

1,500

500

3

35%

Y

69

Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club

Brewster, Mass.

Philip Flath

872

$10 M

N

3,324

950

6

31%

N

70

The Club at High Hampton

Cashiers, N.C.

Andrew Barlow

375

$1.5 M

N

900

150

3

38%

Y

71

Summit Hills Country Club

Crestview Hills, Ky.

Charles Myers

528

$1.5 M

N

750

325

2

45%

N

72

Florida Yacht Club

Jacksonville, Fla.

Stephen Bechan

915

$2.1 M

Y

1,800

400

1

39%

N

Naples, Fla.

Scott Ross, CEC, WCEC, CCA

719

$2.5 M

N

1,000

300

2

42%

Y

Royal Oak, Mich.

Joseph Nixon

600

$2.2 M

Y

500

250

2

42%

N

Matt Sigler

600

$1.6 M

Y

1,015

150

1

30%

Y

73

Quail Creek Country Club

74

Red Run Golf Club

75

Oswego Lake Country Club

Lake Oswego, Ore.

76

Pinehurst Country Club

Denver, Colo.

Frederick Kelly

3,000

$2.8 M

Y

1,000

500

3

41%

Y

1,200

$3.8 M

N

1,500

700

4

39%

N

77

Country Club of Jackson

Jackson, Miss.

Damien Cavicchi, CEC

78

Century Country Club

Purchase, N.Y.

Gerard Resnick

550

$1.5 M

N

600

500

2

42%

N

79

Atlantic City Country Club

Northfield, N.J.

Edward Daggers

1,000

$4 M

N

1,992

250

2

32%

N

80

Sunnybrook Golf Club

Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

John Wagner

445

$1.4 M

Y

1,400

200

1

37%

N

81

Manufacturers' Golf and Country Club

Fort Washington, Pa.

Greg Lenhart

600

$2.4 M

Y

250

220

1

40%

N

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Club + Resort Business l 59

Culinary Experience

1

DETROIT ATHLETIC CLUB DETROIT, MICH.

Shawn Loving, CMC Executive Chef, Detroit Athletic Club

THROUGHOUT ITS 134 YEARS, the Detroit (Mich.)

Athletic Club (DAC) has offered its members the most sought-after private club culinary experience in the city. It has remained so thanks to its ability to change and adapt to its members’ preferences and simultaneously maintain rigorous consistency in standards and practices.

Led by its newly appointed Executive Chef, Shawn Loving, CMC, (For more on Loving, see “Taking the Reins” on pg. 70) the DAC is home to 52 seasoned culinarians who represent a diverse collection of skill sets. The culinary operations function under a classic brigade system that overextends itself in proficiency and grows by developing individual skills and promoting from within.

DAC constantly challenges the members of its culinary team to pursue certifications, professional development and growth. The chefs are responsible for the production of daily features, menu development and costing, and requisitioning and inventory of their respective outlets.

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Those outlets include: The Gallery & The Fresco—a white-tablecloth, finedining, a la carte outlet that focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients inspired by, if not produced in, Michigan. The menu features fresh seafood, specialty appetizers, dryaged proteins, and elegant desserts.

The Stadium Club—featuring American regional cuisine and specializing in Detroit-inspired favorites along with themed menu items. Sitting atop the DAC, The Stadium Club is at the center of all of the entertainment action within the club, most notably because of its picturesque view into Comerica Park and vistas of Detroit’s skyline.

The Madison Café—offering barista-crafted specialty coffees, teas, and healthy cuisine geared toward the athletic membership.

The Tap Room—a historic bar, the birthplace of The Last Word cocktail, and home to the club’s mixologist, who offers a refined collection of modern craft cocktails paired with an array of small plates.

The Abbey—a bistro/pub-style restaurant within the Bowling Center, specializing in hand-crafted sandwiches, burgers, and hot/cold buffet service.

The Pavilion—a fully operational outdoor kitchen, focused on a la minute cooking for event-driven business, including weddings, sporting events, concerts, and special events.

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Culinary Experience

2

THE COUNTRY CLUB PEPPER PIKE, OHIO

Scott Ryan, CEC, AAC Executive Chef The Country Club

THE COUNTRY CLUB (Pepper Pike, Ohio) has been an important part of Cleveland-area club history for more than a century. Its culinary program, helmed by Scott Ryan, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef, offers a range of styles, from upscale to casual.

