Club + Resort Business December 2019

December 2019

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The Changemakers 2019 Innovation Awards

Reservations to Revenue – to Predictive Analytics?

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INSIDE

December 2019 • Vol. 15 • No. 12

THIS

ISSUE

16

The Changemakers: 2019 Innovation Awards

Club and resort properties of all sizes, types and locations are turning ideas into innovations that pay real dividends, in the form of enduring member and guest satisfaction and loyalty.

(Cover photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

FOOD + BEVERAGE

Maki thePlang Come n Togeth er 28

Design + Recreation

REFRESHING THE WATERING HOLE

Sleek new bars are extending happy hours to new levels.

Food + Beverage 34 MAKING THE PLAN

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

5 6

The Rob Report

9

C+RB News Roundup

COME TOGETHER

How chefs hit the sweet—and savory—spots year-round.

Editor’s Memo

NATURAL PROGRESSION EXPANDING THE ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE

CLUBCORP ACQUIRES TOLL GOLF PROPERTIES

Plus other industry, supplier and people news

54

+ Grounds 40 Course STAYING LIMBER

Striking the right balance between turf care and tree management.

8 Club Index 4

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Show Special Report 46 PGA EXHIBITION GAMES

Idea Exchange

A BRUSH WITH SUCESS

With resident artists on staff, it was a natural for Pursell Farms to hold events that combined wine, food and painting instruction.

This year’s Merchandise Show will include the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Show.

48 Product Showcase

53 Ad Index www.clubandresortbusiness.com

EDITOR’S MEMO

Natural Progression The difference between an idea and innovation, the business gurus will tell you, lies in the execution. But I’m not so sure there’s that much difference between the two in the club business.

We’ve now published 13 Annual Ideas Issues in June of each year, and each of our writeups about what a club has done is summarized in a box that includes what the payoff of the idea was, in addition to its goal and its implementation plan. That’s favorable execution by any definition.

I’ve always been impressed by how club staffs continually get together to brainstorm new ideas and then waste little time in putting them into action and generating tangible results. Equally impressive is how the culture of the bestmanaged clubs always seems to embrace not being afraid to fail, while also making sure that even the most successful and proven concepts are always reassessed, to look for ways they can be freshened and done better.

So why have we moved to a focus on innovation in this issue? As we explained when launching our Top Innovators program earlier this year, in part it’s because we’ve come to recognize that the development and implementation of best practices has become an ongoing requirement for success in the club and resort business. Even when shining a spotlight on ideas—or innovations, or whatever you want to call them—in one special issue a year, and then on one dedicated “Idea Exchange” page in all other issues, we still weren’t able to come close to presenting enough of the valuable concepts that we come across while covering the industry.

Even this additional issue on Top Innovators, in fact, wasn’t enough to accommodate more than a small percentage of the new entries we got after asking for submissions. When you ring www.clubandresortbusiness.com

More clubs are finding ways to break away on a daily basis from the “same-old, same-old” in every aspect of their operation—and in a business long bound by tradition, that’s a great idea and welcomed innovation all its own. the dinner bell to invite input from the energetic staffs of clubs like Champions Run—who we thank for allowing us to use the image of their “virtual reality” kid (pg. 4) to promote the Top Innovator Awards—you can expect them to come running eagerly every time. We were also pleased to see how many industry suppliers wanted to submit nominations on behalf of clubs they work with.

Beyond just trying to find more space for all the good concepts that are out there, though, there is a distinction between ideas and innovation that we felt was important to highiight. As pointed out by Farmington CC’s Joe Krenn in his “Innovation and Rejuvenation” presentation at the 2019 Club Management Association of America conference (see

pgs. 16-17), many clubs have reached a stage in their lifecycles where they need to take a more strategic and long-range approach to doing business differently.

And that calls for striving to create lasting change that can reposition what they offer and keep them in step with the changing lifestyles of both existing and prospective members.

No doubt, some of the examples you’ll find on pages 16 to 26 of this issue (and in some of the many others we have left over that we’ll also try to find ways and places to share, both in print and online) won’t jump out as strategic and long-range steps towards alignment with changing lifestyles; instead, they’ll just come off as more good ideas. But while the lines between ideas and innovation may get blurry, all of what we’re highlighting, under any heading, reflects a common focus and direction that can only be seen as positive. More and more clubs are finding ways to break away on a daily basis from the “same-old, sameold” in every aspect of their operation— and in a business that’s long been bound by transition, that’s a great idea and welcomed innovation all its own.

Joe Barks • Editor jbarks@wtwhmedia.com

December 2019

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THE ROB REPORT

Expanding the Alternative Universe Alternative forms of golf are seemingly in the news every day. While I never caught the appeal of footgolf or disc golf, I know people who thoroughly enjoy both. My 9-year-old son plays soccer in the summer. Perhaps footgolf is my way of introducing him to the sport I love.

Even more popular (and always in the news) is the “gamification” of golf via massive entertainment venues like Topgolf, Drive Shack and OnCore Buffalo. My wife, who doesn’t golf, loves going out with our friends for dinner and drinks. A steady flow of appetizers and alcohol—with the addition of toe-tapping music—can make golf even more enjoyable for anyone.

But alternatives within the golf industry don’t always need to come with libations and merriment. Even the most staunch proponent of the sanctity of the sport would appreciate Rez Golf.

Not familiar? The Navajo Nation caught the golf bug and turned dusty fields into makeshift courses. Players can piece together a set of clubs for pennies on the dollar and join their peers in a friendly— or competitive—round.

On the other side of the world— Mumbai, to be exact—they’re playing Slum Golf. Much like Rez Golf, there isn’t much of an investment in equipment.

But people who would otherwise never have an opportunity to play are traversing the city streets with club in hand, chasing a little white ball and the one, perfect swing.

Golf isn’t dying—it’s just adjusting, adapting, modifying and acclimating. And the new forms of the game don’t always need to come with libations and merriment.

Back home here in the States, the story of a group of friends building their own course in one of their backyards brought back many memories of my childhood. While my “course” wasn’t nearly as impressive as Brough Creek National in Kansas City, Kan., it occupied hours of my time and provided the setting for my only hole-in-one.

On a larger scale, golf course architects are creating incredible short courses, reversible courses and courses that offer multiple returning loops, allowing golfers to play variations of a round— from three holes to all 18.

I played Gary Player’s 13-hole short course in Branson, Mo. Forget the odd number of holes—the most unique

thing about Mountain Top was the fact that there were no tee boxes, but instead a stake you stuck in the ground to signify where you and your playing partners would begin that hole. Crazy, but incredibly fun.

Golf isn’t dying—it’s just adjusting.

The industry terminology for course closings is “rightsizing.” I used “gamification” earlier, but that doesn’t seem accurate; after all, golf has always been a game—and the greatest game, many still feel. So perhaps some better terms for what’s now taking place would be that it is adapting, modifying, acclimating or habituating?

What alternative options are you offering to attract more golfers to your facility? Drop me an e-mail at the address below, and we’ll share with our audience.

Rob Thomas • Senior Editor

rthomas@wtwhmedia.com

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Audubon Country Club, Naples, Fla. .............................................28 Bear Lakes Country Club, West Palm Beach, Fla. .......................5 Bel-Air Bay Club, Pacific Palisades, Calif. .....................................17, 22 Bel-Air Country Club, Los Angeles, Calif. ..................................34 Champion Hills Club, Hendersonville, N.C. ...................................28 Champions Run, Omaha, Neb. ......................................................19, 21 The Club at Grandezza, Estero, Fla. .................................................28 Columbine Country Club, Columbine Valley, Colo. ........21, 22 Country Club of Roswell, Roswell, Ga. ..........................................19 Fauquier Springs Country Club, Warrenton, Va. ..............40 GreatHorse, Hampden, Mass. ................................................................20 Horseshoe Bay Resort, Horseshoe Bay, Texas. .........................26 LedgeRock Golf Club, Mohnton, Pa. ..............................................40 Loblolly, Hobe Sound, Fla. ........................................................................24 Mount Vernon Canyon Club, Golden, Colo. ...........................25 Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Ill. .................40 Pursell Farms, Sylacauga, Ala. ................................................................54 Quail Creek Golf and Country Club, Oklahoma City, Okla. ......................................................................................................28 The Reserve Club, Indian Wells, Calif. ............................................22 St. Andrews Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla ..................18, 23 San Antonio Country Club, San Antonio, Texas .................4 Sawgrass Country Club, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. ..................22 Victory Ranch, Kamas, Utah ..................................................................26 Westmoreland Club, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ........................................34 www.clubandresortbusiness.com

INDUSTRY ROUNDUP CLUBCORP ACQUIRES SEVEN TOLL GOLF PROPERTIES CLUBCORP HAS ACQUIRED SEVEN lifestyle golf clubs in residential communities located on the East Coast from Toll Golf, the golf and country club division of Toll Brothers, Inc. The clubs, which offer a variety of lifestyle amenities such as upscale, resort-style golf, tennis, fitness, aquatics, sports and dining, include: Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Va.; Dominion Valley Country Club in Haymarket, Va.; Regency at Dominion Valley Country Club in Haymarket, Va.; Brier Creek Country Club in Raleigh, N.C.; Hasentree in Wake Forest, N.C.; Jupiter Country Club in Jupiter, Fla.; and Oak Creek Golf Club in Upper Marlboro, Md. Members of the seven Toll Golf clubs will have the opportunity to obtain access to ClubCorp’s network of private clubs, services and benefits.

“We are excited to announce the addition of these exceptional lifestyle clubs to our portfolio and welcome their members and employees to the ClubCorp family,” said David Pillsbury, ClubCorp’s CEO. “Our focus is on ensuring that members experience every aspect of club life at its best—the fun and camaraderie, sports, health and wellness, and enhanced benefits—at the club level, in the community and while traveling around the world. We are now honored to help our newest members achieve the life and lifestyle to which they aspire.”

Belmont Country Club was one of seven former Toll Golf properties acquired by ClubCorp.

SHADOW WOOD CC UNVEILS $5.2M CASUAL DINING VENUE SHADOW WOOD COUNTRY CLUB in Estero, Fla. has opened its new $5.2 million, 9,000-sq. ft. indoor-outdoor casual dining venue that features a folding glass-door system for all-weather enjoyment of expansive sunset and golf course views.

Designed by country club architect and design firm Peacock + Lewis and constructed by DeAngelis Diamond, the seven-month project added a 260-seat dining space with a large octangular bar and a second kitchen.

The Golfside Grill—named through a member contest—offers a sushi bar, pizza oven and a built-in soup-and-garden salad buffet, along with locally brewed Shadow Wood craft beer and an orange hard seltzer on tap. A wall of nine 55-inch monitors come together to form one giant TV screen, in addition to 16 big-screen televisions positioned throughout the space.

Enhancing the club’s before- and after-dinner cocktail space, the renovation added two fire pits and lounge seating to the existing five positioned around the clubhouse. The Golfside Grill is open daily for lunch, dinner and happy hours.

The Golfside Grill was completed on time and funded without bank loans or debt, according to Rich Celiberti, Shadow Wood’s President. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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INDUSTRY ROUNDUP IMPERIAL GC PLANS $3.5M CLUBHOUSE ENHANCEMENT

WILDERNESS RIDGE GC’S MOVE TO MEMBERS-ONLY GOES FORWARD SINCE IT OPENED IN 2001, Wilderness Ridge Golf Club in Lincoln, Neb. has been open for public play. But that is going to change, the Lincoln Journal Star reported, with the club announcing plans to go to a membershiponly model for golf, starting in 2021.

The club has been considering the change for a couple of years and did some market research that showed it was something members wanted, Wilderness Ridge General Manager Chip Cary told the Journal Star.

Wilderness Ridge also has big expansion plans, the Journal Star reported.

The club plans to build an aquatics complex, Cary said, as well as a new pro shop building that will also house its year-round Nebraska Golf Academy.

Plans also include a new members-only bar and grill, called the 19th Hole, as well as a fitness center.

Construction on the expansion will begin in the spring, with plans to have everything open in 2021, the Journal Star reported. The work will not affect the club’s 18-hole championship golf course and will lead to only a minor change to its nine-hole executive course, Cary said.

IMPERIAL GOLF CLUB IN Naples, Fla. has announced plans for a $3.5 million clubhouse refresh and renovation project. The member-approved “Renew, Refresh and Revitalize” project will break ground in April 2020 and be completed by October 2020, allowing club members to enjoy the next two seasons of golf and social activities without disruption.

The renovation will feature improvements and expansions to the clubhouse dining area, event spaces, and Rookery Bar Lounge, highlighted by outdoor sunset seating overlooking Imperial’s East Course. The clubhouse lobby and porte cochere will be updated as well.

The revitalization project, with Humphrey-Rosal Architects of Naples as the designer, will be delivered without an assessment to members, underscoring the club’s long-term financial strength and stability.

The clubhouse renovation follows recent updates and improvements made to Imperial’s two 18-hole championship golf courses. The golf courses will not be affected by the clubhouse renovation.

PRIVATE CLUBS NOT IMMUNE FROM FOOD INSPECTION SCRUTINY AND VIOLATIONS, INVESTIGATION SHOWS FOOD INSPECTIONS EXTEND FAR beyond public restaurants, with even private clubs and employees-only break rooms seen as fair game by authorities, according to an investigative report by KCTV, the CBS affiliate in the Kansas City, Mo./Kan. area. KCTV’s research into recent food-inspection violations for establishments in the region found that country clubs in the area had been hit with violations not unlike those found at much less-exclusive establishments.

“Anywhere that food is sold or made in Kansas, we are inspecting,” Steve Moris, the program manager for the Food Safety and Lodging Program with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, confirmed to KCTV. 10

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In Kansas, the state handles inspections, KCTV reported, while in Missouri, they are handled by individual city or county health departments. But typically all of the inspecting authorites have codes that are based on the FDA Food Model Code.

