Club + Resort Business November 2022 by WTWH Media LLC

November 2022

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Creating Magic Pays Off For

Champions Run The 30-year-old club in Omaha, Neb. is succeeding because its leaders are taking steps to revamp what a country club could be.

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

Cosmic Lessons

For William Rogers, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club, success is never stagnant—it is measured by the growth of each individual on his team and the excellence of the culinary experience.

INSIDE Keeping Pace With Plant-Based From Sous Chef to Executive Chef The Future of Food Trucks

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

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INSIDE

November 2022 • Vol. 18 • No. 11

THIS

ISSUE

CREATING MAGIC PAYS OFF FOR CHAMPIONS RUN

The 30-year-old club in Omaha, Neb. is succeeding because its leaders are taking steps to revamp what a country club could be. An emphasis on fun and entertainment has led to increases in membership numbers and revenue. (Photo by Champions Run)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

2022 Pro Shops

Top Ranked

TOP RANKED PRO SHOPS

See what properties across the country are doing to boost sales and keep members and guests coming back for more.

Design + Renovaton 24 RENOVATING THE KITCHEN,

FROM SOUP TO NUTS

Club chefs are putting their renovated cook spaces to excellent use.

The Rob Report

Clubhouse Notes

10 11 32

November 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com

PRO SHOP POP HITTING THE ROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME Management

MAKING LASTING CONNECTIONS Golf + Fitness Technology

NEVER STOP LEARNING Design Snapshot

TAKING FULL COMMAND OF DINING AT SEA

35 Club + Resort Chef

COSMIC LESSONS

Cosmic Lessons

For William Rogers, Executive Chef of The Cosmos Club, success is never stagnant—it is measured by the growth of each individual on his team and the excellence of the culinary experience.

For William Rogers, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club, success is never stagnant—it is measured by the growth of each individual on his team and the excellence of the culinary experience.

INSIDE Keeping Pace With Plant-Based From Sous Chef to Executive Chef The Future of Food Trucks

4 Masthead www.clubandresortbusiness.com

65 Product Showcase

66 Ad Index November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 5

THE ROB REPORT

Pro Shop Pop PRO SHOPS HAVE COME a long way since I ﬁrst began playing golf 35+ years ago. Sure, that can be said about almost everything in life, but our November issue features Top Ranked Pro Shops (see page 12), so let’s discuss. I grew up playing at a pair of public courses without much glitz and glamour. The unassuming pro shops were not much more than a counter where you could pay your greens fees and buy a sleeve of golf balls or a bag of tees. One of them included a bucket of lost (and found) balls you could buy for .50 cents each. There were always a handful of putters someone could buy if they became disenchanted with their current ﬂat stick and a rack of golf shirts that nobody bothered to look at. One of the courses sold golf gloves (for righties, only) … the other did not. I paint a fairly dark and dank picture, but I honestly don’t think anyone cared and the owners didn’t know what they were missing out on. This was pre-Tiger, of course, so the explosion in popularity was a few years away. Fast forward to today and the Pro Shop has become big business. Look no further than Destination Kohler in Wisconsin. Last year Whistling Straits did $4.72 million and Blackwolf Run did $2.29 million in the pro shop! At Sand Valley in Nekoosa, Wis., the three courses—Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes and The Sand Box—and their recognizable logos all run through one pro shop. Together they generate $3.7 million in revenues. Those examples are in a part of the country where snow if plentiful and golf gets shut down for a good portion of the year. Imagine if they were in Southern California, Arizona or Florida. 6

l Club + Resort Business l November 2022

“I want to know what makes your pro shop stand out. Do you stock anything that might be considered unusual? Have specific promotions proved to be especially successful?” The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach, Fla. recently expanded its Golf & Lifestyle shop to include an assortment of men’s and ladies’ apparel, shoes and accessories including Peter Millar, Grayson, G-Fore, Redvanly, Donald Ross, Tzu Tzu, Lohla, Golftini & Lululemon. The club also carries popular assortments of candles, gifts, handbags, sunglasses, and golf bags. Time out. Handbags, sunglasses and candles? CANDLES! I realize I was a bit harsh on the clubs of my youth, but a pro shop … I mean, Golf & Lifestyle shop … carrying handbags and candles was unheard of in the late 80s. Now it’s common in certain places. At the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga., Director of Retail Kristen Everard and her staﬀ oﬀer creative seasonal promotions and utilize innovative, visual merchandising initiatives. For example, the SEC reigns supreme when it comes

to college football and the AAC membership. In August, the Pro Shop debuted its very own “SEC Corner,” featuring apparel and accessories from the conference and its rival schools. Flags and pennants from all the schools adorned the walls, making for an attractive and eye-catching display, which stays up right through the holidays. Available for purchase are schoollogoed polo shirts, hats, outerwear, belts, tumblers, keychains and much more. As you might guess, The University of Texas Golf Club in Austin, Texas would like to have a word on the topic of college football. We featured the club and Kayli Lopez, Casita/Online Store Manager in a November 2020 Burning Issues article on making the Pro Shop “pandemic proof.” One of their greatest tools … you guessed it, online sales. That and a rabid fan base. I want to know what makes your pro shop stand out. Do you stock anything that might be considered unusual? Have speciﬁc promotions proved to be especially successful? Drop me an e-mail and let me know. We’d love to feature your club in an upcoming issue.

Rob Thomas • Editor

rthomas@wtwhmedia.com

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

CLUBHOUSE NOTES

Hitting The Road For The First Time A CHANCE TO VISIT country clubs around the U.S. was one of the reasons I accepted the job at Club + Resort Business this past spring. I recently returned from visiting two clubs in Omaha, Neb.: Champions Run and Field Club of Omaha. After spending about six months interviewing country club employees and reviewing industry press releases, it was nice to visit with club leaders on their home turf. By emphasizing fun and entertainment, Champions Run prides itself on creating unique and memorable experiences for members and guests. Creative Director Ben Lorenzen, who gave me a tour of the facilities on my first day in Omaha, says he enjoys working in the country club business. “I love the club industry because I feel like it’s 10 businesses in one,” Lorenzen says. “You have golf, tennis, food and beverage. It makes every day really different.” The “every day is different” comment was echoed by General Manager Andy Reetz, Director of Agronomy Greg Jones and Executive Chef John Benton. They clearly enjoy their jobs and the various challenges that they deal with each day. Lorenzen showed me the golf course, fitness center, tennis courts, pool area with splash park and climbing wall, playground, dining areas, and banquet rooms. The club has made facility improvements during the last few years in conjunction with a master plan that was crafted from a member survey conducted in 2017. The dining rooms, entrance and banquet rooms on the clubhouse’s main level were renovated last year. Lorenzen also serves as the club’s Director of Aquatics and Fitness and oversees a youth swim team with more than 400 participants. The program has grown in popularity due to a focus on playing games and having fun rather than swimming lap after lap. After seeing the facilities and chatting 8

l Club + Resort Business l November 2022

with several employees, Lorenzen and I had lunch in The Fairway Room, which oﬀered a spectacular view of the golf course. The meal was delicious and I enjoyed learning more about Lorenzen as I glanced at the Champions course on a beautiful sunny day. Following the meal, it was time to take a few swings on the golf course. Using a set of demo clubs, I played the Front 9 with Mitch Klooz, a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at Champions. After not playing much golf for the past decade, I’m again playing more and it was inspiring to play with a golfer as talented as Klooz. While I was there, I learned that Klooz shot a course record 58 at Champions in August. Klooz told me he eagled every Par 5 during his round. My shots improved as I got more acclimated to the clubs that I was using. Besides the wind, another challenge was playing shots on hills where the ball was either on lower or higher ground. Klooz was a great tour guide as he pointed out recent upgrades and discussed upcoming improvements. I stopped by Field Club of Omaha the next day to speak with General Manager Greg Gilg, and while the weather was cooler, it was still a nice day to check out the golf course. Gilg says the club is adding a third set of tee boxes and renovation work is occurring on holes 14 and 15. The 14th hole will be closed until May 2023, while the 15th hole was recently closed for a month and reopened as a temporary Par 3. Gilg adds the 15th will become a Par 4 in the spring after the sod in the tee box takes root. Some fairway bunkers are

being installed on the 5,200-yard course to add in a challenge for golfers who hit long tee shots. “These young guys hit the ball a mile,” Gilg says. “[When] you get into some of these league match-ups, there aren’t enough strokes for guys who are hitting drivers up on the green. We wanted to make sure we had some kind of answer to that.” Club leaders decided to offer complimentary golf lessons to golf members starting in 2020. When club officials researched the issue, Gilg says they only found one other facility in the U.S. that provided this benefit. He admits that, if officials had realized how much the pandemic was going to impact their business, they likely would’ve delayed implementation. Still, Gilg says the free lessons are “one of the most attractive benefits” for golf members, and the program has “stabilized a category of membership that had always had lax demand when compared to our social and clubhouse categories.” I plan to share more details about Champions’ unique swim program and Field Club’s complimentary golf lessons in upcoming editions. I enjoyed the trip and am looking forward to visiting more clubs to hear about other exciting and innovative programs.

Phil Keren • Associate Editor pkeren@wtwhmedia.com

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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MANAGEMENT

MAKING LASTING CONNECTIONS By Michelle Harmon • General Manager Water Oak Country Club Estates • Lady Lake, Fla.

I WAS RECENTLY PROMOTED to General Manager of Water Oak Country Club Estates and I have loved the challenge thus far. But my extensive background in hospitality has made the transition easier than you may expect stepping into this large of a role. I have spent decades working with hotel and resort guests, ensuring they are comfortable and taken care of and I loved every minute of it. Working with our Water Oak residents and members has allowed me to forge lasting connections in contrast with hotel guests who come and go. This is their home, and we will have these relationships for a long time. I make it a point to spend as much time with our residents as I can, a priority that is shared by our whole team. I think that’s what makes Water Oak so special. Most of our staff has non-traditional backgrounds, with many, including myself, coming from hospitality. We don’t view our residents as the people who purchased a home, we view them as integral parts of this community—and people we are here to serve. Bringing that hospitality touch to the community management team has been really rewarding. When we speak with our residents, they make it clear how much they love living here … and who wouldn’t? It looks like a resort and has resort amenities. But, more than that, it’s the place you get to call home. We place a high emphasis on resident interaction here at Water Oak. I will often take care of administrative tasks

fostering relationships with “ Beyond individual residents, investing in my relationship with our HOA has been high on my priority list.

”

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

from my home office, so that when I am on the property I can get as much face time with our residents as possible. Any concern or suggestion, we want to hear it. Beyond fostering relationships with individual residents, investing in my relationship with our HOA has been high on my priority list. The relationship between community management and a community’s Homeowners Association is not always an easy one. But in this short period of time, I have already seen my team’s investment pay off. I speak with the president of our HOA every single day, if not multiple times per day. We also know how lucky we are at Water Oak to have such a wonderful group of people living here, as our counterparts. They care about this community as much as we do. Sometimes we have differences of opinion, but having a solid foundation, trust and mutual respect for one another allows us to resolve any issues that may arise. We are all working toward one common goal … making Water Oak a wonderful place to live and play. By establishing open and honest communication with our residents, we hear their feedback and can work toward implementing their wishes. This, in turn, makes Water Oak more attractive to prospective members and an enjoyable place to work. Bringing the new amenity center—complete with a pool, dog park and event lawn—was part of a joint effort between the passionate HOA and a hospitality-minded community management team. In addition, we are redesigning our 18-hole golf course and just earned our USGA Championship Golf Course rating. Our community loved the golf course for years and the new design will only enhance that. These special touches are what makes this Lady Lake community feel like a vacation year-round. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

GOLF + FITNESS TECHNOLOGY

NEVER STOP LEARNING By Matt Kilgariff • PGA Director of Player Development The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe • Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

I HAD THE PLEASURE AND honor of working with Butch Harmon for more than 13 years. I fondly recall him continuously encouraging every staff member to stay curious and be a lifelong learner to remain relevant. Having just recently attended the California Coaching and Teaching Summit, I was reminded of Butch and how important the lesson to never stop learning is. Jamie Mulligan, one of the foremost minds in golf instruction and CEO of Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif., and coach to Patrick Cantlay and Nelly Korda, hosted a phenomenal event. The knowledge shared throughout the event was more than enough to make all who attended better coaches. The talented and knowledgeable professionals that Jamie and his committee assembled were amazing. Speakers included: Mark Blackburn (coach to Max Homa, TPI), Dave Phillips (Jon Rahm, TPI Cofounder), Stephen Sweeney (Shane Lowry), Jonah Oliver (Cameron Smith), Suzy Whaley (PGA Master Professional), and Randy Smith (Scottie Scheffler). As a coach, I hope you will find at least one nugget of inspiration that will help you become an even better coach. As a player, I hope you learn and apply something new to improve your game. Mark Blackburn and Dave Phillips of TPI both reiterated the importance of screening players. Screening is necessary to learn of any physical issues that are leading to swing limitations or flaws. Once discovered and diagnosed, then develop a plan. The plan may include working with the player in the gym or simply figuring out the best way to work around the limitation.