Ryan, who has been with “Country” since 2009, prides himself on using only the freshest ingredients and finest preparation techniques. He and his team incorporate classical and modern cooking methods that blend together regional and international flavors to create an eclectic dining experience for members.

Ryan is an active member of the American Culinary Federation’s Cleveland Chefs Inc. chapter and has earned medals and top honors in numerous culinary and ice-carving competitions, including Chef of the Year in 2008 for the Michigan Chef de Cuisine chapter; 2011 ACF Cleveland Chapter Chef of the Year; 2012 ACF Northeast Region Chef of the Year; and 2012 ACF National Chef of the Year.

In 2013, he won the Global Chefs Challenge semi-final, to earn the right to compete as the Americas representative in the World Association of Chefs Society Global Chefs Challenge, held in Norway in 2014, and went on to place second.

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He was also a featured speaker at the 2014 Chef to Chef Conference and has appeared in a variety of Club + Resort Chef articles and videos in the years since.

“Everyone on our team is focused on the main goal of not only achieving, but exceeding, our members’ expectations,” says Ryan. “Our General Manager stresses a teamoriented environment. He trusts us to be creative and have fun with what we do—but at the same time, he never lets us stray too far from our objectives, by constantly encouraging a ‘trust but verify’ environment.

“Communication is also key,” Ryan adds. “Our management team has a great rapport and we enjoy working with each other. The passion and drive that we all have for what we do is what makes ‘Country’ such a special place.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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Culinary Experience

3

CORAL RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.

Udo Mueller Executive Chef Coral Ridge Country Club

AT CORAL RIDGE COUNTRY CLUB (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), the menu options, food quality and detailed preparation are just as important as the service level and ambiance.

Executive Chef Udo Mueller starts with the freshest quality ingredients, many of which are sourced locally, and transforms them into time-honored classics and familiar comfort foods, as well as more modern, healthier options, including gluten-free and vegan.

Mueller, who is classically trained, was a Gold Medal winner at the Professional Culinary Exhibition in Bermuda and a featured chef at the James Beard House in New York City.

Coral Ridge’s spacious dining room is filled with windows, sunlight and a vista overlooking the golf course. The club’s wrap-around terrace is a beautiful spot to enjoy a crisp glass of wine paired with a refreshing crab salad as the sun sets.

In-season, Coral Ridge is consistently sold out for standard dining and events.

“We are not a community-based club,” says Mueller. “Our members can easily go elsewhere, but they choose to dine with us over the countless restaurants available to them in Fort Lauderdale.”

The club’s Men’s Grill offers the sporting crowd a separate bar with local beers on tap. Even the small snack shop serves a famous 10-oz. burger that members say is one of the top-five favorites at the club.

Adult cooking demonstrations are offered monthly, as are interactive children’s cooking classes.

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www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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Culinary Experience

4

COUNTRY CLUB OF DETROIT GROSSE POINTE FARMS, MICH.

Brian Beland, CMC Executive Chef Country Club of Detroit

FROM UPSCALE CUISINE to more casual fare, Brian Beland, CMC, Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage at the Country Club of Detroit (CCD) in Grosse Point Farms, Mich., prides himself on using only the freshest ingredients and finest preparation techniques. Beland, who is one of only 72 Certified Master Chefs in America, has worked at the club since 1999, and has been its top chef since 2006.

Under his leadership, CCD has risen to become a premier professional culinary program providing members and guests with the finest dining experience, while supporting constant personal and professional growth for its team through culinary excellence.

Beland is also a culinary instructor at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich.

Beland’s career highlights include the American Culinary Federation Certification Commission and Chair of the CMC/CMPC certification program. He was Vice President of ACF’s Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Chapter in 2011, President for the 2013/14 term, and Chairman of the Board in 2015/16.

As a member of the 2012 Michigan Culinary Olympic Team, Beland scored an individual gold medal in Category A in Erfurt, Germany. Also in 2011, Beland was recognized as Chef of the Year for the MCCA Chapter, won the Central Regional Chef of the Year title in 2012, and went on to score a 66

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gold medal at the ACF National Chef of the Year competition.

In November 2013, Beland competed at the inaugural Dubai Hospitality Championships as a member of Team USA, scoring a team gold and second place overall.