Food inspectors on both sides of the state line cautioned against judging how well an establishment complies solely by the mere number of violations it has had (or hasn’t had), KCTV reported.

“The major [issues] we are most concerned about [are] hand washing, bare-hand contact and storage of food,” said Moris. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

MAJOR EXPANSION UNDERWAY AT WILD DUNES RESORT EXPANSION PLANS UNDERWAY AT the Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, S.C., outside of Charleston will add guest rooms and revamp the visitor experience at existing accommodations, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported.

Construction of a new hotel at the 1,600-acre beachfront resort complex that includes golf courses, hotel rooms and rental homes and condominiums will incorporate amenities that will impact the whole vacation community, The Post and Courier reported, including ballroom and event-venue additions that will double the amount of meeting space.

The expansion is expected to be completed and open to guests by April 2021.

The hotel is rising next to the Village, a condominium-style hotel and retail area that was built in 2008, The Post and Courier reported. The existing spa in the Village is being replaced by a 10,000-sq. ft. facility with 14 treatment rooms in the new hotel. And the outdoor pool deck that backs up to the Village will be expanded to include a new pool, whirlpool spas, a kids’ splash pad and a poolside restaurant and bar.

In total, the new hotel will add 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, bringing the resort’s capacity for large groups up to 650 people, The Post and Courier reported.

That square footage includes a grand ballroom, a rooftop ballroom, a terrace and a wedding venue with views of the ocean.

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December 2019

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SUPPLIER NEWS

VGM CLUB CHANGES NAME TO CLUBPROCURE VGM CLUB, THE WATERLOO, Iowa-based group purchasing organization that has served the private club and golf course industry since 1994, has changed its corporate name to ClubProcure. The name change follows the company’s recent merger with Compass Group U.S.A’s Foodbuy division, one of North America’s leading procurement services organizations.

Established in 1994, ClubProcure is the nation’s leading group purchasing organization for the private club and golf course industry. ClubProcure provides volume discounts and allowances and other incentives from over 450 supplier partners to a membership community of nearly 4,000 private clubs and golf courses nationwide.

“The name ClubProcure explains precisely who we are here to serve, and how we are here to help,” said Tony Beuter, President of ClubProcure. “Our company has always offered great programs and services to superintendents and club manager—and now, as a division of Foodbuy, we will offer even more resources and benefits for club chefs and food-and-beverage managers.”

Along with the name change and the heightened contract offerings for customers, ClubProcure also announced an enhanced membership benefit called OneSource, a Cloud-based purchasing software.

INSURANCE OFFICE OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF SMART CLUB PROGRAM

INSURANCE OFFICE OF AMERICA has launched its Smart Club Program, available in the United States exclusively for athletic, city, country, faculty, golf, military, town and yacht clubs.

The Smart Club Program is custom-designed for the unique needs of each club, to go well beyond the insurance policy as a comprehensive, white-glove program that evaluates each club’s unique exposures, provides a plan to address identified risks, trains club employees, and leverages new IoT (Internet of Things) technology to monitor the health of involved properties 24/7.

“Because of our understanding of the club industry, we’ve built the program to reduce risk, lower costs, and leverage technology, so club management and boards can focus on enhancing the member experience,” said Smart Club Program Administrator Jeffery Magoon.

YAMAHA GOLF CAR DONATES TO ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION YAMAHA GOLF-CAR COMPANY, IN conjunction with Yamaha Motor Corporation U.S.A. and Yamaha Corporation of America (Yamaha Music), has donated two special and uniquely customized 2020 Drive2 AC personal transportation vehicles to Sir Elton John and his Elton John AIDS Foundation. Both cars were presented during the Atlanta stop of John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.”

Both cars will be utilized by John on his tour circuit, with one traveling throughout the U.S and Europe, and the other as far as Australia and South America. After the conclusion of the tour, both cars will be auctioned off by the AIDS Foundation, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to this cause.

“This is just simply a great opportunity for Yamaha Music and our Golf Car team to get together for such a worthy and meaningful cause,” said Tom McDonald, President of Yamaha Golf-Car Company (pictured at right with John at the presentation). “We truly wish to thank Elton and his Team at the AIDS Foundation for making this possible, but most importantly for all their actions to fight for an AIDS-free world in the future.”

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Tom McDonald, left, presented Sir Elton John with two customized Yamaha Golf Cars at the Atlanta stop on John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

WITTEK GOLF ACQUIRES SOUTHERN GOLF FLAGS WITTEK GOLF, A P&W Golf Supply company, has acquired Southern Golf Flags, based out of Vidalia, Ga. The acquisition of the manufacturer of custom golf flags and apparel adds to Wittek’s manufacturing capabilities, shipping locations and extensive product line.

“This acquisition is huge for both our customers and our company” said Gene Pruban, co-founder of P&W Golf Supply. “Our goal since starting P&W Golf Supply in 2015 has been to provide the highes-quality products and customer service to the golf industry, and this acquisition serves to increase our ability to do that. For years Southern Golf Flags has been making the best flags in the golf industry, and we’re thrilled to add that to our product line in 2020.”

The acquisition of Southern Golf Flags now gives Wittek just under 100,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, spread across three locations in the U.S., to give customers quick production and shipping times. Wittek’s new Georgia location has more than 100 embroidery heads, four screen printing machines and the ability to dye sublimate in-house.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

NICKLAUS COMPANIES ANNOUNCES LICENSE WITH SMATHERS & BRANSON Nicklaus Companies and Smathers & Branson have signed a licensing agreement for a collection of Jack Nicklaus-branded products. The collection showcases the Jack Nicklaus and Golden Bear logoed trademarks and will be available in green-grass shops, resorts, and specialty stores across the country.

The first products to debut in the Nicklaus Collection include belts, bar wear and key fobs.

Smathers & Branson began while founders Peter Carter and Austin Branson were college roommates 15 years ago with a line of attractive needlepoint belts crafted by skilled artisans. The company has since expanded into putter headcovers, key fobs, hats, wallets, and other high-end accessories bearing needlepointed logos, names, and images.

“What Peter and Austin have created at Smathers & Branson in such a short time is simply remarkable,” said Andy O'Brien, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Licensing & Communications at the Nicklaus Companies. “The high-end quality and obviously very popular products are the perfect fit for our brand and a key part of our expansion into more lifestyle products around the world.”

STUDENTS RECEIVE COMPLIMENTARY GCSAA MEMBERSHIPS THROUGH JOHN DEERE PROGRAM THE GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS Association of America (GCSAA) has partnered with John Deere to offer complimentary GCSAA student memberships for students enrolled in, or intending to enroll in, full-time eligible turfgrass or related programs.

Once they become members of the GCSAA, students will gain access to industry resources and information, webinars, career development tools, and a full network of GCSAA member superintendents to support their academic and professional growth.

John Deere has been an avid supporter of students pursuing careers in golf course management. As the longtime sponsor of the GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl, John Deere has helped college teams from around the country showcase their skills during the annual competition at the Golf Industry Show.

John Deere will also sponsor the Student Hub (Booth 2007) on the trade show floor during the 2020 Golf Industry Show in Orlando in January, as a dedicated space for collegians to interact with peers, connect with alumni and have great accessibility to on-site career development services.

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PEOPLE NEWS

Tom Noyes Dan DuBreuil

Jeff Parsons Curtis Tyrell

Laura Stensgar

CLUB PEOPLE The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla. has named Jeffrey M. Parsons as General Manager. Parsons previously served as General Manager of IMG Academy Golf Club, also in Bradenton.

The Coral Creek Club in Placida, Fla. has announced several new additions to its management team: • Thomas J. Noyes, CCM, CCE, has been named General Manager, after serving as the club’s interim GM since early June.

Noyes was most recently General Manager of Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla. and before that the General Manager of Spring Island in Okatie, S.C. •Alex Delcamp is Coral Creek’s new Clubhouse Manager. Prior to joining Coral Creek, Alex was the Food and Beverage Manager at Sailfish Point in Stuart, Fla. • Erin L. Stevens, CGCS, MG, has been named Coral Creek’s Director of Agronomy, after serving as the club’s interim Agronomist since early June. Erin was previously the Director of Golf Maintenance at Emerald Dunes Club in West Palm Beach, Fla. and before that the Director of Agronomy at Temenos Golf Club in Anguilla, British West Indies.

• Alan Pope is Coral Creek’s new Director 14

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of Membership. Pope was previously the Director of Membership and Marketing at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., after previously serving as an executive at Disney and Wyndham Worldwide for 11 years.

John Laliberte, CAM, previously General Manager/COO at Vanderbilt Country Club in Naples Fla., will succeed Peter Costello, CCM, CCE, CAM, as General Manager/ COO of Glen Eagle Golf and Country Club in Naples, Fla., upon Costello’s retirement.

Costello began as Club Manager at Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pa. in 1978 and served at seven other clubs in between.

Linville Resorts has appointed Dan DuBreuil as the new General Manager of The Eseeola Lodge and Linville (N.C.) Golf Club.

Most recently, DuBreuil served as General Manager of Cabo Del Sol and Cove Club in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Playa Largo Resort & Spa in Key Largo, Fla. has named Kristine Cox as General Manager. Most recently, Cox was General Manager of the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina in Newport, R.I.

Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite in Fish Camp, Calif. has named Dan Lyle as General Manager of the 352-room resort. Lyle most recently served as General Manager at Grand Canyon National Park overseeing Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village, as well as the park’s dining and retail operations. Lyle replaces Paul Ratchford, who retired after eight years at the resort.

Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel in Worley, Idaho has appointed Laura Stensgar as CEO. Stensgar has served in several leadership positions at the casino, including Director of Marketing. Most recently, she served as Acting Director of the casino resort.

Vince Juarez, General Manager of Deerpath Golf Course in Lake Forest, Ill. has achieved PGA Master Professional status in general management. Juarez was KemperSports’ 2014 recipient of the James R. Seely General Manager of the Year award.

Founders Group International has hired Paul Zito as Director of Food and Beverage for the company’s 22 golf courses. Zito spent more than 17 years with Carrabba’s, overseeing 12 restaurants and more than 1,000 employees. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Tyler Field Alan Pope

Samuel Faggetti

Alex Delcamp Lee Sonsky

Primland in Meadows of Dan, Va. has named Jeff Yost to be its new Head Golf Professional and Chandler Marshall as an Assistant Golf Professional. Yost previously worked at The Camargo Club (Ohio), Claremont Country Club (California), Hammock Beach’s Ocean Course (Florida) and The Kiawah Island Club (South Carolina). Marshall joins Primland after previously serving as assistant professional at Mount Vernon Country Club in Alexandria Va. Avon (Ohio) Oaks Country Club has named Matt Stroud as its new Head Golf Professional effective January 1, 2020.

Stroud is currently First Assistant Golf Professional. Previously, he was an Assistant Golf Professional at Firestone Country Club and he has also worked at Scioto Country Club.

Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead, Mass. has named Jake Leech to be its new Head Golf Professional upon Bob Green’s upcoming retirement. Green started at the club in 1978. Leech was previously First Assistant at Charles River Country Club in Newton, Mass. before taking the same position at Tedesco CC.

Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, Ariz. has named Curtis Tyrrell, CSGS, MG, as its new Director of Agronomy. Tyrrell previously worked at Bonita Bay in Florida and Medinah Country Club in Illinois. Tyrrell replaces the retiring Phil Shoemaker, who first arrived at Desert Highlands in 1982.

Union League National in Swainton, N.J. has named Scott Bordner as Head Superintendent. Borden most recently held the same position at Chicago Golf Club.

Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo. has named Samuel Faggetti as its new Executive Chef, beginning in January 2020. Faggetti joins Bellerive after spending nearly 10 years with the Four Seasons organization, most recently as the Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Nevis in the West Indies.

The Club at the Dunes in Naples, Fla. has welcomed Lee Sonsky as the club’s new Executive Chef. Most recently, Sonsky served as Chef at Boca Raton (Fla.) Resort and Club.

Omni Hotels & Resorts has promoted

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David Harker to Corporate Executive Chef.

Previously, Harker was the Executive Chef of the Omni Interlocken Resort and in 2013, opened the Omni Nashville Hotel as its Executive Chef.

Bay Colony Golf Club in Naples, Fla. has appointed Tyler Field, CEC, CCA, ACE as Executive Chef, Samantha Sheffield as Chief Financial Officer, and Angel Blanco, a Certified Sommelier, as Director of Food & Beverage.

SUPPLIER PEOPLE

MTS Seating has promoted John Rapp and Justin Campbell to National Accounts Managers. Prior to joining MTS, Rapp owned a financial planning service, while Campbell worked as an account executive with American Interiors.

WTS International has named Steve Rudnitsky as Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors. Rudnitsky has previously been President/CEO of the Wyndham Hotel Group, Dolce Hotels & Resorts and Miraval Group.

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» 2019 INNOVATION AWARDS

The Changemakers

2019 Innovation Awards Club and resort properties of all sizes, types and locations are turning ideas into innovations that pay real dividends, in the form of enduring member and guest satisfaction and loyalty.

A C+RB Staff Report

INNOVATION HAS BECOME A HOT TOPIC in the business world, to the point where it’s not hard to find articles that try to pin down exactly how it should be defined—and offer little agreement from among the “experts” on just what it means.

“Innovation is a truly confusing buzzword that many people love to hate,” one article began. “Every business leader agrees that it is important. But nobody can quite seem to agree on what it actually is. If you ask Google for a definition, it is less than helpful, coming up with over 300 million results and thousands of definitions.”