Stephen Sweeney is a master putting instructor to many Tour Players. He offered up drills to help quantify practice. My favorite was the North/South/East/West drill: • Place five tees at each quadrant around the hole • The tees will be placed in a spiral formation at 4/5/6/7/8 feet • Make 15 out of 20 and you will reach 0 strokes gained according to the PGA Tour stats Jonah Oliver is one of the world’s experts in elite sport and performance psychology and coaching. I could have listened to him all day. Below are just a few of my takeaways: • How can you survive in the jungle if you were raised in the zoo? Practice like you play. • Do not change, regardless of the situation. Play robotically while being intimately human. • Play the shot, not the context of the situation. • What may look like confidence is really competence. • Underperformance is only a breakdown in focus. • One cannot reduce stress under pressure, rather tolerate the discomfort and take positive action to get a positive result. Suzy Whaley was the first female to qualify and compete in a PGA Tour event and the first female president of the PGA of America. She is a firm believer that when you have a breakthrough with your student, you must have them answer the following questions: • What did you do? • What did it feel like?

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• What do you think you looked like? Randy Smith is a PGA of America hall of famer and coach to the 2022 Masters winner, Scottie Scheffler. His wealth of knowledge is amazing. Here is what stood out to me: • The faster the clubface is moving, the more stable it is through impact • To play at the highest level you need these three characteristics o Must have the ability to smash the driver o Must be a surgeon with irons o Must be able to hook wedges This summit was an outstanding two days of camaraderie, education, and fun. I could not wait to share a few things I learned and hope you will find them helpful and useful. Personally and professionally speaking, there were so many takeaways that I will be implementing to help me become a better person and coach. The remarkable thing about seminars such as this is that what I learned does not just apply to Tour players, but to every player—including members and students. I honestly believe if you are always hungry to learn, continue to grow and surround yourself with individuals that you respect and admire, you will become a better “you” in all facets of your life. NEVER STOP LEARNING! 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.

November 2022 l Club + Resort Business l 11

TOP RANKED pro shops BY THE NUMBERS

Annual average Revenues $1,197,850

Most = $10 million Philadelphia Country Club

0.7% of total revenues are online sales

Pro Shop Average Size= 1,688 sq. ft.

Largest - 6,000 Sq. ft.

The Landings Golf & Athletic Club and The Bridgewater Club

smallest - 200 Sq. ft. Quail Village Golf Club

Who Owns the

Pro Shop?

most - 20%

The University of Texas Golf Club

• 98% Club • 2% Pro Number of SKUs Average 5,028

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

Number of Demo Days Average = 13 most - 54

Atlanta Athletic Club

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

2022 Pro Shops

What % of total revenues are hard goods? Average 37% Most - 70% - TPC Treviso Bay Least - 3% - Sand Valley

Annual Revenues 1 Philadelphia CC

$10M

2 Whistling Straits

$4.72M

3 Palm Beach Par 3

$4M

4 Sand Valley

$3.7M

5 Atlanta Athletic Club

$2.73M

Average annual Revenues = $1.2M

FITTING

• 93% yes • 7% no What % of total revenues are soft goods? Average 63% most - 97% - Sand Valley Least - 20.5% - Mizner Country Club

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 13

TOP RANKED pro shops

2022 Top Rank Ranking

City

State

Pro Shop Total Sq. Ft

Annual Revenues

% Sales Hard Goods

% Sales Soft Goods

Clubfitting?

#of Demo Days

Newport Beach

Calif.

2000

1,200,000

Yes

Johns Creek

Ga.

1700

272,8319

Yes

Estero

Fla.

3350

1,450,000

Yes

Nekoosa

Wis.

1200

3,700,000

Bonita Springs

Fla.

3000

2,000,000

Yes

Palm Beach Gardens

Fla.

2950

1,375,766

24.5

75.5

Yes

Palm Desert

Calif.

3400

718,000

Yes

Club Name

Newport Beach Country Club

Atlanta Athletic Club

Shadow Wood Country Club

Sand Valley

Bonita Bay Club

BallenIsles Country Club

The Lakes Country Club Association

The University of Texas Golf Club

Austin

Texas

1300

1,086,000

32.5

Yes

The Landings Golf & Athletic Club

Savannah

Ga.

6000

1,776,000

Yes

Kenwood Country Club

Cincinnati

Ohio

2200

1,000,000

Yes

Blackwolf Run

Kohler

Wis.

1351

2,288,338

Yes

The Club at Quail Ridge

Boynton Beach

Fla.

1800

1,091,000

Yes

Whistling Straits

Sheboygan

Wis.

1312

4,712,789

19.2

80.7

Yes

Baltimore Country Club

Lutherville

Md.

3200

1,600,000

Yes

Fiddler's Elbow

Bedminster Township

N.J.

1800

2,640,086

Yes

Sawgrass Country Club

Ponte Vedra Beach

Fla.

1100

825,000

Yes

Mizner Country Club

Delray Beach

Fla.

900

380,000

20.5

Yes

Quail West Golf & Country Club

Naples

Fla.

2400

1,161,089

Yes

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club

Fort McDowell

Ariz.

2000

1,220,000

St. Andrews Country Club

Bocae Raton

Fla.

2157

13,000

Yes

Boca West Country Club

Boca Raton

Fla.

5000

1,900,000

Yes

King & Bear

St. Augustine

Fla.

1681

549,124

23.5

Yes

Forest Creek Golf Club

Pinehurst

N.C.

1050

840,000

Club at Creighton Farms

Aldie

Va.

2800

521,623

Yes

Palm Beach Par 3

Palm Beach

Fla.

1000

4,000,000

23.1

76.9

Bayside Resort Golf Club

Selbyville

Del.

900

428,255

Yes

Heritage Oaks Golf Club

Northbrook

Ill.

1049

222,163

Yes

Pine Lake Country Club

Orchard Lake

Mich.

1100

902,929

Yes

San Jose Country Club

Jacksonville

Fla.

1800

580,000

Yes

The Club at Ibis

West Palm Beach

Fla.

2500

1,900,000

Yes

Blackhawk Country Club

Danville

Calif.

1900

1,274,946

Yes

Gaillardia Country Club

Oklahoma City

Okla.

1300

850,000

Yes

Jeremy Ranch Golf and CC

Park City

Utah

1700

485,000

Yes

14 l Club + Resort Business l November 2022 14 l Club + Resort Business l March 2021

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nked pro shops Ranking

Club Name

2022 Pro Shops

City

State

Pro Shop Total Sq. Ft

Annual Revenues

% Sales Hard Goods

% Sales Soft Goods

Clubfitting?

#of Demo Days

Des Moines Golf & Country Club

West Des Moines

Iowa

1400

980,000

Yes

Addison Reserve Country Club

Delray Beach

Fla.

1600

939,700

Yes

Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club

Palm City

Fla.

1500

810,000

Yes

The Country Club at Castle Pines

Castle Rock

Colo.

950

685,000

Yes

Lancaster Country Club

Lancaster

Pa.

850

700,000

Yes

The Club at Olde Cypress

Naples

Fla.

650

193,000

Yes

Sedgeﬁeld Country Club

Greensboro

N.C.

1300

736,883

Yes

Woodﬁeld Boca Raton

Boca Raton

Fla.

1800

700,000

Yes

Philadelphia Country Club

Gladwyne

Pa.

1600

1,000,000

Yes

The Bridgewater Club

Westﬁeld

Ind.

6000

700,000

Yes

Fountain Head Country Club

Hagerstown, MD

Md.

1200

250,000

Yes

Quail Village Golf Club

Naples

Fla.

200

100,000

Yes

The Topeka Country Club

Topeka

Kan.

1500

480,000

Yes

Sycamore Hills Golf Club

Fort Wayne

Ind.

1600

600,000

Yes

Kalamazoo Country Club

Kalamazoo

Mich.

1400

700,000

Yes

Desert Willow Golf Resort

Palm Desert

Calif.

2200

1,100,000

16.9

83.1

Yes

Lantana Golf Club

Lantana

Texas

700

434,855

Yes

Keowee Key Golf & Country Club

Salem

S.C.

1000

250,000

Yes

Cedarbrook Country Club

Blue Bell

Pa.

700

750,000

Yes

Elk River Club

Banner Elk

N.C.

1820

937,800

Yes

-1

TPC Sugarloaf

Duluth

Ga.

1100

800,000

Yes

Gleneagles Country Club

Delray Beach

Fla.

1438

384,673

54.4

45.6

Yes

Moselem Springs Golf Club

Fleetwood

Pa.

400

300,000

52.5

Yes

Boca Grove

Boca Raton

Fla.

1178

241,980

Yes

TPC Treviso Bay

Naples

Fla.

1000

470,000

Yes

Hamilton Farm Golf Club

Gladstone

N.J.

1050

1,200,000

Yes

Waldorf Astoria Golf Club

Orlando

Fla.

500

700,000

-1

Wampanoag Country Club

West Hartford

Conn.

720

468,000

Yes

Country Club of Landfall

Wilmington

N.C.

1198

800,000

Yes

Cowboys Golf Club

Grapevine

Texas

900

1,578,931

Yes

Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club

Lakewood Ranch

Fla.

800

1,300,000

Yes

Bonita Bay Club

Bonita Springs

Fla.

2,000

1300

www.clubandresortbusiness.com www.clubandresortbusiness.com

November 2022 l Club + Resort Business l 15 March 2021 l Club + Resort Business l 15

» CHAMPIONS RUN

CREATING MAGIC

CHAMPIO The 30-year-old club in Omaha, Neb. is succeeding because its leaders are taking steps to revamp what a country club could be. An emphasis on fun and entertainment has boosted membership numbers and revenue. By Phil Keren, Associate Editor

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Photo Courtesy Champions Run

GIC PAYS OFF FOR

ONS RUN EVERYTHING IS ON THE UPSWING at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. Membership numbers are rising, revenue is increasing, events routinely sell out, and the club is regularly upgrading its facilities. What’s the secret? Creating magic. By focusing on entertainment and fun, Creative Director Ben Lorenzen says the staﬀ tries to create magical moments for members and their guests. “Too many times in the club industry I think people have become complacent in what they do,” says Lorenzen. “[They say] ‘These are the same exact events we do every single year.’” Instead, Lorenzen says Champions employees “keep challenging the status quo and [make] things fun, innovative.” Andy Reetz, who became GM at Champions in 2017, adds he and his staﬀ create an environment where “we’re not www.clubandresortbusiness.com

afraid to fail.” “We give our leaders the bat and say, ‘go swing it,’” he says. “Every so often we swing and miss. We regroup, say ‘hey, let’s not do that one again.’” More often than not, however, the new ideas pay off. A Fall Fest that started during the early times of the pandemic drew more than 1,000 attendees in October. Each day at the pool includes a unique activity. It could be a treasure hunt, staff members shooting T-shirts from the roof, a mascot race, or a half-court basketball shot challenge where a made shot means every adult wins a margarita and each child gets a popsicle. “We’re trying to revamp what a country club could be,” Lorenzen says. “...We’re like the Disney World of private clubs...Creating that magic is really what differentiates us from everybody else.” November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 17

» Country Club of Buffalo

Andy Reetz (right), the club’s General Manager, says he allows his employees to offer input and feel a sense of ownership in their work. “What I truly enjoy about this place is my co-workers,” Reetz says. “Our culture here is second-to-none.”

HISTORY, OVERVIEW Champions Run offers an 18-hole golf course with five sets of tees, a junior olympic-sized pool, five Har-Tru lighted tennis courts, a fitness center, banquet space and three dining areas — The Divot’s Grille, The Rough Bar and The Fairway Room. Champions Run golf course was designed by Jeffrey Brauer.

After the course was built in 1992, the pool and tennis complex were constructed in 1993 and 1994, the clubhouse was built in 1994 and the club became private that same year. Champions hosted the Cox Classic, a professional golf tournament on a PGA satellite tour, from 1996 through 2013. The pavilion was constructed in 2006, and a playground next to the pool was built in 2010. A splash park, a rock wall and an expanded fitness center were constructed in 2019. The dining rooms, entrance and banquet rooms on the main level were renovated in 2021. A member survey was conducted in 2017 and a master plan was developed based on the responses. In 2018, the club decided to eliminate food and beverage minimums. At the same time, a capital dues fund was set up to pay for improvements outlined in the master plan. Golf members pay $60 a month and social members pay $40 per month into the special fund.

Champions Run opened as a golf club in 1992. Today, the club offers an 18-hole golf course with five sets of tees, a junior olympicsized pool, five Har-Tru lighted tennis courts, a fitness center, banquet space and three dining areas.

APPROACH TO WORK, STAFFING Reetz says he allows his employees to offer input and feel a sense of ownership in their work. “What I truly enjoy about this place is my co-workers,” Reetz says. “Our culture here is second-to-none.” The guiding principles for employees are integrity, effort and attitude. Integrity, Reetz says, is “paramount for us. It’s the foundation.” While Reetz expects his employees to work hard, he also wants them to enjoy what they’re doing. “We’re positive disposition people…let’s go have some fun,” Reetz says. In his other role as Director of Aquatics and Fitness, Lorenzen says he looks for integrity, effort and attitude when selecting swim team coaches. He has about 25 coaches, but notes about 20 do not have a swimming background.

The approach is working as the number of social memberships increased more than 25% during the last two years. There is a full golf membership, with another 90 on the wait list. An increase in memberships, along with rises in Food and Beverage sales has translated into fiscal success for Champions Run. “It’s grown significantly over the last five years,” Reetz says. “Over 30% the last few years.” Not bad for a place that was initially envisioned as a golf club when it opened in 1992.

