September www.clubandresortbusiness.com2022 ® Historic Past with Eyes on Futurethe Also in this issue: INSIDE Demystifying Natural Wine Innovative Hiring A Piece of the Pie NextAnsley’sChapter September www.clubandresortchef.com2022 J. Kevin Walker, CMC, reinvigorated Ansley GC’s culinary program and established a strong leadership pipeline to ensure a seamless transition for Executive Sous Chef Shannon Farmer to take over as Executive Chef. A recent renovation project and implementation of an upcoming 15-year plan solidify the future of CC of Buffalo.
1,200+$4B in total sales generated EZSuite installations and counting EZSuite by the numbers Enhance your member experience with EZSuite NEW WAYS TO GROW YOUR CLUB From secure payments to customized reporting, accounting tools and more, EZSuite opens new ways to grow your club. Visit business.golfnow.com to learn more. Membership Profiles, billing and statements let you manage down to the detail Accounting Keep your financials healthy at all times with a full suite of tools GainReportingmoreinsight into your business with customizable reports and dashboards ControlEventsevery aspect of the process, including calendars, invoicing and more $
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Club + Resort Chef Editorial Advisory Committee
K. Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Director of Culinary Operations, Myers Park CC, Charlotte, N.C.
Vincent Horville, Executive Chef, The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington (D.C.) Michael Matarazzo, CEC, Executive Chef, Farmington CC, Charlottesville, Va.
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SUBSCRIPTION
HISTORIC PAST WITH EYES ON THE FUTURE
The Country Club of Buffalo traces its roots back to 1889, but a recent renovation project implementation of an upcoming plan solidify its rightful place in the future. above by Country Club of Buffalo; cover photo by Dr. Robert Kuechle)
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 24 Design + Renovation A CALL FOR CONFERENCES Meeting rooms get a new lease on club life after two years of postponed in-person events. 32 Design Snapshot LAKE LIFE, MAXIMIZED Enhanced outdoor facilities are giving members the perfect excuse to stay awhile. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 6 The Rob Report WATER WARS 8 Clubhouse Notes CRAFTING A LONG-TERM VISION FOR GOLF 10 Marketing + Management A FRESH PERSPECTIVE 12 Club People CLUB PEOPLE ON THE MOVE 14 Management THE BEST PERFOMING TEAM IS... 16 Golf + Fitness Technology DOES YOUR JUNIOR HAVE THE RIGHT CLUBS? 17 Golf Operations BALANCING WORK AND COMPETITIVE GOLF 34 Ideas A NEW TAKE ON TRICK-OR-TREAT AT OLD TOWN CLUB 18 4 Masthead 65 Product Showcase 66 Ad Index INSIDE Demystifying Natural Wine Innovative Hiring A Piece of the Pie NextAnsley’sChapter September www.clubandresortchef.com2022 J. Kevin Walker, CMC, reinvigorated Ansley GC’s culinary program and established a strong leadership pipeline to ensure a seamless transition for Executive Sous Chef Shannon Farmer to take over as Executive Chef. 35 Club + Resort Chef ANSLEY’S NEXT CHAPTER J. Kevin Walker, CMC, reinvigorated Ansley GC’s culinary program and established a strong leadership pipeline to ensure a seamless transition for Executive Sous Chef Shannon Farmer to take over as Executive Chef. www.clubandresortbusiness.com September 2022 l Club + Resort Business l 5
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September 2022 • Vol. 18 • No. 9
6 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022
THE ROB REPORT
From Gandhi’s hunger strike in India, to Rosa Parks’ bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., to Tommie Smith’s and John Carlos’ Olympic protest in Mexico, people were creating positive change across the world. Like Dr. Martin Luther King, many paid the ultimate sacrifice for what they believed in. Not all civil disobedience works for the better, however. “Harmless” acts like animal rights activists throwing paint on people who wear fur are destructive and rarely effective, while a peaceful protest in 1989 resulted in many deaths at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China.
“A golf course without a green is like an ice-rink without ice,” Gérard Rougier of the French Golf Federation told the France Info news website. He added that 15,000 people work at golf courses across the country. Some constraints on the golf course remain, BBC News reported. Watering must be carried out at night with no more than 30% of the usual volume of water.
America’s history with disobedience goes much deeper and gets a heck of a lot more horrific, of course, but I’ll leave that discussion for another day. In August, we posted an article online—and in the daily newsletter—about climate activists vandalizing a French golf course after clubs received a water ban exemption. A local branch of the Extinction Rebellion movement filled golf course holes with cement to protest against the exemption of golf greens from water bans amid the country’s severe drought.
Water Wars
Rob Thomas rthomas@wtwhmedia.com
The exemption of golf greens in France has sparked controversy as 100 French villages are short of drinking water, BBC News reported. Golf officials say greens would die in three days without water.
GROWING UP, I LEARNED about all sorts of activism that shaped our world.
Conversely, we’ve also recently covered news from a survey conducted in 2021 by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and funded by the GCSAA Foundation as part of its Golf Course Environmental Profile. The program found that U.S. golf facilities applied approximately 1.68 million acrefeet of water in 2020, a 29% reduction since“Golf2005.course superintendents are responsible stewards of water resources, and the latest national survey results demonstrate that,” said Rhett Evans, CEO of GCSAA. “Superintendents are committed to efficient water management and have implemented evidence-based best management practices that result in reduced water use. And it’s not just that superintendents are using less water, in some cases they’ve completely switched to reclaimed water. The Lakes at Hemet West’s ninehole golf course in Hemet, Calif. recently made the change to using recycled water to irrigate the course and drought-tolerant landscaping in some areas, reports The Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif. Glenn Miller, Golf Course Consultant for The Lakes, told The Press-Enterprise the sustainable change will preserve the 50-year-old lakes and “allow us to continue to live in a comfortable environment.” Part of that change was partnering with the Eastern Municipal Water District, which has converted about 10 other courses in the area, including Golf Club at Rancho California in Murrieta, Cherry Hills Golf Course in the Sun City area of Menifee, and Canyon Lake Golf and Country Club, to recycled water for irrigation over the last few years, The Press-Enterprise reported. Before, The Lakes used 250 acre-feet of drinkable water every year and after the water-conserving changes they’ll use approximately 70 acre-feet of drinkable water and 110 acre-feet of recycled water each year, says Joe Mouawad, Eastern’s General Manager. Water is clearly a precious commodity. While some superintendents are blessed with an abundance of precipitation, many are forced to draw from a dwindlingSuperintendentsresource. are the best of the best when it comes to responsible irrigation. I can’t say that for the rest of us. I was driving home in the rain from an event recently and saw sprinklers at two homes and a public library watering their lawns. Blame a set-it-and-forget-it attitude, but you won’t see that type of waste on a golf course. Water is clearly a precious commodity. While some superintendents are blessed with an abundance of precipitation, many are forced to draw from a dwindling resource.
8 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
data on the golfing habits and behaviors of more than 1,500 players who are members of Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), Generation Y (better known as Millennials, born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (born after 1996). The average age of the respondents was 30, and 66% of the respondents were under the age of 35.
WHAT WILL COUNTRY CLUB golf courses look like and offer in 2040? What about 2050?
The 2022 Millennial Golf Industry Survey was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 through a link distributed by NCCGA and The City Tour to their nationwide email and player network.
• More than 60% of respondents said they play golf most often at a public course, with Millennials being the most likely to do so (67%). Meanwhile, anywhere from 33% (Millennials) to 38% (Gen Z) of respondents said they played the most at either a private or semiprivate club. A large number of Gen Zers are teenagers who are likely playing at a club under a membership that their parents have.
Phil Keren • Associate Editor pkeren@wtwhmedia.com
• When asked what amenities they would like to see at a private course, each group’s top choice was different: Gen X, dining facility (54%); Millennials, nighttime use, (63%); Gen Z, simulators (58%), but nighttime use (57%) was a close second. All three groups had simulators and nighttime use in their top three most desired amenities. Nighttime use refers to having lighting on the driving range and practice green. It’s also worth noting that an outdoor bar was the third most desired amenity among Millennials. These findings reflect approaches to the game that I think differ from previous generations. There’s an interest among Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z in making golf a social activity that is centered on a more casual and fun atmosphere. While simulators add a fun dimension to the experience, they also serve a practical function by allowing clubs in colder climates to offer services during the slower winter months.•Onprivate club membership, Gen X is willing to pay the most for an entrance fee ($6,759) and annual dues ($4,347), compared with Millennials ($6,006 & $4,088) and Gen Z ($6,066 & $3,973).
• The research on how often the groups play golf was intriguing, with the study noting Millennials (32.3 rounds per year) “play significantly less golf than” Gen X (37.9) or Gen Z (37.6).
• The study also looked at what types of social and environmental factors influenced where golfers chose to play. On the social component, youth golf programming and diversity of golfers was important to all three groups, while course maintenance practices and offering electric carts were the most commonly cited environmental issues. Based on this study, golfers who will be on the links for the next 30 years are looking to experience the game in new ways and want to play on courses with sound environmental practices, diversity among its players, and instruction for children. The COVID-19 pandemic gave golf a much needed boost. Whether the momentum from that bump can be sustained will depend, in part, on clubs’ willingness to respond to the needs of current and prospective members. This study provides a nice overview of those needs, and club leaders would be wise to heed many of its findings.
Country club and golf club general managers should examine middle-age and younger golfers’ behaviors and habits surrounding the game as they formulate long-term plans.
In June, GGA Partners, The National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCGA), and The City Tour released a study called, “Beyond Millennials: New Generations and the Influence of Family,” that gives some insight into golfers’ preferences andTheinterests.studygathered
Here is a look at some of the findings:
• The survey asked golfers to identify their top barrier to playing. Gen X most often cited weather (46%), Millennials pointed to time required to play (59%) and Gen Z said cost (55%) was the top dealbreaker. Time required to play was in each group’s top three barriers. As a Gen Xer who lives in Northeast Ohio, I can confirm that the ever-changing weather here can prevent golfers from playing as much as they wish.
CLUBHOUSE NOTES Crafting A Long-Term Vision For Golf
EMBRACE YOUR BACKGROUND I came to Water Oak after spending four years living and working in the Denver market. Prior to that, I lived and worked in California, so everything here in Florida is new for me. I believe I have an advantage coming in with a fresh perspective that our target market can relate to as someone who recently made a cross-country move to this area. We connect with prospec tive buyers and members looking to join the Water Oak community, and I uniquely understand what challenges and/or hesita tions they may face. I tend to lean on my own experiences and consider the things that personally drew me here-- highlight ing the things that make Water Oak and Florida life both unique and enjoyable. As a native Californian, moving to Water Oak this May was rather seamless. Having spent the last four years in Colorado, I was very excited for the change. The beauty here is unmatched. With the towering crowns of Spanish Moss-covered Oak trees in the neighborhood, the evenings come alive with a pleasant cacophony of sounds from the insects, amphibians, and birds alike. Being new to the area and to the state, as I take my evening walks through Water Oak, it harkens me back to child hood and being on the ride at Disney ‘Pi rates of the Caribbean.’ It’s almost unreal. It is as if you can feel the trees whispering in the gentle breezes and their evening hosts, all vying for a say in the clamor of early evening. It’s quite spectacular. It’s just another great reminder of the local beauty from a fresh perspective. The ability to lean on my personal and profes sional background and perspective allows for me to further engage and connect with new residents here at Water Oak.
By Lisa M. Felix • Sales and Marketing Manager
A FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Taking care when building a team is paramount. Just like I lean on my personal experience to connect with prospects and new residents, I lean on my team daily. We are lucky to have an amazing team here at Water Oak where each team member is so unique and has individual strengths. Not only does it make working here enjoy able, but it also makes our team stronger. We encourage our team members to embrace their individuality and lean into their unique interest and perspectives. No matter what type of person walks in our door, we are going to have someone they can relate to in a genuine manner and that is truly special. When building a team, I encourage leaders to consider the roles, existing team members’ strengths and weaknesses, and think about personalities and interests, too. You never know what a connection for someone can be. Having personable representatives can make or break your entire project.
Water Oak Country Club and Estates • Lady Lake, Fla.
MEMBERSHIP + MARKETING
RESIDENTS & MEMBERS
A resource we often overlook as sales and marketing professionals is our current residents and members. It may sound counterintuitive to prioritize speaking with people you’ve already had buy-in, but happy members are often our best marketing material. Hearing what they love about living here may not be what we assume keeps them happy. I try and meet new people in the community every day because every time I speak with our members, I learn something new that they appreciate. It’s also really important to consult with residents and keep them involved in shaping their neighborhood. For instance, some residents have sug gested using the names of famous female golfers for the new section of the commu nity and we’ve seen a great reaction to it. Our residents are our customers first and foremost. If you take care of them, they will take care of you.
THE FIRST FEW MONTHS in any new role are often overwhelming. Amid an influx of information—new people, settings, and challenges—there is an air of anticipation and excitement that comes with a fresh perspective.Inmytransition to Sales Manager at Wa ter Oak Country Club and Estates, I have been surrounded and uplifted by a team that makes Water Oak operate smoothly, but more importantly, provides connec tions to the residents and people that shape the heart of our community. I have learned about the community, the unique challenges and opportunities we have here, but I’ve also learned how important different perspectives and leading with authenticity are.
I joined Water Oak Country Club as Sales Manager a little more than three months ago and my transition to this role has gone smoothly, thanks to the strong team I have around me and their willingness to share both their insight and wisdom on all things Water Oak.
BUILD YOUR TEAM
10 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Member expectations are shifting. Legacies are blending with the next generation. Traditions are meshing with innovation. And personalization is being amplified by technology. These are challenges every club must address to recruit and retain their members. See how an integrated suite of the latest technology enables you to go stride for stride with members’ expectations while you streamline your operations.
Accelerate Your Club Experiences from Essential to Extraordinary
LOCATION-BASED MARKETING Right message, right time MEMBERSHIP ANALYTICS PREDICTOR Auto-identify at-risk members MOBILE APP Build member connections everywhere DIGITAL PAYMENTS Increase member convenience and cash flow MOBILE POS Take orders and make sales anywhere VIEW CLUBESSENTIALCOMPLETETHEPRODUCTSUITE
CHRISTOPHER ALVAREZ Lexington Country Club, an active residential lifestyle club located in Ft. Myers, FL welcomes Christopher Alvarez as Assistant General Manager Alverez was most recently Clubhouse Manager at Wyndemere Country Club in Naples, FL.