Managers in the club industry have also been swept up by a newfound fascination with innovation. At the 2019 Club Management Association of America World Conference and Club Business Expo that was held in Nashville, Tenn., a presentation on “Innovation and Rejuvenation in 16

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Clubs” by Joe Krenn, CCM, CCE, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va., drew strong interest and high ratings.

And Krenn’s definition of innovation, at least as it applies to the club business, is pretty clear-cut. “My presentation focused more on an approach to doing business differently,” he says. “Innovation and rejuvenation is not just sticks, bricks and capital enhancements. It’s also about innovating with opportunities, events, activities and affinity programming that can all generate greater attractiveness to members, and a broader market share.

“As the club industry is progressing, finding new ways to create lifestyle attractiveness is essential,” adds Krenn, who was a 2017 honoree through the Excellence in Club Management Awards co-sponsored by the McMahon Group, the National Club Association and C+RB. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

TOP INNOVATORS: events

C+RB’s August 2018 cover story on Farmington CC (“Farmington CC’s Formula for EverForward Thinking”), and our other coverage over the past few years of its many groundbreaking initiatives (such as launching the industry’s first food truck, and branding its own ice cream, cookie dough and beer), have documented how that club has successfully built and put its own perpetual innovation machine in motion, to help turn around a slide in membership that occurred in the first few post-recession years. Thanks in large part to its focus on executing true innovation in all aspects of its operation, Farmington is now wellpositioned for new growth and prosperity as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2027.

And it appears that Farmington now has plenty of company within the club world when it comes to not only understanding, but implementing, real innovation. As evidenced by all of the submissions received in response to C+RB’s call for entries for our Top Innovators awards—only a small portion of which is presented on the following pages—many other properties, of all types and sizes, are now also following their own successful paths to finding and offering compelling forms of “lifestyle attractiveness,” for both existing and prospective members and guests.

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HAVING THE IDEAL FACILITY to host an event won’t do a club any good if no one knows it exists. To make sure that wouldn’t be the case, the Bel-Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. hosted a Planner Mixer for more than 250 planning professionals, to showcase its Upper Club as a premier venue for weddings and other events.

To offset the cost, the mixer was sponsored by more than a dozen vendors who provide services for weddings, corporate events and other festivities. One of the vendors, Brand Videography, captured the event on a video that can now be used for future marketing purposes.

Given its proximity to Hollywood, Bel-Air also recognized the potential for inviting television and movie-location scouts to the Planner Mixer, as part of an initiative to promote its Upper Club as a prime filming location as well. That led to “NCIS: Los Angeles” shooting a wedding episode at the club, with TV Guide sending a reporter to cover the filming. The magazine then published the report, which included a mention of Bel-Air Bay Club as the site, as a cover story.

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» 2019 Innovation Awards

TOP INNOVATORS: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT THROUGH AN INNOVATION THAT’S A WIN-WIN for both the user and the operator, the aquatics facility at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. is now providing a consistent, resort-style experience for its membership, after the installation of the latest cooling and heating geothermal technology that allows the same pool-water temperature to be maintained year-round.

And for the club, the efficiency of the system saves 25% or more of the pool’s energy bill, reports Julio Fuentes, St. Andrews’ Aquatics Director.

The system also provides the benefit of a better filtration system that is complemented

by UV light capable of disintegrating the bacteria that filters can’t catch, Fuentes reports.

And a change from regular pool chlorine for sanitation and disinfection to a salinator/ chlorination system has provided greater

comfort for members—“No more hard water, red eyes or green hair!” Fuentes says—while also reducing chemical expenses.

The installation of a Symbiont Geothermal heater and Chlorking pool equipment came after the St. Andrew staff conducted extensive research, Fuentes reports. He provides these details about the benefits of the equipment and technology that was selected: HEATING: The Symbiont Geothermal system has the capability of maximizing pool usage while minimizing operations costs, by keeping the water temperature at a set point throughout the entire year, regardless of fluctuating weather (summer, winter, wind and rain). The cost-effectiveness of the system allows the St. Andrews facility to save between 25% to 30% of its energy bill by reducing the gas bill, Fuentes reports.

DISINFECTION: The change from regular pool chlorine to the Chlorking salinator/ chlorination system brought an instantaneous benefit to the St. Andrews membership, Fuentes says. The system is capable of producing 25 lbs. of chlorine daily by adding just 40 lbs. of salt, and that is saving the club between 15% to 20% in chemical expenses per year.

UV LIGHT: This equipment serves as the pool’s last line of defense and helps the sanitation system stay bacteria-free, by killing pathogens that regular pool chemicals and filters can’t eliminate and providing added assurance that the pool waters are safe for the St. Andrews membership and their guests, Fuentes says.

“The system is able to be operated from a tablet or a desktop, so it can be controlled by a facility manager from anywhere,” Fuentes adds. “And it gives us a complete report regarding temperature, disinfection, filtration and temperature, so we can operate smoothly through the whole year.”

Swimmers at St. Andrews CC now enjoy a consistent, resort-style experience, after the installation of cooling and heating geothermal technology that allows the same pool-water temperature to be maintained year-round.

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TOP INNOVATORS: Golf events “Talk about pressure, as 500 members MANY “SUCCESSFUL” INNOVAwatch you tee off and your entire fourTIONS come and go with the wind, but some’s chances rely on your opening tee the real test of their effective implementashot,” says John Speiss, CCM, the Country tion is how they stand up over time.

In a twist to the way clubs’ member-guest Club of Roswell’s General Manager. “But what a way to end the member-guest, as tournaments are usually finished—a shooteach and every player gets to participate in out with the flight winners playing for the the grand finale!” overall title—the Country Club of Roswell “We have done this for 20 years,” Spiess (Ga.) has all 72 teams play in a “Gold Rush” adds, “It’s a great format for any club lookshootout that starts with a unique format. ing to freshen up their member-guest.”

Each team in the member-guest is paired with another team, to create new teams of four players, paired by handicap to create balance. All players—usually from a field of 132, but sometimes with as many as 144— then play the same hole (usually the first), using an alternate-shot format. Each team picks one player to tee off, so 36 players tee off, one after another.

Teams are eliminated after each hole and five holes are played in total. The event takes at least three hours to complete, and the entire community comes out to watch. The winning foursome wins actual gold coins. 11/14/19 1:38 PM Page 1 December2019Halfpage_7W_4.625H

TOP INNOVATORS: FOOD +BEVERAGE AS PART OF ITS ONGOING EFFORT to always provide a relaxing environment for its members, Champions Run of Omaha, Neb. developed a Pop-Up Poolside Pineapple and Coconut Bar. Whenever the bar’s opening is announced via Instagram, members of all ages get excited to come watch as ingredients for tropical drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are cut, blended and served with a special flair.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Our Family to Yours!

With great appreciation for the business you have honored us with in 2019, we thank you and wish you a peaceful and glorious holiday season!

Gratefully, Duffy, Mary Anne, Dan Linsell and the entire staff at Tri-C Club Supply

Locker Room Amenities & Toiletries Shoe Shine Supplies Spa Amenities Housekeeping Products and more! www.DuffysTriC.Com ~ Since 1978 ~ 1.800.274.8742 ~ or write us at CustomerService@DuffysTriC.com

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» 2019 INNOVATION AWARDS

TOP INNOVATORS: websites WHEN USERS START TO BROWSE www.greathorse.com, the award-winning website of the former Hampden (Mass.)

Country Club that was rebranded and reopened as GreatHorse under new ownership in 2015, they are first greeted by a custom video banner that showcases highlights of all that the property has to offer.

The home page was designed to appear “neat with systematic grids and smooth lines, with an immediate feeling of comfort as you browse through the pictures,” reports Kayla Turowsky, GreatHorse’s Marketing and Communications Coordinator.

The news page and social-media scrolling banner “easily consolidate all of our media coverage in one spot, so our audience doesn’t have to travel far to see our online presence,” Turowksy adds.

To provide “an exclusive sneak peek” of the inside of the GreatHorse clubhouse, the website features a virtual tour of the galleria that provides “a visual representation of walking through the front doors,” Turowsky says. “This small tease of the ambience gives prospective members an idea of our mountainside getaway and why

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we are so different, while only showcasing a small portion of the facilities, to protect the exclusivity of the club,” she notes.

The GreatHorse website was overhauled, Turowsky says, after the club noticed that its weekly e-mails and mailed newsletter weren’t getting much traction. “Having a younger membership, it’s important to adapt to the changes of our target audience,” she says. “With this new generation, when people want something, they want it quick and at their convenience. We thought [we needed] a new communication model that better delivers our services and important messages, and rolled out a new website exclusively for members that includes all club information.”

The GreatHorse website is responsive and easy to navigate on any device, as well as interactive with almost every scroll-over, Turowsky notes.

In addition to the front-facing website, GreatHorse also offers the GH Dashboard, a new private URL for members to access at their convenience. “This custom website was built purposely from the perspective of a member, and is organized visually by amenity,” Turowsky says. “Once you choose the amenity you’d like to learn more about, the page will lead you to a secondary web page that lists all hours, staff, promotions, descriptions, and even a form to make an appointment or reservation. It’s quick, easy to navigate on any device, and gives members the answers they need, right when they need it.”

While most members access the GH Dashboard website on the go, Great-

Horse also has it displayed on devices that are spread throughout the clubhouse in sitting areas and other “lounging” spots, Turowsky notes “[And] if we are accommodating a member or their guests overnight, a tablet is placed in each room, so they can see for themselves what’s going on at the clubhouse during their time on site,” she adds.

“As soon as you enter the clubhouse, an iPad is on display for you to scroll through the Dashboard, so you’ll never have to worry about missing out on any clubhouse news,” Turowsky says.

“By having the GH Dashboard, we introduced a new form of communication that better fits [members’] lifestyles,” Turowsky reports. “We have noticed an increase in services, as well as more awareness of club events and updates, all by steering away from classic e-blasts and creating a more effective process of communication.

“Moving forward, we plan to continue to use our digital dashboard, but are also in the process of creating a custom GreatHorse phone app for members to download on their phones,” she adds. “We take pride in continuing to change our communication methods to the needs of membership.

The GreatHorse website recently received recognition from Summit International Awards, an organization that acknowledges innovative and creative concepts, strong execution and user experiences, and the ability to communicate and persuade through a wide range of platforms. The international awards are determined by a professional panel of judges from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, and South Africa, as well as the U.S. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

TOP INNOVATORS: FOOD + BEVERAGE COLUMBINE COUNTRY CLUB in Columbine Valley, Colo. made a concerted effort to enhance its members’ health and well-being through the creation of its innovative Columbine Active app and a partnership with an outside fitness provider (see pg. 22). But it didn’t stop there.

The pivot to the next generation of members seemed to be working, so COO/ General Manager Rick Poling, CCM, and Director of Fitness Jenn Targett teamed with Executive Chef Jeff Kinser to develop a Blue Apron-style ingredient-and-recipe home-meal offer, Columbine Fresh, that has turned into a very popular grab-andgo service, with Targett using the Columbine Active app to market it.

Members opt into recurring weekly meal service with convenient valet pickup each Sunday afternoon at the club. They simply swap out the club-provided cooler and reusable containers for fresh meals each week.

Recipes include local ingredients and fitness department-approved meals like a cauliflower burrito bowl, fajita chicken pablano bowl (pictured at left), baked honey teriyaki salmon, and broccoli rabe and peanut sauce soba.

Kenser and his staff provide all of the ingredients for members to make balanced and healthy meals at home in exactly the right proportions.

Costs, for both the club and members, are kept down because the ingredients can be bought in bulk. Kenser does joke, though, that he didn’t anticipate how much the popularity of the program would add to the prep time required of the kitchen staff.

TOP INNOVATORS: KIDS’ AMENITIES CHAMPIONS RUN IN OMAHA, Neb. keeps kids engaged (and parents happy) with its “Super Secret Hotline” feature during the summer season. A top-secret, old-school landline phone is strategically hidden each day around the pool, tennis and fitness facilities. Anyone who finds the phone is prompted to dial a specific number that directs them to the pool cafe.

Employees working in the cafe answer the super-secret hotline with a scripted message that gives callers random tasks to complete—such as "Run up to the top of the swimming-pool slide and yell, ‘I am the king of Champions Run!’ " Those who complete the tasks are then rewarded with a free ice cream treat at the pool cafe. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

TOP INNOVATORS: Design + Renovation FOR THE RECENT CLUBHOUSE RENOVATION of The Reserve Club in Indian Wells, Calif. (“The Reserve Club Puts New Muscle On Its Bones,” C+RB, February 2019), an entirely new collection of art was sourced and installed. The art was so spectacular and attention-grabbing, and generated so many questions from members, staff and guests about the artists, origins and sources of the pieces, that a special reference brochure was created and made available on site and to the membership. The brochure includes images of each piece, its title, where it is located in the clubhouse (“Hallway Across from Front Desk”), the size and medium used, and the names and background information of the artists, some of whom were Reserve Club members.

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» 2019 Innovation Awards

TOP INNOVATORS: FITNESS PROGRAMS COLUMBINE COUNTRY CLUB in Columbine Valley, Colo. partnered with 1000 Hills Fitness for management of its fitness/ wellness program and launched Columbine Active, a mobile app to engage members in fitness and wellness initiatives.

"We knew that a well-defined brand position was critical for Columbine to compete for members' fitness attention," said Scott Poston, principal consultant with 1000 Hills Fitness. "Our marching orders were to change the lives of members with dynamic and innovative programs and staff, and that led to [the creation of the Columbine Active] brand."

Safe to say that, 197 users and 413 workouts later, the brand, and app, have hit the mark. Members use the app to learn about fitnessdepartment promotions and more about the club’s fitness team, or to complete daily workouts that are then posted to the app’s leaderboard for other members to see.