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

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“I can teach you how to coach swimming,” Lorenzen explains. “I can’t teach you effort, integrity and attitude...we find [coaches] who the little children are going to respond to because they’re energetic [and] they have positive attitudes.” Around age 14, children tend to leave the swim program, but Lorenzen says Champions has older teens work as coaches in the swim, golf and tennis programs. “A lot of them go on to be managers, ” Lorenzen says. “They become staff here.” He notes some clubs don’t hire members because they feel it’s a conflict of interest, but Champions has a different philosophy. “Why would I send somebody who is very talented to go work at a club down the street?” asks Lorenzen. GOLF COURSE Champions started as a golf course, and that venue remains very popular with members, according to Greg Jones, Director of Agronomy.

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Ben Lorenzen (right) is Creative Director and Director of Aquatics and Fitness at Champions Run. He notes he wants his swim team coaches to demonstrate eﬀort, integrity and a positive attitude. “We ﬁnd [coaches] who the little children are going to respond to because they’re energetic.”

November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 19

» Country Club of Buffalo

Greg Neujahr (left), PGA Director of Golf, says Champions Run’s 18-hole golf course offers a mixture of driveable Par 4s, challenging Par 3s and risk/reward Par 5s. “The course makes you play a variety of...shots and utilize almost all of the clubs in your bag,” says Neujahr. “It is really difficult to get tired of playing the course.” At right, Mitch Klooz is one of the PGA Assistant Golf Professionals on the Champions staff.

That’s likely due to the course’s mixture of driveable Par 4 holes, challenging Par 3s and risk/reward Par 5s, says Greg Neujahr, Champions’ PGA Director of Golf. “The course makes you play a variety of...shots and utilize almost all of the clubs in your bag,” says Neujahr. “It is really difficult to get tired of playing the course.” The cart paths on holes 15, 16 and 17 will be converted this year from asphalt to concrete, and re-routed, while the other paths will be redone during the next four to five years. Mitch Klooz, a PGA Assistant Golf Professional at the club, says there are multiple spots where the underbrush was removed to improve the air flow, which in turn, helps keep the grass healthy. Some trees were also removed to boost playability. A cottonwood tree that stands next to the 18th hole fairway is used as the club’s logo. Neujahr says they are testing a strain of bent grass called 007 XL on a few fairways and tee boxes. “This new bent is more tolerant to heat and disease,” Neujahr says. “We are excited to see what these areas look like next spring.” Participation in the junior program among golf members has remained consistent, but there are more social members who want their children to receive instruction. 20

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

“We have provided outside instruction for these kids beyond the scope of our normal junior program,” Neujahr says. The women’s golf leagues are popular, with more than 200 participants and the course is on track to log about 27,000 rounds played in 2022. TENNIS, PICKLEBALL Racquet sports are active at Champions, with the club offering an “extensive” tennis and pickleball program, according to Sue Sloboth, Director of Tennis/Pickleball. There are “Learn to Play” tennis and pickleball clinics that feed into novice league play and tennis clinics for juniors of different abilities and ages. “Juniors [have] the opportunity to play two to five times [per] week,” Sloboth says. “We have an active Junior Ladder with modified point play out for new players, on up to junior Interclub team competition for the Advanced Excellence group.” FOOD AND BEVERAGE Executive Chef John Benton says he enjoys the variety of tasks he handles, and notes the day might start with a breakfast and conclude with grilling food on the golf course. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

YEARS F r o m O n l i n e Te e T i m e s

t o C l u b M a n a g e m e n t S o ft w a r e

Let’s raise a toast

Cheers to the clubs we are proud to call our partners Cheers to our dedicated team & last but not least Cheers to the love of bringing people together

R E S E R VAT I O N S | A P P S | W E B S I T E S | B A C K O F F I C E W W W. F O R E T E E S .C O M

» CHAMPIONS RUN CC

Champions Run offers five Har-Tru lighted tennis courts. Sue Sloboth (left), Director of Tennis/Pickleball at the club, says Champions offers an “extensive” tennis and pickleball program.

Why are there so many swimmers? Simple: An emphasis on fun and entertainment. “[Swimming’s] not a very social sport and when I started [it], people didn’t want to be there,” Lorenzen says. “It was like pulling teeth to get kids in the water.” He chose to take a different approach. “[We decided] we’re going to focus this entire program on fun,” Lorenzen says. Perhaps 20% of practice time is dedicated to swimming laps and the rest is spent playing games and having fun. The program’s participation level grew from 80 swimmers to 150 to 220 to 350. Lorenzen increased the registration fee to try to slow things down, MEMBERSHIP GETTING YOUNGER but he says “more people signed up.” An emphasis on fun and entertainment has led to a younger Recent facility upgrades are also targeted toward younger membership base, with the average age of members declining members. during the last few years to 48. Last winter, the club increased its pool deck by about 15 feet, One youth activity that has skyrocketed in popularity is the built a retaining wall and set up cabanas. The baby pools were swim team, which has 420 members. replaced by a splash park with three water slides in 2019. “It’s the largest recreational swim team in the country,” Loren“The kids just absolutely love it,” Lorenzen says. zen says. Also in 2019, a rock wall was added in the diving well to offer an activity for teens. Stationed in the middle of the splash park is the Kraken, an orange squid that serves as Champions’ mascot. Several years ago, Lorenzen asked members to vote in an Instagram poll and the Kraken received the most votes in a competition against three other potential mascots. Initially, the Kraken was only connected with aquatics, but once Reetz took charge in 2017, he instructed Lorenzen to associate the orange squid with other activities. “Now everyone’s the Kraken,” Lorenzen says. “That orange squid’s on everything. It’s on our menu. It’s on all of the apparel that we wear.” Reetz notes Lorenzen is a big fan of the Savannah Bananas, the exhibition baseball team in Savannah, Ga. that ESPN called “the greatest show in sports.” John Benton (above right), Executive Chef at Champions Run, says the club “Sometimes I feel like we’re the Kraken Bananas,” specializes in dry-aged steaks, and offers a diverse menu that includes Mexican Reetz says. cuisine. He adds the club will soon offer a handmade pasta program. “I never get bored,” he says. Each week, the club features a different dry-aged steak cut. ”Everybody knows good steak, but we try and take that a step further by taking a great cut of meat and then aging that in-house in a controlled environment, anywhere from 14 days to three and four months,” Benton says. Mexican-style dishes are among the most popular choices on the menu, but the most sought-after item is the snake river farms double cheeseburger. Benton says he’s working on starting a handmade pasta program.

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

The splash park at Champions Run was built in 2019. Keeping watch is the Kraken, an orange squid character that serves as the club’s mascot. The Kraken appears on merchandise sold in the pro shop. Kayla Ryan (right), Director of Weddings and Banquets, says family-friendly events are very popular at the club.

Some of the club’s most popular events are family-friendly. Kayla Ryan, Director of Weddings and Banquets, estimates 500 to 600 children attend the Halloween event, and 600 youngsters go to each of the two Santa brunches. About 1,000 people attended Fall Fest, which included a live band with a beer garden, hay rides, bounce houses, petting zoos, and games. Ryan notes Fall Fest was started in 2020, and continued the last two years because it was so well-received the ﬁrst time.

“Now every single country club in Omaha has a big Fall Fest,” Ryan says. “Now Andy [Reetz] puts on the challenge of . . .has [the event] run its course?…. What else can we do?” Ryan says she works with Lorenzen on creating new events. “Now, it’s like, ‘what’s next?” Ryan states. “We’re working on it. [We’re] trying to stay ahead of everyone else.” And it’s this eﬀort to create new experiences that makes each day unique at Champions. “Every single day is kind of a new adventure,” Reetz says. C+RB

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l Club + Resort Business l 23

DESIGN + RENOVATION

Renovating t From

With member dining in full swing, chefs are putting their renovated cook spaces to good use. By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

Soup t

g the Kitchen

p to Nuts

THE SOUND OF GLASSES CLINKING, forks scraping plates clean and the chatter of happy diners is music to any clubhouse manager’s ears. As they works their way through the dining room and push open the swinging doors into the kitchen, they enter the very space where the magic happens. As clubs continue to welcome back members and on-site dining resumes with a vigor that outpaces pre-pandemic covers, kitchens must be able to keep up with higher volumes and increased reservations. Redesigned facilities that have ﬁnetuned their layouts for enhanced productivity enable chefs to do their best work—and create meals that will have members coming back for seconds. MORE IN STORE In need of a more streamlined design that promises better output, the Philadelphia (Pa.) Cricket Club recently began a multiphase renovation to update its kitchen and dining facilities. The process began in 2019 when the club’s longrange planning committee took a closer look at the need for continuity between operations. “The dining rooms were separated … and the kitchen was not designed [for] consistency and volume,” says Executive Chef Ben Burger.

DESIGN + RENOVATION

PHILADELPHIA CRICKET CLUB Philadelphia, Pa.

“The increased cooler space and reorganization of prep allows for better workflow for all areas.” — Richard A. Jallet, Executive Chef

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November 2022

The first part of the renovation called for an updated banquet kitchen, which would enable the club to continue servicing weddings and other member events, while providing prep for other outlets. The renovated space opened this past May, with an expanded a la carte kitchen to be completed later this year. While the banquet kitchen’s footprint has remained intact, the rejiggered layout reflects better organization, a relocated dish area, additional equipment and updated storage facilities, including a keg/beverage cooler. “It keeps all storage on one level and allows [in the future] to run keg lines to the bar, so that staff does not have to run kegs through member areas,” notes Burger. A dedicated prep cooler is used exclusively for events, reserving the kitchen’s secondary cooler for raw goods. In the banquet kitchen’s prep space, two Alto-Shaam combi ovens provide greater efficiency for cooking and banquet production. A repositioned dish area, now front and center, enables faster breakdowns. Burger cites greater workflow, completely reducing crossover between prep, cooking and storage areas. Updated electric, drainage and HVAC also enhance the design, while new epoxy flooring with grit ensures a non-slip surface. During the renovation, the project had its fair share of challenges. Obtaining the correct dimensions for the new coolers required the removal of existing ones and the floors to be leveled. In addition, the new design needed tweaking after learning that one of the hoods was not up to code for the necessary equipment. “We ended up removing the

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DESIGN + RENOVATION

BALTIMORE COUNTRY CLUB Baltimore, Md.

“The impact [on revenues] is significant, with an immediate increase over 50 percent in cover counts.” — Richard A. Jallet, Executive Chef

hood and putting in ovens with built-in hoods and electric,” notes Burger. Despite these minor hiccups, the banquet kitchen’s redesign has already proven beneficial. “It supports the prep for all our outlets: pool, squash and paddle,” he says. “The increased cooler space and reorganization of prep allows for better workflow for all areas.” REFRESHED AND READY At the Baltimore (Md.) Country Club, a recent renovation resulted in an enhanced kitchen that can better handle banquet and a la carte service. According to Executive Chef Richard A. Jallet, this entailed new refrigeration, air conditioning and more efficient equipment. The year-long project was completed this past September, much to the delight of staff and members alike. While the upgraded kitchen entailed a modest boost in size, the benefits are proving to be immeasurable. Increasing the total square footage by 460 sq. ft.—to a new total of 2,560 sq. ft.—allowed builders to remove an indoor walk-in box, install an exterior box and extend two interior walls. “The increased space allowed the addition of a glass washer near the dishwashing station, more glassware storage, and expanded service area and another hood for more cooking equipment,” explains Jallet. Banquet operations received a boost with the construction of heated wells and heated lamps, along with a new combi oven. A steam kettle is able to cook soups and stews in place of a large stovetop pot, while an extra walk-in now has a dedicated cooler 28

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

for dairy/meat and seafood/produce. A blast chiller and spherical ice ball, along with a tilt skillet and new hoods, round out the improvements made to the workspace. When the kitchen was being renovated, the team ran into a few snags along the way. “The hood controls are all electronic and sophisticated, so there were some issues operating them when we first opened,” recalls Jallet. Shipping delays hindered the arrival of replacement parts, which were necessary when some of the equipment was damaged. In fact, some equipment, including one of the ice machines—ordered nearly one year ago—still has not arrived. Nevertheless, the club’s kitchen continues to churn out meals for multiple dining venues, all of which rely on one main menu that rotates every five weeks. Seasonal menu items, along with refreshed staples, continue to roll out with ease, thanks to this redesigned space. “The impact [on revenues] is significant, with an immediate increase over 50 percent in cover counts,” says Jallet. SEPARATE BUT EQUAL Banquet and a la carte service now have their own respective spaces in the kitchen at The Glencoe Golf & Country Club. The Calgary, Canada facility underwent a transformation last year, replacing an outdated kitchen that hadn’t been upgraded since the early 1980s. “Infrastructure was aged and fully depreciated, and space wasn’t functioning properly from a flow standpoint,” says General Manager Ash Chadha. While the 3,000-sq.-ft. kitchen’s footprint remained intact, www.clubandresortbusiness.com

the layout was reorganized for greater efficiency and better output. To create a more cohesive design, a bevy of kitchen equipment updates aims to streamline the floor plan. Centralized coolers, freezers and dry storage space house necessary ingredients at the ready, while prepared items can be easily stored. A separate banquet and bulk production line provide a prep area for daily operations, as well as an exclusive area for handling large events that will not disrupt a la carte production. Also benefitting food service for larger affairs is a banquet serving table, featuring heating wells and heat lamps that streamline plate service.