He has been a featured presenter at the Chef to Chef Conference on multiple occasions and is a regular contributor to articles, podcasts and videos with Club + Resort Chef.

As a result of his strong leadership and culinary skillset, CCD is considered by its members to be their first choice for all dining and socializing activities.

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Culinary Experience

5

THE CLUB AT CARLTON WOODS THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS

Wesley Tyler, CEC, CCA Executive Chef The Club at Carlton Woods

THE CULINARY TEAM AT THE CLUB AT CARLTON WOODS (The Woodlands, Texas), led by Executive Chef Wesley Tyler, CEC, CCA, is committed to preparing masterful, thoughtful meals using only the highest-quality ingredients.

At Carlton Woods, members can expect not just a great dining experience, but also a plethora of engaging culinaryfocused events, monthly wine dinners, chef’s tables and more.

The club offers a range of dining venues and settings, including the adults-only Bear’s Den bar and grille, the casual familydining atmosphere of the Nicklaus Grille, and the back patio at the Fazio, which overlooks the Championship golf course.

The club’s culinary team strives to offer variety and diversity on all menus, while promoting creativity and

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epicurean progression.

Sourcing ingredients of the highest quality and utilizing its on-site aquaponics units, The Club at Carlton Woods is able to provide a “seed to plate” experience and tell a story through flavors on the plate.

“The relationship and bond we promote between the kitchen and the table is immeasurable,” says Tyler. “Furthermore, the camaraderie and synergy among the staff is an experience to witness.

“Our goal is to exemplify the true meaning of industry leaders in our profession, and humbly provide the highest standard of service and culinary excellence to our membership,” Tyler adds.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

The Club + Resort Chef Association is the leading professional community for the culinary teams at private country clubs, city clubs, yacht clubs, athletic clubs and high-end golf properties and resorts.

CRCA supports its members’ unique needs through networking, continuing education, and professional development.

why join crca?

Peer-to-peer networking and continued education In-person events Podcasts Monthly Association blogs Online forums Subscriptions to Club + Resort Business and Club + Resort Chef as well as our weekly Club + Resort Chef eNewsletter Members-only award programs Mentorship opportunities Continuing education opportunities The Club + Resort Chef Association was launched to meet the unique needs of the club and resort food-and-beverage segment.

The association was formed to provide the chefs and others on their teams with even more opportunities to benefit, on a yearround basis, from the targeted content, educational resources and networking value that Club + Resort’s magazines, websites and events provides.

Find out more at association.clubandresortchef.com

CHEF TO CHEF

Taking the Reins at DAC

Detroit Athletic Club’s new Executive Chef has big shoes to fill and a deep desire to succeed.

By Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Director of Culinary Operations, Myers Park Country Club (Charlotte, N.C.)

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THE DETROIT (MICH.) ATHLETIC Club (DAC) is well-known as an impressive and unique facility, boasting 14 floors of Roman-inspired architecture, guest rooms, athletic facilities, restaurants, ballrooms and pools.

As impressive as the facility is, even more impressive is the pantheon of chefs who have helmed its food-and-beverage operation. The latest to take up the mantle at DAC is Shawn Loving, CMC, who has been named to succeed longtime Executive Chef Kevin Brennan after his retirement.

Loving’s culinary education began at the school for which he ultimately became the department chair, Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich. His career took him through hotels, clubs, the Disney organization and Las Vegas before he opened his own restaurant, which he operated for seven years. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Loving went on to cook for professional athletes in progressively larger roles, eventually serving as the Executive Chef for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic Basketball Teams for the Beijing, London and Rio Olympics, as well as at the FIBA World Championships in Turkey and Spain.

As an indication of Loving’s reputation among professional athletes, when the NBA’s efforts to feed the professional players in the COVID-era “bubble” were less than stellar, Loving was called in to make the necessary adjustments.

Loving has always gone the extra mile to push himself and continue to refine his craft. As a Certified Master Chef through the American Culinary Federation and as a World Certified Master Chef through the World Association of Chefs, he has competed in Germany, Luxembourg, Singapore, Toronto, and medaled in the Super Chef Challenge.

SC: What inspired you to join our craft?

SL: I made split pea soup with smoked ham hock in vocational school. It was a done deal!

SC: Please describe your philosophy on running a kitchen. What are the sacred rules?