CLUB PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Placements made recently by Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace. More Club People announcements are published every other Wednesday on www.clubandresortbusiness.com.
KYLE DRAPER, CCM Located at the base of the Santa Rosa Mountains in La Quinta, CA, Tradition Golf Club, a Platinum Club of America, welcomes Kyle Draper, CCM as General Manager. Draper was most recently General Manager/COO at The Country Club at DC Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ.
JEFFREY GULLETT, PGA, MBA Boca Woods Country Club, an established 36-hole vibrant residential country club community located in Boca Raton, FL welcomes Jeffrey Gullett, PGA, MBA as Director of Golf. Gullett was Head Golf Professional at Bocaire Country Club in Boca Raton, FL before his most recent role as Partner/General Manager at Scheffer’s Office Solutions in Southeast Missouri.
12 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
AARON DAWSON Platinum Club of America, and named the “#13 Private Club in America” by Club Leaders Forum, Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, NC, welcomes Aaron Dawson as General Manager/ COO. Dawson was most recently General Manager at Miramont in Bryan, TX.
DAVID DISESA Loblolly in Hobe Sound, FL, featuring an outstanding array of amenities welcomes David DiSesa as Director of Racquets. DiSesa most recently spent summers as Director of Racquets in Osterville, MA and winters as Associate Tennis Professional at Jupiter Island Club in Hobe Sound, FL.
KARIE TORROLL Located in beautiful Greenwich, CT, Platinum Club of America, Greenwich Country Club, welcomes Karie Torroll as Chief Financial Officer Torroll was most recently Chief Financial Officer at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, CO.
DUSTIN WADE, CCM Hudson National Golf Club, one of the finest premier golf destinations in the New York Metropolitan area, welcomes Dustin Wade, CCM as Chief Business Officer. Wade was most recently Chief Financial Officer at The Briar Club in Houston, TX.
MARC BOUCHARD Bay Head Yacht Club, in Bay Head, NJ, named a Top 30 yacht club by Platinum Clubs of America, welcomes Marc Bouchard as Executive Chef. Bouchard was most recently Executive Sous Chef at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast, CA.
Gabriel Friedrich | Head Racquets Professional Wee Burn Country Club Thomas Greco, Jr. | Dir. of Food & Beverage Indian Harbor Yacht Club K.C. Henderson | Golf Course Superintendent Bocaire Country Club Cathy Kim | Director of Golf Instruction Baltimore Country Club Karen King | Director of Finance Collier's Reserve Country Club Ethan Kostbar | Executive Chef Upper Montclair Country Club Scott Mansager | Director of Paddle & Pickleball Northmoor Country Club Nicholas Martin | Director of Finance Trinity Forest Golf Club Matias Martinez | Director of Food & Beverage Cove Club Christopher Matson | Executive Chef DeBordieu Club Michael Mencarelli | CFAO The Century Association Lukasz Monka, CCM | General Manager Tiburon Peninsula Club Lee Morris | Assistant General Manager The Seagate Country Club JosephNader|ExecutiveChef PineLakeCountryClub JohnO'Leary|ExecutiveChef DelrayBeachClub AndrewOrbison,CCM|GM/COO LookoutMountainClub JillPhilmon,CCM,CCE|GM/COO RoaringGapClub SeanRice,PGA | DirectorofGolf TheAmeliaIslandClub MichaelRood|GeneralManager/COO BlackhawkCountryClub PrestonSmith,Sr.|GeneralManager/COO TheUnionClubofCleveland AntonStryhas|TennisDirector MarinTennisClub EricSymeon | FacilitiesManager BronxvilleFieldClub ScottSzymoniak | GeneralManager DesertForestGolfClub HelenTelfer | Controller EssexCountyClub JennaWorswick|Director ofAthletics Baker'sBayGolf&OceanClub JosephBasso|GeneralManager NaplesLakesCountryClub TracyBradbury|ClubhouseManager BocaWoodsCountryClub R.WilliamChrysler|VPofOperations SouthworthDevelopment RemusCiolomic|GeneralManager IndianHarborYachtClub ThomasConnell | ExecutiveChef TheClubatAdmiralsCove JacobCyr,CCM|GeneralManager/COO ForestLakeClub RossDesmond|GeneralManager/COO WachesawPlantationClub OwenDougherty|GeneralManager BirminghamAthleticClub WilliamDuthe,GeneralManager RoundHillClub RogerioEdwards|ClubhouseManager BocaWoodsCountryClub TimothyEldridge|GeneralManager/COO TheClubat3Creek TomElliott,CCM|GeneralManager/COO PittsburghFieldClub RickfordFoo,CEC|ExecutiveChef TheApawamisClub SCANTOBROWSEOURACTIVECAREEROPPORTUNITES SpecializinginGM/COO,CEO,AGM,ClubhouseManager, Food&Beverage,Financial,Golf,Culinary,Agronomy,Racquets, HumanResources,Fitness&Wellness,Membership/MarketingSearches.
14 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
WORKSHOP/RETREAT,
THE NAVY SEAL ETHOS SAYS:
Then…it hit me – The Navy Seals might be the best, highest, and best-performing team to ever exist. I then began a deep study into the leadership and success of the Navy SEALs and found some lessons that I believe are beneficial and worth sharing.
• The New York Yankees of the 1950s and 1960s
How does the greatest performing team choose trust over performance? Trust cre ates a sense of belonging and psychologi cal safety which creates strong relation ships, which all great teams have.
AT A STAFF I asked our department managers – “Who is the best performing team in the history of theThisworld?”ledto some answers that you might expect:•Tom Brady’s New England Patriots
TRUST IS MOST IMPORTANT Great teams have an incredible amount of trust between each other and team members. We have all seen the ‘ball hog,’ or the ‘control freak,’ or the ‘ego maniac,’ which have led to teams not achieving their potential. The Navy SEALs have none of these people as team members on their teams.
ALL IN, ALL THE TIME “All in, all the time” is a phrase used by team members of the Navy SEALs. This idea refers to the commitment of each and every Navy SEAL, and means their commitment is beyond reproach and they will give “everything” at any time and in all situations.Insociety today, temporary emotional feelings can cause people to change their direction. A bad day, an undesired result, a challenging situation with a member/ employee can cause a drastic change. A decision made the day or night before doesn’t change the commitment brought the following day. Nobody requests a trade. Nobody changes teams. There is no adversity that will change their commitment. There is no temporary emotional feeling that will change their focus towards the end goal.
I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on ev ery remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mis sion. I am never out of the fight. Talk about commitment – and being “All in, all the time”
The culture of the Navy SEALs is cen tered around trust, commitment, and a known/shared purpose.
• The Los Angeles Lakers during the ‘Showtime Era’
THE PERFORMINGBEST TEAM IS…
By Robin Shelton • CCM, PGA Master Professional General Manager • Newport Beach Country Club
The football/basketball teams all have a playbook, and they all know which play is being called when going on the field/court. They huddle and plan for the play being executed. If one person doesn’t follow the correct play, it never works.
• The current Golden State Warriors
MANAGEMENT
• Manchester United What would your response be to this question? Are there other teams you think belong? Any teams that were left out? As the person asking the question, I had advance time to think about the answer to this question. I thought about the teams listed above. I thought about Olympians. I thought about consistent success over time.
If you think of a football or basketball team, they also know the direction and purpose for the season. They know what success looks like. Are they trying to win a championship? Is the goal to make the playoffs? Is it a “rebuilding” year?
• Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls
If you had a choice of hiring a person of high performance or high trust – which one would you hire? Many managers choose the person of high performance over the person of high trust. The Navy Seals do the opposite – they choose the person of high trust. Naturally, all of us would want the person who is the high performer and also the person of high trust. Not always does that person exist and sometimes we must choose. Simon Sinek does an incredible job sharing this idea in a short video (highly recommended watch – Google ‘Simon Sinek Performance vs. Trust’). Trust mat ters more to the Navy SEALs.
HAVE A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE Club leaders and employees must all have a shared sense of purpose. All must know ‘why’ or have a goal to what he/she is doing, ‘why’ the team is going in that direction, and what play is being called.
World-class athletes and Navy SEALs come with a special motivation and are wired to a clear team and individual goal –winning. NFL players want to win the Super Bowl. Navy SEALs want to rid the world of evil. It is hard to get that level of clarity and motivation in the workplace, but a shared sense of purpose is critical for any team.
The Navy SEALs are perhaps the greatest performing team in history and provide incredible examples and ideas to create a high-performing team at your club.
Cheers to the clubs we are proud to call our partners Cheers to our dedicated team Cheers to the love of bringing people together 20 YEARS Let’s raise a toast & last but not least From Online Tee Times to Club Management Software WWW.FORETEES.COM RESERVATIONS | APPS | WEBSITES | BACK OFFICE
Due to the expensive nature of the sport, it can be tempting to get clubs that your junior will “grow into.” While it might seem like a good idea on the surface, there are some hidden costs that parents should consider. As a coach, I would much prefer to have the clubs be too short than too long. If you are concerned about the cost of clubs, it’s much better to have your junior play with clubs that are too short for a while than get them into clubs that are tooForlong.kids who are early on in their de velopment, one of the biggest risks with getting them started with equipment that does not fit is that they are far less likely to experience any sort of success and may not enjoy it or develop a passion for the game as a result. When it comes to cost, most people don’t realize how economical properly fitted equipment can actually be when juniors are getting started.
• A longer club will typically be too heavy, making it very difficult for them to make a proper backswing, which will result in poor ball striking.
GOLF + FITNESS TECHNOLOGY
GOLF IS A DIFFICULT GAME that requires a high degree of precise skill. For people just beginning the game, it can be a humbling experience. When it comes to juniors, it’s even more challenging as they have not fully developed their strength, coordination and sensory systems, and their bodies are constantly changing. In order to combat these difficulties, juniors should be playing equipment that is suited to their size and strength.
DOES YOUR JUNIOR HAVE THE RIGHT CLUBS?
The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe • Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
• A good general rule is to keep the club no higher than up to their belly button.
Matt has also been part of TaylorMade’s National Advisory Staff since 2012.
Consider the “hidden costs” of having junior golfers play with clubs that are too long or too heavy.
with a driver:
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 join ing The Bridges, Kilgariff was Director of Player Development at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
• If the driver is too long, your junior will stand with very limited hip hinge at address in order to accommodate the excess length of the club. The result is usually poor utilization of the lower body during the swing.
16 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Reach out to your local professional and make sure your junior has the proper equipment. This will at least give them a chance to fall in love with this great game.
By Matt Kilgariff • PGA Director of Player Development
Poorly fitted equipment is one of the biggest reasons juniors struggle in their development, creating poor habits in their swing and often killing their passion for the game before it has a chance to de velop. Most often, juniors are playing with equipment that is too long and too heavy for their size and strength.
For juniors under 10, they don’t need more than four to seven clubs, and you can get quality junior clubs for $25–$30 per club. After the cost of a bag, that’s about $175–$250 for a set. Most major brands make clubs for juniors. The clubs I like for the younger kids are US Kids brand. When they get a little older, Ping’s Prodi G clubs are great. Ping’s Prodi G program allows for a one-time re-shaft as you junior grows. This is getting two sets for the price of Whenone. juniors get older, clubs do get more expensive, but they shouldn’t need more than two sets of clubs to get them from adolescence to young adulthood. When considering the cost of equipment for your junior, do not forget to consider the additional physical costs of poorly fit tedProperequipment.clublength
GOLF OPERATIONS
I played college golf at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich. and that was where I got into the golf business side at Egypt Valley CC. I realized there that I could work and make money while playing, teaching and working at a club.
Managing my golf game while juggling work responsibilities and coaching multiple sports with my kids is tough, but so much fun.
“ I challenge everyone to find something you love to do and within your daily routine find a way to get better at what you enjoy doing. Enjoy the journey and the process.”
DD: I grew up in Southfield, Mich. and played all kinds of sports but mostly basketball, baseball, soccer, track and golf. I was introduced to the game as a caddie at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield. I quickly got hooked, had some early success and gained confidence quickly as I relied on my athleticism and handeye coordination from other sports that translated into golf.
Coming from a very competitive background and always look ing to improve on a daily basis has stuck with me to this day. I am always looking to get better at managing staff, and anticipating and meeting members needs, while maintaining my own golf game and fitnessAfterlevel.college, I married my college sweetheart and we moved to Florida. I played full time for about three years before getting back into the business as an Assistant Golf Professional here at Orange Tree. Shortly thereafter, I was given the chance to be the Head Golf Professional and I decided to jump on the opportunity.
DAVID “DD” DAMESWORTH, PGA Director of Golf at Orange Tree Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., played in his fifth PGA Professional Championship at the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa this year. He discusses his origins within the industry and how he keeps his game in shape while still managing the club and keeping members and guests happy.
I enjoy the time in the gym and working on speed and taking care of my body to find any advantage I can as a competitor. I have grown to learn that in order to reach my full potential I have to enjoy the process of improving and enjoy the grind. That is what gets me up in the morning and pushes me to be better. I hope to pass these traits to my kids as well as my staff to help them reach their potential.
I challenge everyone to find something you love to do and within your daily routine find a way to get better at what you enjoy doing. Enjoy the journey and the process.
Each and every day I am always asking, “how can I improve as a husband, dad, friend, golf professional and mentor?” These are things my dad always tried to think about and that the secret to being successful was in the daily routine. Spending time in the gym, along with eating right and maintaining a good range of mo tion, I have been able to increase speed while staying injury free for most of my career. The balance at work is never easy but is very rewarding. I am able to manage a staff of 15-20, as well as try to meet the needs of 330+ members that are active and know their golf. I enjoy teaching on a daily basis and seeing my students improve and learn and grow as players and people.
The key for me is that I really enjoy practicing and playing to pre pare to compete. The competition and playing under the gun once I feel prepared is so rewarding for me.