Columbine CC also recently launched its own version of Class Pass. to help engage more members in its group fitness program.

And it’s the only private club in Colorado offering Ashiatsu (barefoot) massage and Sarga (myofascial) bodywork.

Clubs in Columbine's category, on average, generate $35 per sq. ft. in total fitness and spa revenue. With continued support from 1000 Hills Fitness, Columbine CC now generates $82 per sq. ft.

TOP INNOVATORS: operations PERRY KENNEY, CLUBHOUSE MANAGER for Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., has been an accomplished ice sculptor throughout his career, and even demonstrated his skills at C+RB’s Chef to Chef Conference in Denver, Colo. in 2013.

Events at Sawgrass CC frequently feature elaborate ice sculptures made by Kenney and others on the staff who he has trained. And when the supplier of ice blocks to the club went out of business, Kenney decided that wouldn’t stop him—he’d just find a way to make the blocks in-house.

He bought two block-making machines from the supplier for $500 each. Kenney then had the club’s engineering team install all the equipment in the basement of Sawgrass’ Beach Club, requiring about another $500 in supplies and a new condenser for $1,700.

But with the Sawgrass team needing about 30 blocks a year for sculptures for its events, and blocks previously costing $60 each from an outside source, Kenney expects to have a return on his investment in two years.

Having blocks on hand and ready to go also helps Kenney train carving protégés like Sawgrass Chef de Cuisine Dean Bales. As an added bonus, the in-house capability makes it possible to freeze decorative items like flowers or fish inside the blocks (see photo at right), before they are carved into especially unique creations.

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TOP INNOVATORS: Family events TOP INNOVATORS: FACILITIES IN REAL ESTATE, the three most important words are location, location and location. On club properties, the same could be said for bocce courts. The game that traces its roots to the Roman Empire has seen a resurgence as a popular and highly social activity—but finding the best place for where to put courts while minimizing disruption to other club amenities can be problematic.

When the Bel-Air Bay Club (BABC) in Pacific Palisades, Calif. had to remove its temporary bocce courts and find a new, permanent location for them, a number of options were considered, including the roof of the club’s gym.

But one location, paddle tennis court No. 1, stood out as the clear winner.

Italian bocce court designer Daniele Colleoni traveled from Gorgonzola, Milan to California to install his state-ofthe-art synthetic surface on BABC’s two new courts. Along with the high-tech courts, a bar, seating and other amenities were added—and the BABC Sports Center, as it’s now called, quickly became wildly popular with members.

CLUBS, ESPECIALLY IN GATED COMMUNITIES or more remote locations, can play a special role in helping member families have safe and memorable Halloween celebrations without the need to be out on the streets or to cover a lot of ground while trick-or-treating.

St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Fla. has turned its Halloween celebration into a “Spooktacular Weekend” that is spread over two days and features events for family members of all ages that include: • The Trick or Treat Caravan, for which 180 kids and adults arrived this year in costumes to decorate golf carts that were used in the parade. Before the caravan began, participants stopped for a quick snack, face painting and airbrush tattoos.

One hundred golf carts then exited the St. Andrews clubhouse to visit 85 participating member homes, following a route shown on a customized map. Along the way, there were stops at a haunted house, Good Humor ice cream truck and sweet-and-savory food truck, all provided by members.

• Halloween Dinner Buffet. Four hundred members enjoyed the Gallery Buffet, decked out in “ultra-spooky” décor.

• Kids Party. Over 120 kids came for an evening party that featured face painting, airbrush glitter tattoos, wax hands, carnival-style games, a DJ and dancing, a costume contest, and Frankenstein and his Bride stilt walkers (see photo above).

• Adults Party. One hundred adults

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entered a spooky tunnel and headed through the fog to a “creepy cocktail” station. The St. Andrews ballroom was fully decorated with ceiling décor and custom centerpieces, and service was provided by face-painted staff with skeleton shirts.

A Superman DJ played special-themed hits for dancers, and the night concluded with Jell-O shot syringes and caramel corn “Monster Munch” favors.

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» 2019 Innovation Awards

TOP INNOVATORS: FITNESS FACILITIES

ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE. When members at Loblolly in Hobe Sound, Fla. requested an increase in fitness programming, the health-conscious club sought the help of the Peacock + Lewis architectural firm to find a workable facilities solution.

The challenge was to expand the current fitness center, which was located on a confined site between the golf maintenance complex and administration buildings. A decision was made to construct additions on either side of the existing fitness building and to reconfigure the interior.

A cardio/strength training studio and large multi-purpose group studio were added, providing group movement, yoga and self-directed classes with new state-ofthe-art equipment. The expanded footprint allowed the existing spaces to be repur-

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posed, freeing up space for a dedicated spin room, relaxing lounge and office for the Fitness Director.

As measures of how the changes were enthusiastically embraced by the Loblolly membership, fitness classes and gym usage increased from 1,909 to 2,756 in March

2019, and fitness-class attendance climbed to its highest level in April, almost doubling over the same time (year-to-date) prior to the improvements—401 vs. 758 attendees.

Over 9,000 registrations were received to join a pilates session after it was announced in December 2018, and total Fitness Center revenue has increased 27 percent since the redesign/expansion.

Loblolly’s members are now also staying on the property more to take advantage of private physical therapy that is offered through a partnership with a local medical center, and to then transition to the fitness floor to continue their recovery programs.

Since its completion, the club is now in an enviable position of having a waitlist for membership, no inventory for home sales, and a highly satisfied membership that indicates to management “We now have no good reason to leave campus.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

TOP INNOVATORS: Design + renovation BEAR LAKES COUNTRY CLUB In West Palm Beach, Fla. is located near a major urban setting with a robust and competitive restaurant market. While the club is known for its 36 holes of golf designed

by Jack Nicklaus, it also wanted to entice its members to stay on property and enjoy their dining experience.

The club partnered with the architectural firm of Peacock + Lewis to create a dramatic transformation of its existing clubhouse on the same footprint. The Lakeside Grille, originally an outdoor, awning-covered sunken event patio with precast concrete balustrades, was raised to the same height as the main dining room and given a permanent roof and new glass enclosure, to offer expanded air-conditioned seating with panoramic views of the golf course.

This new indoor/outdoor grille was designed with retractable glass walls to engage the lake and golf course beyond. A new gathering bar was located at one end, for after-golf and pre-function cocktails.

Bear Lakes’ locker rooms were also reconfigured to create a gathering space

for lounging and card playing. And the kitchen was expanded and reconfigured for efficient production and delivery of cuisine to the new food-and-beverage venues.

The new and improved venues, combined with new marketing and promotional

TOP INNOVATORS: family events

initiatives, has helped Bear Lakes increase participation in monthly member events by an average of 65 percent. Food-and-beverage sales increased by 35 percent, and 90 new memberships were sold since the club reopened in November 2018.

PHOTO BY MELISSA POLK, THECOWGIRLCAMERA.COM

End-of-season pool closings where members are invited to bring their dogs for one last swim have become a popular event at clubs throughout the country. But few clubs go as allout as the Mount Vernon Canyon Club in Golden, Colo., which holds a festive “Woofstock” celebration when closing its pool on the last Sunday in September, and also opens the event to the public.

“We have a ‘Dog Days of Summer’ show [put on by a local production company] that includes music, games for kids, prizes and giveaways, and contests for dogs, such as jumping through a hula hoop or best costume,” reports Leatha Le Blanc, Mount Vernon’s Director of Recreation & Activities. “We also have a pet psychic, pet photographer and portrait artist, and a local animal adoption center is on site with dogs for adoption.”

Snacks and drink specials at the club’s Overlook Grill add to the fun, says Le Blanc, and the featured star of the show is a golden retriever that jumps from the diving board with “Olympic” precision.

Opening the event to the public has the same promotional and community-awareness benefits as the goat-yoga event that was also recently held at Mount Vernon Canyon Club (“Getting Their Goats,” C+RB, September 2019). www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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» 2019 Innovation Awards

TOP INNOVATORS: Member Communication

A TYPICAL COUNTRY CLUB often struggles with member communication. Spread that club over 6,700 acres of pristine countryside, and you have potential for people to feel lost— literally and figuratively.

At Victory Ranch in Kamas, Utah, communication is key, so the club worked with ClubEssential to create a multi-pronged approach to keeping members in the loop. After all, with such an expansive property, there is potential for families to go their own ways.

Because of Victory Ranch’s unique land-conservancy mission, it’s also important for the club to communicate to the outside world. For that reason, the property’s communications strategy operates on two separate planes—one for members, and one to the outside community.

“It's not just building big homes,” says General Manager Michael Bratcher. “Our blog helps to share how we use the club, and how we see the club’s mission.”

A central program allows club members to have private dialogues, discussions and share pictures with each other. But they’re busy people, and not always at the property. That’s where the team at Victory Ranch steps in. “A little push notification with a short clip talking about this week's activities, whether it’s a featured artist at the lodge, snow conditions, fishing reports, or anything in the backcountry—all of that is really critical to members,” Bratcher says.

Victory Ranch’s dedicated brand team also makes sure the club is represented through a consistent voice that is always in step with its mission.

TOP INNOVATORS: KIDS’ AMENITIES AT THE HORSESHOE BAY RESORT in Horseshoe Bay, Texas, Chef Richard Garcia, who is also Vice President of Culinary for Crescent Hotel & Resorts, reports that giving younger diners oldfashioned viewfinders, so they can click through pictures of what’s available, is “how we kids menu” at the property’s Waterfront Bar & Grill.

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DESIGN + RENOVATION

Refreshing WATERING HOLE THE

Club and resort properties are designing new bars and pubs that take happy hour to an extended level, with updated space that exudes warmth and comfort.

By Pamela Brill, Contributing Editor

FORGET ABOUT TEETERING ON AN uncomfortable bar stool. Instead, imagine sinking into an ultra-plush chair and relaxing over cocktails at an artfully designed pub. These wishes are becoming reality for more club and resort members and guests, as properties develop carefully curated spaces that feel more like upscale destination hangouts than a simple stop-off for grabbing a quick drink. With more attention being paid to lighting, furnishings and overall aesthetics, pubs and bars have officially become the place to be, and to stay.

Photo Courtesy Quail Creek G&CC

LOUNGE ACT Members of Quail Creek Golf and Country Club in Oklahoma City, Okla., are flocking to the club’s newest social spot, the redesigned Champions Lounge, which opened in October 2019. Divided into three sections—a bar, family dining and a formal dining spot—this facility now affords something for everyone, including a dedicated space for cocktails.

Years of constant usage had taken its toll on the club’s popular bar, requiring what General Manager Philip Watson describes as a “floor-to-ceiling beautification.” Careful consideration was made in choosing design elements that reflected a lively atmosphere and embodied the Quail Creek brand, all the way down to the seating—one of Watson’s personal preferences.

“I wanted a bar stool that was built to last, that you could sit on and watch an entire game,” he says. “In the club industry, we are not trying to flip tables the way a traditional restaurant does. We want you to come, sit, and enjoy your home away from home for as long as you feel comfortable.” Leather chairs in the same colors as the club logo are situated in the bar area, as well as in other sections of the lounge.

Creating a consistent design that carries the Quail Creek motif throughout, the front of the rectangular-shaped bar itself was crafted in stone and the rest of the space was trimmed in mahogany, to complement the building’s original Frank Lloyd Wright design.

“We certainly thought much about branding and took it quite December 2019

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Audubon CC’s new Courtside Cafe is scheduled to open in February 2020 with a literal centerpiece: a circular bar situated half inside and half outside the venue.

Circle of Friends

RAIN OR SHINE, the members of Audubon Country Club in Naples, Fla., will be able to enjoy drinks with friends in a soon-to-be-unveiled facility that combines indoor and outdoor amenities under one roof. Due to open in February 2020, the Courtside Café will include poolside dining, lounge areas and a fashionable bar that looks out onto a vibrant outdoor scene.

“The renovation was born out of the desire to have a fully renovated space poolside for members to dine casually, relax and enjoy the Southwest Florida lifestyle outdoors,” says General Manager Michael Rodriguez. While the café is comprised of tabletop seating, lounge chairs nestled alongside firepit tables, and a display kitchen, the bar will serve as the space’s primary focal point.

Situated half inside and half outside the café, the circular bar will beckon guests immediately upon entering the space. “The indoor/outdoor gathering bar further enhances the indoor/outdoor dining experience, [which is] a very popular amenity with South Florida country clubs,” says Architect Adrian Karapici of Peacock + Lewis, the design firm for the project. To create distinct, yet connected spaces, a 26’ x 9’ sliding-glass wall will be able to retract into designated pockets on either side and be closed during hot weather. A total of 18 bar stools (9 exterior and 9 interior) will be positioned around the bar (see rendering above), offering a seamless transition between the indoors and outdoors.

The bar itself will be fashioned from prefabricated quartz, to mimic the style of the self-serve buffet counter and color-coordinate with the white tongue-andgroove cypress wood ceilings. A coastal palette evoking sea and sky, driftwoodcolored chairs and blue fabrics will blend nicely throughout the space. Ceiling fans, wall-mounted sconces and ceiling-mounted decorative pendant-light fixtures will provide visual appeal overhead, while television screens atop the bar will keep members abreast of live sporting events.

As the cafe was being readied for its grand opening, Rodriguez was enthused by the prospect of now being able to present the Audubon membership with a full-fledged social scene, including post-game cocktails. “We anticipate the Courtside Café to be the new go-to place after golf and also throughout the day for casual outdoor dining, pizza and craft beer,” he says. “We are planning extended hours, so members in the community can get in their golf cart and come to the club, without the hassle of ever leaving the gates.”

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literally,” admits Watson, pointing out tables marked with a quail insignia. “The brand signifies our promise to provide a consistently enjoyable product that you will be proud to bring guests and family to, and show what it means to be a member at Quail Creek.”