SL: My philosophy has always been rooted in “togetherness.” I have humbly learned that I am nothing without my team and there is no top-down mentality. My stewards will always be as much of a priority as my Chef de Partie. Every member of my staff deserves connection.

I also believe in no side-barring or hiding communication from one another. Doing so can only negatively impact service standards. It does not honor culinary excellence, and our mission here at DAC is greater than any single compliment.

SC: What does work-life balance look like for you?

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SL: This is a tough one. Balance is hard. I try to concentrate on making sure I’m very mentally present for those big lifetime moments. I see this mentality as my new balance.

SC: What was it like working in the NBA bubble?

SL: It was unlike any experience I have ever had.

In the Olympics, I was tasked with bringing my program and cooking standards into a fine hotel and working through the difficulties of not being really wanted there by that hotel. The NBA bubble was meant to please athletes at the highest level, but without any interaction with the staff. This was especially difficult because, as chefs, we are used to hearing praise for good and adjusting for the off moments.

It was a great lesson in learning to trust your cooking, flavors, and touch. This helps to develop self-confidence and it leaves your ego in the parking lot—which is awesome.

SC: Given the impressive list of accomplishments you have achieved so far, is there one that stands out as most memorable or one you are most proud of?

SL: I am proudest of the self-reflection I did in 2010 after I first took the CMC exam. I looked in the mirror and realized I needed to work on my craft more and truly live it. That failure is a memory I will never forget.

Why is that a proud moment for me? Because I am a better cook now, which also made me become a stronger leader, and that is what the culinary industry needs most.

SC: What legacy do you hope to leave behind?

SL: I hope to be remembered for never settling and not being afraid to reach for my goals and my dreams.

SC: If you could go back in time and give a 21-yearold Shawn Loving one message, what would it be?

SL: I would say, “Take the time to watch your mother

Shawn Loving, CMC, is now among the pantheon of chefs who have helmed DAC’s $13M food-and-beverage operation.

more closely when she makes smothered meatballs with small onions.”

I was too busy thinking of moving on, but it was something about that sauce that I would want to show all the young cooks. It was perfect (even if they would likely say that it’s “dated”).

SC: If you could change one thing about our industry, what would it be?

SL: Stop disrespecting the foundation of cooking.

Our craft’s forefathers were unbelievable. Learn about them. Do not dismiss them simply as “old school.” Trust me, there are some valuable pearls down there. C+RC

Rhy Waddington Wins Australian Lamb Competition Winged Foot’s Executive Chef explains the inspiration behind the dishes that helped him take the title.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

THE 2021 CLUB + RESORT CHEF AUSTRALIAN LAMB COMPETITION came to an exciting conclusion when the judges announced that Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef of Winged Foot Golf Club (Mamaroneck, N.Y.), would take home the $2,000 grand prize, courtesy of True Aussie Lamb.

For his appetizer, Waddington prepared a True “Aussie Lamb” Kibbeh Nayyeh (Lebanese Lamb Tartare) with Smoked Sheep’s Milk Yogurt, Beet Tuile, Rice Wafer, and Dehydrated Beet Powder.

For his entrée, he prepared a Slow-Cooked “Aussie Lamb” Top Sirloin with House-Made Lamb Bacon, Potato Pave, Puree of English Peas, Périgord Truffle, Spring Vegetable Salad, and Lamb rhy waddington Reduction (pictured, right).

After a very close competition, it was Waddington’s refined style, distinct flavors and bold techniques that earned him the grand prize.

“All of the competitors made great food,” said one of the judges, Gerald Ford, CMC, Founder and Culinary Director of Legit Culinary Concepts, formerly Executive Chef of the Ford Plantation, and a Contributing Editor for Club + Resort Chef and Club + Resort Business.

“Waddington’s lamb tartare set an entirely new vision for what lamb can be on a club menu,” adds Ford. “And his use of the top sirloin and belly bacon looked delicious.”

C+RC: What inspired your appetizer?

RW: Lamb can sometimes be kind of gamey, but for the tartare, when we tried this product it was super-clean. In Australia, Lebanese food is just huge—especially in the area where I grew up. So I wanted to do something that was true to my home and tied into being Australian.

The beets are a great way to add in that spring earthiness. For the yogurt and sheep’s milk, we wanted to add a little smoke, but it’s very light and it matches well with a cocktail or a glass of wine.