BALANCING WORK AND COMPETITIVE GOLF
By David “DD” Damesworth PGA Director of Golf at Orange Tree Golf Club
My dad and older brother, along with several of my friends, always have very competitive matches in all of the sports and that kept me very competitive and always kept my juices flowing.
www.clubandresortbusiness.com September 2022 l Club + Resort Business l 17
By Rob Thomas, Editor
» COUNTRY CLUB OF BUFFALO
Club Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
MUCH CAN BE SAID ABOUT THE LOYALTY AND PRIDE members take in their club, but 98 percent of membership approving a $3.3 million renovation project to a pair of areas nobody really sees, speaks volumes. That’s only part of the story at the Country Club of Buffalo in Williamsville, N.Y. The other side of the historic club’s story is the love shown by people who’ve decided to make CCB their life’s work. General Manager Nick Markel is just one piece of that puzzle. “This club was my first club job, the inspiration to change my major to hospitality, and the only club that would have brought me back to Buffalo,” Markel says. “I love this golf course and this club. Buffalo is a special place, and mostly because of the people.
The Country Club of Buffalo traces its roots back to 1889, but a recent renovation project and implementation of an upcoming 15-year plan solidify its rightful place in the future.
HISTORIC PAST WITH EYES ON THE FUTURE FUTURE
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Photo Courtesy Robert J. Kuechle Photography
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Markel notes that the club is currently finishing up the presentation materials on a 15-year campus plan for the property and facilities.
The Country Club of Buffalo is situated on 325 acres in Western New York. The property, which opened in 1926, is the club’s third location since being founded in 1889. A renowned Donald Ross golf course and stately Duane Lymandesigned clubhouse are the main attractions, but the club also offers a variety of other amenities to its 505 member families. Additional recreational opportunities include a pool, tennis, platform tennis, pickleball, snowshoeing, cross coun try skiing, an ice-skating rink, and a world-class sporting clays facility offering five different disciplines. The dining program is robust, with a strong member preference for al fresco din ing in the summer months.
»
He was quick to shift the credit to his staff who keep the historic club running smoothly.
“The process has taken the better part of two years, but with a high level of member engagement throughout,” he says. “Focus groups, two surveys, and charrette sessions have contributed to a consensus-built plan that we are confident the membership will unite around. We intend to break ground on the first phase in 2024.”
The beneficiary of the kitchen renovation that included new walls, floors, ceilings, and equipment is Executive Chef Joe Piazza, CEC, AAC. Country Club of buffalo
The Donald Ross championship golf course and Duane Lyman-designed clubhouse both saw recent upgrades as part of a $3.3 million renovation project.
“What makes CCB is our head valet, front office attendant, locker room attendants, pool director [51 years!], bar man ager, captains, line cooks, purchasing agent, caddie master, etc.” Markel says. “There really is an extraordinary amount of tenure on this team. I’m here for them, and CCB is the special club it is because of them.”
“Clubs will often note a familial atmosphere, but here it is truly engrained in the culture,” Markel says. “Buffalo is known as the “City of Good Neighbors” and that rings espe cially true in our small community within the community.”
In 2022, CCB completed a full kitchen renovation and golf course irrigation replacement. These projects were approved for a total spend of $3.3 million, but finished under budget and in a timely fashion, Markel notes.
The Country Club of Buffalo was founded in 1889, but moved to its current location in Williamsville, N.Y. in 1926.
“The projects were approved by 98% of the membership who voted,” he says. “For a club this size, that is a substantial investment in infrastructure projects, and the team both recognizes and appreciates the members’ support.”
RECENT RENOVATION
The culinary team loves the fact of the diverse ingredients, and the members really enjoy seeing all the highly seasonal ingredients with each monthly revision.”
The new irrigation system will certainly help Tosh and his staff with their day-to-day duties. The team includes eight full-time, year-round employees and approximately 30 sea sonal staff members that work from April through October.
Markel says CCB struggled with staffing, like most clubs, through the pandemic, and particularly in 2021. But heading into this summer season, they put an emphasis on not just hiring the associates needed, but “over hiring” to some ex tent in an effort to offer more flexible work schedules. That has proven impactful. “We are continually monitoring the local market to ensure we are better than competitive on compensation levels,” he says. “Partnerships with local universities have also proven quite beneficial. I personally serve on the advisory commit tee for the hospitality school at a local college, and volun teer to teach several classes each semester. Our Assistant Manager does the same at her alma matter. Lastly, we signed on as an official sponsor for the athletic program at the larg est university in our area and now attend sporting events to recruit students, as well as market openings directly through banner ads on their webpages.”
“We’re fortunate to be in a location near a number of col leges and with an abundance of college students living in the area,” he says. “We’ve had great success attracting students for the summer. “We try to create as enjoyable a work experience as possible to ensure we have as much of our seasonal staff returning each summer,” Tosh adds. “Being able to return the same staff each season with their increased knowledge and experience has an incalculable effect on the quality of product we can provide.”
On the agronomic side, Grounds Superintendent Anthony Tosh, keeps the Ross gem shining. The property is unique in the fact that it sits on an old limestone quarry.
Staffing has been an issue across the industry, but Tosh has an academic advantage over some of his colleagues.
Piazza tells a similar tale on the F&B side. “I am fortunate to have multiple culinary schools, and pro grams in Buffalo,” he says. “I also sit on the board of the local ACF, which helps with tapping into young future culinarians.
“The main a la carte menu changes about 80 percent each month,” Piazza says. “This is very unique, as all the other clubs I have worked at typically do a quarterly menu change.
The a la carte restaurant is open for all three meal periods; there is a snack bar at the pool, and a quick-service concept/ halfway house on the golf course that has a mobile “hot dog cart” available on the weekends during the season.
STAFFING STABILITY
The club has three dining options for members to enjoy.
GOLF … AND MORE National outlets have dubbed CCB’s Ross layout as a Top 100 classic design. Jay Sutherland, PGA Head Golf Profes sional, is charged with getting members around the track for approximately 16,000 rounds each year. He points to the Memorial Invitational and Summer Invitational as the big gest events of the year, but daily play is treated with equal importance.WithBuffalo’s legendary winters, you’d think Sutherland would have ample downtime, but that’s not the case. “The role of the golf professional and the golf shop staff has evolved so much in the last 20 years that we are still very active providing member services that go well beyond when the golf course is open,” he says. “Personally, we use the downtime to prepare as much as possible for the upcoming year so we can limit the amount of time in our offices and The new kitchen at Country Club of Buffalo included new walls, floors, ceilings and equipment ... and the special addition of a chef’s table to enable Executive Chef Joe Piazza and his staff to entertain members.
“The rock cutouts and stone features make for a pictur esque setting, but the rocky soils and shallow bedrock can create a challenging growing environment,” Tosh says.
“As far as retaining staff, we really try to have a balanced schedule here at the club, which helps with the life-work bal ance we all struggle with,” Piazza adds.
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“We recently began offering training programs and begin ner shoots to introduce more members to the sport and we’ve had a noticeable increase in activity due to those train ing events,” she continues. “We currently have five fields in operation … Trap, Skeet, Five-Stand, Brushwalk, and a Crazy Quail field. The Brushwalk is our signature field that provides a very unique target shooting challenge. It involves over 60 manually operated traps throwing targets while shooters walk along a wooded trail.” While CCB is firmly rooted in the community and graced with an abundance of historical signifi cance, the recent renovations and 15-year plan make it clear that the club will not rest on its laurels.
engage with members in person during the golf season. “We will prepare an extensive, detailed buying plan that is easy to adjust during the season,” Sutherland explains. “All the budgets will be prepared and submitted with in-depth detail for easy reference during the season. We will plan our staffing levels and start that process as early as possible. Once committees are set, Sutherland’s team meets with the tournament chairs to plan their respective events to re duce meeting time during the season. The staff will assess the past season’s strengths and weaknesses to make adjustments to procedures for the upcoming season. Assistant Manager Rachel Black says, “being in Buffalo, winter activities are a must.”
“The Country Club of Buffalo is the aspirational Club in Buffalo, and I believe one of the finest in North America,” Markel says. “We pride ourselves on exceptional, and personalized, service. The experi ence at CCB is classic and refined, yet not ostentatious.” C+RB
The 18-hole golf course, which was dug out of a limestone quarry, hosts approximately 16,000 rounds each season. Members enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on the property over the winter months.
“Our shooting program began nearly a century ago, so it’s been a well-established amenity for us for a long time,” Black says. “Since then, we’ve been able to establish a world-class facility which has attracted a number of avid clay target shooters to our club. We are also one of the only country clubs in Western New York that offers clay target shooting, so that helps attract members looking to shoot.
AND NOT JUST ANY SHOOTING …
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“The past few winters have been mild, but in years past we have maintained an ice-skating rink,” she explains. “Our mem bership enjoys snowshoeing and cross-country skiing out on our course. We offer paddle tennis as well as shooting during the winter season.”
The Country Club of Buffalo offers five shooting fields—Trap, Skeet, Five-Stand, Brushwalk and Crazy Quail. Training programs and beginner shoots introduce new members to the activity.
DESIGN + RENOVATION A Call Conferences SUMMING IT UP > Meeting space renovations are providing more accommodations for corporate events and other intimate gatherings. > Customizable rooms enable meetings of all sizes to be structured as needed. > Proximity to other clubhouse amenities creates an all-inclusive experience for members and guests. 24 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
A meeting space redesign was one of the main factors that motivated a clubhousewide renovation at Colonial Country Club in Fort Myers, Fla. “Our membership had a greater need for more flexible meeting space and a wide range of technology,” says Sales and Marketing Manager Gabrielle Kreller. The club’s three designated meeting rooms, along with a 3,254-sq.-ft. ballroom used for master board association meetings and large presentations, were unveiled in March 2021 and have since generated a steady flow of Comprisingevents.the better part of the main building, the East PDR and media room are located on the left side of the clubhouse, while the West PDR is on the opposite side. Collapsible walls between rooms allow for greater flexibility, so that meetings can be
Call for Conferences
THE only thing in session this month; conferences and other corporate events are having a resurgence and private clubs are answering the call with refreshed digs. While pandemic-driven regulations necessitated the temporary shutdown of in-person meetings, clubs used the down time to take a closer look at the services and accommodations these rooms lacked. The results are more polished, professional setups that have members brushing off their work wardrobes and rejoining their colleagues for corporate retreats and breakout meets.
Photos by Caronchi Photography
By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor SCHOOL ISN’T
After two years of postponed in-person events, meeting rooms are getting a new lease on club life.
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FOCUS ON FLEXIBILITY
COLONIAL COUNTRY CLUB
“The timeless and multiple configuration room design of our clubhouse has provided a better experience for our membership,” says Kreller.
“The goal of our 2018 Board of Directors for this space was to create a sense of transparency, and this is exactly what this room provides our members and guests,” says General Manager Russ Bond. While its significance may appear larger than life, the room itself is designed to host small, intimate gatherings. Customizable walls and flexible furniture can be adjusted to accommodate various sized groups, with a maximum of 27 in the boardroom and between 17-60 guests in other clubhouse spaces.
Even a series of devastating wildfires in Northern California could not extinguish the spirit and camaraderie at The Fountaingrove Club in Santa Rosa, Calif., where management and membership joined together to begin rebuilding its clubhouse. A key component of the December 2021 property-wide reconstruction was the primary boardroom, a space that has become a multipurpose outlet for both members and staff. Deemed the centerpiece of the clubhouse’s first floor and sur rounded by glass retractable walls, the boardroom is visible immedi ately upon entering the clubhouse.
“The timeless and multiple configuration room design of our clubhouse has pro vided a better experience for our membership.”
“The designers really put thought into what would make this space an extension of the natural landscape, just outside the walls of the clubhouse,” notes Bond.
REVIVED AND REVITALIZED
Fort Myers, Fla.
Wood and stone elements adorn the space, as reflected in the overall structure and artwork. Of note is a misty-toned chandelier reminiscent of coastal fog, balanced out by a calming neutral color paletteAestheticsthroughout.aside, members can utilize the boardroom’s tech func tionality by casting to smart televisions from their personal devices or connect directly to the club’s facilities. “The entire Fountaingrove campus has access to Wi-Fi; whether you’re working out on the elliptical or out on the 10th tee, you have access to our shared network,” says Bond. With such versatility in its setup, the boardroom is in frequent use by both members and employees. In fact, each day at Fountaingrove begins with a management huddle session in this very space.
— Gabrielle Kreller, Sales and Marketing Manager customized as needed. The 707-sq.-ft. East PDR and 390-sq.-ft. West PDR are set with six 48-inch square hardwood tables, each seating four guests. The 402-sq.-ft. media room is outfitted with a U-shaped conference table and hard-back seats, facing a wall-mounted, largeformat monitor for videoconferencing. Further enhancing the functionality of these rooms, blue and cream carpeting sporting an abstract design and adjustable lighting—controlled by a wall-mounted iPad—add ambiance to these respective spaces. Large windows that look out onto the 18th hole and surrounding lake offer alternative focal points for meeting goers. With a steady flow of bookings since the meeting room reno vation—including alternative uses as makeshift bridal suites and private dining venues—the versatility of these spaces has proven its worth at Colonial Country Club.
Maintaining Fountaingrove’s original style, but with an appre ciation for contemporary design, was essential when crafting the boardroom.
26 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com DESIGN + RENOVATION
“We also encourage our members to use these spaces for them selves and their meetings, to create a chance for them to experience a different environment other than their own,” adds Bond. Recent
MASTER PLANNING ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN PROCUREMENT PETER CAFARO PCAFARO@JBD-JGA.COM 401.721.0977 DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE FOR PRIVATE CLUBS & HOSPITALITY Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus NJ
Photos by Doug Dun Photography; design by BAR Architects & Interiors
Buona La Prima is next to Ravenna’s burgeoning wine cellar, visible from the meeting room. The design is meant to resemble a wine grotto reminiscent of Ravenna, Italy, or a wine cave in California’s
THE FOUNTAINGROVE CLUB Santa Rosa, Calif.
—Russ Bond, General Manager events include member-led meetings and staff CPR training, along with a steady flow of regular get-togethers.
