Ideas

James Hudock, a culinary veteran who has been Executive Chef of the Gibson Island (Md.) Club, for the past two years, knows all too well that chefs’ lives aren’t easy. They work long hours in a stressful, high-pressure, chaotic atmosphere, and the position can take a toll on their personal lives as well.  But Hudock…

The introduction of online tee times and ability to post a score via your smart device has been a wonderful convenience for golfers. But it has also led to decreased foot traffic in clubs’ pro shops.  To counter that, and also boost sales and provide an added convenience to the membership, Woodfield Country Club in…

Both Edgewood CC and Berry Hills CC participated in Charleston, W.Va.’s Restaurant Week. Both private facilities prepared $35 menus. Each table at Berry Hills received membership information and a $25 round of golf.

Installing solar panels to help supply power to the 18-hole golf course that is part of a 4,500-acre ranch has fit with the Spearfish, S.D. property’s goal of lessening its environmental impact and being a community asset.

Norway CC has repurposed a flower bed that has occupied a spot next to its ninth-hole tee for close to 20 years as a memorial garden that includes remembrance and honorary plaques on one side for both living and deceased club members. Residents of Maine might have a reputation for going about their business quietly.…

Richard Brumm, CEC, Director of Culinary Operations at the Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Fla., knows the value of hands-on instruction. After all, he got his first job when he was 14 years old as a dishwasher at a bakery, and later worked under a master chef. Now Chef Brumm is paying his experiences…

Most golf-industry efforts to grow the game include initiatives to introduce the sport to women. And that’s “A-OK” with Head Golf Professional Garrett Kent, who started the “It’s OK” golf league at El Dorado (Ark.) Golf & Country Club this summer. The program is designed as a women’s empowerment group, to allow females to learn…

Any large undertaking needs a blueprint for success, and the folks at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., have put together a master plan for one they now plan to hold each year. In August 2017 the property held a benefit concert, featuring country music artist Cole Swindell, on the Friday night during the PGA…

When Dedham (Mass.) Country and Polo Club (DCPC) renovated its golf course from mid-September 2017 to late May 2018, the membership closely monitored the progress of the project. And that’s just the way the club’s staff wanted it. In fact, they gave the members the means to do it. The DCPC staff devised a “renovation…

The Kid’s Triathlon at Myers Park CC starts with swimming pool laps, followed by a bike ride through the golf course and then a running segment that ends at an inflatable finish line set up on the 18th hole. At Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, N.C., a Kid’s Triathlon has been held each year…

The Army and Navy Club and The Country Club of Virginia have promoted fun ways to encourage members to proudly display their club affiliations from the farthest corners of the globe. Getting members to keep their clubs front-of-mind while they’re going about their daily routines at home is a primary and constant challenge for every…

To keep kids and families engaged with its 4th of July celebration, River Oaks Country Club organized a race for which participants made their own boats, using just cardboard and duct tape. Like most modern clubs, the members of River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas are skewing younger and younger, with more families joining…

The annual employee-member golf tournament at Lords Valley Country Club has helped to form closer relationships and understanding through spirited but friendly competition. Member-member and member-guest tournaments are common occurrences at golf course properties. The staff at Lords Valley (Pa.) Country Club, however, has added a different spin to its tournament lineup. Since 2016, Lords Valley…

Asking golfers to make divots in a linear pattern while using the driving range at Farmington Country Club has reduced the amount of time needed, and the amount of material required, for repairing the turf in the club’s practice areas. No matter how much they love the game, most golfers can’t play like professionals. But…

After earning certification as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, Paradise Valley Country Club now holds an annual Audubon Day event to educate members and their children on the importance of protecting natural resources. Sometimes, it only takes a short while to make a longlasting impression on the next generation. Just ask the folks at Paradise…