C+RC: Is tartare popular at Winged Foot?

RW: Over the last four or five years, tartare has become something of a signature in our new bar. We do everything from traditional steak tartare to more modern interpretations, like this one. This appetizer is not only true to my background and to Australia, but to Winged Foot, too.

C+RC: And the entrée?

RW: I really wanted to have fun with this dish and demonstrate some very technical cooking methods, balanced with some really bright seasonal flavors. I think it came together beautifully—and my marketing director, who took all of the photos for the competition and therefore got to eat all of the dishes, agrees.

View Waddington’s winning dishes, his recipes and all the entries at www.clubandresortchef.com/2021-club-resort-chef-australian-lamb-competition/

www.trueaussiebeefandlamb.com

MANAGER to CHEF

Laying the Groundwork Detroit Athletic Club’s Executive Manager, Charles Johnson, CCM, hired a Certified Master Chef to carve a new path forward for a storied culinary program.

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

THE CULINARY LANDSCAPE AT the Detroit (Mich.) Athletic Club (DAC) is changing.

While some aspects, such as a top-ranked culinary experience (see pg. 62) and a culture of mentorship, will remain, the DAC’s newly named Executive Chef, Shawn Loving, CMC, possesses a fresh set of skills that will usher the storied program into a new era. (For more on Loving, see “Taking the Reins” on pg. 70.)

For many years, the DAC’s culinary excellence was personified by the team led by Executive Manager Ted Gillary and Executive Chef Kevin Brennan. Loving was hired, upon Brennan’s retirement, in February 2021 by Charles Johnson, CCM, who was previously Assistant General Manager under 76

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Gillary and was named to succeed him after his retirement a year earlier, by a unanimous Board vote.

As Johnson describes here, because of a careful planning and selection process for both his role and Loving’s, the outlook for the DAC’s exemplary culinary program remains strong, and its new leadership is eager to get started.

C+RC: What brought you to DAC? CJ: I came for a chance to take over for Ted. He brought me on in January 2014 during a major period of growth for the DAC. My role was initially to help with all of the things going on—expansion, renovations, our centennial—and to work alongside Ted as a potential successor.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

k

Because of a careful planning and selection process for its key leadership roles, the outlook for the DAC’s exemplary culinary program remains strong.

C+RC: When you began the search for a new Executive Chef to succeed Kevin Brennan, what were you looking for?

CJ: There are many ways to look at that question.

There’s the practical, operational angle, where we do $13 million in food and beverage—which is kind of a lot—and that we’re known for our dining program. We needed someone who could successfully transition into the role without missing a beat.

We worked with a search firm and I personally reached out to a number of chefs in the area—including Shawn. To be honest, I assumed we’d hire someone from a high-end hotel or resort. But the more we talked with Shawn, the more he became the obvious choice.

C+RC: Why? CJ: He had come here a number of times as a guest chef under Kevin Brennan. He is well respected within our team and within the culinary community in Detroit and beyond. His teaching background was especially attractive, as we have a tradition of giving back to the culinary community and developing strong culinarians. And his food is outstanding.

C+RC: Did you think it was strange that he wanted to get back into operations, after running his own restaurant and business?

CJ: I did. And I asked him a bunch of times why he wanted to do this. The first few times I asked he gave me the canned, professional answer. But the last time, he gave me an emotional response, and in that moment, I knew he was the one.

C+RC: What did he say?

CJ: First he asked me why I kept asking him that question.

Then he said he explained how he’s been an underdog most of his life and that even when he was working toward his CMC, he realized that he will always need to prove to himself what he’s capable of achieving. For him, coming back into the operational world is important for his growth.

I asked him if he realized he was taking a pretty big leap, working in a club with the DAC’s culinary legacy, and with a first-time GM. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

He said yes—and then said he doesn’t do anything halfway. In that moment we became a team.

C+RC: How have the first few months been working together?

CJ: He hit the ground running. Because of the [pandemic] restrictions in Michigan, he really didn’t have much of a honeymoon period. The reception has been wonderful with the membership. More impressive is how he’s helped to elevate the entire team. Everyone wants to do better and be better.

He’s made many important adjustments, too.

C+RC: What’s the dynamic like between the two of you?