“I believe we are just touching the surface on what this new clubhouse can provide our members and their guests, and we cannot wait to keep learning and being able to provide these opportunities to our members and staff,” he enthuses.
“As a boutique club with limited membership, the clubhouse was ‘right-sized’ for the community,” says Hospitality and Event Manager Michelle Totte. Having opened its doors this past July, the boardroom has already garnered attention from members and nonmembersCovertlyalike.situated on the clubhouse’s lower level and accessible by a spiral staircase just off the bar and main dining room, the 2,500-sq.-ft.
“The designers really put thought into what would make this space an extension of the natural landscape, just outside the walls of the clubhouse.”
Since the club’s reopening, Bond has witnessed an outpouring of membership support and unwavering pride in what these new spaces, including the boardroom, have become.
DESIGN + RENOVATION 28 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
THE TOAST OF THE CLUBHOUSE Members at the Ravenna Club in Littleton, Colo., are raising a glass to Buona La Prima, a boardroom whose wine cellar-inspired design lets visitors feel like they’ve stepped inside a secret club. The space is the culmination of a two-year-long construction project for a 25,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse—the first for this private luxury golf club—that replaces a temporary facility with a permanent structure worthy of its membership.
Perfect for: Locker rooms, Spas Gyms and more! www.crescorsport.com To learn QRSCANmorecode has solutions for today’s safer locker room environments. and the Model # optional(PicturedQD4Pwithstand.) Model # AWSF2M
Because of its close proximity to Ravenna’s new 5,000-sq.-ft. kitchen, the club’s culinary staff can execute and serve catered meals and wine pairings with ease. Since the clubhouse’s grand opening, the room has already generated a notable increase in membership inquiries and other private event usage. Totte credits the unique handcrafted design elements for drawing more attention to this space.
“It lends an air of gravitas to an upscale environment where important decisions are made,” she notes. Given that Buona La Prima is the only spot in the clubhouse open to non-members during offpeak business hours, this space is poised to become a true destination for all at Ravenna.
Earlier this summer, members at Estero (Fla.) Country Club had cause for celebration. After decades without any dedicated meeting space, they were ready to embrace the opening of two conference rooms (along with three additional multipurpose spaces) to enhance the new indoor/outdoor and related amenities. Director of Membership and Marketing Meg Stepanian, CMP, describes the renovation project as “taking the clubhouse from how members had lived for the past 30 or so years, to how members interface in the clubhouse environment today.” By creating diverse meeting and seating areas for an active community, the club has been able to maintain its reputation while exceeding member expectations. Located on either side of the club’s casual dining spot Mulligans, the Oak and Cypress rooms offer ample room for intimate meetings and other special events. Each space marries modern amenities with historical elements, allowing the club to stay true to its roots while keeping an eye on the future. Outfitted as a traditional boardroom, the 16 ½ x 22-foot Cypress Room is decorated in blues and greys in a style that Stepanian characterizes as coastal contemporary. Dynamic lighting is made up of can lights that accentuate a textured wall, three modern chandeliers hanging over the
“[The room] is comprised of hand-built masonry with a unique barrel-vault ceiling that creates a striking, old-world environment with the added benefit of bank vault-like acoustics,” describes Totte. “It’s dead silent.” Adding to this distraction-free zone, the boardroom is laid out with all of the essential technology for getting down to business.
—Michelle Totte, Event Manager Napa Valley. Attention to detail is not only evident in the muted earthtoned furnishings and finishes, but in the architecture itself.
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CONVENING FOR CONVENTIONS
“It lends an air of gravitas to an upscale environment where important decisions are made.”
A 100-inch video monitor supports Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet, while wireless content sharing functionality lets multiple users share their screens simultaneously and even display their work in other areas of the clubhouse. “If users are old school and just want to have a plain old telephone call, we have that ability too: with a wireless VOIP conference phone,” adds Director of Technology and Communications Chris Collins.When not being used for conferences or business meetings, this space can accommodate private dinner parties for up to 50 guests.
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RAVENNA CLUB Littleton, Colo.
ESTERO COUNTRY CLUB Estero, Fla. “Thanks to word of mouth, members want to have their family birthdays, anniversaries and other special outings here.”
C+RB
— Meg Stepanian, CMP, Director of Membership and Marketing conference table, can lighting in the ceiling and spot cans over the cabinetry area. Hi-tech enhancements via sound, television and cameras complete the true conference experience, with seating for 12 Overguests.inthe 14 x 19-foot Oak Room, members enter through two doors retained from the original clubhouse. This secondary conference room features Zoom capability for off-site meeting participation, seating for 10 and a chandelier positioned over the conference table. Historical decorative pieces from the club are expected to outfit this room, but have not yet been specified. In the short time since their opening, these spaces have played host to a variety of special events. This past June, a club member who is also a wine distributor held a business meeting/wine tast ing in the Oak Room and Zoomed with fellow vintners from across the“Thisworld.would not have been possible with our old design,” notes Stepanian, adding that interest in bookings for both rooms has exploded. “Thanks to word of mouth, members want to have their family birthdays, anniversaries and other special outings here,” she says. “Their pride and enthusiasm have been out of sight. Even though our renovation had been postponed, it has proven to be a homerun.”
PROMOTING PLAY
A major improvement to Greystone’s 20,000-sq.-ft. outdoor facility involved giving new life to two abandoned Har-Tru tennis courts. The newly converted area now has a concrete base for basketball and pickleball with an acrylic coating. A black, vinyl-coated chain link fence separates the courts from an outdoor pool (part of the previous design) and basketball court from the surrounding lake, while a half fence separates basketball from pickleball.
By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
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Lake Life, Maximized
DESIGN SNAPSHOT
Adjacent to the pickleball and basketball courts is a sprawling picnic area, containing two metal-framed, fabriccovered pergolas with tables that seat six guests each. With the pool grill merely 50 yards away, members have easy acEnhanced outdoor facilities are giving members the perfect excuse to stay awhile.
Greystone Golf & Country Club converted two unused tennis courts into a basketball court and four pickleball courts.
“We wanted to improve our overall lifestyle amenities,” says General Manager/CEO David Porter, CCM. “Our [new] plan tied everything together in all areas.” The updated facility, which broadened its offerings to include pickleball and basketball courts and a picnic area, is set to become a year-round destination.
They say life is better by the lake and for members at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Ala., these words couldn’t be more accurate. After taking a closer look at how the club could make better use of its existing lakeside activity center, management decided to reinvent the space this past summer.
The basketball court features two Plexiglass commercialgrade hoops, which are adjustable for pickup games and more competitive play. Their royal-blue-and-grey design is accented by the Greystone Country Club logo in the center of the court. LED lighting provides ample illumination for nighttime play, and court usage is available by reservation for daytime and evenings. Full courts permit 10-12 players, while half courts allow three.
FUN IN THE SUN When members aren’t busy working up a sweat on the court or chowing down on some tasty grub, they can spend time relaxing on the water. While the surrounding lake abuts the ninth hole, it was recently dredged and stocked with fish to provide an additional ame nity. It’s the only spot near the golf course where fishing is permitted, Porter notes. Two pedal boats are available for member use, and on weekends staff is on hand to assist visitors with life preservers.
www.clubandresortbusiness.com September 2022 l Club + Resort Business l 33 leball play as scheduled, and members can call the clubhouse for food and beverage to be delivered,” says Porter. Since a pizza deliv ery option is currently in place, he expects this additional service to be added seamlessly.
Two pedal boats are available for members to enjoy the lake, which was recently dredged and stocked with fish to provide anglers with an additional amenity. Snapshot
Taking full advantage of the first full season of the lakeside activ ity center was important, so Porter ensured that the project was completed before the pool’s opening. This required an increase in contractors who worked on Saturdays to get the job done in time. The extra effort has proven to be worthwhile, as evidenced by the exceptional member feedback. “It’s a great addition for all ages: families together, children alone and adults of all ages,” says Porter. He also notes that the activ ity center’s proximity to the pool provides a welcome alternative for younger members who wish to take a break from swimming. “It’s another complement to [fulfilling] our mission on being a full lifestyle club,” he adds. C+RB
Design
GREYSTONE G&CC Pickleball nets and fencing: Wilson Basketball court nets: Mega Slam Hoops Pergolas: Purple Leaf Picnic furniture: Summer Classics Pedal boats: Pelican Sport
“That was just another way to deliver the treats to them in a unique way,” McLean says. Other creative methods of delivery included two candy chutes, one of which was set up on the playground with irrigation tubing running from the top of the slide to the bottom.
Old Town Club in Winston-Salem, N.C., found itself in this situ ation when the public health emergency forced the cancellation of its fall festival in 2020. “It’s a big fair,” says Jeana McLean, Special Events Director at Old Town Club. “We have all the rides and the games and fair food and pony rides. It’s our biggest kids’ event of the whole year.” With the club’s signature youth activity canceled, McLean states, “We wanted to find a way to still let [children] come out and have fun, and there was a lot of talk about trick-or-treating being canceled.” A lot of members, McLean says, did not want their children to do traditional trick-or-treating due to concerns about the coro navirus. As a result, club officials decided to host a new outdoor event called Trick-or-Treat Trail. “We thought this would provide [the children] a safe place to do trick-or-treating,” McLean says. The event was planned carefully to ensure social distancing occurred among the participants.
About 20-25 club employees from multiple departments took part in the event while wearing themed T-shirts and masks.
“[We had] staff at the top of the slide, sending candy down the chute and the kids had to position their buckets at the bottom,” McLeanCandysays.was also dropped from a drone as it soared overhead.
McLean notes her team, along with GM Josh Paris, worked to gether on creating the event.
By Phil Keren, Associate Editor THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCED country club leaders to either reinvent their traditional events or perhaps offer a new one.
“We had to try and think of activities that were still a little bit interesting, but we couldn’t have them gather,” McLean says. Participants signed up to hit the trail during specific time increments. The children wore costumes and were greeted by employees dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig, and the Winston Salem Tennis Open’s tennis ball mascot.
“I think the members were just so happy to get out and be do ing something that seemed kind of normal,” McLean says.
“A bag of candy [was] suspended [by a wire] from the drone and then he had a release mechanism and when he clicked the button, it released the bag and the candy fell out on the ground,” says McLean. At the end of the trail, about 400 children and their families received a take-home dinner.
Some members asked the club to host the festivities again in 2021, but that did not happen because Old Town returned to staging its traditional fall festival.
IDEAEXCHANGE A New Take on Trick-or-Treat at Old Town Club
34 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
McLean, a club employee for 25 years, says she enjoyed the challenge of creating a new event.
“It was kind of exciting, in a weird way, to have to reinvent everything,” she says. “‘How am I going to get these kids out to have Halloween fun?’” In 2020, Old Town also set up a pumpkin patch that was so well-received by members that it was continued in 2021 and is expected to return this fall. McLean says she felt these offerings sent a message to members.“Itshowed them that we really wanted to preserve our tradi tions and the special moments for them,” she says. “I want them to keep remembering, ‘oh, yeah, we did that at Old Town.’ That’s important to us.”
“We couldn’t do inflatables and we couldn’t do things that everyone is going to touch, so every piece. . . we had to make it spaced out,” McLean says. She adds she wanted to offer more than just having the chil dren walk from table to table collecting candy.
“We figured that was a safe photo op because everyone was in masks,” McLean says. At one table, staff used tongs shaped like skeleton hands to pass out candy. The young ghouls and goblins visited another spot where candy was placed in ghost-themed cups.
The club chef and other employees stood on the facility’s upper balcony and dropped bags of cotton candy to the youngsters.
INSIDE Demystifying Natural Wine Innovative Hiring A Piece of the Pie
NextAnsley’sChapter
September www.clubandresortchef.com2022
J. Kevin Walker, CMC, reinvigorated Ansley GC’s culinary program and established a strong leadership pipeline to ensure a seamless transition for Executive Sous Chef Shannon Farmer to take over as Executive Chef.
EDITOR’S MEMO
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference—and change is in the air. Historically, Chef to Chef has kicked off Sunday, first with pre-conference sessions, followed by a welcome reception, keynote address and kickoff party. This year we’re extending the learning opportunities to include bonus Saturday programming with three Chef to Chef Certification Seminars, the return of the Club Tour, as well as a series of breakout sessions on Tuesday afternoon.
On Saturday, March 4th, there will be four different seminars attendees can tack on to their conference registration, with limited availability: • 9 AM to 1 PM: ServSafe Manager Certification • 2 PM to 6 PM: ServSafe Manager Recertification
The session are: • 1 PM to 2:45 PM: Hands-On Pasta-Making Master Class, Presented by Pastaio Ryan Peters
• 1 PM to 1:45 PM: Advanced Club Confections, Presented by Jeffrey Munchel, Executive Pastry Chef, Ocean Reef Club • 1 PM to 1:45 PM: Creating a Career Culture for Cooks, Presented by Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef, The Palmetto Bluff Company
There’s plenty more to learn about each of these sessions at EveryCheftoChefConference.com/agenda.year,theCheftoChefConference gets bigger and better. 2023 will be no exception. These enhancements (and some others we’re still cooking up) were added so attendees could make the most of their time away. Be sure to register right away so you don’t miss out on these bonus opportunities.EDITORJoannaDeChellisjdechellis@wtwhmedia.com412-260-9233
• 2 PM to 2:45 PM: Drive Dessert Sales With Classic Desserts, Presented by Laura Herman, CEPC, Executive Pastry Chef, Shoreacres • 2 PM to 2:45 PM: A Mental Health Toolkit for Chefs, Presented by Melinda Dorn, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist
• 10 AM to 4 PM: WSET Level 1 Wine Course and Exam • 1:15 PM to 11 PM: Ocean Reef Club Tour If you want to attend one of these bonus events, you can select it as part of registration process, and our system will add the cost of that opportunity to your cart.
SPLIT TRACKS TUESDAY Chef to Chef continues to grow in size. Last year we had nearly 500 attendees, and while there are many benefits to a single-track conference, there is plenty of merit in offering varied, smaller group breakout sessions, too. With that in mind, we’ve replaced Chef to Chef Live with five different sessions attendees can select.