The bar’s countertop is fashioned from black quartz with flecks of copper that accent the barware, while the backbar design boasts a mirrored backdrop and mirrored risers, to give the illusion of bottles being suspended in the air (see photo, opposite page).

A three-door mod system houses six gooseneck taps and six pony kegs. Cased in a wood frame and topped with four 55-inch LED televisions, the structure, Watson says, resembles “an upscale sports bar that you can feel comfortable entering from the course, with work colleagues for a business lunch or dinner, or even for a date night.”

With bar areas notorious for being dimly lit, the lounge takes advantage of its proximity to the dining area, which boasts 12-foot windows that reflect into the bar after dark. Bolstered by a white ceiling, the bar is also enhanced by can lights overhead and decorative chandeliers. A drop-in ceiling helps to provide a sound buffer, as does felt carpeting under the tables.

In the short time since the Champions Lounge’s debut, the space has become a well-frequented, multipurpose facility.

“Before the renovation, we were primarily a supper club,” says Watson. “Having a section for each of our member categories to dine has made it comfortable every night of the week.” While the redesigned lounge is still its infancy, he is anticipating a 50 percent increase in total revenue for the coming year.

A ROOM WITH A VIEW At Champion Hills Club in Hendersonville, N.C., a recent clubhouse makeover included a refurbished bar area with new lighting, mirrors and shelving. “A modern, updated atmosphere was designed to enhance the architecture, resulting in a sophisticated mountain ambiance,” says General Managwww.clubandresortbusiness.com

er/COO Dana Schultz. The redesign project, begun just after the start of 2019, was completed in late March, in time for members to begin to enjoy cocktails in a picturesque setting as spring began to bloom.

Upon entering the main entrance of the clubhouse, visitors are brought directly into the Mountain View Room, followed by an immediate right into the wine room and then into the Fazio Pub. Paying homage to the local landscape, the club’s design team chose a palette of blues, greens and caramels reminiscent of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Taking advantage of the sweeping views, a revised seating plan makes better use of the space.

“Wood tables and slightly more casual seating are used to create more dining opportunities, as the room was formerly underutilized,” says Schultz, noting that this layout provides more interaction between tables. “Every effort was made to utilize North Carolina’s artisans, furniture makers and craftsmen.” Refinished hardwood floors, tall oak wooden beams and

QUAIL CREEK GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Oklahoma City, Okla.

“We certainly thought much about branding and took it quite literally.

The brand signifies our promise to provide a consistently enjoyable product that you will be proud to bring guests and family to, and show what it means to be a member at Quail Creek.”

— Philip Watson, General Manager

CROASDAILE COUNTRY CLUB Durham, NC

Bringing members closer together with spaces that foster community and camaraderie.

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December 2019

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CHAMPION HILLS CLUB Hendersonville, N.C..

“A modern, updated atmosphere was designed to enhance the architecture, resulting in a sophisticated mountain ambiance. [And] every effort was made to utilize North Carolina’s artisans, furniture makers and craftsmen.”

— Dana Schultz, General Manager/COO

warm oak tones throughout are balanced by polished brass and worn gold accents.

Also softening this space is a myriad of lighting elements, including LED tape lights that showcase the bar’s bottles and glassware on 18-foot reclaimed wood shelves, modern recycled glass globes, and Ralph Lauren chandeliers peppered throughout the dining area. “One member commented that fixtures were her favorite detail, because they feel like constellations in the night sky,” notes Schultz.

With steady lunch and dinner business at the Fazio Pub, the club has seen a 10 percent uptick in total food-and-beverage revenue. “It’s inspiring to see members take ownership and pride in their club,” says

Schultz. “Thanks to their support, the club continues to grow and thrive.”

HUB OF ACTIVITY As New Year’s Eve rang in 2019, members of The Club at Grandezza in Estero, Fla., had good reason to celebrate. The occasion was marked by the opening of the HUB Bar, part of a clubhouse renovation that included an updated ballroom and new coffee bar.

For the bar, an outdated Tuscan-themed interior with crown moldings and dark furnishings was retired in favor of a lighter, modern look. “The new design incorporates the beauty of the ocean, the golf course, and resort living that members are now able to experience and call home,”

SUMMING IT UP > Investing in comfortable bar seating prompts longer stays and potentially greater bar tabs.

> Enhanced bar lighting bucks tradition, creating ambiance and better illumination.

> Bar furnishings that coordinate with existing décor offer a consistent design.

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says General Manager Stacey Henson. “It is elegance redefined, and perfect for the tropical surroundings and Florida lifestyle of our members.”

To open up existing sight lines, the bar area (formerly known as the Tapestry Bar) relinquished some of its wall space, creating a direct path from the Grande Hallway and just past the Grande Ballroom. A grand piano takes center stage, as members move from the clubhouse’s main entrance through the lobby and toward the bar and ballroom areas. “The entire area is open and light, reminding one of remarkable museums,” says Henson, noting the original artwork dotting the walls.

Upon reaching the west wall of the bar, a shift in focus is unavoidable, as three framed “bubble walls” come into view (shown at left in photo on opposite page). “This work of art provides a feeling of peace and tranquility, as the droplets of water appear to move effortlessly to the top of their attractive glasswww.clubandresortbusiness.com

THE CLUB AT GRANDEZZA Estero, Fla.

“Members appreciate the convenience of having the [new] HUB Bar so close to the main dining area. Not only the convenience, but the new and beautiful atmosphere add to the appeal—and the appetite.”

— Stacey Henson, General Manager

walled containers, with streams of water creating a soothing and comforting feel of soft rain,” observes Henson.

Once visitors tear themselves away from the bubble walls, they can grab a seat at the 15’-wide x 21’-long horseshoe-shaped bar, designed with granite countertops in a tan and pebble-flecked pattern and custom-fitted with taps. A center island, housing two keg coolers underneath and bar stemware on top, is designed in the same color scheme of the back bar.

This 24-foot-long console is framed in chocolate-colored wood and coordinates with custom-made bar stools and chairs in blue, tan and rich brown stripes. Chocolatecolored square tables and chairs, where guests can enjoy a cocktail or partake of the bar menu, round out the seating options.

While the HUB mainly serves as a hot spot for pre-dinner cocktails and appetizers, it has also become a popular place for hosting special events. “The large lobby space that leads to the HUB is also a wonderful place to host large gatherings, and members appreciate the convenience of having the HUB so close to the main dining area,” says Henson.

Because this part of the club can become quite busy, designers installed a discreetly placed, sound-reducing ceiling material inside the crown molding above the bar. A combination of carpeting and wooden tile is also designed to minimize excess noise.

With a booming bar business, expanded menu options and updated clubhouse amenities, the Club at Grandezza is reaping the benefits of greater food-and-beverage output. “[It’s] not only the convenience, but the new and beautiful atmosphere add to the appeal—and the appetite,” remarks Henson. C+RB

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FOOD + BEVERAGE

Maki n g thePla n Come Togeth er

Inspired by regional and national food trends, seasonal ingredients and members’ cravings, club chefs are leading efforts by their F&B teams to draft a series of menus that can hit the sweet—and savory—spots year-round.

By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Contributing Editor

IT MIGHT SAY DECEMBER ON the calendar, but in club kitchens across the country spring is already in the air—and on the drawing board.

In fact, only a few weeks after launching the fall/ winter menu at San Antonio (Texas) Country Club (SACC), Executive Chef Eduardo Castillo was already working on new items for spring.

On Castillo’s menus, some items are staples that cannot be changed, some are old favorites reimagined, and some are brand new. Each season’s menu-planning process begins as a compilation of ideas gleaned from a combination of Google ingredient searches and those contributed by the entire kitchen staff, from the executive sous chef to the line cooks; tried-and-true cookbooks; and informal conversations with members who like to share dishes they enjoyed while traveling and at restaurants.

The SACC House Committee also offers “broad spectrum” suggestions—for example, more continental and homestyle cooking in winter, and lighter fare in summer--as well as other feedback about current and future menus. Sometimes members also communicate their menu preferences indirectly.

Castillo, for example, recently based a decision to change up a New York strip steak sandwich on a recent menu, which was being served on a toasted baguette with a mushroom and onion ragout, after he saw that members kept requesting changes in some of the components when they ordered it.

“I noticed that quite a few members were asking us to omit the bread or the mushrooms,” he explains.

“So we did away with both, bumped up the size of the steak from 8 ounces to 12, topped it with truffle parsley butter, and completed the plate with garlic sautéed spinach [instead of the heavier creamed spinach that is a steakhouse staple] and Texas-style potatoes au gratin with jalapeno, peppers and bacon.”

The upgraded steak entrée now sells so well, Castillo reports, it has become a signature dish at the club.

Fried oysters are another menu must-have at SACC, but Castillo wanted to move away from the traditional cocktail sauce and bump up the flavor profile by pairing the oysters with pico de gallo and chimichurri sauce.

“Making small modifications to existing menu items

is a good way to keep things fresh, without upsetting the members who expect to be able to order that item,” he notes.

“Of course, if they really want their oysters with cocktail sauce, we’ll give them cocktail sauce.”

New items that Castillo developed for his club’s fall menu— such as golden beet bisque with blackened crab and spiced pecans, and roasted smoked duck breast with celery root purée, apple gel and cranberry gastrique (see the recipes for both with the online version of this article at www.clubandresortbusiness.com)—were tested by running them as features the season before they hit the regular menu. This not only showed if members would like and order the items, but also if the kitchen could produce them consistently.

When it comes time to implement an entirely new menu, Castillo does so in two stages. Half of the new items are introduced initially, and the other half two weeks later. “This makes training easier for both the kitchen and front-of-house staff,” he points out.

NEVER-ENDING PROCESS A few weeks after introducing his current seasonal menu, Frank Priore, Executive Chef of the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., starts developing his next one. To have his recipes ready for spring, he will begin testing by featuring some of them on his Valentine’s Day menu. Then he will offer one or two dishes each night as a special, tweaking the recipes according to member feedback and preparation considerations.

Cauliflower has become a popular entrée item at the club, since Priore and his sous chef first made it into a more healthful version of risotto a few years ago.

“The membership went crazy for it, so we knew we would have to keep some version of it on our menus throughout the year,” Priore says. “To keep it fresh, we change it to include different seasonal ingredients.” In the fall of 2018, the cauliflower-based risotto was made with delicata squash, wilted kale,

SUMMING IT UP > Ask for, and incorporate, member and staff feedback, both in the early stages of menu planning and again after a new one has been introduced. > Test new dishes as specials, to tweak preparation and gauge popularity. > Introduce new items in stages, to facilitate training for both the kitchen and the front of the house.

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Recipe

Charred Cauliflower

with Tomato Concasse and Eggplant Coulis YIELD: 2 to 3 servings, depending on size of cauliflower head.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE TOMATO CONCASSE

1 head cauliflower pickling spice for brining olive oil for searing and sautéing 1 large eggplant 1/2 large shallot tomato concasse (see recipe below) salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS: 1 large tomato

PROCEDURE: 1 Trim the stem of the cauliflower and make cross cuts about 2 1/2” thick. Brine the slices overnight in salted water and pickling spice.

2 Season a thick sizzle platter on a burner; keep hot for service.

3 Steam cauliflower for 12 minutes; dry both sides.

(Optional: Grill-mark each side.)

4 Add olive oil into a seasoned pan and sear on both sides.

5 Peel eggplant and rough-dice. Sauté in olive oil with shallot, salt and pepper. Cool and purée.

Check seasoning.

DEVELOPED BY TAMPAL NADEAK, EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF, AND SUBMITTED BY FRANK PRIORE, EXECUTIVE CHEF, WESTMORELAND CLUB, WILKES-BARRE, PA.

PROCEDURE: 1 Core out tomato and X score the bottom with a sharp knife.

2 Drop the tomato into a pot of boiling water for five seconds, then plunge into an ice bath. Let sit for a few minutes.

3 Peel the skin off the tomato, cut in half from edge to edge. Squeeze out the seeds, then small-dice.

TO PLATE: Place hot eggplant coulis on the plate from middle to the front. Place tomato concasse at either side of the coulis, then lay one slice of cauliflower down in the center (Serving note: Chef Priore tops the cauliflower with asparagus, wilted kale and shaved watermelon radish.)

toasted pepitas and local apple-cider gastrique. A summer risotto was prepared Caprese-style, with blistered grape tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh buffalo mozzarella and pecorino cheese.

Cauliflower was showcased on Westmoreland’s latest fall menu—but for a fresh and different take on the vegetable, it was served in 2 1/2-inch-thick slices brined in pickling spice and steamed, then brushed with olive oil and seared to achieve a charred exterior. Completing the dish, which quickly earned a member fan base of its own, are asparagus, wilted kale, tomato concasse and roasted eggplant coulis (see recipe at left).

“The dish is vegan,” Priore points out, “But it is ordered by many nonvegans as well.”

To keep a finger on the pulse of what members are thinking and wanting, Priore, as well as the club’s General Manager Robert Williams (a former chef) and its Food and Beverage Manager, spend time in the dining room soliciting their feedback.

Other sources of ideas for new dishes come from the kitchen staff and ongo-

BUYING IN TO SUCCESS ENGAGING KITCHEN and dining room staff in the process of menu planning goes a long way toward making the introduction of new items an exciting experience, both for them and for club members.

Eduardo Castillo, Executive Chef of San Antonio (Texas) Country Club, gets his back-of-the-house staffers—from line cooks to the executive sous chef—involved early in the menuplanning process, by asking them to suggest recipes or even just to offer ideas that can be developed into recipes.

“The more they are involved, the more they will take pride in the new menu,” Castillo explains. “When they buy in they will represent the club, you and themselves best.”