CJ: I think we both realize that we’re the “new kids” here at DAC—staff tenures are, on average, 20-plus years. But we have a mutual respect and a desire to get started. I appreciate his perspective and I trust his ability and leadership style.

C+RC: What’s the plan for 2021 and beyond?

CJ: We’re in a bit of a rebuild-and-recover phase. We’ll fill the open positions and get to a rhythm where we’re functioning at full capacity again.

C+RC: What do you think drives F&B success at DAC? CJ: Consistency and staying top-of-mind for members. We achieve this by doing all the small things right. We have to make all of the little moments special so that our members will want to spend their big moments with us. We do that with personalized service, high-quality cuisine and consistency.

C+RC: Last question: What’s the best dish Loving has made so far?

CJ: For our Past Presidents dinner, he prepared some of the dishes he made during his CMC exam. He explained why he chose those dishes, how he executed them during the test, and why they hold particular significance for him. Not only was the food phenomenal, but the experience of hearing a master chef relive the test is one I’ll never forget. C+RC May 2021

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BANQUET

Getting in on the

Action

Interactive food stations are as much about the food as the chef’s showmanship.

By Jennifer Olvera, Contributing Editor

78

BUILD-YOUR-OWN BLOODYS.

PERSONALITY PREVAILS

Design-your-own street corn. Chefflambéed donuts that christen custom sundaes.

Action stations—those interactive food and beverage stations where the chef (or, back in the day, members) can personalize each item—have reemerged as COVID restrictions begin to lift, with fresh ideas and a focus on personal engagement.

Whether they involve cooking, mixing, topping or plating, activity-driven experiences bring pizzazz to banquet and member events. The good news is, despite tweaks that are needed to address today’s “new normal,” it appears that action stations are back and here to stay.

“We’ve had to make changes for COVID, because members can no longer serve themselves and they’re a bit more hesitant about standing at buffets,” says Ted Ghiglieri, Executive Chef of Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas. “And because we’ve had to use more staff to oversee the buffets, there are fewer people available for actual action stations.”

So the new challenge is to strike the right balance between staffing, safety and ensuring that members remain engaged.

Engagement is what’s really at the root of a successful experience where the “wow” factor— dinner and a “show”—involves more than the food itself. While there has to be less that guests can do by themselves these days, action stations can still offer a great opportunity to highlight chefs’ showmanship and social skills.

“The personality of the team member working the station is so important,” says Executive Sous Chef Mike Trabel

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of Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind. “If you put someone behind the station with no personality, you run the risk of the action station coming off flat and boring.

“A buffet line with chafers doesn’t tell a story, but a properly executed action station with a charismatic chef sure does,” Trabel adds. “When guests attend our action stations, we want them to go back to their family and friends and say, ‘Let me tell you about the culinary experience I just had.’”

Lakewood Yacht Club strives to strike the right balance between staffing, safety and engagement.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

The personality of the team member working a station is critical, says Mike Trabel, Executive Sous Chef of Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind., (pictured above) preparing house-bourbon ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

CREATIVITY IS PARAMOUNT Club settings can offer special challenges to keep things fresh, new and unexpected, so guests don’t see the “same ol’, same ol’” when they book events or attend a buffet, notes Eddie Marusarz, Executive Chef of East Ridge Country Club in Bossier City, La. “Most of our members know each other and attend one another’s events, so they don’t want the same thing they had [before],” says Marusarz.

To make sure things are different, the East Ridge team has adopted an “Escoffier meets Barnum & Bailey mentality” when designing their action stations. Starting with the finished product, they work it back to formulate a plan, taking into account safety and efficiency.

That translates to a grill station equipped with a chimenea, fitted with an electric grill inside for effect. Long skewers are stuck into custom cutting boards to provide the “wow” factor, and side sauces and salads finish the look.

At Sycamore Hills GC, Trabel and his www.clubandresortbusiness.com

team recently created house-made pretzels that were positioned alongside an impressive dessert action station.

“We placed pretzels on a board that was suspended from the ceiling on pegs—think Plinko from ‘The Price is Right,’” Trabel says. “When someone came to the table, we pulled a pretzel and sent it through our conveyor toaster ovens before their eyes. When it popped out nice and toasty, the member could choose between different types of spreads, which we’d slather on their warm pretzels.”