WHAT’S NEW AT #CHEFTOCHEF2023
36 l Club + Resort Chef l September 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com
Boring Beautiful You don’t have to settle for standard. Use Butterball premium shaped butters to create an elegant, memorable dining experience they’ll never forget. FIND DISTRIBUTORA WWW.BUTTERBALLFARMS.COM
THE NEW SOUS COVERING
SENIOR EDITOR Isabelle 216-296-2041igustafson@wtwhmedia.comGustafson 38 l Club + Resort Chef l September 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com
“That means more to me than anything else,” Walker tells me, “that I’ve been able to pay forward what other people have taught me.”
Still, when Farmer was first approached as a mentor, she says it was unexpected. “You don’t always see the value in yourself,” she admits. “I have always looked up to Chef [Walker] as my mentor, so I was under the impression that everyone was here for the same reason. It really made me stop and think about my impact.”
OUR PROFILE THIS MONTH features Atlanta’s Ansley Golf Club. At the end of this year, J. Kevin Walker, CMC, will retire, and his current Executive Sous Chef, Shannon Farmer, will take his place as Ansley’s Executive Chef. In writing this article—my first cover feature for C+RC—I knew it’d be challenging to do these two chefs’ stories justice. I wanted to make sure I thoroughly celebrated Walker’s career. He’s an incredibly accomplished chef with decades of experience that can hardly be summed up in one article.
“I can read people well,” she notes. “I can sense when they’re having a bad day, when they’re frustrated, angry or upset.” She believes it’s crucial that sta feels involved, included and cared for, especially since the pandemic. “Kitchens have changed,” she says. “The whole atmosphere has changed.”
Walker continually strives to learn and improve throughout his success. And he’s known to go out of his way to aid and support those around him. He’s been a leader and a mentor to many over the years, including his soon-to-be successor.
I found Farmer’s story inspiring. She took a leap of faith mid-career, changing paths to one she knew she was suited for. Then she worked her way up. In learning about her, it’s clear that Farmer has earned this title. I believe it’s also worth noting— and celebrating—that she did so as a woman in a field that’s still largely male-dominated. She’ll soon be the first Executive Chef in Ansley’s history who’s a woman and, as far as she knows, the first in the history of any major club in Atlanta.
Farmer, who Walker says is now “perfectly positioned” to begin her first Executive Chef post, will take all she’s learned throughout her career, from Walker and her 10 years at Ansley, and make this role her own.
I hope these chefs’ stories might remind you of your own value and impact on those around you. Please feel free to reach out with any ideas, questions or considerations. And don’t forget to register for the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference for more from Walker, who will join us as a speaker ANSLEY
In addition to being a talented Chef, Farmer sets an example of what an e ective leader can look like. Among her strengths, she’s known for being open, compassionate and empathetic.
A Competitive Career
Creating a Functional Feast
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Digging In James Allen, CEC, Executive Chef of Blackthorn Club at the Ridges, shares how he came to culinary and what it means to be named Chef of the Year. Memo New Sous 2022
www.clubandresortchef.com September
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Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef of Forest Lake Club, on how impactful competitions have been throughout his career.
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A Piece of the Pie Pizza programs demand knowledge, precision and copious amounts of R&D, but the results are worth the e ort.
Behind the Plate
Elijah Pulley, CCC, Executive Chef, Columbia Yacht Club, shares his breakfast ramen recipe.
42
The Future of Cooking Thunderbird CC saves time and money while improving consistency and quality thanks to six RATIONAL combi ovens.
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Putting the Icing on the Cake Pastry pros who know how to make a showstopping dessert discuss the latest trends in cake-decorating.
36 Editor’s
Demystifying Natural Wine Beverage directors and sommeliers are wise to explore this newer genre and nd a few bottles for members to try.
Ansley’s Next Chapter J. Kevin Walker, CMC, reinvigorated Ansley GC’s culinary program and established a strong leadership pipeline to ensure a seamless transition for Executive Sous Chef Shannon Farmer to take over as Executive Chef.
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Innovative Hiring
Broken Sound Club is merging tenured team members with an ambitious eet of new hires as a multi-milliondollar clubhouse renovation nears completion.
CONTENTS September • Vol. 11 • Issue 6 D 40
Faced with tightened budgets and labor shortages, banquet chefs weigh in on what to make or buy.
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YIELD: 1 SERVING INGREDIENTS: 2 oz. dried kombu 2 ea. dried shiitake mushrooms 4 qts. water 2 lbs. smoked bacon
4. Add scallions, carrot and bell pepper to the dashi and potato noodle mixture. Bring to a rolling boil and transfer to a serving bowl.
BEHIND THE PLATE
4 ea. fresh cilantro leaves to taste lime wedges to taste kosher salt
7. Serve with lime wedges. Season to taste.
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil ½ tsp. fish sauce to taste ground white pepper to taste ground black pepper
Elijah Pulley, CCC, Executive Chef
1 oz. red bell pepper (deseeded and julienned finely)
ELIJAH PULLEY, CCC, THE NEWLY APPOINTED EXECUTIVE CHEF of Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago, says the idea for his Breakfast Ramen, which is on the club’s new brunch menu, came from his experience working in a Vietnamese noodle house three years ago. “Even though a basic dashi broth is simple to make, it’s easy to mess up,” says Pulley. “There’s more technical skill involved than most chefs realize. Dashi has a depth of flavor that is only achieved when brought up slowly and properly.” up,” more PROCEDURE FOR BACON DASHI:
1 ea. whole extra-large Grade A egg 2 oz. scallions (cut on extreme bias) 2 oz. carrot (peeled and grated)
3 Tbsp. slurry 6 oz. Idaho potato (peeled and julienned on a mandolin)
3. Place the potato noodles in a sauté pan with 8 oz. of dashi broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Place poached egg on top. 6. Season egg with kosher salt and ground black pepper. 6. Garnish broth with cilantro leaves (4 pieces).
40 l Club +
TO SERVE:
Columbia Yacht Club, Chicago, Ill. Resort Chef
1. Fill the stock pot with water and bring it to a boil.
1. Soak the kombu and dried shiitake in 4 qts. of water for 35 minutes before turning on heat. 2. Turn heat on low and allow the water to come to a low simmer/ steam. Continue for 30 minutes. 3. Remove the kombu and add in the smoked bacon. 4. Allow the stock to simmer for 1 hour, skimming fat off the top. 5. Pour the stock through a fine mesh strainer. 6. Add sesame oil and fish sauce. 7. Season with salt and white pepper. 8. Thicken stock slightly with slurry.
2. Gently drop the egg into boiling water and poach.
Breakfast Ramen
CLUB PROFILE
Ansley’s Chapter
Next
WHEN HE JOINED ANSLEY GOLF CLUB as Executive Chef in 2018, J. Kevin Walker, CMC, knew he wanted to build a legacy. “There’s no better way to do that than to have someone you’ve personally trained take over for you,” he says. After nearly 40 years in the culinary industry, Walker announced his plan to retire at the end of the year. His Executive Sous Chef, Shannon Farmer, who’s been an integral part of the Atlanta-based club for a decade, will take his place as Executive Chef. Walker has had an immeasurable impact on the club, but his choice to spend more time with family presents an important opportunity for Farmer, who has developed a strong relationship with members and sta over the past 10 years. “I knew this was the position I was ready for,” she says. “But I didn’t think it’d be at Ansley. I love this membership and crew; they have always been great to me. It’s unlike any other club.”
www.clubandresortchef.com September 2022 l Club + Resort Chef l 43
A COOK AT HEART For Walker, retirement means time to rest and be with family. He and his wife, Betsy, will move closer to her“Myparents.wifehas always supported me in this profession,” he says. “She’s been there at every turn. And now I want to be there for her.” It’s nearly impossible to overstate Walker’s success and distill his accomplishments over decades of hardearned experience. He’s competed in dozens of culinary competitions since 1993 and has won several gold medals and numerous national culinary awards.
J.Kevin Walker, CMC, reinvigorated Ansley GC’s culinary program and established a strong leadership pipeline to ensure a seamless transition for Executive Sous Chef Shannon Farmer to take over as Executive Chef.
Walker was named National Chef of the Year in 2007 as well as the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Greater Atlanta Chapter’s Chef of the Year. In 2008, he was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs (AAC). He received the ACF Presidential Award in 2009 and was awarded the AAC’s Chef Good Taste Award in 2011. He’s an accomplished coach and manager, too. He coached Daniel Gorman at the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Young Chefs Competition in Turkey and was named manager of ACF Culinary Youth Team USA in 2016.
Walker is also an ACF-approved competition judge, was a founding member of the ACF Professional Chefs Association of Houston and is currently one of the coordinators for the annual Chef to Chef Conference. Although he’s been in restaurants since he was 14, washing dishes, Walker considers working at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix when he was 20 years old to be his first professional role. “What I learned at the Biltmore has applied to my entire career,” he says. Later, he attended The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y., where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. This is where he met Fritz Gitschner, CMC, who was the Executive Chef of Houston (Texas) Country Club at the time and became one of Walker’s most significant mentors.
By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor
“That was my whole reason for taking the test, to see how I stood up against them,” Walker says. “I learned quickly that it wasn’t about standing up to them. It was about learning for myself—and that passing the exam doesn’t mean as much as what you do after.”
Walker would go on to spend three years at Houston CC as Executive Sous Chef, followed by a year as restaurant chef of Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. He was o ered his first Executive Chef position at The Lafayette Club in Minnetonka Beach, Minn., where he spent the next four years. In 2000, he moved to Greenville (S.C.) Country Club. And in 2002, he achieved his Certified Master Chef (CMC) designation through the ACF—a 12-year journey, he says, inspired by the CMCs he met at the CIA.
“I went home and told my wife,” says Walker. “She said, ‘You told him you, right?’ We’d always talked about getting back to Atlanta. But I told her that I wasn’t in the kitchen anymore. She said, ‘In the four years you’ve been [Director of Culinary], you’ve never come home excited—not like you do when you’re in the kitchen.’”
Ansley’s 1912 Grille & Lounge o ers adult members a bistro-style menu with tapas.
ANSLEY at a glance No. of members: 1,615 Average annual F&B revenue: $5.3 million
44 l Club + Resort Chef l September 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com
While at Grandfather G&CC, Walker got a call from Ansley’s GM at the time, who wanted recommendations for the club’s next Executive Chef.
Walker then moved to The Vintage Club in Indian Wells, Calif., before deciding to “try something di erent” by taking a Director of Clubhouse Operations position at Grandfather Golf and Country Club in Linville, N.C. There he helped to implement a “kitchen-out approach” instead of a “dining room-in” approach. For Grandfather G&CC, this meant going back to basics: simplifying operations, using correct methods—and educating sta and members on what it takes to put out a good product.
He joined Ansley as its Executive Chef in 2018. “I’m a cook at heart,” he says. “Cooks are just built di erently.”
A la carte/banquet mix: 68/32 Annual a la carte covers: Over 108,000 Food costs: 45% Food-and-beverage minimum: none Average number of golf outings annually: four to six Average number of golf rounds: 53,000 Average number of catered events annually: 2,600 Number of foodservice sites and their capacities: eight dining rooms and bars that seat up to 100 and six banquet rooms that host groups of up to 400 Number of foodservice employees: 110-150 depending on the time of year Kitchen size: four kitchens that range from 200-2,400 square feet Clubhouse sizes: • 65,000 square feet • 10,000 square feet
Walker was o ered the Executive Chef position at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, where he spent the next nine years helping the club build an exceptional culinary program. He was at Cherokee when he first met and hired Farmer.
ANSLEY’S COMMUNITY Ansley, open since 1912, is a family-oriented club with 1,600 members across two locations.
Since joining Ansley Golf Club as Executive Chef in 2018, J. Kevin Walker, CMC, has elevated the Atlanta club’s culinary o ering, adding fresh pasta, house-made pizza, a taco program, a chef’s table experience and more.
Each month, Ansley’s culinary team provides the board of directors with a breakdown of the top 20 items it uses, comparing the price a year ago to today. “I’ve sat in house committee meetings and said, ‘I can either put the burger on the menu at $17, or I can run it at $13, and we’re going to run a higher food cost,’” Walker says, “‘But I’m not going to change the quality of the food we serve.’” makes him a great chef is that he challenges everyone around him to raise their own.
www.clubandresortchef.com September 2022 l Club + Resort Chef l 45
“We’ve done pizzas the past two Sundays out on the pool deck. Last Sunday, we sold 120 pizzas in an hour,” Walker says. “[The members are] excited about it. It’s fun, and it’s something di erent.”
“Our Midtown location is the heart and soul of the club from a social standpoint,” says Calvin Bolling, Ansley’s General Manager. “It’s in the middle of a vibrant community. About 80% of our members live within a 10-mile radius.” Settindown Creek, Ansley’s secondary location, was acquired in 1999 and is located in Roswell, Ga., about 30 minutes north of Midtown Atlanta. It has an 18-hole rural course. Across the two locations, Ansley o ers members a Jr. Olympic-size swimming facility, eight tennis courts, two pickleball courts, a fitness center, youth programs, 27 holes of golf, eight dining rooms and bars, six banquet rooms and four kitchens. Its food-and-beverage operation averages $5.3 million annually.
ELEVATING THE MENU
This extends to a fresh pasta program, Neapolitan-style pizzas with house-made dough, a taco program with brisket smoked in-house. Menu items change every few weeks, save for the staples.
“Chef [Walker] has elevated [Ansley’s culinary o ering] to another level,” says Farmer. “I think if we took our tacos o the menu now, there might be a revolt by the membership.” Under Walker, Ansley also added pizza ovens, which have been a massive hit with members of all ages, and most recently, a mobile version.
“He cares greatly,” Bolling says. “He wants to leave this place better than he found it.”
“Everything fresh” is Ansley’s culinary philosophy, says Farmer—“everything fresh and everything seasonal.”
Walker also implemented a chef’s table experience, which Ansley calls Table 1. The club o ers seatings up to twice a week for six to eight people, and the experience generally
When COVID hit around that same time, Ansley and its membership were incredibly supportive, Walker says, o ering continued pay for sta during multiple shutdowns. Since 2020, as with many clubs, food costs have increased significantly. At the start of 2022, Ansley opted to raise menu prices by about 10%.