As menu development plays out, items are tasted by staff both in the back and front of the house and feedback is solicited. When the menu is about to be introduced, Castillo makes up an information packet for each staffer containing the recipe components, potential allergens, what can be substituted and how long it takes to prepare.

At Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Executive Chef Anthony Cotroneo also solicits ideas from his cooks and sous chefs.

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“Not only do they feel more involved and take ownership of the new menu, it also makes it easier for me, because I don’t have to think of everything myself,” he says.

As the time to launch Bel-Air’s new menus comes near, Cotroneo conAt the Westmoreland ducts nightly pre-dinner service tast- Club, Executive Chef Frank Priore makes ings of new dishes, to allow kitchen sure his staff knows all staff to review, tear apart and tweak about how a new menu the recipes and plating. Items curwill read, and taste, a rently on the menu are also included week before it debuts. in the tastings, to determine if the preparation is correct and consistent, he notes.

The week before the debut of a new menu, the waitstaff at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. gets a copy of it to familiarize themselves with the dishes, according to Executive Chef Frank Priore. In the afternoon before service begins, the staff does a tasting and takes notes, so they can communicate their personal impressions as well as the details of each item to the membership.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

Recipe Chicken Parmagiana YIELD: 1 serving

INGREDIENTS: 1 double-lobed, boneless, skinless, 8-oz. chicken breast 4 ozs. marinara sauce 5 to 6 slices Muenster cheese ( enough to cover entire surface of chicken breast) 2 cups clarified butter 2 cups blended oil flour for coating chicken Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for coating chicken 1 egg SUBMITTED BY ANTHONY COTRONEO, EXECUTIVE CHEF, BEL-AIR COUNTRY CLUB, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

PROCEDURE: 1 On a hard surface, place chicken breast skin- side down between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound the breast out thinly.

(Be careful not to pound too hard, or chicken will break apart.)

2 Coat the chicken using the standard procedure of dredging in flour, dipping in egg and coating with breadcrumbs.

3 Lightly score the chicken after it is breaded with the back of your knife, to ensure that the breading doesn’t bubble up.

4 Heat oil and clarified butter in a heavybottomed rondeau on medium flame.

Once hot (about 325º F.), add the breaded chicken breast. Let fry for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip the chicken and fry for another 2 minutes, or until golden brown.

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5 W hen the chicken is cooked, pull from the pan and place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

6P ut the fried chicken on a roasting pan and cover the entire top of the chicken with about 3 ozs. of marinara sauce. Top that with Muenster cheese and place under the salamander until cheese melts and begins to brown.

7P lace chicken on a plate and top with a dollop of marinara and a pinch of parsley.

ing communications with a nationwide community of chefs.

When it’s time to begin the creative process for a new menu, Priore conducts a roundtable discussion with Westmoreland’s management, plus his executive sous chef and wine chef. He also confers with the club’s Food and Wine Committee.

LIGHTENING THE LOAD Speaking with members gave Anthony Cotroneo, Executive Chef of Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, the idea to switch from osso bucco or lamb shanks on his fall menu to a lighter lamb T-bone chop. And when many ladies at the club expressed a desire for more salads, but as something different from just leafy greens, Cotroneo gave them heartier, entrée-worthy options featuring grains such as farro and cous cous, along with fruits and nuts.

“Our dining room is not open to the public, so our members are the sole driving force behind our menus,” Cotroneo notes.

“The General Manager, Food and Beverage Director and our House Committee trust me to develop menus that make members want to keep coming back.”

Bel-Air’s members are not looking for composed “restauranty” dishes, Cotroneo has found. “They want simply prepared foods such as a broiled steak with mushrooms,

At San Antonio CC, Executive Chef Eduardo Castillo is always a season ahead in conceiving new menus and testing dishes for them. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

steamed vegetables and French fries and whole butterfly, skin-on fish with roasted garlic oil,” he says. “And they don’t want to have to de-compose a dish to get the sides they want.”

Based on that information, he recently made “the tremendous change” of offering everything a la carte. “That made life easier both for them and for us,” he notes.

Bel-Air’s members, many of whom have traveled extensively and eaten in some of the world’s finest restaurants, often crave comfort food when they dine at the club, and meat loaf and mashed potatoes is a consistent best-seller, Cotroneo reports.

“Don’t overthink or overcomplicate the menu-planning process; every item doesn’t have to be the trendiest and the newest,” he advises. “It took me a long time to learn that sometimes less goes further than more.”

Just as importantly, he also knows when to leave well enough alone. “I always must have sand dabs with mashed potatoes and caper butter sauce on the menu,” he explains. Chicken parmigiana (see recipe, pg.

www.clubandresortbusiness.com

“

Don’t overthink or overcomplicate the menuplanning process; every item doesn’t have to be the trendiest and the newest. It took me a long time to learn that sometimes less

”

goes further than more.

— Anthony Cotroneo, Executive Chef, Bel-Air CC 38) and salmon are also must-haves on all of Bel-Air’s menus. However, unlike the sand dabs, the salmon can be served with different sauces and sides, to reflect the seasons.

For a while, Cotroneo tried offering a different fish every week, thinking that members would like a change of pace. Sales

didn’t really catch fire until he featured branzino, which sold out in the first hour of service. “When branzino’s time was up, we switched to another fish and sold two or three,” he says. “But when we brought branzino back again, ten were ordered within the first hour.” C+RB

MORE ONLINE For Chef Eduardo Castillo’s recipes for Roasted Smoked Duck Breast and Golden Beet Bisque, see the online version of this article at www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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COURSE + GROUNDS

STAYING LIMBER Superintendents must take a year-round, balanced approach to properly maintaining the trees on their properties while also protecting the health of golf course turf and staying mindful of strong emotions that golfers, memberships and the local community can have.

By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor

Photo Courtesy Olympia Fields CC

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STATELINESS AND BEAUTY, FRUSTRATION AND dominance. Trees can bring many different elements—and emotions—to golf course properties.

Regardless of how they personally view the trees on their properties, however, superintendents are tasked with their upkeep as part of their regular maintenance duties—and it’s a duty that must be taken especially seriously, because of the sensibilities and strong feelings that not just golfers, but an entire membership and community, may have about the quantity and location of trees within a club’s boundaries. Despite some of the issues they can cause—such as safety concerns, their effect on the turfgrass, or their ”inconvenience” to golfers who hit errant shots—people can develop strong attachments to trees.

“Trees are a very emotional thing,” says Sam MacKenzie, CGCS, Director of Grounds, Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. “People look at a tree and think about how long it takes to grow to that size, and they can put it in the context of their own lives.”

KEEPING TREES IN THEIR PLACE “On a golf course, there’s a place for [trees],” says MacKenzie “Trees add beauty and accent a property, as long as they’re not overdone.”

Olympia Fields, which was built on oak forest and farmland, has about 5,000 trees, including oaks, maples, and other deciduous trees, on its wooded, parkland golf courses.

Specimen trees improve the look of a property, MacKenzie notes, but too many can overwhelm and dominate a golf course.

“They’re an integral part of the course, but there has to be a balance,” he says.

“People forget how big they can become.”

Trees have been growing for decades at Olympia Fields, which was founded in 1915 and by 1925 had four 18-hole golf courses and the largest private clubhouse in the world. Currently, the property has two nationally ranked golf courses, the North and South, which have significant areas of totally natural, unmaintained woodland www.clubandresortbusiness.com

“

Trees add beauty and accent a property, as long as they’re not overdone. They are an integral part of the golf course, but there has to be a balance. People forget how big they can become.

”

—Sam MacKenzie, CGCS, Director of Grounds, Olympia Fields (Ill.) CC areas spread around the property that serve as wildlife habitat. “When a tree falls in these areas, we leave it there,” notes MacKenzie. “If it falls on the course, we put it in the natural areas.”

At Olympia Fields, championship traditions run deep. As the site of the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship, the property joined only eight other American golf courses (including Winged Foot, Oakland Hills, and Cherry Hills) to hold the U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, PGA, and U.S. Amateur championships. Olympia Fields also hosted the KPMG PGA Women’s Championship in 2017. In August, the North Course will be the site of the 2020 BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs.

CHARACTER REFERENCES Ed Evers, Golf Course Superintendent at Fauquier Springs Country Club in Warrenton, Va., presides over a golf course with a

storied past as well. The property sits along the Rappahannock River on the site of the most celebrated mineral water resort in the country before the Civil War, and Evers also appreciates the aesthetic and environmental benefits, such as shade and animal habitat, that trees bring to the venerable property. In addition, he believes trees add character to golf courses.

Evers, who has been at Fauquier Springs for almost eight years, says a fair amount of the property, which is located about 40 miles west of Washington, D.C., is wooded.

Tree species include evergreens, cypresses, oaks, maples, sycamores and willows.

“They can be frustrating for golfers,” Evers acknowledges. “There are certain times golfers like trees, and certain times they don’t think much of them.”

Trees bring just as much value, however, to properties that are beginning new traditions as to those with long histories. A case in point is LedgeRock Golf Club in Mohnton,

SUMMING IT UP > Trees can bring aesthetic and environmental benefits to a golf course. However, because they also compete for the same sunlight, water and nutrients that greens need, putting surfaces should take priority for superintendents.

> Golf course superintendents employ tree-management programs with

strategies that range from the removal of dead or damaged trees and pruning, to shade studies and mapping inventories.

> To maintain the health of the trees on their properties, golf course superintendents in various parts of the country have had to battle infestations by pests, such as the emerald ash borer and spotted lanternfly, in recent years.

December 2019

l Club + Resort Business l 41

At Fauquier Springs CC, Golf Course Superintendent Ed Evers seeks to preserve the character and aesthetic and environmental benefits that a wide variety of tree species bring to the historic property., while also maintaining a regular tree-maintenance program to preserve the golf course’s health. A unique Arbor Day golf tournament organized by Fauquier Springs members now raises funds to help with needed tree work—including $5 penalties that are assessed whenever any player hits a tree with a shot.

Pa., which opened in 2006.

“Trees have a place on golf courses if they’re not affecting turf quality,” says Alan FitzGerald, LedgeRock’s Golf Course Superintendent. “They can add aesthetic value and environmental benefits by providing shade. Once they’re out of play and not near my turf, they’re great.”

LedgeRock, the last private golf course to be built in eastern Pennsylvania, according to FitzGerald, was constructed on 212 acres of woodlands, farmland and former nurseries on rolling terrain. The property features open fields, ponds, elevation changes, and wooded areas.

“We did a lot of clearing for construction and got rid of bad, dangerous trees,” says FitzGerald, who joined the LedgeRock staff before construction started. “We removed aging trees and those damaged during construction, when equipment ran over their roots, As the golf course matured, we found pocketed areas to remove trees.”

LIFE-AND-DEATH DECISIONS To manage the trees on their properties, golf course superintendents employ a number of maintenance strategies, from tree removal and battling infestations to shade studies and mapping inventories.

At Olympia Fields, MacKenzie has a tree management budget of $50,000-$70,000 a year. “Managing trees is a very expensive proposition,” he says. “We don’t remove 42

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COMMON TREE DISEASES AND PEST INFESTATIONS Depending on the species, along with the region of the country where they are located, trees can be affected by a number of diseases. Some of the more common ones include: • Dogwood Anthracnose – affects flowering and Pacific dogwoods • Dutch Elm Disease – affects American elms, winged elms, September elms, slippery elms, rock elms, and cedar elms to varying degrees • Eastern Filbert Blight – affects hazelnuts • Oak Wilt – affects many species of oaks • Pine Wilt – affects nonnative pines such as Austrian, Scots, and Japanese red and The emerald ash borer has been black pines located in 35 states, primarily in • Sudden Oak Death – fatally affects the Midwest and East. Its larvae tanoaks, coast live oaks, Shreve’s oaks, feed on inner bark and disrupt California black oaks, and canyon live the trees’ transport of water and oaks; also affects Douglas firs, coast red- nutrients. woods, madrones, and many other trees • Thousand Cankers Disease – affects black walnuts Pest infestations, which also depend on the type of tree and the part of the country where they are located, can threaten the health of trees as well.

Common pests include: • Asian Longhorned Beetle – affects green ashes, paper birches, cedar elms, golden rain trees, hackberries, horse chestnuts, katsuras, London planetrees, sugar maples, mimosas, mountain ashes, poplars, and willows • Bark Beetles – affects a wide variety of trees, depending on beetle type • Emerald Ash Borer – affects ash trees • Gypsy Moth – affects hundreds of species of plants, but oaks and aspens are most common • Hemlock Woolly Adelgid – affects both eastern (Canadian) and Carolina hemlock • Japanese Beetle – affects hundreds of species of plants • Periodical Cicada – occasionally affects small trees or shrubs Source: arborday.org

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COURSE + GROUNDS

Ledgerock GC started a tree-mapping program in the fall of 2019, as part of its pursuit of Audubon and BMP certification.

trees unless we need to.”

During MacKenzie’s 14-year tenure at the property, Olympia Fields has removed more trees that it has planted. Trees have been removed because of overplanting, during construction projects, and for safety reasons.

“We do most of our tree work in the winter,” notes MacKenzie. “The ground is frozen, and they can put their big equipment on the golf course.”

To prepare for the BMW Championship, the property is conducting extensive safety pruning on the North Course. The effort, which got underway last year, will be completed in the coming year. Some trees will be removed to make room for chalets that will be built for the tournament as well.

Olympia Fields recycles trees that have been taken down and grinds them into mulch. The property pays to have the debris hauled away and processed, but it keeps some wood chips for native and natural areas. These low-maintenance areas are planted with fescue, which is mowed and treated for weeds once a year.

MacKenzie has not conducted a tree inventory, but the property has done shade studies to evaluate the shade trees and how much shadow they cast on the greens.