At the next station, a Sycamore Hills chef created a house-bourbon ice cream using liquid nitrogen. “The billowing clouds of gas cascading down the side of a mixing bowl always draws a curious crowd—they’re dying to know what you’re up to,” Trabel notes. “Once the guests realize what they are seeing, it always [generates] smiles from ear to ear, and many ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ follow.”

In other words, the bigger the jaw drop, the better, it seems.

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Club + Resort Chef 79

BANQUET

The Dunes’s Ben Simpkins, known for creative action stations like the clamand-chorizo station he did in a La Caja China (below), says small plates (right) will be the next big thing in buffets.

“I did thick-cut bacon on a stick and spun green-apple cotton candy around it,” says Ben Simpkins, WCMC, CEC, CCA, AAC, Executive Chef of The Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C. “It was a total show-stopper.”

He also created a themed, Old Bay bottle-festooned Mother’s Day crab cake station, with hush puppies, softshell crabs and crab cakes displayed

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on cast-iron.

(Simpkins also recently did a webinar on action stations for Club + Resort Chef’s “Chef to Chef Live!” that can be viewed at clubandresortchef.com/ webinar.)

MINDING THE BOTTOM LINE In an era where margins are tighter than ever, budgets cannot be ignored, even for the most imaginative and

elaborate action-station ideas.

“The underlying bonus for us has been the cost-saving result of cooking primarily as needed,” says Marusarz.

East Ridge always has two attendants on hand to explain the concept while serving; most often they’re temps who can be trained in a relatively short time. That frees up the rest of Marusarz’s crew to set up, oversee, restock and break down.

Then there’s the matter of member comfort. Action stations can also help with that.

“The manned stations have proved to be advantageous, as the guests see one person handling the food and serving, as opposed to everyone in attendance,” Marusarz says.

The good news is that with a few timely adaptations, the sky is the limit in how action stations can still help clubs’ culinary teams surprise and delight— and it’s an even higher ceiling now, as members are especially happy to be able to get out and experience new and exciting things outside of their own four walls. C+RC www.clubandresortbusiness.com

PRODUCT SHOWCASE f eat u r e d c at eg o ry

Towel Time

Pool + Patio

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Sun Power

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FiberBuilt Umbrellas & Cushions

Shade by the Ocean

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Clocks

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Rule the Pool

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Timely Remembrance

RenoSys

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Product: Verdin Golf Course Clock Features: ▶ Many two- and four-faced models ▶ Clocks are custom-made and UL-approved ▶ Superior Moonglow backlit dials are shatterproof ▶ Custom headers, colors, and dials with logo ▶ Optional installation and maintenance by Verdin technicians

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

O������ F���������� Modern Modular

Product: Modular Seating Pieces Features: ▶ Outdoor spaces that adapt perfectly to the occasion ▶ Left-Arm, Right-Arm, Armless and accessories can be configured into a variety of seating arrangements ▶ Makes multi-use areas attractive and comfortable. The poolside becomes an outdoor nightclub ▶ Modular seating makes specialty spaces unique ▶ Features RELAXplus® cushions, an innovation from Tropitone ▶ Cushions deliver comparisons to the most comfortable and durable cushions used for indoor furniture ▶ Cushions utilize materials specifically designed for demands of the outdoors

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Back to School

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Country Casual Teak

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Drinks on the Go

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Mi Casa, Su Casa

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OW Lee

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Hand-Woven Elegance

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Texacraft

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Landmark Golf Course Products 888-337-7677 • Rinowood.com 82

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

A�������� Automatic Antibacterial Product: New Automatic Dispensers Features: ▶ Comes in both wall-mount and floor-stand styles ▶ Easy-to-fill reservoir means no messing with cartridges ▶ Pairs great with the new Club Classic Gold Antibacterial Hand Soap ▶ Also perfect for dispensing Club Classic Hand Sanitizer gallon refills

Fore Supply Co.