MASTER PLANNING

THE GLENCOE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB Calgary, Canada

“The brightly lit, new kitchen is designed to improve efficiencies, organization, flow and infrastructure … providing an enhanced dining experience for our restaurant and event guests.” —Ash Chadha, General Manager

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River Bend Golf and Country Club, Great Falls, Virginia

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November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 29

DESIGN + RENOVATION

GREAT HILLS COUNTRY CLUB Austin, Texas

“Most of our members’ home kitchens were larger than the kitchen in our previous clubhouse. But it was amazing to see the type of culinary dishes they could still create out there.” —Gaith Alkadi, General Manager/COO

Two new Rational iCombi Pro ovens allow proteins and vegetables to be cooked simultaneously, while a new pasta cooker enables bulk blanching and frees up oven range burners. Chadha also points out that the addition of three energy-efficient Rational ovens “provide our kitchen team with multiple cooking technique options without sacrificing quality or time.” To ensure a smooth receival of goods, the kitchen’s central pantry area is now positioned closer to the delivery door for easier access. Tile flooring was swapped out in favor of a slip-resistant version, and new floor drains, along with all-new electrical, completed the redesign. As a result of Glencoe’s kitchen overhaul, operations have improved dramatically. Food production and prep times are more efficient, and service flow—from kitchen to table—is unencumbered. And with more open areas that foster greater communication between kitchen staff, as well as front and back of house, employee morale has experienced a boost that has translated to stronger profit margins. According to Chadha, F&B revenues have increased 25 percent since the renovation and have also been propelled by a clubhouse renovation and a post-COVID surge in business. “The brightly lit, new kitchen is designed to improve efficiencies, organization, flow and infrastructure … providing an enhanced dining experience for our restaurant and event guests,” he says. 30

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

ALL-STAR DINING Cranking out plated meals and banquets in a modest-sized kitchen is no easy feat, but at some point, working in a kitchen that is tight on space requires larger accommodations. Such was the case for Great Hills Country Club in Austin, Texas, where a shift in club culture warranted a new kitchen. “Over the years, the club has transitioned into a more family-welcoming atmosphere, where families can gather for events and a sense of community,” explains General Manager/COO Gaith Alkadi. Last June, Great Hills underwent a clubhouse-wide renovation that included a much larger kitchen, additional equipment, and the ability to handle all a la carte, special events and member banquets. Expanding to 3,800 sq. ft.—nine times the previous footprint—the new kitchen is better equipped to manage prep, cooking and plating for all meals. “Most of our members’ home kitchens were larger than the kitchen in our previous clubhouse,” notes Alkadi. “But it was amazing to see the type of culinary dishes they could still create out there.” He points out the myriad advantages of the renovated space, including the opportunity for the staff to be more creative, have ample room to work and designate areas for specific products. In the previous design, kitchen equipment was somewhat limited; hot line items included one oven, a flat griddle, two www.clubandresortbusiness.com

fryers and a grill, while the cold side consisted of a small meat slicer, refrigerator, and cutting/prep area. With the larger layout, chefs have access to significantly more tools: a grill and a flat-top grill, two double fryers, two double ovens, a steamer, chip warmer, larger ice makers and a commercial-sized mixer and grater. Multiple soda stations make beverage service a breeze, while multiple dishwashing stations simplify cleanup. Storage is greatly enhanced by standing and lowboy coolers, walk-in coolers (including one designated for beer), walk-infreezer and a large dry storage area. Another “cool” perk: a prep area with its own refrigerator and freezer unit. To ensure that the new layout could withstand the influx of numerous equipment installations, the kitchen was updated with new electric GFI outlets, high amps and separate breakers. Additional dishwashing stations also warranted extra drains for easy floor cleaning. Perhaps one of the more noteworthy behind-the-scenes improvements is the construction of an RTI grease trap, which automatically pumps in fresh fryer oil and disposes used fryer grease. Alkadi credits this tool for its ability to “keep up with a consistent flavor for our members’ favorite dishes and lower the risk of employees being injured.” Now, with dedicated areas for prepping, cooking and plating, Grey Hills’ chefs can better service the club’s two dining

rooms, banquet room and four meeting rooms. Being able to move around freely, store items properly and cook the way they were meant to enables the staff to work efficiently and effectively. “We take great pride in hosting many of our members’ special events, including birthday parties, celebrations, family gatherings, work conferences and so much more, all while continuing to offer a la carte dining to the membership,” says Alkadi. C+RB

SUMMING IT UP > > >

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l Club + Resort Business l 31

DESIGN SNAPSHOT

Taking Full Command of Dining at Sea This Hilton Head Island resort’s waterside dining spot begs guests to linger longer. By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

Like a captain who knows how to steer his ship, management at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, S.C., has taken the helm and rebuilt its Quarterdeck restaurant to maximize its waterfront setting. “The original building, which had served the resort well for nearly 50 years, had limited views, no elevated outdoor dining and was frankly worn down,” says Director of Resort Development Cliﬀ McMackin. By adding a rooftop bar and expanding its accommodations, the refreshed dining space has gone to the next level (both literally and ﬁguratively) and can proudly live up to its name.

Design Snapshot

THE SEA PINES RESORT Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Architect/Interior Design: Hart Howerton, New York, NY; Ricca Design Studios Tiles: Fireclay, Daltile (walls); Somer Tile (flooring) Carpeting: Stark Carpet Paint: Benjamin Moore Countertops: AGM Imports Wallcoverings: Phillip Jeffries, Astek, Schumacher Hospitality

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE Visitors to The Sea Pines Resort would be hard-pressed to miss the sweeping views at the Quarterdeck. Situated on the west side of the property line, the restaurant is set against the backdrop of the Calibogue Sound, the Intracoastal Waterway and what locals refer to as Lighthouse Point, which plays home to the Harbour Town Yacht Basin. “When in the restaurant, you get the sense of being on a boat,” says McMackin. Spanning 23,000 sq. ft., the Quarterdeck’s multitiered design is a seamless integration of an indoor bar and dining room on the first floor, wraparound deck and rooftop oyster bar—complete with a shucking station—that boasts 270-degree views. Glass partitions throughout create a flexible layout that fosters year-round usage. “In spring and fall, the windows can be fully opened to take advantage of the comfortable, refreshing sea breezes,” explains McMackin. Ceiling heaters are used for winter outdoor dining, and in the summer, the doors are closed in favor of air conditioning. Seating accommodations are extremely generous, with space for 450 guests. The breakdown includes 200 patrons outside and 250 inside, with spots at the oyster bar, captain’s bar, private dining room and the Regatta Room. On the first-level deck, the Umbrella Bar serves as a casual boat-up destination adjacent to the harbourmaster’s office, while the Captain’s Bar looks out onto the yacht basin. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Photos courtesy of The Sea Pines Resort.

COASTAL CENTRAL To play up the Quarterdeck’s relaxed vibe and seaside setting, the space is outfitted with a mix of complementary hues in its furnishings. “The color palette is soothing and reminiscent of nearby waters, with a predominance of blues,” notes Director of Food and Beverage Matthew Roher. He points out the ceiling of the exterior porches painted in haint blue, which reflects a traditional Lowcountry style. Glacial white, khaki and green hues are a nod to the natural landscape and help balance the metallic detailing of the furnishings. “There is a bistro-inspired nautical design in the tiles, brass inlays on the Captain’s Bar and brass accents in the booths, lamps and wine racks,” Roher adds. Whites and blues are also present in the dining room; checkerboard basketweave chairs are featured on the first floor, while upstairs seating is tone-on, tone-off white weave. Outdoor dining is more casual, with comfy white mesh director’s chairs whose teak arms can be folded for easy storage. When diners are seated indoors, they can still enjoy seaside living, with elements of decorative accents peppered throughout the Quarterdeck. Historical photos of South Carolina adorn the stairwell between the first and second floors. Models of sailing pond boats, restored and installed by area sailing captain John Rumsey, are mounted on the walls of the Regatta Room. “Our goal was to make all the spaces feel inviting and not intimidating,” says Roher. Such welcomeness is even more evident in the Quarterdeck’s

casual, walk-up market located on the ground floor. Along with its menu of quick bites, beverages and other provisions, a fresh seafood counter loaded with daily catches offer a true taste of the treasures in the local waters. “It has been an instant hit with yacht captains, in-house guests and local property owners,” notes Roher of the market. A PLACE THAT HITS THE SPOT Since the Quarterdeck’s re-opening this past April, a steady flow of guests have enjoyed meals on the premises. “Business hasn’t slowed down…which is saying a lot in a seasonal destination,” says Roher. Following a strong peak season that yielded 1,600 daily covers and monthly average revenues of $1.5 million, the restaurant has been able to maintain its momentum for the days ahead. “Now that our high summer season is behind us, locals are frequenting and clamoring to get into the restaurant,” he adds. Overall feedback for the Quarterdeck has been extremely positive on everything, from the style and atmosphere, to the fresh food and stellar sunsets. “The interior experience has been overwhelmingly well received, as it’s been unexpected and very refreshing,” says McMackin. C+RB

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November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 33

chef tochefconference.com

R E G I S T R A T I O N

O P E N

FLORIDA

REGISTRATION INCLUDES: • • • • • • • • • •

Hotel room at InterContinental Miami for three nights: March 5th, 6th and 7th Attendee Gift Welcome Reception, Keynote Address and Kickoff Party Breakfast and lunches on Monday and Tuesday General conference sessions and education Live cooking demonstrations Networking opportunities Monday night Chef to Chef Community Event Club + Resort Chef of the Year Culinary Competition and Reception Continuing-education credits

C2C23_RegOpen_FullPage_Vs2.indd 1

11/1/22 2:09 PM

November 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com

Cosmic Lessons

For William Rogers, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club, success is never stagnant—it is measured by the growth of each individual on his team and the excellence of the culinary experience.

INSIDE Keeping Pace With Plant-Based From Sous Chef to Executive Chef The Future of Food Trucks

E D I TO R ’ S M E M O WE’RE CHANGING THE CHEF OF THE YEAR COMPETITION. HERE’S HOW. HISTORICALLY, THE CHEF OF THE YEAR competition featured eight club chefs who faced off in a mystery basket-style cooking competition. The chefs were randomly grouped into four teams, and during three quick-fire rounds, they had access to various ingredients, equipment and plateware. Each round lasted 20 minutes and concluded with a group of judges determining the winning team. For the chefs brave enough to participate, the competition moved so quickly they often commented after that they were amazed they didn’t cut off a finger. During one of our recent planning calls, the Chef to Chef coordinators and I kicked around ideas that would improve the competition for the chefs involved, ensure they keep all ten digits and better the experience for attendees watching. Here’s what we came up with: Four club chef competitors will participate in the 2023 Chef of the Year competition. Each chef will be paired with an apprentice in advance of the competition. We will continue with the mystery basket and one “secret” ingredient, but the chefs will get a list of the remaining ingredients and equipment available to them in advance of the competition so they can prepare and practice. We want the competitors to put up plates representing who they are as chefs, not what they can throw together before the buzzer sounds. Each chef will create two dishes: an entrée and a small plate. There will only be one round of cooking, and there will be four cooking suites with chefs working simultaneously around the room. Each chef will have 60 minutes to prepare and plate their dishes. We will stagger the start times to allow for proper judging.

l Club + Resort Chef l November 2022

Kevin Walker, CMC, will serve as the lead judge for the competition alongside two additional judges. Points will be awarded for taste, plating and originality, among other things. Michael Matarazzo, CEC, Executive Chef of Farmington Country Club (Charlottesville, Va.) and one of the conference coordinators, will emcee the competition just as he did last year. During the lulls in the action, I will interview former competitors on stage in brief vignettes. After the cooking concludes, the judges will tally the scores while the Chef to Chef Conference event team pulls the winners of the sponsor raffle. At the end of the raffle, we will announce the winner of the 2023 Chef of the Year Competition. That chef will be awarded a $2,000 cash prize, a full feature in the September issue of Club + Resort Chef and a seat on our Editorial Advisory Board. There are more enhancements in the works, and as they come online, I promise to share. For any chefs interested in competing in the 2023 Club + Resort Chef of the Year Competition, please apply at www.clubandresortchef.com/club-resortchef-of-the-year-application. And if you have any other ideas for ways we can further enhance this competition, please email, text or call me.

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

www.clubandresortchef.com

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THE NEW SOUS

WHERE DOES YOUR CULINARY PROGRAM RANK?