Clubs must be aware of what restaurants are doing and give members better quality at a better price, Walker says, while challenging and educating the membership on what it takes to run a quality operation—and the costs involved.
At the start of 2020, Ansley completed a $3 million renovation, which included a kitchen remodel to replace critical equipment and flooring. The club also expanded the kitchen’s footprint, particularly in the cooler and dish station, while adding room for pastry and a chef’s table. Walker, who’d completed five other kitchen renovations at prior clubs, was instrumental throughout the process.
Farmer’s currently working on her Certified Executive Chef (CEC) designation through the ACF, which she expects to complete this year. In her first year as Ansley’s Executive Chef, her primary goal, she says, is to learn from her mistakes.
Another challenge, she says, will be building a name for herself in the broader culinary community.
Among Farmer’s best qualities, Walker says, is her attention to detail. She’s extremely knowledgeable, organized and a natural leader with “a great temperament and a wonderful palate.” She’s known for her caring nature—her genuine relationships with members and with sta , in the front and back of house. And she’s worked alongside Walker, learning from him, for years“Chefnow.[Walker] has always made me a partner in the kitchen,” says Farmer. “The wealth of knowledge he holds is amazing. And I know that I can pick up the phone at any point and ask him any question I may have.”
I want to reflect on that first year and say, ‘Next year, this is what we do better.’” C+RC Ansley’s let (pictured), on the a la carte menu, features a balsamic-roasted onion, pickled heirloom tomatoes, cauli ower purée, Shropshire Blue cheese, an asparagus bundle, potatoes Anna, veal jus and a 6 oz. let.
On average, Ansley hosts about 2,600 catered events annually, from weddings to golf tournaments, including member-member, member-guest and pro-am tournaments. “Those are super exciting for me because they’re always themed, and we can really impress at that final party,” she says. “Last year, we did a member-guest with a jungle theme. I went all in—the Asian jungle, the Amazonian jungle, the Indian jungle—anything you can imagine. Chef [Walker] even said, ‘I think you may have gone a little too wild with this one.’ But they loved it.”
CLUB PROFILE 46 l Club + Resort Chef l September 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com includes five courses, all paired with wine, for $195 a person.
“I wanted to start in culinary after high school,” she says. “But at the time, it wasn’t necessarily a field women and other people in my area thought was an attainable goal. There weren’t many culinary schools in Georgia.” So she worked in human resources until 2008 when she decided to attend Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, Ga. It was here that she first met Walker.
“I don’t know what I don’t know,” she says. “There are going to be challenges—and I’m going to work through them.
A PARTNER IN THE KITCHEN Farmer’s always been drawn to culinary, but she took a roundabout path.
“I’m able to bring members into the kitchen and take them outside their comfort zones,” Walker says. “The only thing they can tell me is that they have an allergy. But the minute they tell me they don’t like duck, I’m putting duck on theTablemenu.”1sells out months in advance without any overt marketing.“Icreated this experience so that I would be able to get in the kitchen and cook for members,” Walker says. “It’s easy for chefs to get wrapped up in everything else we need to do. This gives me an opportunity to do what I love.” Walker uses Table 1 to try out new recipes or techniques he’s excited about. It also serves as an educational tool for Ansley’s culinary team. “If a cook comes to me and says, ‘Chef, I’ve never worked with octopus,’” Walker notes, as an example, “this is the perfect opportunity.”
Farmer anticipates pastry to be among her biggest challenges without Walker, who calls himself “a closeted pastry chef.”
In 2009, Farmer joined Walker at Cherokee as a PM line cook, alongside Jason Valerio, who was Walker’s Executive Sous Chef at the time, and who, in 2011, Walker would help place at Ansley as its Executive Chef. In 2013, Valerio o ered Farmer a job at Ansley as a Banquet Chef. “Chef [Valerio] and Chef Walker were both instrumental in me having the position that I have today,” says Farmer. “They have guided me my entire career.” Walker joined Ansley in 2018, and in 2020, he promoted Farmer to Executive Sous Chef. Still, banquets remain a “huge passion” of Farmer’s.
“Chef Walker’s light shines bright—very bright,” she says. “I want to be able to shine as bright, just in a di erent way.”
Make it robust. Make it in minutes. Get a FREE sample at MINORSFOODSERVICE.COM CLASSICAL REDUCTIONS
48 l Club + Resort Chef l July 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com FOOD A Piece of the Pie Pizza programs demand knowledge, precision and copious amounts of R&D, but the results are worth the e ort.
By Joanna DeChellis, Editor
“The biggest challenge when you start a pizza program is finding a dough recipe you like, testing it, and then managing the dough flow,” says Recher. “We’ve committed to 100 percent scratch baking, and we have a team of four chefs, led by Pastry Chef Brianna Rogers, who handles our dough and production for our pizza program.” By committing to the fresh dough, Rogers and her team must plan far enough ahead to meet demand while also having a plan for anything left over.
Consistency is important, as is properly training the team. Now that both have been achieved, creativity is at the forefront.“We’re using the oven to prepare octopus, clams casino and grilled vegetables,” says Hazel. The most important step in getting the program up and running, she adds, was getting her hands dirty. “Go to another club,” she says. “Do your research. Feel the dough. Work the oven. You’re not going to understand it until you work with it yourself, and if you don’t understand it, you can’t teach it. I needed to ensure I knew everything there was to know about the brick oven to give my team the confidence to excel—and we are.” C+RC
TIM RECHER, CEC, AAC, CWX, Director of Culinary Operations at Quail West Golf and Country Club (Naples, Fla.), hails from Chicago. His wife is from New York City. You can imagine the turmoil that arises in their house when the topic of pizza comes up. “I’m not saying I’m right—but I’m not wrong, either,” jokes Recher. Personal pizza preferences aside, Recher is the driving force behind Quail’s ever-evolving pizza program, which averages about 30 pies per day. All of the dough used across the club is handmade, a process that required an enormous amount of research and development in the early days.
“[Rogers] and her team will stretch the leftover dough to make lavash for our bread baskets,” says Recher, adding that the lavash has become one of the most popular breads. “In three years, we’ve never run out of dough for the pizza program. Rogers is a master at mise en place and reducing waste.”
Soon after Christine Hazel accepted the position of Executive Chef at Huntingdon Valley (Pa.) Country Club a year ago, a commercial brick oven was installed.“Wespent the first few weeks testing doughs and eating a lot of di erent pizzas,” says Hazel. “Fortunately, I was able to work with a chef from the oven’s manufacturer, which was very helpful.”Huntingdon Valley’s pizzas are Neapolitan-style, like Quail’s, and cook in a quick 90 seconds. “The pizza program makes us more approachable to the casual audience,” says Hazel. “It gives us another way to impress our members, too.”
“I’m a purist regarding toppings,” admits Recher. “I want Italian pepperoni and homemade meatballs. I’m not interested in novelty pizzas—but I recognize our members are.” Most recently, Quail put up a Maui pizza topped with roasted pineapple, jalapeño and specs of sausage. Much to Recher’s dismay, the members loved it.
www.clubandresortchef.com September 2022 l Club + Resort Chef 49
CREATIVITY AT THE FOREFRONT Pizza extends to Quail’s take-andbake o erings and owns a spot on the a la carte specials menu with an everchanging “pizza of the week.”
Quail’s gas-fired deck oven is located inside the bakeshop and produces most of its Neapolitan-style pizzas. The club has plans to add a second pizza oven to a future restaurant on a di erentRecently,floor.
Quail purchased a woodfired pizza oven on a trailer that the team hauls to the driving range. One of the club’s sous chefs will work the wood-fired oven to produce personalized pizzas for golfers in 45-second turns. During the most recent men’s invitational, Quail’s culinary team produced 100 pizzas in one hour from this oven. “Quail is a residential club with 650 homes in the community,” says Recher. “We see many of our members for at least one meal daily. To be our members’ restaurant of choice, we must have a wide range of o erings. Pizza is universally recognizable and can swing casual or upscale. It’s a smart investment that can add a lot of value.”
Banquet Chef Nikki Dittrich (pictured left) is a requests.ableCC,operationone-womanatNewUlmsoshe’softentofulllspecial
CHEFS MUST CONTEND WITH A BARRAGE of questions these days. Plagued by rising food costs, supply chain issues, and reduced workforces, they must also determine whether it’s feasible to make foods in-house or if it’s best to outsource them. And with banquet season in full swing and not showing any signs of slowing down, thanks to the resurgence of pandemic-postponed weddings and other special occasions, they must act quickly and decisively.
“Our food cost is 45-50 percent lower than what I’m charging,” she notes.
CREATING A FUNCTIONAL
PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP For New Ulm (Minn.) Country Club Banquet Chef Nikki Dittrich, preparing and cooking most meals in-house is her end game.
50 l Club + Resort Chef l September 2022 www.clubandresortchef.com
From newbies in the private club sector to seasoned veterans who have handled their fair share of catered events, these chefs share their stories of managing kitchens and making critical make-or-buy decisions.
BANQUET
“We will always do the best we can to keep producing all of our banquet food in-house,” she says. “That’s what we’re known for: fresh, homemade food.” Having spent the past year at the club honing her craft, Dittrich draws upon her experience of preparing high-volume meals for sta and patients at nearby Mankato hospital, where she specialized in banquetstyleWhencooking.planning a banquet menu, Dittrich considers two main factors: how large the group she’ll be cooking for is and how much money is required to feed them adequately. She strives to make most banquet items in the club kitchen for budget reasons.
Faced with tightened budgets and labor shortages, banquet chefs weigh in on what to make and what to buy.
By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
“I love when the members give me a challenge with a dish, and I execute it,” Dittrich says. “It’s a gratifying feeling.”
Space constraints, however, can sometimes impact her process.“Depending on what the customer wants, it can get tricky figuring out how to make some things,” says Dittrich.
Her more noteworthy selections include a triple-threat surf (a crab-stu ed lobster tail topped and closed with grilled shrimp, mushroom risotto and a lemon beurre blanc sauce); a rosemary-infused filet mignon with a parmesan garlic couscous and asparagus; and smoked lobster mac and cheese.
A SHORE THING
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Undaunted by a modest-sized sta of four responsible for 200-guest events regularly, Johnson has developed a keen understanding of what works—and what doesn’t—for club a “Whatairs. food we outsource often comes down to how much labor would be invested and whether or not that labor investment is logistically worthwhile,” she explains. Dough work, for example, is not feasible in her kitchen. “While we have the technical ability to complete it, it wouldn’t make sense to have a tabletop mixer produce 300 rolls per weekend when we need to focus our e orts beyond just banquets at any given moment,” she explains.
“Chicken used to be our top seller, but since the bird flu, it has been tough getting that in,” she says.
For her budget, Dittrich finds that pork, ground beef, some seafood and pastas are her most cost-conscious options.
But she’s confident in her ability to steer members to a more readily available option that doesn’t skimp on quality.
With prices in constant flux, she admits to keeping a closer eye on all her banquet goods and products.
“Since I started here, I have brought so many new, fun, and flavorful dishes to our menu,” Dittrich says.
Johnson estimates the club outsources between 15 and 20 percent of its banquet products.
Labor costs, however, do not play a part in Dittrich’s decision-making, as she is a one-woman operation in the banquet kitchen. As a result, she can often fulfill special requests or, at the very least, provide an adequate substitute. A member recently requested smoked pork chops that were not on the club’s banquet menu, so Dittrich decided to outsource from a local meat market and prepare the dish to her liking.
FUNCTIONAL FEAST
Kayleigh Johnson, Executive Chef of Eastern Shore Yacht & CC (pictured right), says members understand that local or house-made items often come at a premium.
At Eastern Shore Yacht & Country Club in Melfa, Va., Executive Chef Kayleigh Johnson arrived at just the right time. Two years ago, following a complete rebuild of the club, she entered the private club circuit fresh out of a culinary arts teaching gig where she had the opportunity to put her mark on banquet production.
Dittrich is inspired by the fact that she has free reign over her kitchen. And while inflation will undoubtedly impact what she decides to outsource for the coming season, she’s not deterred by these concerns.
Deciding what foods should be made in-house is a choice that Daniel Henry does not take lightly. The Executive Chef of Manchester Country Club in Bedford, N.H., who has spent the bulk of his career at country clubs and high-end restaurants in metro New York, ventured up to New England a year ago, determined to do right by his members.
To help make the best purchases for his kitchen, Henry says he relies on the club’s event-planning software for organizing and figuring out what to buy. “It also allows me to forecast—to see what I can stock up on or buy something now so I can save it for later,” he adds. This comes in handy for guacamole production, with his kitchen using anywhere from 90-130 cases of avocados per week. Purchasing premade guac in bulk and then seasoning it himself has been a tremendous time- and money-saver.
When assessing what can be cooked in his kitchen, Henry must also ensure a quality product—and sometimes that means preceding a more straightforward process. He points to bacon-wrapped scallops, a New England appetizer favorite, as something he previously outsourced but has since resumed making. He also prepares his vegetables, but opts to purchase precut and peeled potatoes. And while Henry prides himself on making his stocks, he outsources sauces and demiglace“Webases.gothrough so much of this; it’s impossible to keep up,” he adds. “We can add red wine, doctor it up a bit, and it saves usHenry’stime.” advice when deciding what to buy? Work with the right outside partners.
“Find vendors that don’t do everything—companies that specialize in a good product,” he says.
The club’s specialized combi oven can only hold 10 half-sheet-sized pans simultaneously, with a threeinch maximum between pans.
“Members pay a lot of money for these special occasions,” he notes. “The quality must be there.” C+RC
Her four-person crew also impacts which items are made vs. bought. “I cannot have a sta member cleaning and slicing mushrooms for an hour when I can outsource sliced mushrooms for $4 more,” she notes.
But in the wake of the pandemic, Henry, like most chefs, has had to contend with rising costs for goods and labor, not to mention a vast reduction in culinary sta ng.
Salsa is another staple he considers outsourcing. “It’s nice to have fresh pico, but we will buy chopped tomatoes instead,” he adds.
At Manchester CC, Executive Chef Daniel Henry (left) and his team prepare 75% of banquet products from scratch.