SPF by the Gallon

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Sport Support

Product: QD4P Equipment Drier Features: ▶ Insulated heated cabinet efficiently dries up to four pairs of athletic shoes ▶ Standard 500 Watts, 120 Volts, 4.5 Amps ▶ Provides quick heat with a high/low temperature switch, ranging from 120°F (49°C) to 160°F (71°C) ▶ Black powder-coated aluminum outer panels, .060 stainless-steel base plate, fiberglass insulation, stainless-steel interior ▶ Comes standard with two chrome-plated wire grids ▶ Clear easy-open side-by-side doors with magnetic latches ▶ Includes 1” adjustable legs ▶ Fits easily on a countertop or table ▶ Weight: 73 lb. Height 23-3/8”, Depth 20-1/8”, Width 22-1/2” ▶ One-year parts warranty

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The End of Radios Pest Control

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Product: Relay+ Features: ▶ Connects over WiFi and cellular network for seamless coverage across your course ▶ Eliminates the need for repeaters ▶ Relay survives anything from drops in water to drops on concrete ▶ Small and lightweight - no protruding, breakable parts like antennas ▶ Less repairs and replacements translates into more savings ▶ Talk in groups or in 1:1 private conversations ▶ Create unlimited channels ▶ Wired and bluetooth headset capable ▶ Use the Relay dashboard to track, manage and even communicate with your team

Relay

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Member Services + Activities Golf Cars Join the Club

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Modular Muscle

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Course + Grounds Master the Greens

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Advanced Braking

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Toro

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

K������ E�������� Ice Ice Baby

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F��� + B������� Great Balls of Butter

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

T����� + C�����

Versatile Comfort

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Eustis Chair

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ADVERTISER INDEX BARILLA BarillaFS.com

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CALLAWAY GOLF COMPANY www.callawaygolf.com

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

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THE MONTAGUE COMPANY 800-345-1830 • montaguecompany.com

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

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CLUBPROCURE 800-363-5480 / www.clubprocure.com

53 72-73

CRES COR www.crescor.com

DUFFY’S TRI-C CLUB SUPPLY INC. 800-274-8742 / www.DuffysTriC.com

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26 ETHOS CLUB & LEISURE 972-341-8133 / www.ethosclubandleisure.com EUSTIS CHAIR 978-827-3103 / sales@eustischair.com 86

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Club + Resort Business

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May 2021

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HUNT TEXTILES 800.458.9445 / sales@hunttextiles.com www.hunttextiles.com

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IDAHO POTATO COMMISSION www.IDAHOpotato.com/FSPRO

49

JOHN DEERE www.JohnDeere.com/Golf

3

51 JOHNSONVILLE FOODSERVICE www.Foodservice.Johnsonville.com/SausageStrips LANDMARK GOLF COURSE PRODUCTS 888-337-7677 / www.Rinowood.com

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63 REAL FOOD 617-876-2100 / connect@rfhsd.com / rfhsd.com 87

SOUTHERN PRIDE southernpride.com

STUDIO JBD & JEFFERSON 27 GROUP ARCHITECTURE 401-721-0977 / Pcafaro@JBDandJGA.com YAMAHA 866-747-4027 / YamahaGolfCar.com

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www.clubandresortbusiness.com

CONSISTENCY

COMES STANDARD The SP-700 offers 72 sq. ft. of cooking surface and is available with a 12” or 18” deep rack system. This model is ideal for large batches of ribs, brisket, pork and more.

Family owned and operated, we proudly offer a network of distributors that take care of your Electric, Gas or Mobile configurations from start to finish.

Southern Pride smokers are designed with high-quality components that help guarantee a long life, ease of use, accuracy of controls and consistent heat resulting in unmatched, dependable performance every time.

Visit us online at southernpride.com today!

MADE WITH PRIDE IN THE USA

PURPOSE-BUILT TO WORK AS HARD AS YOU DO!

THE MONTAGUE® 24/7/365 RANGE.

All 304 Stainless Steel Construction

Welded, Seamless Oven Door with Springless Design & Lifetime Warranty

304 Stainless Steel Lift Out Drip Tray, Pilots & Pilot Supply Tubing

30,000 BTU Raised Port Star Burners with Heavily Ribbed Cast Iron, Surface-Ground Top Grates

When you’re cooking for your celebrated club members, you need equipment that never lets you down. The Montague® Legend® 24/7/365 Range is exceptionally-equipped with factory upgrades engineered for peak performance. It’s designed to deliver continuous high-production cooking throughout the day… and throughout the years.

When reliability means everything, insist on a company and with a heritage of culinary and manufacturing excellence. It’s time to discover Montague!

® MADE IN USA

24/7/365 range

The Montague Company • 1-800-345-1830 • montaguecompany.com