CLUB + RESORT CHEF IS OPENING our 2023

Top Ranked Culinary Experiences submission earlier than in years past. We want to give you and your marketing teams more time to compile the required information and assets representing your club—and, for chefs, yourselves as culinarians. It also gives our judges extra time to assess each entry fully and fairly. If you’ve participated in any Top Ranked programming, you know that entries are judged independently by a panel of your peers. Scoring is based on values assigned to each data point, including member usage, a la carte and banquet menus, certifications, front- and back-ofhouse photos and more. C+RC’s Top Ranked Culinary Experience program provides an industry benchmarking tool for you to use as you continue to deliver exceptional member and guest experiences. Top Ranked clubs gain national recognition for their food and beverage programs in Club + Resort Business and Club + Resort Chef, online and in print, and the opportunity to use

l Club + Resort Chef l November 2022

the exclusive “Top Ranked” badge in marketing and member materials—a valuable tool to attract and retain both members and staff in an increasingly competitive landscape. Top Ranked Culinary Experience clubs will also be celebrated at the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference, set for March 5-7 in Miami. Access the submission form, plus a list of FAQs, at clubandresortchef.com/top-rankedculinary-experience. The deadline for 2023 submissions is January 15, 2023. We can’t wait to learn more about you and your culinary programs. Thanks, chefs, and best of luck.

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

www.clubandresortchef.com

CONTENTS November • Vol. 11 • Issue 6

D

Behind the Plate 40 Hyewon Kwon, Executive Pastry Chef of Broken Sound Club, shares her Bourbon-Smoked Pavlova recipe.

Cosmic Lessons 42 For William Rogers, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club,

success is never stagnant—it is measured by the growth of each individual on his team and the excellence of the culinary experience.

Balancing Reality Versus Expectations Communication and member education are more important than ever as club chefs and managers balance their ambition with the realities of the industry.

Keeping Pace With Plant-Based 48 Club chefs must offer balanced, thoughtful and delicious plant-based dishes to succeed in an increasingly flexitarian world.

Inside the Cookie Jar 52 Pastry chefs share their favorite cookie recipes and how they’ve helped make them a club staple.

Food on the Move 56 Food trucks are putting a new spin on a la “cart” dining. Balancing Tradition and Innovation 58 Matt Lambert, CCM, CAM, General Manager/COO of The Country Club at Mirasol, ensures Executive Chef Michael Crain has the support he needs to elevate and enhance the $8.5 million F&B operation.

Leaning Into Aussie Beef and Lamb 60 Lance Cook, Executive Chef of Hammock Dunes Club, is leveraging the endless culinary possibilities with Australian beef and lamb.

The Management Mindset 62 Club chefs talk about their transition from Sous to

Executive Chef, the role of mentorship—and how they found their footing as culinary leaders.

4 Masthead 36 Editor’s Memo 38 The New Sous 65 Products 66 Ad Index

www.clubandresortchef.com

November 2022

Club + Resort Chef l 39

BEHIND THE PLATE

Hyewon Kwon, Executive Pastry Chef Broken Sound Club, Boca Raton, Fla.

WHEN BROKEN SOUND CLUB (Boca Raton, Fla.) began planning an exclusive bourbon-tasting experience for members, Executive Pastry Chef Hyewon Kwon wanted to capture the essence of the event in a dessert. The Bourbon-Smoked Pavlova she crafted benefits from smoke generated by pear wood chips soaked in bourbon and infused into the meringue. Inside the dome, she pipes raspberry confit and white chocolate mousse. “It’s an amazing combination of flavors,” says Kwon, who garnishes each pavlova with a hand-crafted roasted rose made of meringue.

Bourbon-Smoked Pavlova INGREDIENTS FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:

5 gms. 180 gms. 70 gms. 2 ea. 500 gms. 2 Tbsp.

gelatin sheets Valrhona Ivoire white chocolate whole milk vanilla bean whipped cream bourbon

INGREDIENTS FOR BOURBON-SMOKED PAVLOVA:

as needed 280 gms. 200 gms. 1tsp. 200 gms. 3 ea.

pear wood chips, soaked in bourbon egg whites granulated sugar cream of tartar confectioners’ sugar vanilla bean

INGREDIENTS FOR RASPBERRY CONFIT:

250 gms. 1Tbsp. 1 ea. 1ea. 50 gms. 1ea. 3/4 tsp. 100 gms.

fresh raspberry lemon juice lemon zest orange zest granulated sugar vanilla bean pectin powder fresh raspberries

INGREDIENTS FOR ROASTED ROSE:

280 gms. 400 gms.

egg whites granulated sugar

PROCEDURE FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE:

1. Bloom gelatin. Once bloomed, place in bowl with semimelted white chocolate. 2. In medium sauce pot, bring milk and vanilla bean to a boil. Add to chocolate and gelatin mixture and stir until completely melted. Set aside to cool. 3. In a mixing bowl, add heavy cream and whip until soft peaks are formed. 4. Fold whipped cream into cooled chocolate and gelatin mixture until fully incorporated. Refrigerate overnight. 40

Club + Resort Chef

November 2022

PROCEDURE FOR BOURBON-SMOKED PAVLOVA:

1. Soak pear wood chips in bourbon and prepare a smoke gun. 2. Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar and whip on medium speed. While whipping, add smoke with smoke gun. Incorporate bourbon-soaked wood smoke into the meringue. 3. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla bean, then fold until fully incorporated. 4. Pipe into dome shape and bake at 200°F for 2 hours. PROCEDURE FOR RASPBERRY CONFIT:

1. In medium sauce pot, combine fresh raspberry, lemon juice and zests, sugar and vanilla bean. Cook on medium heat until berries are macerated. 2. Slowly add pectin and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. 3. Once cool, add fresh raspberries and combine. PROCEDURE FOR ROASTED ROSE:

1. Combine egg whites and sugar over double boiler. 2. Whisk until sugar is dissolved, then transfer to a mixer and whisk on full speed until firm Swiss meringue is formed. 3. Pipe into rosette shape and torch until golden brown. Set aside. ASSEMBLY:

1. Take dehydrated meringue dome and fill halfway with raspberry confit. 2. Cover the remaining space with white chocolate mousse. 3. Garnish with roasted rose, fresh raspberries and edible flowers. www.clubandresortchef.com

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PROFILE

Cosmic

Lessons For William Rogers, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club, success is never stagnant—it is measured by the growth of each individual on his team and the excellence of the culinary experience. By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

WILLIAM ROGERS, CEC, CCA, Executive Chef of Cosmos Club (Washington, D.C.), has worked alongside some of the industry’s most ambitious culinarians, who have reached a level of mastery few are bold enough to seize. This exposure has deeply impacted how Rogers approaches his role as a chef. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Rogers began his career with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. For the subsequent decade, he worked under two American Culinary Federation Certified Master Chefs (CMC), one Master French Chef and one three-star Michelin Chef. When he left the Ritz in 2011, Rogers accepted the position of Executive Chef of Good Tidings, the University of Maryland’s (UMD) premier full-service catering program. He was responsible for a $9 million operation, five kitchens and 25 staff members. Each April from 2012 through 2015 (while with UMD), Rogers would travel to Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club, where he and many of his former Ritz colleagues helped execute food and beverage programming during the Masters. Rogers was tasked with leading a team of chefs as they produced 2,000 covers each day for the club’s members. During the 2015 Masters, John Johnstone, CMC—a mentor Rogers had known from his time with the Ritz—was Director of Club Operations at Augusta National. He probed Rogers about his next career move. “Every one of my mentors has incredible vision and has inspired me to always seek and em-

l Club + Resort Chef l November 2022

www.clubandresortchef.com

(From l. to r.) Ailee Apac, Banquet Chef; William Rogers, Executive Chef; Mark Linquist, Executive Sous Chef; and Yaya Rodriguez, Restaurant Chef

COVER FEATURE

Executive Chef William Rogers introduced a scratch-made philosophy to Cosmos Club’s kitchen. He stresses proper cooking technique and the value of fresh, local ingredients.

brace new challenges,” says Rogers. “I knew it was time to move on from university catering, but knowing he knew it, too, turned it into a strategic step forward.” Johnstone encouraged Rogers to apply for the open position at Cosmos Club and to consider preparing for the CMC exam.

A UNIVERSE OF POSSIBILITY “Our former chef had been here for 30 years,” says Mitchell Platt, MCM, CCE, General Manager of Cosmos Club, who came to the club in 2013. “When he retired in 2015, we began searching for a chef who could reinvent our culinary program.” With such a strong and diverse professional pedigree, Rogers was the panacea Cosmos Club was looking for. “[Rogers] was young and articulate,” says Platt. “He was confident in his abilities and what he could bring to the table. He was able to share his vision and process. He was eager to help us renovate the kitchen while balancing the challenges of inheriting a tenured team and a ‘we’ve always done it this way’ mindset.” Rogers was equally excited by the possibilities within Cosmos Club. “The club has a majestic aura and cultural significance,” says Rogers. “The membership and management team were eager to elevate the culinary scene. The potential for excellence was beginning to be realized, and I was excited to take the lead.” Cosmos Club was founded in the 19th century by a group of scientists with a vision for “a center of good fellowship, a club that embraced the sciences and the arts, where members could meet socially and exchange ideas, where vitality would grow from the mixture of disciplines, and a library would provide a refuge for thought and learning,” according to its website. Cosmos Club members are generally lawyers, academi44

l Club + Resort Chef l November 2022

cians, doctors, members of the medical field, theologians and the like. The club caters to the intellectually accomplished and offers an array of programs for every member’s interest, including international affairs, science, the arts and economics, to name a few. What it doesn’t offer are typical “country club” amenities. As an academic club, there is no golf course, tennis courts or pool. “Food is a significant part of the experience,” says Rogers.

ECLIPSING WHAT WAS As is often the case preceding a transitional moment, half of Cosmos Club’s members were satisfied with the food and beverage program up to that point. The other half wanted more. “Quality wasn’t necessarily a problem,” says Rogers—variety was, especially on the banquet side. Members dine with the club weekly, either in the restaurants or as part of a lecture series; therefore, a one-size-fitsmost banquet menu won’t suffice. Rogers wagered that an a la carte approach to banquets would serve a greater good. “We wanted to strike the right balance between custom and feasible,” says Rogers, who credits Banquet Chef Ailee Apac and Executive Sous Chef Mark Linquist with the banquet program’s ongoing success. “I’m proud of our team and their ability to be agile in exceeding expectations with this type of banquet model.” Banquet menus change daily, and the same groups are never served the same thing twice. Every lecture menu is unique, too. Ditto for weddings, receptions and parties. On the a la carte side, Platt credits Rogers with transitioning the club into a scratch-made kitchen. “Rogers has been able to change the entire mindset of the team, too,” says Platt. “He’s taught them proper cooking technique, the intrinsic value of fresh, local ingredients, and he allows them to www.clubandresortchef.com

Food is a significant part of Cosmos Club’s experience, so the new kitchen (above) is designed with that in mind. Members dine with the club weekly, either in the restaurants or as part of a lecture series, so banquet menus change daily to provide increased variety.

partner with him in the menu-writing process.” “I love that Chef Rogers allows his chefs to fully own their departments,” says Eun Yim, Director of Food & Beverage. “We have two women running our main dining room and banquet kitchen, respectively.” In 2017, Cosmos Club underwent a complete kitchen renovation. Rogers was instrumental in the design and execution of the new layout. He stealthily navigated the club through the renovation without suspending the food and beverage program. “I enjoyed the logistics of building an outdoor kitchen and making sure we could continue to serve our members through the renovation,” says Rogers. “It was never simple, but the most rewarding tasks rarely are.”

SETTING NEW GOALS With a strong, capable team in place and a new, highly functional kitchen, Cosmos Club was hitting its stride. Seeking his next challenge, Rogers began preparing for the CMC exam, which he took in 2019. “The process of preparing for and taking that exam revealed a lot of growth opportunities to me,” says Rogers. “I learned much about myself, and the process proved more valuable than the outcome. It has inspired me to stay on task, continue to grow and improve my craft.” Rogers didn’t pass the exam in 2019, but he does plan to retake the test someday. “I believe my biggest impact as a chef should not be based on the credentials after my name,” says Rogers. “Much like my mentors have inspired and guided me, I www.clubandresortchef.com

want that to be my legacy.” Rogers stresses the importance of cross-training, continuing education and always trying to improve yourself and the operation. His measure of success is in the club’s Restaurant Chef, Yaya Rodriguez, who started as a line cook, and Linquist, who started in banquets. “Not long ago, we hired a clerk in our commissary who has been promoted so many times that he now runs the grill,” says Rogers. Yim, the newest member of Cosmos Club’s management team, accepted her role largely for the opportunity to work alongside Rogers. She believes his greatest strength is his completion of vision. “Chef Rogers excels in making what he writes down on paper come to life,” she says. “There is nothing extraneous about his dishes, and everything works. His thoroughness and his methodical approach pass through his teams and allow our operations to be seamless.” Rogers has elevated the Cosmos Club’s culinary program in “countless ways,” adds Platt. “He’s improved the caliber of our team, the quality and variety of our menus and food and the spaces where we work and serve our members,” says Platt. “Administratively, labor and food costs are buttoned up, and the systems and processes he’s put in place will continue to propel the program forward.” C+RC November 2022

l Club + Resort Chef l 45

CHEF TO CHEF

Balancing Reality Versus

Expectations

Communication and member education are more important than ever as club chefs and managers balance their ambition with the realities of the industry. By Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Executive Chef, Cullasaja Club