In addition to dough-based products like pu pastry, tart bases and phyllo cups, Johnson purchases simple sauces, such as steak sauce, tartar and cocktail sauce. And while hot honey has become a popular condiment this year, she is honoring members’ brand requests rather than infusing her own. This, of course, sometimes comes at a cost.
MAKING HARD CHOICES
For Henry, that means working with a variety of companies that specialize in certain products.
Despite the cost, those who book banquets at Eastern Shore can expect a well-balanced lineup of local classics mixed with innovations. This season’s menu includes triedand-true smoked oyster canapes, crab-stu ed flounder, and new selections like bruschetta chicken, BBQ salmon, and maple-roasted pork tenderloin.
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Balancing his banquet operations with a la carte dining service has proven challenging, especially because 75 percent of his product is scratch-made.
“This requires us to rent ovens, smokers, or rotisseries to accommodate larger groups with larger menus, which ultimately a ects the cost of each banquet,” she says, adding that the club is currently evaluating more cost-e cient equipment alternatives that would better streamline production.
“While customers prefer that their fish be local, their microgreens sourced on The Shore and produce to be grown as close to home as possible, they also understand that it does come at a slightly higher premium,” she says.
Among the factors impacting her decision are limited kitchen accommodations and equipment usage.
“Pay rates have gone up 25 percent in the past year, but it’s still hard to find workers,” he says.
Egypt Valley CC Pastry Chef Andi Gardner says ideas for new cake-decorating concepts often come from social media.
By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor
LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY Tiered cakes may be a tall order for some pastry chefs, but for Mellisa Root, who heads up the pastry department at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va.—and is presenting at the 2023 Chef to Chef Conference—it’s an opportunity to share a taste of something she relishes. “I love a beautifully glazed entremet cake,” she says. “Whenever I have a chef’s choice cake, I treat the membership to French-inspired entremets rather than a classic American-style stacked cake.” Root has been awing Farmington’s members with cakes for the past year and a half, demonstrating her breadth of experience. Her work draws upon her implementation of specialty cake programs in luxury hotels, resorts, casinos and privately held shops, in addition to her consultancies with private clubs and wedding cake shops. Her varied background has prepared her well for the diverse requests that come from“Ourbrides-to-be.weddingcake portfolio here at Farmington is as diverse as the brides themselves,” she says. Her creations run the gamut, from avant-garde to traditional, with cakes resplendent in gum paste floral, and those lightly decked with fresh florals and buttercream. This season, Root is working with brides looking to forego traditional white cake in favor of vivid hues of pink, blue and metallic gold. Fulfilling these requests can prove challenging at times, given Charlottesville’s climate.
Once Virginia’s temperatures cool in the later months, Root looks forward to reintroducing her spice cake, a popular choice for September-through-December brides. “It partners beautifully with a cream cheese frosting or a milk chocolate ganache for a more indulgent serving,” she says.
Pastry pros who know how to make showstopping desserts discuss the latest trends in cake-decorating.
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PASTRY
Putting the Icing on the Cake
“We are implementing more controlled, humidity-free air conditioning into the shop,” she notes. “I try to be mindful of the season the bride is getting married when I discuss the appropriate cake options with her.”
INSPIRATIONAL ICING
‘TOO PRETTY TO EAT’ are words to live by when designing a cake. Whether tasked to create a multi-tiered confection for a bride and groom or a fanciful treat for a milestone birthday, pastry chefs know aesthetics are just as important as taste. With piping bags in hand, these pastry chefs share how they incorporate current decorating trends into their cake designs.
After being promoted to Pastry Chef this past April, Andi Gardner was eager to put her talents to work at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Mich., where she has built her cake-decorating portfolio and can concentrate on wedding cakes.
“There is a larger emphasis on the fresh florals and greenery that gives the cake an earthy, natural look,” she explains.Following this trend, members often request cakes designed with pastels, browns and neutral tones. Gardner is hoping to expand her cake color palette by incorporating terra cotta. “I continue to see it in weddings, often paired with jade green, beige and taupe,” she adds.
Instead of larger cakes, small cutting cakes share the spotlight with a dessert table or a plated dessert of three individual items: a trend she believes willWhenpersist.designing her cakes, Arma prefers bold colors to pair with simplistic styling. As of late, she’s working on adding organic, edible flowers that are pressed into the buttercream.
Gardner’s ideas for new decorating concepts often come from the Internet, where she scours social media for designs that mirror her visions. She relies on Instagram—devoting an account entirely to cakes and pastries—and Pinterest to peek at artistic examples.
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Members at Egypt Valley CC opt for minimalist designs like this multi-tiered cake with beautifully piped buttercream owers.
BERRY DELICIOUS A mile down the road from the ocean, where sea breezes rustle the surrounding greenery, a hint of fresh strawberries is in the air. The scent intermingles with a fresh-from-the-oven berry buttercream cake, a member favorite at Westhampton (N.Y.) Country Club (WCC), where Pastry Chef Jennifer Arma has prepared the summertime classic.“Iget many requests for my strawberry cake,” she says of the simply decorated white cake outfitted with fresh and dried berries and some club florist-supplied greenery. “What sets this cake apart is that it’s made with both strawberry reduction and freeze-dried strawberry powder,” she says. The latter enhances the flavor and complements the buttercream. Such insight about knowing what works—and what doesn’t—in cake design is the result of a career that began at a custom cake shop, where Arma learned design basics. Before joining WCC two years ago, she served as a lead baker at the fabled Hamptons institution Loaves & Fishes and relied upon her upbringing instead of formal training.“Noculinary school for me—just passion for sweets and making memories for others like the ones I so cherish of baking—and eating—with my grandmothers,” she says.
When crafting a confectionary wonder for a bride’s special day, Gardner abides by the ‘less is more’ rule as a nod to more minimalist wedding cakes.
“You can incorporate painting and buttercream or go with all dried flowers; the greenery adds so much depth,” sheToadds.accomplish her goal, Arma often arrives early before the kitchen becomes too busy or sets up shop on the lower level.
“I’m hoping to get a range of fake flowers to use on a simple cake that just needs a little something to make a statement piece,” she says. Gardner plans to create more themed cakes for birthdays in the colder months as the wedding season cools. She has fun coming up with over-the-top design concepts and cites a recent example when she was asked to make a cake for a young boy who loved SpongeBob SquarePants. “I was given no other details than that, so I took it to another level,” sheThesays.result was a multilayered, colorful cake that paid homage to the character. “I [tend to] keep it pretty simple, but when I do get a little crazy, the member is usually very pleased,” says Gardner. “That’s what I must remember: When decorating with creative freedom, most people are impressed and delighted.”
“It takes some time to get all my tools down there, but it is well worth the peace you want when finishing what is usually a week-long, painstaking process,” she says.
Before WCC’s season ends and Arma turns her attention to cake orders for private catering events, she will concentrate on the annual Oktoberfest, for which she’ll prepare a classic dessert to make the occasion.
“No matter the idea, someone did something similar, and you can feed o their creativity,” she says. With the holiday season quickly approaching, Gardner’s attention will shift from weddings to family-focused celebrations that end with a sweet treat. She expects fresh flowers to take a back seat to other alternatives.
At WCC, where the season runs from April through the end of October, Arma designs wedding cakes that depart from traditional trends.
“We’ll be o ering a traditional black forest cake with dark-chocolate-dipped cherries,” she says. “They will be covered in shaved chocolate and bursting at the seams with rich whipped cream.” C+RC
The question remains: Is natural wine good or bad? That is for your members to decide. However, you must be prepared to explain how many of us are more ac customed to drinking wine that has been processed in a modern way, which means we expect a clean, fruitforward, unoxidized style.
NaturalDemystifyingWine
It’s important to make sure members understand the process before committing to the bottle. Explain that they’ll likely notice a yeasty, gamier funk to the wine— almost like a yeasty beer or kombucha. If the wine is “white,” it will look orange and cloudy. Remind them that these wines are made with minimal intervention, so there is no fining or filtering.Acouple of natural wine terms you’ll want to look for as you’re adding them to your lists:
When shopping for natural wines, look for terms like: minimal intervention, raw wine, zero/zero, unfined wine, unfiltered wine, skin contact, fermented in clay amphora and made with native yeast.
By Robert J Mancuso, CMC, DipWSET, Contributing Chef Editor
To be clear, natural wine is different from organic and biodynamic wine. By definition, it is made with grapes typically grown by small-scale producers and hand-picked from a sustainable, organic or biodynamic vineyard, then fermented with no additional yeast, additives nor sulfites.
Most natural wines do not have those characteristics; instead, they have gamey, wild flavors that are appealing and interesting to the right membership base.
Regardless of the lack of regulations surrounding natural wine, it is an exciting new genre in the world of wine-mak ing, and I encourage club beverage directors and somme liers to pick up a few bottles to offer their membership.
THERE ARE NO LAWS THAT GOVERN the term or process for “natural wine.” It’s more of a concept than a well-defined category. In theory, a natural wine sees little manipulation from the wine-maker. Instead, the process is simplified and pure and, if managed properly through time and temperature control, can be extremely rewarding, with interesting outcomes.
The natural wine movement appears to have been first introduced in France and Italy but has now spread to all corners of the globe. Odds are your members have tried some natural wines and might be looking to your list for at least a few options.
I’ve had some good ones, some great ones, some interesting ones and some really bad ones. Don’t let the bad ones get in the way. Keep trying until you condition your palate to recognize the potential these wines have to offer your members. C+RC
Before blindly adding these to your list, go to a wine bar that offers a few selections by the glass. This will al low you to taste and explore without breaking the budget. Look for younger wines and wines produced in your local area if possible. Natural wines are not meant for long aging and are more volatile due to the lack of SO2. Store natural wine the same as you store other wines, which are best laid down in a cool, dark room.
• Orange/Amber Wine: a white natural wine that takes its color from skin contact • Pétillant Naturel (or Pét-Nat): a natural wine with a small amount of spritz • Col Fondo: a fizzy prosecco that has not been disgorged
56 l Club + Resort Chef l September 2022 BEVERAGE
Beverage directors and sommeliers are wise to explore this newer genre and find a few bottles for members to try.
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., is home to six RATIONAL units and serves as a training site for the customer-centric organization. TCC’s Executive Chef, Chris Olson, was instrumental in bringing these units into the club. Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): What pieces of Rational equipment do you have at TCC?
The Future of Cooking
PRODUCTS AT WORK
C+RC: How long have you had those pieces?
THUNDERBIRD COUNTRY CLUB IN
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Thunderbird CC saves time and money while improving consistency and quality thanks to six RATIONAL combi ovens.
Chris Olson (CO): We have four CombiMaster® Plus Combi Ovens, two iCombi Pro 10-Pan Natural Gas Half-Size Combi Ovens and one iCombi Pro full-size Combi Oven.
By Joanna DeChellis, Editor
CO: When I started at TCC in 2013, we had two older stacked CombiMaster® Plus Combi Ovens that the club purchased in 2009. In 2016, I replaced a set of stacking convection ovens with the iCombi Pro full-size Combi Oven. In 2017, I needed to replace a steamer on the a la carte line. So I replaced it with not one, but two iCombi Pro 10-Pan Natural Gas Half-Size Combi Ovens. I made room for the second one on the back production line.
Thunderbird CC is home to six RATIONAL ovens, which Executive Chef Chris Olson (pictured above, left) says have made the culinary operation much more e cient.
CO: Whether you’re cooking for 20 or 2,000, these ovens will make your operation much more effi cient. Attend a demo sales event to see for yourself. RATIONAL ovens represent the future of cooking. C+RC
RATIONAL ovens have many capabilities, including sous vide, searing, overnight cooking, smoking and dehydrating.
C+RC: What problems do these pieces of equipment help you solve? CO: The way they help TCC save on labor can’t be un derstated. With RATIONAL, two cooks can plate a party for 60-100 by assembling the entrées ahead of time using a plated banquet setting. It will bring everything up to the correct service temperature. All we have to do is remove the lids, sauce the plate and serve. We no longer have to stand over the grill or flat top when it comes to searing meat.
CO: Years ago, I connected with one of RATIONAL’s local chefs, Justin Hoehn, [at an expo] in Los Angeles. We spoke at length about the RATIONAL ovens. As a result of that connection, I began learning and researching. I was impressed by their engineering and attention to detail. The ovens are built and assembled by one per son and can be easily tracked if issues arise. Customer service is very responsive and always available.
Now, TCC has six ovens and has become a training sales site where [Hoehn] can educate new RATIONAL owners on how to utilize their ovens most effectively. Because TCC has six ovens on-site, prospective buy ers can also see four types of RATIONAL ovens at work.
C+RC: What value do they bring to your operation?
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CO: Everything we cook in them saves us time and money.TheRATIONAL ovens are capable of many applica tions—searing, sous vide, slow/overnight cooking, smoking and dehydrating. The results are precise without the need to monitor often. In terms of cleaning, they are priceless. In the past, we would spend up to two hours cleaning ovens. The RATIONALs are washed daily with the push of a button.
RATIONAL ovens enable users to slow-cook proteins to a specific temperature.
C+RC: Why RATIONAL?
We can set our finished cooking temperature on pro teins and slow-cook to a specific temperature. We no lon ger overcook filets. They are medium-rare, end-to-end.
C+RC: What would you tell a chef considering the purchase of a RATIONAL?
By Isabelle Gustafson, Senior Editor
MANAGER to CHEF
InnovativeHiring
Broken Sound Club is merging tenured team members with an ambitious eet of new hires as a multi-million-dollar clubhouse renovation nears completion.
The Old Course Clubhouse, our traditional dining space, is under the leadership of Executive Chef William Quick, who crafts elevated menus for our membership. He will not alter the menu much, but it will transition into a steakhouse on Saturdays. We’ll have table-side and cocktail carts run by our new Director of Bars, Kord Laughlin.
C+RC: What do you expect will be Danila’s biggest challenge transitioning to the club world?
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GD: After working in a Michelin-starred environment, it’s pretty humbling to have a burger get sent back. But it happens—that’s just the demographic. Club members know what they want. Training him on how clubs operate, what menus look like, and how members view club food and food costs will take time. He’s done a great job so far, engaging with members and learning about our culture.