“We manage turfgrass, and the golf course needs the same type of things that trees need,” he says. “Trees need sunlight, water, and nutrients. But so do the greens, and they are the priority.”

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About every six years, MacKenzie goes through the property to thin out dead trees, clean up debris, and take out vegetation that needs to be removed.

FUNDING THE WORK Although it is an old property with old trees, Fauquier Springs has found a new and creative way to finance its tree management endeavors. Last year the property started a new tradition when two members, Dan Weber and Mark Smith, came up with the idea to hold an annual Arbor Day tournament to raise money for tree maintenance and removal.

“It’s geared toward keeping the tree population healthy and aesthetically pleasing,” says Evers.

However, entry fees are not the only source of income during the tournament.

“If anyone hits a tree during play, it costs them $5,” Evers reports.

Tournament proceeds go toward the removal of old or damaged trees, the purchase of new trees and fertility products, and stump removal. “If trees are within play, we take care of them,” says Evers.

Cleanup after storm damage at Fauquier Springs, where about half of the golf course acreage includes wooded or natural vegetation, results in tree work as well. The Fauquier Springs maintenance staff members do some of the work in-house.

However, Evers says, “If we need to remove a large tree or one that’s in an area that could damage utility lines or greens, we contract it out. And we don’t do any tree climbing. We rent a lift.”

To keep tree roots from taking away too much fertilizer from the turf, he also uses extra fertilizer products in some areas.

HIT-OR-MISS PROPOSITIONS As LedgeRock thins out its trees, which include lots of oaks and maples, on its 18-hole, woodland golf course, FitzGerald says many people don’t even miss them.

When a dogwood that was a focal point on the golf course died, however, the property replaced it with another flowering tree.

Typically, however, the removal of a tree can improve turf conditions and aesthetics by opening up the view on the hole.

Once tree work has been completed, the property frequently follows up with sod or

“

Trees have a place on golf courses if they’re not affecting turf quality. They can add aesthetic value and environmental benefits by providing shade. Once they’re out of play and not near my turf, they’re great.

”

— Alan FitzGerald, Golf Course Superintendent, LedgeRock GC www.clubandresortbusiness.com

To prepare for its hosting of the BMW Championship in 2020, Olympia Fields CC has begun extensive safety pruning on its North Course and also removed some trees to make room for new chalets.

repair work.

At LedgeRock, FitzGerald says, the maintenance staff tries to be proactive with its tree management efforts. “If we find diseases or see damage or other issues, we address them as they come,” he reports.

Before the leaves are off the trees in the fall, LedgeRock staff members make a lap around the golf course to search for dead trees. They perform the majority of their tree-management efforts in the winter, and prune branches as needed.

LedgeRock had an arborist on staff until about a year ago, and the property did the majority of its tree work in-house then.

However, it contracts out large or dangerous jobs. Certain staff members do the tree work, and they take local tree-removal training classes.

“We defer to the experts for big, dangerous jobs,” says FitzGerald. “We’re smart enough to know when to stop.”

FitzGerald started a tree-mapping program in late October of 2019, because LedgeRock is pursuing Audubon and BMP certification. As part of the effort, a horticulturist is listing the trees and plant life that she finds on each hole.

BUGGING OFF Some golf courses have had to purge their tree populations because of disease and pest infestations (see box, pg. 42). Like many golf courses in the Upper Midwest, for instance, Olympia Fields battled an emerald ash borer breakout several years ago.

The emerald ash borer, originally from Asia, is an exotic beetle that was initially discovered in the U.S. near Detroit in the summer of 2002. Adult beetles nibble on ash foliage, causing little damage. However, the larvae feed on the inner bark of ash

trees and disrupt the trees’ transport of water and nutrients.

The insect has been located in 35 states, primarily in the Midwest and East. Signs of emerald ash borer infestation include thinning or dying of ash tree crowns, suckers at the base of a tree, splitting bark, tunneling under the bark (see photo, pg. 42), Dshaped exit holes, and woodpecker activity.

Most of the affected trees at Olympia Fields already were old and unhealthy, notes MacKenzie, so they were not worth saving. To combat the infestation, Olympia Fields initially hired a contractor to inject insecticide into the trees that then drew up into the canopies, but later abandoned the practice. “A lot of golf courses tried to save them, but it got too overwhelming,” MacKenzie notes.

Olympia Fields started taking down the trees as they died, ultimately removing about 200 trees. However, many of the ash trees, which were planted before MacKenzie arrived at the property, survived. The property treated some of the surviving trees, but didn’t touch others.

Since the end of the emerald ash borer outbreak, notes MacKenzie, tree removals at Olympia Fields have dropped off considerably.

With the spread of the emerald ash borer to the East, Evers says Fauquier Springs has removed about 35 ash trees in the last two years. “There isn’t a lot that you can do about them that wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive,” he notes.

In 2014 the spotted lanternfly was discovered in Berks County in Pennsylvania,

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and the invasive insect has spread throughout the southeastern part of the state.

Sightings have been reported in neighboring states as well. Also native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly feeds voraciously on many plants, including fruit trees, hardwoods, and ornamentals.

LedgeRock first noticed spotted lanternflies on site in 2017, and in 2018, their numbers started to increase at the property.

FitzGerald says the pests have not been as problematic in 2019.

“The first year or two, we stopped the spread of the insects as much as we could.

We checked for egg masses in the winter and scraped them away,” he reports. “We also discovered that praying mantises took a liking to them, so they had natural predators. A soil fungus attacks them as well.”

Researchers now advise that systemic insecticides to control adult spotted lanternflies should be used only in highpopulation areas and on high-value trees.

Three application methods are used to get systemic insecticides to be taken up by the plant—injection, trunk sprays, and soil drenches. In addition, insecticides should be applied only after the bloom is finished, to help protect natural enemies and pollinators.

While spotted lanternflies can leave plants with significant damage, FitzGerald says the chief concerns caused by the insects at LedgeRock have been aesthetic in nature.

“We have sprays we can use, but they haven’t been enough of a problem,” he adds. C+RB December 2019

l Club + Resort Business l 45

SPECIAL: 2020 PGA SHOW REPORT

Exhibition Games The industry trade-show season for 2020 will kick off with the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., January 21-24. This year’s PGA Show will also include the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Show.

A C+RB Staff Report

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THOSE IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY will be getting plenty of Florida sun in January 2020, with the Golf Industry Show (GIS) piggybacking at the end of the month on the traditional January gathering for the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando.

(C+RB will provide more details on the agenda and planned events for the Golf Industry Show in its January 2020 issue, along with a preview of the Club Management Association of America World Conference that will be held in Grapevine, Texas in February.)

The PGA Show will take place from January 21-24, 2020 at the Orange County Convention Center, where more than 1,000 interactive exhibits will showcase the latest in apparel, accessories, technology, equipment, training aids, travel services and more.

Billed as “The Major of Golf Business,” the PGA Show will kick off with the traditional Demo Day at the Orange County National Golf Center from 12 to 5 p.m. on January 21.

This year, the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Show—a four-day experience designed to bring racquet sport professionals and industry leaders together for a future-focused, business-to-business event to learn what’s new and what’s www.clubandresortbusiness.com

More than 1,000 interactive exhibits will showcase the latest apparel, accessories, technology, equipment, training aids, travel services and more at the 2020 PGA Merchandise Show.

next—will be co-located within the PGA Merchandise Show. Attendees can learn about the latest trends and innovations in equipment, technology, court surface/construction and maintenance, as well as apparel, accessories and footwear from leading and emerging brands.

Like the PGA Show, the Racquet & Paddle Sports Show will also conduct a Demo Day on January 21, at the United States Tennis Association’s National Campus at Lake Nona, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.

In addition to the PGA Demo Day, education sessions on PGA Show Days (January 22-24) will begin an hour before the PGA Show Floor opens at 7:30 a.m., and conclude by mid-afternoon on January 22-23 and by noon on January 24, to allow attendees to make the most of their time at the conference and explore the newest merchandise on the trade-show floor.

Topics for some of these education sessions will include: • “Take Your Communication from Good to Great with Integrated Digital Marketing” • “The 3 Keys to Building a Sustainable Long-Term Beginner Golf Program” • “Building an Online Golf Shop - From Start Up to Live,” and • “Millennials & The Value Proposition at Your Facility.”

PGA Show Week also features additional professional-development opportunities, including complimentary industry presentations on the PGA Forum Stage, and the PGA Member workshops in the PGA Member Business Center. Additional education opportunities offered concurrently during the week will include the National Golf Course Owners Association’s Golf Business Conference; the Association of Golf Merchandisers’ Golf Retail Conference/Product Preview & Buyers’ Reception; and the Tennis Owners & Managers Conference of the co-located Racquet & Paddle Sports Show.

“PGA Show Week is full of valuable education opportunities to help attendees drive forward their business and career, and best prepare for the future,” says PGA Golf Exhibitions Event Vice President Marc Simon. “Influential, national-level experts from the world of business, golf operations and instruction will present best practices, current innovations and emerging golf industry trends during an extensive PGA Merchandise Show Education Conference schedule. We look forward to welcoming PGA/LPGA Professionals and industry leaders to take advantage of all that PGA Show Week has to offer.”

This year, the inaugural Racquet & Paddle Sports Show will be co-located within the PGA Merchandise Show. The latest trends in equipment, court construction and more will be on display. www.clubandresortbusiness.com

December 2019

l Club + Resort Business l 47

PRODUCT SHOWCASE �e��ured ���e�or�

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Eco-friendly Vessels

Product: Servewise® Disposables Features: ▶ Eco-friendly, guilt-free plating and serving solution ▶ Its distinctive style and unique finish allows clubs to serve all kinds of culinary creations in an eco-chic, highly sustainable wood plate ▶ The super-affordable Servewise® Disposables make food look as good as it tastes ▶ Microwave-safe and can withstand up to 350°F in an oven ▶ Available in several shapes and sizes ▶ Servewise® plates and PET cover are a match made in heaven, perfect for all takeout, leftover, or on-the-go lunch needs

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Stacking the Table

Product: World® Porcelana Stackable Dinnerware Features: ▶ New stackable additions to Libbey’s top-selling World® Porcelana dinnerware ▶ Modern aesthetic and minimalist style create an ideal canvas for your creations ▶ Stackable and works in small spaces, minimizing storage space that is often at a premium ▶ Steep rim is deep enough to hold sauce and aids grip for servers ▶ Soft white color creates a clean look without being harsh ▶ Works with other stackable Porcelana items

Libbey Foodservice

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Food + Be�er��e Grab-n-Go Snacks

Product: Snack Bags Features: ▶ Snack bags and mini-snack bags offer a wide variety of some of the best-selling products ▶ Company uses only premium-quality ingredients, so a club’s valued brand is reinforced through these products ▶ Great visual appeal on display racks or baskets, with window to see product ▶ High-quality products for members to grab-n-go ▶ Choose from over 35 snack mix, dried fruit, nuts, candy and chocolate options

Truly Good Foods

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Chesapeake Bay Flavor

Product—Chesapeake Sauce Features: ▶ Newest addition to flavored mayonnaise product line ▶ Described as “The only manufactured sauce offered to operators that captures the true essence and unique one-of-kind flavors of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay” ▶ Born out of the kitchen of the Calvert House Inn, a Maryland restaurant known for its Maryland-style crab cakes ▶ Contains freshly made mayonnaise and a proprietary blend of bold seafood seasoning commonly known and recognized to the Maryland region

Tulkoff Food Products

410-262-9868 • www.tulkoff.com 48

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K������ E�������� Where There’s Smoke

Product: Cook-N-Hold Low-Temperature Smoker Oven Features: ▶ Fully insulated Cook-N-Hold smoker designed for flavorful results by slow cooking with real wood chips ▶ Efficient 3,000-watt power unit allows for reheating of prepared meals or bulk items with maximum temperature of 325°; powerful 250-watt cal rod heats chips quickly ▶ Includes stainless-steel vented chip box and variable one-hour timer, for mild to heavy smoke flavor ▶ Standard solid-state electronic control with large, clean, easy-to-read and -operate LED digital display, to ensure holding at precise food temperatures ▶ 18 factory- or field-programmed cook-and-hold cycles ▶ Cook and hold up to 100 lbs. (45 kg.) of meat in less than 6 sq. ft. of floor space ▶ Fully insulated, stainless-steel interior and exterior for ease of cleaning ▶ Photo shown with optional stand

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

M����� S������� + A��������� Join the Club

Product: ClubProcure Features: ▶ Program offers clubs 150 ways to save time and money ▶ More than 3,000 clubs nationwide leverage ClubProcure’s strategic relationships with well-known, national companies to gain tremendous buying power ▶ Pick and choose which offerings work best for your needs ▶ This year marks the 25th anniversary of ClubProcure servicing the club industry

ClubProcure

Cres Cor

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Quicker Fixer

Product: AccuFix Ball Mark Repair Tool Features: ▶ This affordable, light, easy-handling tool is designed to effectively repair ball marks in one motion ▶ The rounded handle and rubber grip are comfortable to use with one hand ▶ Simply push down over the ball mark, and the spring-loaded head with stainless=steel teeth will lift the turf back into a perfect playing surface

Total Course Technology

Product: Chief Bunker Rake Features: ▶ Two-in-one bunker rake perfect for “Aussie Style” bunker maintenance ▶ One smooth side for rolling the vertical face of the bunker, and a second side with ridges to scrape the bottom of the trap for a consistent lie ▶ The result is a more consistent finish than traditional bunker rakes that leave deep plow marks in the playing surface ▶ Golf course superintendents are increasingly adopting the “Aussie Style” of maintenance in sand traps ▶ The goal is to cultivate smooth, tight sand on the vertical areas of the bunker; this ensures that balls that land there will not plug and roll back down to the bottom of the trap, where the sand is not very deep, and will be “scrapped” for a consistent lie