THE RULES FOR COVID were relatively straightforward and usually spelled out by our state and local governments, but clubs are finding that the path back to “normal” is far more nebulous. During the lockdown, masking and occupancy restriction phases, clubs were able to quickly rethink their food and beverage business models to remain relevant. They offered curbside takeout, grocery pickups, virtual wine dinners and cooking classes. Members were gracious and understanding. They were were grateful for our efforts. “Our members were effusive with their praise and appreciation in our ability to still offer memorable and remarkable experiences during the 2020 and 2021 seasons,” says Chris Conner, CCM, CCE, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Cullasaja Club in Highlands, N.C. “There was a 46

l Club + Resort Chef l November 2022

sense of safety congregating with members they knew, rather than dining in restaurants in town. They were kind to one another and to the staff, too. They worked with us through mask policies and spaced-out seating arrangements.” But 12 months of masking, shifting restrictions and everchanging rules took its toll. Mark Bado, MCM, CCE, General Manager/COO of Houston (Texas) Country Club and former chairman of the Club Management Association of America, was in Charlotte, N.C. at Myers Park Country Club during the early days of COVID. “Many members who stayed home for most of COVID are frustrated now—they’re ready for the world to fully return to normal,” he says. But club operators and quarantined club members experienced the COVID era differently.

www.clubandresortchef.com

“Many of us in the club world didn’t stop working during COVID,” says Bado. “We were essential employees, and we attacked the challenges of the pandemic to remain relevant to our memberships and preserve the cultures we had worked so hard to build within our institutions.” When the engine of the world slowly began to turn again, there was no shortage of challenges awaiting clubs. Cost of goods increases and labor shortages continue to pose extraordinary challenges. Those factors and the resulting member behaviors are posing new challenges for clubs as we inches toward a post-pandemic era. “Supply chain issues” has become an all-too-common phrase with products becoming scarce or unavailable due to COVID outbreaks, droughts and short growing seasons. According to Michael Matarazzo, CEC, Executive Chef of Farmington Country Club (Charlottesville, Va.), beef prices for cuts that the club relies heavily upon for special events have increased as much as 99% compared to 2019. “Our Thanksgiving turkeys are up 144% from last year, and chicken has seen a 60% increase,” he says. “At one point this summer, chicken breasts were more expensive than baby back ribs—that’s unprecedented in my 27plus years in this industry.” Club members seem to have taken these price increases in stride. Paul Bovenzi, CCM, General Manager of The Berkshire Club in Reading, Pa., describes their membership as understanding as it relates to rising costs. “Many realize within their businesses that they must pass along cost increases to their clients to maintain budgeted profit margins,” he says. Cullasaja’s Conner agrees.

www.clubandresortchef.com

“[Members] generally understand,” he says. “They still want to see betterthan-market menu pricing, but they understand that prices have increased over the past year.” While cost increases generally get a pass, the impact on member services due to labor shortages has proven less acceptable. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate as of June 2022 has returned to the pre-COVID levels of January 2020. However, participation in the hospitality industry has dropped by 7%. Hourly employees are now demanding 19% more per hour. Employees who left the hospitality industry simply aren’t returning. Businesses, including private clubs, are now offering more than ever in an attempt to entice them. For private club members, labor shortages equate to fewer or limited services, even with a higher dues payment or dining room tab. “The biggest battle we face with member expectations is maintaining service standards while actively recruiting and facing retention difficulties,” says Bovenzi. “Our region was hit hard with labor shortages, and we are now competing with national and international corporations for employees, except we cannot compete with the wages they offer.” The private club industry, long considered a haven of civility, is now experiencing some of the same customer behavior that has become common in private restaurants and airlines, though with less frequency. Frustrations are being expressed in increasingly uncivil and unacceptable ways. “There is a difference between members understanding that there are shortages in staffing and accepting how those factors impact how the club

operates,” says Bovenzi. Conner has noted a similar trend. “There has been an increase in disciplinary issues with members showing lower tolerance for our team,” he says. “Additionally, the level of happiness seems to have leveled off with expectations rising drastically.” Just as clubs navigated COVID, we must overcome these new challenges. And the most important tool we have, according to Bado, is education and communication. “We must spend the time and effort to educate our memberships so they understand the challenges we face and how that impacts the services we offer,” he says. “As an industry, it’s time to stop focusing on what each other has. Instead, we must focus on what each of us can become. “As a society that has become so divisive, we don’t have to act like we’re not different, but we can choose to focus on those things that unite us instead of those which divide us,” he adds. “It’s time to get back to ‘normal’ and do it with positive energy.” Bovenzi agrees. “We need to help members understand that employee burnout is real,” says Bovenzi. “We need to support our greatest asset—our people. If we can’t provide balance and quality of life for our employees, we will lose them to an employer that can. Members must understand their role in that equation.” To remain relevant and competitive, Bovenzi says clubs must erase the mentality of ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ and begin to rewrite operations manuals. “We often get in our own way by being fearful to challenge the status quo; we worry we will upset a small subset of the membership,” Bovenzi says. “We must honor and celebrate our traditions—but not allow them to stunt our potential.” C+RC

November 2022

l Club + Resort Chef 47

FOOD

Keeping Pace With Plant-Based Club chefs must offer balanced, thoughtful and delicious plant-based dishes to succeed in an increasingly flexitarian world. By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor

l Club + Resort Chef l November 2022

www.clubandresortchef.com

WHILE INTEREST IN PLANTbased options falls on a spectrum, today’s members and guests are often open to meat alternatives, and it’s up to club chefs to stay ahead of the curve. Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Executive Chef of Cullasaja Club (Highlands, N.C.), believes interest in plant-based options is “absolutely” growing. In his prior role as Executive Chef of Myers Park Country Club (Charlotte, N.C.), Craig and his team offered members an entirely vegetarian a la carte menu. He’s brought many of these philosophies and recipes to Cullasaja. “Folks who aren’t vegetarian are trying the vegetarian options,” he says. “I don’t know if it’s become more readily available because of demand or if more people are interested because it’s more readily available, but either way, there are more products on the market now for chefs to work with.” By making plant-based foods recognizable and accessible, club chefs can capture even the most apprehensive members.

Chef De Cuisine Catherine DiQuinzio says Bonnie Briar CC’s members love trying new things. Plant-based options include the plantain cup with mangopineapple relish and chimichurri sauce (above) and vegan tacos with watermelon radish and pickled vegetables (right).

“If I’m talking to a table I know doesn’t trend in that direction, I’ll say, ‘We’ve got this awesome plant-based burger that is so good, I can’t even tell that it’s not meat,” says Craig. “The only difference is I don’t have to nap after I eat it.’”

PEOPLE AND PLANET

Executive Chef Scott Craig says his bang bang cauliflower with pickled vegetables and soy reduction (above) is a Cullasaja Club member favorite.

www.clubandresortchef.com

Members of Bonnie Briar Country Club (Larchmont, N.Y.) are “always willing to try new things,” says Catherine DiQuinzio, the club’s Chef De Cuisine. She considers it a club’s obligation to have as many options as possible on and off the menu. “If someone wants vegan, vegetarian or a gluten-free item, our menu offers it,” she says. “Even if it’s not on the menu, if we have it and aren’t busy, then we make it.” DiQuinzio’s interest in plant-based foods stems partly from her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Now, she says,

she’s eager to learn about foods that could act as a natural remedy. At Bonnie Briar, a community-supported agriculture program supplies the club with weekly fresh produce. The program has exposed the club’s culinary team to new, plant-based alternatives, like lion’s mane mushrooms, which pull apart in a way that mimics lobster or crab meat. “[Our expeditor] bought some, cut them up, threw some seasoning together, and fried them for us,” says DiQuinzio. “It was delicious.” At The Residence Club at Ocean Reef in Key Largo, Fla., demand for plant-based alternatives is mixed. “Some people are super excited about [plant-based foods] and love that it’s always evolving and changing—and some are just carnivores,” says ExecuNovember 2022

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FOOD

Andrea Mallon-Griffith, Executive Chef of The Residence Club at Ocean Reef (left), will present the science behind plantbased, clean and organic eating at the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference in Miami.

tive Chef Andrea Mallon-Griffith. “That’s what they want and what they like. And they have no interest in changing. As chefs, we have to find the balance within our menus.” While neither ‘vegan’ nor ‘vegetarian’ equate to ‘healthy,’ there are benefits to eating a more plant-forward or plantbased diet. Mallon-Griffith says she’s been on a personal journey to eat healthier, and plant-based foods play a significant role for her. She’s also currently working on earning a nutrition certification to better help those she serves.

Her goal is to learn enough to help guide members and guests. “Most of the people at Ocean Reef are older,” she says, “and a lot of them have issues with their health—arthritis, diabetes, certain types of cancers. I aim to connect with them more and at least help steer them toward options that will support their wellness goals.” At the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference in Miami, Mallon-Griffith will present the science behind plant-based, clean and organic eating. She’ll also demo dishes centered around fresh, locally sourced fruits and vegetables.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

The quinoa-stuffed avocado is among the most popular plant-based dishes at Cullasaja Club in Highlands, N.C. 50

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“Look at what’s local, seasonal and available, and think of different ways to introduce complementary and contrasting textures, flavors and temperatures,” says Cullasaja’s Craig. “Always be mindful of protein. [With plant-based foods], you have to get a little more cerebral.” At Cullasaja, bang bang cauliflower with pickled vegetables and soy reduction is especially popular, as is the quinoa-stuffed avocado with black bean purée, cilantro crema, toasted walnuts, baby greens and cilantro-lime vinaigrette (see photo, left). The menu also features a weekly rotating vegetarian grain bowl; among

them, the soy-glazed tofu with fried rice, pickled vegetables, bok choy and toasted peanuts and the maple-glazed tofu with fall vegetable-grain medley, butternut squash purée and herb salad both sold well. “I did a cauliflower parmesan recently,” Craig says, “where we took a cauliflower head, sliced it down the middle, and then blanched it, breaded it, deep-fried it and stuffed it with mozzarella and parmesan. We airbaked it and served that with pasta and vegetables. The member sent it back because she thought it was chicken.” Today, he says, there’s a home for all forms and flavors of plantbased cuisine. “Our members love country fried steak,” says Craig. “But what they love about the dish isn’t necessarily the protein; it might be the nostalgia or comfort. When we engage with our members and have conversations to understand the reasons behind their preferences, we can create vegetarian dishes that are more successful.” Chefs must communicate with and understand members, then flex their creative muscles. “That’s one of the most valuable things to me about vegetarian cuisine,” says Craig. “Success requires thinking outside the box.” C+RC www.clubandresortchef.com

PASTRY

Inside the Cookie Jar Pastry chefs share their favorite cookie recipes and how they’ve helped make them a club staple. By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

EVEN THE MOST ELABORATE plated desserts can’t compete with the comfort and consistency of a classic cookie. The fresh-from-the-oven smell conjures up memories of grandma’s kitchen, where a plate of warm cookies and a glass of milk made a perfect snack. Pastry chefs take great pride in recreating such moments for members and guests. As they reveal which cookie recipes are worth playing with, these pastry pros explain how subtle tweaks to their ingredient list and procedure have enhanced the flavor without compromising nostalgia. SUGAR AND SPICE At The Country Club at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, Colo., members are sweet on a cookie that’s almost as fun to say as it is to eat. Snickerdoodles, produced by Pastry Chef Julie Eslinger, who has been at the club since August 2020, is a favorite of kids and adults alike. “The members love them because they’re soft and have a great cinnamon flavor,” she says. 52

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The cookie’s unusual moniker hails from the German word schneckennudeln, which translates to ‘snail dumpling’—a nod to the shape and texture of the crunchy, crispy treat. Eslinger credits the cookie’s universal appeal to its versatility despite its worldly origin. “They are great for any season and can complement different menus,” she explains, noting the snickerdoodle’s

presence on banquet and special event menus. While Eslinger has been making snickerdoodles since she was a kid, she adapted her recipe for professional production four years ago. This past March, she began using Saigon cinnamon after spending time with a fellow pastry chef. “This is what she had on hand, and I loved the difference,” says Eswww.clubandresortchef.com

Christine Anschuetz (above), Pastry Chef of Red Run GC, says her lemon raspberry cookies (right) are a regular request from the ladies golf league and are typically served after lunch as a light, bright treat.