Director of Culinary Operations Bogdan Danila was hired to oversee Broken Sound Club’s culinary program, including two new restaurants.
Next to Zest is our Cirque Bar and Grill, led by Executive Chef John Muriel, which will be open for lunch and dinner. It’s more of a casual, after-golf experience but will o er an elevated menu and transformed dining room at night.
GREG DEVINO, THE NEWLY APPOINTED General Manager and COO of Broken Sound Club (Boca Raton, Fla.), is reaching out to his global network to recruit talent for Broken Sound as it enters a new era amid a multi-million-dollar renovation. New hires from within the club industry include a Chief Financial O cer, a Director of Marketing and a Director of Food & Beverage, plus internal promotions. Hires are from outside the industry include two Pastry Chefs, a Director of Bars, and the new Director of Culinary Operations, Bogdan Danila. Despite his newness to the club industry, Danila’s no rookie. He has more than 18 years of experience managing and directing culinary operations, including Michelin-starred kitchens in Europe and the U.S. He and Devino worked together for several years at The Clocktower, a Michelin-starred restaurant in The New York EDITION hotel. At Broken Sound, which does $8 million in annual F&B revenue, Danila will oversee all culinary. “We can’t wait for [talent] to come to us,” says Devino (pictured left). “We must look for them.” Club + Resort Chef (C+RC): Why is Danila, a restaurant chef, the right t as culinary director? Greg Devino (GD): Historically, members have been happy with the food here but weren’t blown away by it. When we spoke with them about dining preferences, they would reference restaurants outside the club. So I thought: If they’re leaving the club to go to restaurants, why can’t we bring a restaurant-style environment to the club? Our culinary team here at Broken Sound is stronger now than ever. But when we decided to add two new restaurants, we wanted a leader with a fresh perspective and experience. So we brought on [Danila], an incredibly talented chef I had the pleasure of working with years ago. C+RC: How will your experience working together help you better navigate the challenges ahead? GD: I’ve seen his passion, attention to detail and ability to multi-task firsthand. His opening playbook is highly detailed and will guide us through the reopening. His ability to build and manage multiple kitchens is precisely what we need at this stage of our evolution. He has a vast network of aspiring culinarians that he’s tapping into to help us further overcome labor challenges.
We’re also relaunching our Moonstone Cafe, next to our gym, and refreshing our Bistro at our pool. We have a food truck that we’re re-wrapping with a new look that will o er rotating concepts, too. Finally, we’re transforming our soft-serve yogurt shop into a kids’Whengrab-and-go.wereopen the clubhouse this November, all of these concepts will be fresh—and managed by our talented new chef. C+RC 2022 l Club + Resort Chef 61
C+RC: Tell us more about the new restaurants.GD: Zest (pictured below) will be our shareable, small-plates restaurant with sushi and tapas. It’s eclectic, and the menu will rotate. Zest can also be used as a pre-function space and reception area for our new ballroom, which holds up to 600 people.
Fortunately, there was an opening in The Centennial Room, a fine-dining restaurant in Denver’s Hyatt Regency.
Meitzer excelled in this role and went on to work at The Brown Palace Hotel for another two years after the Hyatt. During this time, he got back to competing. At one of the events, he was approached by the Dean of the Art Institute of Colorado, who invited him to teach at the school.
He o ered a more practical approach to students based on real-world experience. After two years with the Art Institute, Meitzer went on to teach at Johnson & Wales and was sent to the school’s Miami, Charleston and Singapore campuses.
A CareerCompetitive
Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef of Forest Lake Club, on his Chef of the Year win and the impact of competitions throughout his career.
C+RC
COMPETITION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT to Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef of Forest Lake Club (Columbia, S.C.) and one of the 2022 Club + Resort Chefs of the Year.
In high school, he competed in small, locally judged culinary competitions. Through these, he met a chef who o ered him an American Culinary Federation (ACF) apprenticeship at a large hotel in Denver. This is where his career began. Meitzer worked at the hotel for three years in every capacity, from banquets to fine dining. When he left, he went to the Beacon Grill, a nearby fine-dining steakhouse. After only four months, Meitzer was promoted to Executive Chef. He was only 21 years “Everythingold.we did was from scratch, and we were winning tons of awards, but the workload wasn’t sustainable,” says Meitzer. “When I left that job, I almost left the industry.”
Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, Executive Chef Forest Lake Club, Columbia, S.C. 2022 Club + Resort Chef of the Year
“The pandemic hit Florida hard, and I was ready for a less seasonal operation after Mountaintop and Windsor,” says Meitzer. “Forest Lake is a wonderful club with a strong membership that supports our culinary operation and our team. I’m focused on improving the quality of my club and developing the cooks on my sta to become future chefs. “Being named one of the 2022 Club + Resort Chefs of the year was extremely validating for me and the career I’ve built,” says Meitzer. “It was an honor to compete in front of my peers, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity.”
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Excecutive Chefs James Allen, CEC, (left) and Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, were named 2022 Chefs of the Year at the Chef to Chef Conference in Nashville.
By Joanna DeChellis, Editor
“I always joke that my first day of college was when I went to teach it,” Meitzer says. “I knew how to cook. I just didn’t know how to teach, but that was exactly what they were looking for.”
“It was rewarding to see all parts of the world while watching my students go on to succeed—but I wanted to do more,” saysHeMeitzer.leftteaching and took over as Food and Beverage Director and Executive Chef of Red Rocks Country Club (Morrison, Colo.). For five years, he managed the front- and back-of-house operations and established the club’s 1.5-acre culinary garden. After Red Rocks, he served as Executive Chef at Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club in Cashiers, N.C., for four years, then in the same role at Windsor Club in Vero Beach, Fla., for three more years. He took over at Forest Lake Club in Columbia, S.C., in 2020.
Allen graduated from Auburn University with a degree in archeology. He joined a crew digging for Colorado State in Alaska, serving as a “shovel bum.” He began cooking for the crew, mainly because no one else wanted to. “One of my colleagues told me I was a good archeologist—but a much better chef,” says Allen. He decided he would try culinary school under the assumption that if it didn’t work out, he could always advance his archeology degree with a master’s or doctorate.
Digging In
But Mackenzie had no plans at the time to leave the club, so he helped Allen find his first Executive Chef role at Tupelo Country Club in Belden, Miss.
James Allen, CEC, Executive Chef of Blackthorn Club at the Ridges, shares how he came to culinary and what it means to be named Chef of the Year.
After Ireland, Allen worked in restaurants in the south before landing his first club gig at Old Overton Country Club (Vestavia Hills, Ala.).
“I fell in love with culinary,” says Allen, who completed the program at Le Cordon Bleu and then did an externship in Ireland at the Michelin-rated Chez Hans. “I love the precision of fine dining.”
Two years later, Allen caught wind of the opportunity at Blackthorn Club at The Ridges. He decided to apply.
“I worked under Executive Chef Jae Mackenzie, who gave me a ton of freedom with the menus, which we changed weekly,” says Allen. “The membership was adventurous and eager to have the culinary team try different foods and techniques. I learned a ton.”
“When I went for the interview, I walked into the dining room, and it reminded me of Chez Hans,” he says. “The atmosphere and membership felt like a perfect fit.” He nailed the cooking interview, and they o ered him the position. Twelve years later, Allen has impacted Blackthorn’s culinary program immeasurably. He has increased F&B revenues from $350,000 to $1.4 million annually. He’s made the club a dining destination for the membership equal to golf. He’s also created an environment where line cooks become chefs.
“Being named one of the 2022 Club + Resort Chefs of the Year is an honor,” says Allen. “It’s a reminder that life is a process, risks are worth taking, and opportunity is everywhere.”
C+RC James Allen, CEC, Executive Chef Blackthorn Club at the Ridges, Jonesborough, Tenn. 2022 Club + Resort Chef of the Year
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The winning 2022 Chef of the Year dish featured a curry seafood mélange with sweet and spicy sambal soba noodles, fresh vegetables and a micro-cilantro salad.
By Joanna DeChellis, Editor IN EVERY FIELD OF STUDY, specific sets of traits tend to fare better than others. Archeologists, for example, must have passion, drive, curiosity and critical thinking skills. They must be team players and have a good sense of humor. The qualities that make a great club chef are similar to those of an archeologist—and James Allen, CEC, Executive Chef of Blackthorn Club at the Ridges (Jonesborough, Tenn.), is proof.
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of distanced workers on a map ▶ Voice assistant: Verbal commands with a press of a button ▶ Cloud-connected deployment: Groups stay connected on mixed channels including the Relay+ device, the online dashboard and smartphone app ▶ Bluetooth connectivity: Integrate with other products and USB-C for both secondary charging and audio output ▶ Extended battery life: Full charge can last up to 2 days ▶ Screen-free: Eyes-up control for workers on the go keeping a 6-foot distance Relay relaypro.com Safe Skin Product: Palm Island Sunscreen Features: ▶ No greasy residue ▶ SPF 50 and SPF 30 ▶ Also available in gallons, 32-ounce pump and 19-ounce pump ▶ Choose fragrance-free or a light, pleasant scent ▶ UVA and UVB Protection Tri-C Club Supply Inc. ~ Duffy’s www.DuffysTriC.com Squeaky Clean Product: Club Classic Gallon Soaps Features: ▶ Comes in three brand new scents: Green Apple, Tropical Breeze and Pink Pearl ▶ Features a Hand & Body Wash, an AllIn-One Hand & Body Soap and a Moisturizing Hand Soap ▶ Great for filling preexisting countertop or wall mounted dispensers ▶ All three products are pH balanced for use on hands, skin and hair ▶ Versatile gallon size allows for economical use and pricing Fore Supply foresupplyco.com
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Eustis
▶ Dashboard
▶ Offers
Central
Constant Contact Product: Relay+ Cellular Walkie-Talkie Features: No bigger than a Post-It note by Wi-Fi and 4G LTE for an unlimited, nationwide range Sleek and simple push-to-talk design is fast and in real-time size and water-resistant parts makes for easier disinfection compared to popular personal-use smartphones that are generally heavy bacteria sources GPS tracking: See location
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CLUBESSENTIAL 11 www.clubessential.com CRES COR 29 www.crescor.com EUSTIS CHAIR 31 978-827-3103 / sales@eustischair.com FIRE WITHIN 57 888-240-9758 / www.firewithin.com
KCUA11 Features: ▶ Operates
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messaging Cres Cor www.crescor.com F��� + B������� Happy Hour Product: Landmark Golf Course Products Portable Bar Features: ▶ Available in both EasyCare™ and Rinowood™ materials ▶ Built with sustainability, all-weather performance, and durability in mind ▶ Every bar is constructed with stainless steel ice bins and speed rails, plus locking storage areas, large shelves, and caster wheels that make it easy to maneuver over any surface. ▶ Fully customizable—choose from different sizes, materials, and EasyCare color combinations Landmark Golf Course Products Rinowood.com
KOPPLIN KUEBLER & WALLACE 12-13 www.kkandw.com MINOR’S FOODSERVICE 47 www.minorsfoodservice.com THE MONTAGUE COMPANY 68 800-345-1830 / www.montaguecompany.com NEXT SPORTS X TECH / EZSUITE 2 www.business.golfnow.com
FORETEES 15 sales@foretees.com / www.foretees.com
SIERRA NEVADA HOSPITALITY 28 800-969-0999 / garyplatt.com/hospitality SOUTHERN PRIDE 67 www.southernpride.com STRATEGIC CLUB SOLUTIONS 21 www.StrategicClubSolutions.com TRI-C CLUB SUPPLY INC. ~ DUFFY’S 3 www.DuffysTriC.com TRUE AUSSIE LAMB 53 foodservice.trueaussiebeefandlamb.com YAMAHA 7 866-747-4027 / YamahaGolfCar.com
BARILLA 41 BarillaFS.com BUTTERBALL FARMS INC. 37 www.butterballfarms.com CHEF TEC 49 303-447-3334 / www.ChefTec.com
▶ 4-6
HOSHIZAKI AMERICA 9 www.hoshizakiamerica.com JBD/JGA DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE 27 401-721-0977 / Pcafaro@JBDandJGA.com
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66 l Club + Resort Business l September 2022 www.clubandresortbusiness.com
Product: Legend® Heavy-Duty Glycol & Heat”
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Sauté Station Features: ▶ Combines Montague’s Legend heavy-duty burners with a revolutionary glycol chilling system ▶ High performance appliance that provides greater production while using significantly less energy ▶ Glycol chilled raised rail keeps vegetables, meats, cheese and more… cold and convenient ▶ Superior, two-inch thick insulation protects foods from the heat of the powerful 3,000 BTU/hr. star or induction burners ▶ Proudly built in the U.S. ▶ Available lengths: 36-inch, 48inch, 60-inch and 72-inch ▶ Winner of the 2015 NRA Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award The Montague Company www.montaguecompany.com
Being a third generation, family-owned and operated business is something we take seriously. We are proud to offer a full line of Electric, Gas or Mobile lines of equipment to fit your individual needs. Our equipment is designed with the highest quality materials and components ensuring a long life, giving you unmatched performance with every use. The ease of use with any Southern Pride and the consistent heat are just a few of the reasons we’ve been able to build the customer base we have today. We proudly offer a network of distributors making your partnership with Southern Pride easy and rewarding. Visit us online at southernpride.com today! DESIGNATED SMOKING AREA MADE WITH PRIDE IN THE USA Alamo, Tennessee | southernpride.com
MADE IN USA The Montague Company • 1-800-345-1830 • montaguecompany.com Cooking Innovation. Done to Perfection. Manufactured in the United States by skilled craftsmen, the Montague Legend® Steakhouse Broiler offers chefs powerful, high-volume, heavyduty broiling, producing tender, flavorful entrees customers will rave about. Now that’s perfection. It’s time to discover Montague! broilersteakhouse® Optional 1/2” Sear Plate or 3/4” Plancha, seals in juices before broiling 42,000 BTU cast iron burners deliver powerful infrared heat as high as 1800°F Adjustable broiler drawer with positive locking counterbalanced grid assembly Independent burner controls – 36” models feature two; 45” feature three Multiple configurations: • Warming ovens, top or bottom • Refrigerated cabinet base • 36” and 45” widths • Single and double broilers