Product: Cart-Mounted GPS Tablets Features: ▶ New “Cut the Cord” solution allows golf courses to easily self-install IZON GPS tablets ▶ No need for any connection to the cart battery ▶ No wires or drill holes—mount two U-bolts, pop in, press play, and the full IZON system is up and running ▶ Up to 15 hours of full combined battery life ▶ Recharge at night through a standard power plug or a convenient, pop-out backup battery into an IZON recharging station ▶ Course management with real-time pace of play, flood control, pin placement and more ▶ Unique advertising and sponsorship management with IZON’s digital ad server, IZON REACH ▶ Now offering the new IZON Battery System GPS Tablets

Standard Golf

IZON Golf

Easy Picker Golf Products www.easypicker.com

Hail to the Chief

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www.izongolf.com December 2019

l Club + Resort Business l 49

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

Course + Grounds Tracking Technology

Product: Textron Fleet Management—Shield Plus™ Features: ▶ S creenless technology that provides real-time equipment, usage, mileage, hours, work and idle-time data for maintenance equipment ▶R eceive detailed efficiency reports to maximize and manage your crew’s workload ▶ E stablish activity zones, target times, task completion and balance workloads ▶D efine reduce-speed zones and geofence areas to keep your crew safe ▶R eceive instant alerts detailing the location of equipment when exceeding speed limits or entering a protected geofence ▶R eal-time location of all equipment. View history data to analyze travel times between activity areas and optimize efficiency ▶W eb-based and accessible anytime, anywhere, using your computer, smartphone or tablet ▶ E xtended warranty and service, built-in battery and automatic software updates ▶ S upported by TechForce™, the industry’s largest network of factory-direct technicians

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This Cat Loves Water

Product: Toro® Lynx® 7.0 Central Control System Features: ▶ Update represents 14th iteration of the operating system since its initial release in 2010 ▶ Seamless compatibility with Lynx Smart Modules ▶ Automatically identify individual smart modules after the initial installation process, saving considerable time ▶ Offers run-time controls to the second and measures inputs to 1/100th of an inch, delivering precision irrigation systems control ▶ Retrieve voltage and amperage data—crucial to understanding the overall health of the irrigation system ▶ Deciphering diagnostic information is streamlined when using the new express mode ▶ This simple, efficient process means that superintendents are able to interpret information to forecast and predict potential system issues earlier

Toro

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Luxe Ride

Fixed-Head Harmony

Product: Toro® Greensmaster® 1000 Series Features: ▶ New series of fixed-head greensmowers was designed to eliminate variability in the walk-mowing process ▶ Integrates operators of all sizes and skill levels to work in harmony with the machine ▶ Operator-centric features include the innovative telescoping loop handle, simple height adjustment and handle-isolation mounts ▶ Features give the cutting units consistent contact with the ground throughout the mowing process ▶ Greensmaster 1018 features an 18-inch cutting width ▶ Greensmaster 1021 features a 21-inch cutting width ▶ Greensmaster 1026 features a 26-inch cutting width

Product: Club Car Tempo™ Features: ▶ Designed with automotive styling and features that feel like upgrades, the brand-new Tempo represents the very best of Club Car: proven engineering, industry-leading durability and reliable comfort ▶ Also features Club Car’s newest technology, Tempo Connect, a more powerful connected solution: with Visage Fleet Management and the Shark Experience, an exclusive in-car entertainment system designed to attract more golfers, it will take business to the next level

Club Car

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The Toro Company www.toro.com 50

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

O������ F�������� Open to Interpretation

Quiet on the Course

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Product: Open Collection Features: ▶ Commercial-grade aluminum frame available in 19 finishes ▶ Collection: Lounge Chair, Swivel Lounger, Love Seat & Sofa ▶ Available with RELAXplus® cushions with integrated venting that helps keep cushions dry and mold-free ▶ Cushions available in a wide selection of resilient outdoor fabrics ▶ Made in the USA and designed by John Caldwell

Tropitone

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Stylish Storage

Product: Harborside Storage Chest Features: ▶ Water-resistant chest is perfect for storing cushions, toys, and pool or gardening necessities ▶ Inside measures 57 L x 24-1/2 W x 19-1/2 H inches ▶ Holds three chaise cushions and three dining-chair cushions, or four lounge-cushion sets ▶ Lid opens and closes easily with hydraulic gas springs, to prevent pinched fingers

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P��� + P���� Bringing Warmth Outdoors

Product: SUNGLO infrared outdoor patio PSA265 Features: ▶ Natural gas ▶ Permanent mount in patio or deck uses minimal floor space ▶ Manual controls to fully automated models ▶ 100% safety shut-off, quiet infrared heat ▶ Glossy black or stainless-steel post

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Country Casual Teak

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Seascape Escape

Product: Seascape Collection Features: ▶ Transitional design ▶ Texawood HDPE lumber made from recycled plastics ▶ Dining chairs, spa chairs, and chaise lounges are all stackable and store with ease ▶ Available in all frame finishes and four lumber colors

Texacraft

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December 2019

l Club + Resort Business l 51

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

C����� Timely Remembrance

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

The Verdin Company

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A��������

Phone Home

Product: Cell Phone Lockers Features: ▶ Made entirely of aluminum, cell phone lockers can be surface-mounted or recessed-mounted and can accommodate cell phones, keys, tablet PCs, wallets and other valuable items ▶ Salsbury 19000 series cell phone lockers and Salsbury 19100 series cell phone lockers with front-access panel are available in 5” and 8” deep compartments ▶ Both series include master-keyed locks or resettable combination locks ▶ Cell phone lockers are available in four contemporary colors featuring a powder-coat finish: Aluminum, Bronze, Gold, and Sandstone ▶ Units are available in three, four, five, six and seven doors high and two, three, four and five doors wide, with standard A doors (6-1/2” W x 5-1/4” H) or larger B doors (13” W x 5-1/4” H) ▶ Each cell phone locker door includes a 2” W x 5/8” H clear plastic cardholder (card included) to identify the compartment

Blanket the Earth

Product: NEW Wonder Blanket Features: ▶ Outdoor blanket, perfect for wherever life takes you ▶ 100% cotton ▶ Available in three colors—beige, gray and blue ▶ Machine-washable ▶ 40 inches by 68 inches ▶ Call for pricing

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Salsbury Industries

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X Marks the Spot

Product: Royal Basket X-Frame Folding Hamper Cart Features: ▶ Great for storing and transporting towels, laundry and more ▶ 6 bushels: 22” length, 20” width, 36” height ▶ 8 bushels: 26” length, 21” width, 36” height, 8.9 cubic feet ▶ Removable, super-strong vinyl or mesh liner ▶ Collapsible, lightweight 1” steel tubular powder-coated frame ▶ Sturdy 3” polyolefin casters ▶ Several color options and customization available

Tri-C Club Supply – Duffy’s

800-274-8742 • www.duffystric.com 52 l Club + Resort Business l December 2019 52 l Club + Resort Business l December 2019

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Paragami Paradise

Product: Rectilinear Wood Leg Paragami Chair Features: ▶ New rectilinear hard-maple wood legs with premium metal-base glides ▶ Steel-frame understructure eliminates use of glue joints and prevents wobbly legs ▶ Available in nine standard wood-stain finishes ▶ Angular upholstered shell ▶ Paragami is GREENGUARD-certified, made in the U.S.A. and backed by a 5-year structural-frame warranty

MTS Seating

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Circle Gets the Chair

Product: Eustis Chair—Circle Back Side and Arm Stacking Chair Features: ▶ Circle Back Side and Arm Stacking Chair manufactured in the USA in choice of durable, sustainable hardwood ▶ Like all Eustis stacking hardwood chairs, the Circle Back chair is engineered with proprietary Eustis Joint® and stacks 6-8 high ▶ Comes with a 20-year warranty ▶ Any commercially available fabric or leather and custom stain can be used to match your project ▶ The Circle Back Chair offers an elegant and durable custom-seating option for event spaces, banquet rooms, and more

Eustis Chair

978-827-3103 • www.EustisChair.com

G��� C����� E�������� Roam on the Range

Product: RP-1200 Range Picker Features: ▶ Boasts advanced automation, guidance and safety features ▶ Takes the hassle out of picking the range by collecting balls 24/7, rain or shine ▶ Pairing it with the TM-2000 Robotic Mower means you’ll also have perpetually great-looking turf, without having to close the range for mowing ▶ Tandem does its work in emissions-free silence ▶ Can be controlled from a desk or smart phone

ECHO Robotics

www.echorobotics.com

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ADVERTISER INDEX C+RB’S 2020 CHEF TO CHEF CONFERENCE 888-543-2447 www.cheftochefconference.com

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CHAMBERS 410-727-4535 / www.chambersusa.com

31

CLUBESSENTIAL www.clubessential.com/next-generation

2

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

3

COUNTRY CASUAL 33 800-289-8325 / www.CountryCasualTeak.com EUSTIS 978-827-3103 / www.eustischair.com

38

‘FORE’ SUPPLY 800-543-5430 / www.foresupply.com

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GASSER CHAIR 800.323.2234 / www.gasserchair.com

11

HOSHIZAKI www.hoshizakiamerica.com

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PIERCE www.poultry.com

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STRACKA LINE www.StrackaLine.com www.FreePinSheets.com

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TRI-C CLUB SUPPLY – DUFFY’S 800-274-8742 / www.duffystric.com

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TRULY GOOD FOODS www.trulygoodfoods.com

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YAMAHA 866-747-4027 / www.YamahaGolfCar.com

December 2019

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IDEAEXCHANGE A BRUSH WITH SUCCESS

By Betsy Gilliland, Contributing Editor

When Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Ala., had a successful event that combined painting and wine this summer, the property had no trouble deciding what to do for an encore – have another event just like it.

In July the resort, which includes FarmLinks—the world’s only research and demonstration golf course—held “Paint Your Pet,” a four-hour event on a Saturday where participants could paint portraits of their pets in bold, pop-art style while enjoying canapes as well as Italian and Spanish wines. A few weeks earlier, the resort had held a similar class, “Pop Art, Paint and Pinot.” No painting experience was necessary to take part in either event.

“We’re always creating unique activities to offer our guests,” says Tim Spanjer, the Director of Marketing for Pursell Farms who is also its Pop Artist. Spanjer (pictured above on right) and his wife, Vaughan Pursell Spanjer, Pursell Farms’ Artist-in-Residence and the daughter of Chief Executive Officer David Pursell, live on the property, where the creative arts are an integral part of its activities.

“We’re the only property in Alabama that I can find with a resident artist, so of course, we like to produce events around art,” says Tim Spanjer. Together, the Pursell and Spanjer family of artists have spent more than 80 years developing and finetuning their artistic talents, and their art spans a wide variety of mediums.

“Fine Art Done Boldly” is Tim Spanjer’s

artistic mantra; his large-format, pop artstyled paintings offer wry humor and vivid images. He also creates large, biscuit-joined pine wood cutouts of pulp commercial subjects, and “Cerealism” mosaics, in which he uses intricately cut slices of cereal boxes to form images that are known for their complexity.

Vaughan Spanjer, a fashion designerturned-artist, is renowned for her “sheep note” cards and fine art that is featured in boutiques throughout the Southeast.

The husband-and-wife artists shared their talents with 15 to 20 people at each of the Pursell Farms events, and the guests used acrylics to create their paintings on 24-inchby-24-inch canvases. Pop art was the genre of choice for the painting sessions.

“Pop art was chosen for how matter-offact the style is,” says Tim Spanjer. “It directs paintings and compositions to include bold and bright colors painted on canvas with ‘blocky’ and ‘streaky’ splashes of color. It’s expressive, but not abstract, and there’s an objective nature to the painting process.”

For the Pursell Farms classes, participants could choose the colors they wanted to use to personalize their paintings. Pre-drawn or blank canvases were available for the participants, and most preferred to paint on pre-drawn canvases, Tim Spanjer reports— especially for the pet-themed event, where

While Pursell Farms is best known for having the world’s only research and demonstration golf course, the property also has two resident artists and offered the “Pop Art, Paint and Pinot” and “Paint Your Pet” events as new ways to attract guests to its historic Hamilton Place venue for a unique and memorable experience.

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guests were able to send in a photo of the pet they wanted to paint in advance.

Throughout the evening for the first event, Food and Beverage Manager Cameron Hayes poured carefully selected Italian and Spanish Pinot Noir sipping wines, and he also talked to the guests about tasting notes. And Executive Chef Andrea Griffith prepared assorted canapes.

The events took place in the ballroom of Pursell Farms’ Hamilton Place, a restored historic home that was built in 1852 and is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Paintings by the Spanjers were also set up in a gallery for the event.

Guests could choose from one of two packages—an evening package at a price of $99 person or an overnight option, which cost $377 per couple.

With the evening package, participants were provided with art supplies, including the canvas, brushes, and paint, and refreshments. Overnight guests received the same amenities, plus deluxe accommodations at The Inn at Pursell Farms.

For the Spanjers, the sessions provided an opportunity to offer an experience that iintegral to the Pursell Farms story. “Painting is a creative activity that can be joyful,” says Tim Spanjer says. “We want guests to have a great experience at the farm and look forward to returning. And they all got to take artwork home.”

Pursell Farms will likely continue to hold another paint-and-wine event in the summer of 2020, Tim Spanjer notes. For other properties that might be interested in holding similar activities, he recommends “finding [your] unique draw, and creating events around that. And for craft events, plan to have enough staff on hand, so the artist[s] can spend time with each guest.” www.clubandresortbusiness.com

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