Julie Eslinger, Pastry Chef of The Country Club at Castle Pines (left), says her snickerdoodles are a member favorite. Visit recipes.clubandresortchef.com for this recipe and more.

linger of the happy accident. She also recommends using cake flour, which keeps the cookie soft and delicate and yields a crisp outside. PERFECT PAIRING Peanut butter and jelly may make a great sandwich, but when it comes to terrific twosomes, the cookies served at Red Run Golf Club in Royal Oak, www.clubandresortchef.com

Mich., are made with lemon and raspberry. Since she began working at the club last spring, Pastry Chef Christine Anschuetz has been making batches of these flavored cookies. “Lemon and raspberry are such a classic combination, so I was not surprised it became a hit,” she says. When writing this cookie recipe, Anschuetz harnessed her pastry-making experience at Forest Dunes Golf Club in Roscommon, Mich., where she taught cooking classes to members. In her one-woman pastry operation at Red Run, she’s responsible for plated desserts, ice cream and sorbet and adapting fruit-based sauces for dishes like duck egg pasta and cured yolks. But when Anschuetz is elbows-deep in cookie dough, she relies on the citrusy

flavors of lemon and raspberry to pull off the perfect product. In addition to being a regular request from Red Run’s ladies golf league, Anschuetz’s lemon raspberry cookies are a top choice for special club events. “They are also often served after lunch, so a lighter, brighter sweet treat makes sense at that time of day when you just want a few bites instead of a plated dessert,” she explains. Over the years, Anschuetz has fine-tuned her recipe, rendering it the most-tweaked cookie in her repertoire. In addition to increasing the amount of zest and adding a few grams of citric acid, she enhances her product with November 2022

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PASTRY

Jessie Stravinskas (left), Executive Pastry Chef of Interlachen CC, says her brown butter chocolate chunk cookies have a crispy outside and gooey inside thanks to the melted chocolate. They are finished with fleur de sel. Find the full recipe online at recipes.clubandresortchef.com.

shredded sweetened coconut to create bulk and texture. And while she has achieved good results using glutenfree flours when adapting her recipe for those with dietary restrictions, she prefers all-purpose flour. “If I remove the egg and create a more shortbread texture, it is tasty, but the light, flaky texture does change,” Anschuetz notes. A WHIFF OF NOSTALGIA Returning to her midwestern roots has benefitted Executive Pastry Chef Jessie Stravinskas. Still, her arrival will soon be the good fortune of the members at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn., where her brown butter chocolate chunk cookie will debut later this year. “It’s a slight twist on a classic that brings me back to my childhood,” says the chef, who has refined her recipe over the years. After spending the wealth of her career in pastry kitchens at luxury hotels and resorts in Rhode Island, Florida and 54

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Texas, Stravinskas was lured back home to Minnesota last May when she began her first culinary experience at a country club. “I immediately fell in love with the property,” she says of Interlachen. “It was nothing I was used to, but everything I wanted: a welcoming team, high-quality ingredients and an eye on excellence.” Since coming aboard, Stravinskas has embraced member-favorite recipes for which the club is known. In the cookie department, that honor falls to the gingersnap, proudly served at the 13th Tee and Founders, Interlachen’s café and bar between the ninth and tenth holes. Stravinskas describes the cookie as small in stature but big in taste, with crispy edges and a chewy center. “We bake 1,500 [gingersnaps] a week in the summer,” she reveals. “[They are] grabbed by the handful and stuffed into pockets for later, from what we hear.” But the time-honored Interlachen cookie fixture may soon have some stiff

competition with the arrival of Stravinskas’s brown butter chocolate chunk, which has a fond place in her heart (and kitchen). “I remember my mother covering our dining room table in old newspapers, placing cooling racks on top, and loading the table full of homemade cookies,” she recalls. “My brothers and I would climb onto the chairs and stare at the piping-hot cookies in hopes that our mom would let us have one before lunch, knowing full well that if we tried to sneak one, she would know. That is the best thing about cookies—they bring you back to moments like those.” Hoping to recreate a similar experience by introducing members to these showstoppers, Stravinskas shares the secret to her cookie’s irresistible flavor. The crispy outside is paired with melted chocolate chunks in the center, rendering it gooey at the center. It is finished with a touch of fleur de sel. But long before the recipe’s final touches, the intoxicating aroma from the brown butter alone is enough to salivate even the most particular member. “The nutty caramelized smell that fills the kitchen is simply divine; already, you know you’re getting into something special,” she says. Making her famous cookies and sharing them with appreciative guests sustains Stravinskas, primarily when she can provide more than just a way to end a meal. “One of the best parts of my job is creating desserts that will bring our members back to a happy memory of when they were kids,” Stravinskas says. “And to our younger members, I hope to help create new memories and favorites they will look back on someday.” C+RC www.clubandresortchef.com

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BANQUET

FOOD ON THE MOVE Food trucks are putting a new spin on a la “cart” dining. By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

MOBILE DINING IS ON the move—literally. A trend that took off during the height of the pandemic, when outdoor dining enabled clubs to remain open and provide a safe service, has since morphed into a more permanent F&B fixture. Food trucks have been tasked to take on member events and pick up some of the overflow when club kitchens are at their busiest. Here’s how some facilities are getting extra mileage out of their onthe-go eateries.

STREET EATS Providing membership with another dining option in a convenient format was the goal of Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. “The food truck offered efficiencies and flexibility compared to a standard restaurant outlet,” says Executive Chef Bart Messing. With a focus on street food options, the aptly named Street Side truck opened in 2019 and has since generated a robust, revolving menu of dishes. Converting a truck for foodservice made sense for Woodfield, and Street Side stays on property. The menu includes smash burgers, a Korean fried chicken sandwich, a cauliflower bowl and challah grilled cheese. “We avoid offering traditional favorites available in other club restaurants,” says Messing. A recent pop-up converted Street Side into a dessert and ice cream truck, while another focused on tacos and smash burgers. Assigning sufficient staff is es56

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sential to a successful food truck. A dedicated team of two cooks and two or three front-of-house employees are on-hand to serve 150-200 members at any time. A food attendant is stationed outside the truck to take orders on a wireless tablet. Because prep and cook space is limited, Messing and his crew rely on a carefully laid out operation, particularly during peak hours. “The truck offers traffic flow benefits at lunchtime on weekends and holidays, especially winter breaks,” he says. Street Side will feature new pop-up themes that build off the existing menu for the upcoming season. Down the road, the truck may offer catered services at member homes, but plans have not yet been finalized.

THE MAKING OF A LEGEND Ashely Davidson, co-owner of The Legendary Food Truck in Franklin, Ind., knows the ins and outs of food truck service. When she and her husband, Ted, first considered bolstering dining options at Legends Golf Club (where Ashely handles member events and weddings and Ted manages the golf shop and facilities), they contemplated expanding the existing kitchen, but it wasn’t practical. It was then that Davidson suggested starting a food truck. Seven years later, the Davidsons have established a successful food truck venture that has expanded its services beyond club grounds and become a destination for Indianapolis foodies.

“We have become known for our hand-breaded pork tenderloins, which are a Hoosier tradition,” she notes. “We also offer items people would order at the club—like Arnold Palmers and chicken salad.” She and Ted are responsible for preparing and expediting the food, while a staffer handles orders and the cash register. Occasionally, a banquet or snack bar team member may be called to assist. Once the truck’s initial output ramped up, Davidson realized it www.clubandresortchef.com

Indian Trail Club’s truck is staffed by a mix of full-time cooks and seasonal employees.

take on outside events that work around the production schedule. Jobs that didn’t amass enough revenue to compensate for staff and prep—and required trekking into the city multiple times a week—have prompted her to be more selective. “We’ve worked hard to build a business closer to the club,” she says, “so we can take the truck out less and make more.” These days, Legendary Kitchen is taking on events that allow it to serve concert-goers at a local amphitheater. During a recent event, the truck fed 460 people in five hours. “We find ourselves there as often as we’re at the club,” says Davidson. She advises facilities to use their own trucks “at the club when it makes sense, but also build a reputation within the community.” Woodfield CC’s Street Side food truck offers a revolving menu of street food-inspired dishes, including tacos (pictured), smash burgers and a Korean fried chicken sandwich.

would be more economical to move the core business off-property. “We find that we can do more in a couple of hours off-site than at the club,” she explains, noting that the 27-hole, semi-private club plays about 48,000 rounds per year. “Even with that traffic, our food truck wasn’t maximizing its potential on-site.” The truck began taking on large events and fine-tuning the menu to limit the number of entrées for greater efficiency. Davidson also tailored the work schedule to www.clubandresortchef.com

KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ What began as a way to offload the main kitchen and balance foodservice at Indian Trail Club has become a popular member attraction. Four years ago, the Franklin Lakes, N.J., facility established a food truck with this goal in mind. “As the [clubhouse] restaurant became busier, it was clear that the kitchen line would have to be dedicated to a la carte service only,” says Jeff Habley, CEC, Executive Chef. Indian Trail’s truck is staffed by a mix of full-time cooks and seasonal employees (see photo, top right). In addition to standard service, it recently came in handy during Indian Trail’s Taste of the Private Club Chefs event. “We used our truck as a departing station from which we sent

guests home with a bag containing a hot breakfast sandwich, drink and dessert,” says Habley. Initially, the menu consisted of kidfriendly items like chicken tenders and hamburgers but has evolved to include food truck favorites like empanadas, fish tacos and açaí bowls. Appealing to the adult crowd, the truck offers draft beer, wine and canned cocktails. While the intent was to station the truck at locations on the property, it simply wasn’t feasible, as it was the main F&B outlet for the pool, explains General Manager Michael Azbill. Instead, the club is considering a secondary mini truck to work with the main truck, providing graband-go items around the tennis courts, softball area, beach and boating spots. A dedicated manager is essential for supervising truck-related activities, says Habley, as is a plan for days when it’s too hot to operate in the truck. “We set up an outside grill under the shade and run a limited menu,” he says. Space for employees on break is another must. “Make sure you have the proper kitchen equipment in the right places to run a fast and efficient food truck,” adds House Manager Turgay Itez, who recommends iPads and wireless routers. And when developing a menu, be sure to have the right tools and resources for foolproof production. “If you want soft-serve ice cream, allocate enough power to operate that equipment,” says Habley. “You can’t add equipment as an afterthought with limited power.” C+RC November 2022

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MANAGER to CHEF

Balancing Tradition and Innovation As General Manager/COO of The Country Club at Mirasol, Matt Lambert, CCM, CAM, ensures Executive Chef Michael Crain has the support he needs to continually elevate and enhance the $8.5 million F&B operation. By Joanna DeChellis, Editor

TRANSITIONING FROM A DEVELOPERowned club to member-owned can be jarring. It demands the steady hand of a strong leader whose values mirror the membership and who can see the opportunities within the transition. In 2010, The Country Club at Mirasol (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) moved smoothly to member-owned under the guidance of General Manager/COO Matt Lambert, CCM, CAM, who has been with the club since 2003. Later that year, Lambert hired Michael Crain as Executive Chef. Twelve years later, Lambert and Crain continue collaborating and supporting one another as they find new ways to elevate and enhance the member dining experience. CLUB + RESORT CHEF (C+RC): When the members took over, you were tasked with hiring a new chef. What characteristics were you looking for? Matt Lambert (ML): We wanted someone capable of building a team, who understood we were in a dynamic growth phase and would be excited about the variety of culinary experiences we would offer. The expectations of the membership were very high when we made that hire—and they still are. C+RC: What has been Chef Crain’s biggest impact on the culinary program at Mirasol? ML: His unrelenting drive to never settle for anything less than excellent has become part of our culture. To be a club chef means you must master a balance between tradition and innovation, diversity and community. It is an ongoing challenge that evolves as the membership evolves. Chef [Crain] has done an amazing job finding this balance and listening to the membership. He takes criticism well. He cares for his team, and he’s built a positive culture where all of his culinarians are growing. C+RC: How big is the culinary operation at Mirasol? ML: We do $8.5 million in annual F&B. C+RC: How do you describe your management style? ML: I believe in transparency and empowerment. We have 13 department heads here at Mirasol. I firmly www.clubandresortchef.com

believe 13 heads are better than one. If you’re the Director of Golf, you own golf. If you’re the Chef, you own culinary. I support and collaborate with each leader based on the open, trusting environment we’ve established. C+RC: What is your favorite dish from Chef Crain? ML: We always joke that his brick chicken got him the job—it was so good—but the truth is he’s incredibly creative, and there isn’t one dish that defines him. C+RC: How do you support Chef Crain? ML: In a club as diverse as Mirasol, you’ll never please everyone. Having his back and being honest with him is critical. I won’t tip-toe around him. He wants honest feedback and to always be on the same page. I also make sure he has the tools and budget to do what he needs to do, and that he has the support of the board—which he does. C+RC: What is your organizational structure? Who does Chef Crain report to? ML: The Assistant General Manager and Executive Chef report to me. The Director of F&B reports to the AGM. If [Crain] were to leave tomorrow, I would likely have the new chef report to the AGM, but we continue to prioritize working together as a team. We have weekly meetings, and I’m at most of those because F&B is such an important element within our club. C+RC: Where do you see opportunities for improvement? ML: We are always looking to be more efficient and consistent. We strive to eliminate the ‘avoidable errors,’ as I call them. Those are the difference-makers. We may not be the flashiest club, with props and décor, but I think consistency is something we can always chase. C+RC: What’s next for Mirasol? ML: Our strategic plan calls for an enhancement to the facility, revamping the grill room and adding a second-story restaurant with a sports bar vibe. We hope to kick this project off in 2024 pending membership approval. C+RC November 2022

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PRODUCTS AT WORK

Leaning Into Aussie Beef and Lamb Lance Cook, Executive Chef of Hammock Dunes Club, is leveraging the endless culinary possibilities with Australian beef and lamb. By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor

LANCE COOK, WCMC, CEC, CCA, CFBE, FMP, CFSM, Executive Chef of Hammock Dunes Club in Palm Coast, Fla., is always looking for new ways to hone his skills and excite and engage members through his cuisine. So when he was invited to attend a two-day culinary immersion event at Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta earlier this year, he was eager for the opportunity to learn about Australia’s sustainably raised, grass-fed beef, wagyu and lamb. “The event was awesome,” says Cook. “I had worked with some of these products before, but I didn’t know much about [Meat & Livestock Australia’s] True Australian Beef & Lamb brand up to that point. I found it to be extremely informational.” He learned that sustainability is a major focus for the region. Australian lamb is entirely climate-neutral and contains 13 essential nutrients, including iron, zinc, omega-3 and B vitamins. It’s free of artificial additives and hormone growth promotants. The Australian red meat industry will be carbon-neutral by 2030. Because the animals graze on pure, natural grasslands throughout their lives, they are lean and low in cholesterol, yet full of flavor. The immersion event also focused on new and excting cuisines and offered ideas for how Australian beef and lamb could be used to showcase trends like charcuterie, bocadillos, modern Greek, island escape, Mexican 60

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comfort, salt, and savory pies. There was also a segment on “flavors on the edge,” which covered pandan, minari, garums, boondi, htipiti and frico. After the presentations and sessions, the chefs were put into teams of two to plan dishes featuring different cuts of Aussie beef and lamb. They headed to Atlanta’s Buford Farmers’ Market, equipped with a $50 gift certificate for ingredients. Then they set to work.

UP FOR THE CHALLENGE Cook was paired with Lance Warren, Executive Chef of Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, Texas. The teams were challenged to create three different dishes for Ansley’s members to enjoy that evening. “The pairing into teams was beneficial for me personally,” says Cook. “I had known some of these chefs before, but I hadn’t spent much time with them. This opportunity helped expand my network. Chef Warren and I continue to collaborate and share menu ideas.” www.clubandresortchef.com

At the True Aussie Beef and Lamb immersion event in Atlanta, Lance Cook, Executive Chef of Hammock Dunes Club (right), was paired with Lance Warren, Executive Chef of Bent Tree CC (left). The two were tasked with creating three distinct dishes for Ansley Golf Club’s members to enjoy using Australian beef and lamb products.

For the first challenge, the chefs were asked to craft an entrée suited to a board dinner, featuring a rump roast of Australian lamb. “We decided on a fall-inspired red winemushroom-onion stewed lamb, wrapped with a baguette crostini and served with wilted greens, beet-infused asparagus, pickled white beech mushrooms and buttered broccolini tops,” says Cook. Next, the chefs had to prepare a summertime dish that could be served at the pool or golf shop. Cook and Warren were provided with grass-fed ground lamb and decided to prepare a lamb kofta with roti, a carrot-arugula-sesame salad, cucumber raita and pickled red onions. For the third and final challenge, the chefs were asked to create a dish inspired by current dining trends using ribeye. They prepared a beef tartare bocadillo with parmesan frico, tomato concasse, fried capers, red onions, olive oil, garlic aioli, garlic buds and pickled mustard seeds. “[Warren and I] had both worked with products very similar to these,” says Cook, who wanted to incorporate www.clubandresortchef.com

specific trends discussed at the event. “Our goal was to make something universally appealing and innovative.”

UPDATING THE MENU Since the event, Cook has been finding elegant ways to employ all that he learned during the immersion event. “Every three days, we offer seven new features,” he says. “And we’ve been incorporating a lot of the Australian beef and lamb products.” New and noteworthy dishes include masala, made using Australian lamb sirloin, served with cucumber slaw and a yogurt sauce, as well as a Mediterranean-style burger using ground lamb and olives, topped with cucumber, red onion and feta, served on either a brioche bun or Mediterranean bread. Hammock Dunes members also love Cook’s lamb Tbone served with a chimichurri sauce, as well as his rack of lamb with a persillade crust. “We have Aussie lamb shank on our menu right now for fall,” says Cook. “It’s braised for about 24 hours. Sometimes I serve it with gremolata, but I’ll change it up other times and do a leek confit on top.” Cook especially likes to use Australian wagyu beef for wine dinners. “We do at least one wine dinner a month,” he says. “Often, we’ll make a flat iron steak; sometimes, we make a ribeye or a filet mignon. All of these cuts are excellent quality, and the members enjoy learning the story behind these products.” C+RC November 2022

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MANAGEMENT

The Management

Mindset WHEN MICHAEL SHANNON, CEC, was named Executive Chef of Somerset Club in Boston, he was 26. He’d been sous chef at the club for five years, working and learning under Joseph Leonardi, CMC. Somerset is a smaller city club that does about $1.5 million in annual F&B, focusing on fine dining. Shannon knew the culture and the team well. But after selecting Geoffrey Lanez, MBA, CEC, as his Sous Chef, Shannon would have to restaff nearly every position—a risk Leonardi warned him of before he left. “I didn’t have any cachet as an Executive Chef yet, and it takes time to build that trust,” he says. “It was a tough year. But Leonardi was there for me throughout that process.” In that first year, Shannon found he had much to learn still about management and leadership, starting with effective communication.

In his first year as Executive Chef of Somerset Club, Michael Shannon, CEC (left), learned much about leadership and management. 62

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“As Executive Chef,” he says, “what you say and how you communicate is taken very seriously, so you need to take it very seriously, too.” Making decisions as a leader requires trusting your training, he says, working on your communication and explaining your vision. It just takes time. Six years into his role, Shannon cites humility among the most important characteristics of an Executive Chef. For him, this means “understanding that you’re never done learning, being grateful every day for your staff and giving recognition where it’s deserved.” Adam Deviney, CEC, had been an Executive Chef for a decade, including several years in the club space, when he decided to accept an Executive Sous Chef position at The Club at Mediterra (Naples, Fla.). An invitation came via a mentor relationship with Carmen Mauceri, CCM, the club’s General Manager/Chief Operating Officer. The move enabled Deviney to hone his skills and systems at a platinum-level food and beverage operation under Director of Culinary Operations Joachim Buchner, CMC, and to network with a talented group of chefs and leaders. “The experience changed me as a chef,” says Deviney. “Watching [Mauceri’s] leadership style, I saw how much they invest in staff and culinarians. It’s a good example for me going forward.” The move to Florida was never meant to be permanent, he says. And in August, Deviney accepted a position as Executive Chef of The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, N.C. It

Club chefs talk about their transition from sous to executive chef, the role of mentorship—and how they found their footing as culinary leaders. By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor

was the right fit for several reasons. “The food-and-beverage volume ($2.4 million annually) interested me; I have more control over the food than I would in a larger club,” he says. “North Carolina is home to a lot of different farms, too. It’s a great opportunity to work with high-end, local products. And Pinehurst (N.C.) offers an excellent quality of life.” With Deviney at the helm, the club expects to grow its food-and-beverage program, starting with a culinary garden and a dedicated a la carte sous chef.

MAKING AN IMPACT When Anthony Capua took over as Executive Chef of Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 2020, he was ready to make waves as a leader and a culinarian of the club, which does about $2 million in annual F&B. “I’ve always wanted to change the way clubs operate—to modernize for the next 50 years,” says Capua. “And I had a team here ready to make it happen.” Still, he says, as a first-time Executive Chef at a new club (and in a pandemic), year one was challenging. “I was trying to balance my health, be a good husband and be a mentor,” he says. “I struggled in the first year. And I’m still learning every day.” Throughout the process, he aims always to clearly communicate and demonstrate his values and expectations to staff. “You have a responsibility to your team to ensure you’re setting the best example of what a good attitude looks www.clubandresortchef.com

Adam Deviney, CEC (pictured second from the left), joined The Country Club of North Carolina as Executive Chef in August, where he and his team will expand and improve the food-and-beverage program.

like—even on an ‘off ’ day,” Capua says. “It starts with the Executive Chef—from how you talk to a server, to how you prep, to how you clean, to how you talk with a member.” Cooking is only part of the job, he adds. Particularly in the club space, with members, it’s about personal connection. “I make the most impact being out there, with my team, with the membership, showing them that the days of chefs hiding behind closed doors are over,” he says. “I believe we can solve many of our problems by being in the front of the house, talking to our members.” Capua aims to be known as a mentor and leader, and above all, as someone who takes care of his team—a mentality he associates with his military background. When his Executive Sous Chef decided he wanted to move on from

Anthony Capua, Executive Chef of Sycamore Hills GC (middle), considers the club’s GM/COO Christopher Hampton (left) and AGM Alfredo Hildebrandt (right) among his mentors. www.clubandresortchef.com

the club a few months ago, Capua said he’d help in any way he could. “People did that for me,” he says, “and I always feel like it’s my duty as a culinarian and as a mentor to say, ‘If you’re ready, you’re ready.’” Whether or not they’re lifetime culinarians, Deviney encourages staff at The Country Club of North Carolina to further their education. “Becoming a Certified Executive Chef through the American Culinary Federation ignited a passion that wasn’t there throughout my career,” he says. “It’s opened many opportunities. It also helps with the discipline and the organization of becoming a chef.” He aspires to guide his staff and touts the benefits of having mentors throughout a chef’s career. “The mentorship aspect is different in our field,” says Somerset Club’s Shannon. “In many other industries, you work for a company, and in our field, you work for a chef. I was lucky because Chef Leonardi is extremely dedicated to his craft and cares about cooking and the membership. That passion gets you excited as a cook.” As a culinary leader, Shannon encourages competition as a vital tool for his staff. He and Lanez (now Executive Chef at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn.) will expand on the topic at Miami’s 2023 Chef to Chef Conference. “Geo and I both come from competition,” says Shannon. “We realized how important it was for our development.”

To further motivate and train staff, he’s created an opt-in, professional growth plan to share their goals and select what they’d like to work on, such as technique or management skills. “When they see growth, it’s inspiring,” he says. “It makes them want to keep improving.” C+RC

November 2022

Club + Resort Chef 63

Where Does Your Club Rank? 2023

Culinary Experience

Apply Here www.clubandresortchef.com/top-ranked-culinary-experience

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

Cleaning Up

Amenities

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Fore Supply Co.

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Top Protection

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Warm It Up

Product: Spa Series Towel Warmer Features: ▶ Warms and holds standard or larger bath towels as well as other items needed to keep warm, safe, and dry ▶ Warms a full load of towels in 4 hours or less ▶ When used at recommended temperatures, this stainless steel heated cabinet drastically reduces the risk of contamination from MRSA and other infectious viruses and bacterias ▶ No fans or blowers means quiet, noise-free operation and no lint build-up

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Outdoor Furnishings Outdoor Comfort

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www.clubandresortbusiness.com

November 2022

l Club + Resort Business l 65

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

G�� C�� E�� Let There Be Light

Product: The Odyssey Series Illumi-Cup™ Features: ▶ One of the most unique fixtures in the Odyssey Series ▶ The Illumi-Cup™ brightly illuminates a flag and standard size golf cup for nighttime putting ▶ Optical lens developed to create a narrow beam of light ▶ Equipped with water resistant quick-connect — allows for servicing the fixture without disturbing the putting green ▶ Life-long LEDs provide years of service with low energy consumption ▶ Now includes an adjustable external sleeve that allows the cup height to be adjusted to turf height

ADVERTISER INDEX BARILLA BarillaFS.com

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63 9

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CRES COR

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FORE SUPPLY

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Stylish Seat

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Eustis Chair

www.EustisChair.com Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation of Club + Resort Business Publication Title: Club + Resort Business Publication Number: 1556-13x Date of filing: September 29, 2022 Frequency of issue: Monthly Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Annual Subscription Price: $75 per year Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Contact Person: Bruce Sprague Telephone: (888) 543-2447 Complete Mailing Address of Headquartersor General Business Office of Publisher: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Publisher: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Editor: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Executive Editor: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Owner: WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Scott McCafferty, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Mike Emich, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Marshall Matheson, 1111 Superior Ave. Suite 2600 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None Tax Status: Not applicable

Club + Resort Business

November 2022

Publication Title: Club + Resort Business Issue Date for Circulation Data: September, 2022 Net press run: Average, 10,732; last issue, 9,353 Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions: Average, 9,190; last issue, 8,975 Total Paid and/or Requested Distribution: Average, 9,190; last issue, 8,975 Nonrequested distribution by mail outside county: Average, 1,352; last issue, 220 Nonrequested distribution outside the mail: Average 181, last issue, 53 Total Nonrequested Distribution: Average 1,533, last issue, 373 Total Distribution: Average, 10,723; last issue, 9,348 Copies not Distributed: Average, 9; last issue, 5 Total: Average, 10,732; last issue, 9,353 Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average, 85.7%; last issue, 96.0% ELECTRONIC COPY CIRCULATION Requested and Paid Electronic Copies: None Total Requested and Paid Print Copies (15c) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a): Average, 9,190; last issue, 8,975 Total Requested Copy distribution (15f) + Requested/Paid Electronic copies (16a): Average, 10,732; last issue, 9,348 Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both print & electronic copies) (16b divided by 16c x10 ) Average, 85.7%; last issue, 96.0% I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fi nes and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). Pat Curran, Digital Media Manager

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TRUE AUSSIE LAMB 60-61 foodservice.trueaussiebeefandlamb.com YAMAHA

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BAKING. MADE BETTER!

THE MONTAGUE® VECTAIRE® OVEN Choose from Montague’s renowned gas-powered, indirect-ﬁred “mufﬂed” design or electric models engineered for consistent precision-temperature baking. Both are built from heavy-duty stainless steel and feature a robotically-welded angle iron frame, solid door trunnion, heavy gauge wire racks, plus a wealth of other design advantages. Service is a breeze too, with the motor and all controls accessible through the front of the oven. Lifetime warranty on doors adds to the low cost of ownership for this hard-working kitchen centerpiece. With Vectaire, baking is always better. It’s time to discover Montague!

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NAFEM BOOTH

1817

Club + Resort Business November 2022

Articles inside

Management

Clubhouse Notes

The Rob Report