Embedded as a “utility worker” on Merion Golf Club’s expanded kitchen staff to help feed all those who descended on Ardmore, Pa., for the 113th U.S. Open Championship, Club & Resort Business Editor Joe Barks filed daily postings about his experience during each day of the tournament week. Here are his final thoughts after the last three days of the competition. A Q&A with Merion Golf Club’s Executive Chef (and C&RB Contributing Editor) Jerry Schreck about the entire tournament experience will be presented as the “Chef to Chef” feature in the July issue of C&RB.
Special Report from C&RB’s “Embedded Editor” at Merion for U.S. Open Week – June 14, 2013
After taking early steps to be better prepared for another lunch onslaught like Wednesday’s, Thursday’s rain brought members and guests inside three hours earlier than expected—and with different appetites than had been planned for. Our kitchen suddenly became a short-order diner, scrambling to make a whole new supply of breakfast sandwiches while also filling special orders.
Special Report from C&RB’s “Embedded Editor” at Merion for U.S. Open Week – June 13, 2013
After I asked Merion GC Sous Chef Noel Quigley, who recently celebrated his 39th anniversary with the club and is one of the few current Merion staffers who was also present for the last U.S. Open there in 1981, to rank on a scale of 1 to 10 how much bigger this year’s Championship is than that one, he replied: “Seventeen.”
Special Report from C&RB’s “Embedded Editor” at Merion for U.S. Open Week – June 12, 2013
A day of good weather brought different patterns of when people came to the members’ tent to eat—and they brought bigger appetites with them. That created the need for on-the-fly adjustments to the routine that the back-of-the-house staff has been trying to settle into.
Special Report from C&RB’s “Embedded Editor” at Merion for U.S. Open Week – June 11, 2013
It’s surprising to learn that the U.S. Open has not had a consistent tradition of Champions Dinners each year. But on Tuesday night, over 30 of the greats who have hoisted the two-handled silver trophy, including Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino, Woods and McIlroy, will gather for an intimate “Reunion Dinner” in one of the Merion clubhouse’s quaint dining rooms.
Special Report from C&RB’s “Embedded Editor” at Merion for U.S. Open Week – June 10, 2013
The storied Merion golf course will understandably, and deservedly, get all the attention and accolades this week, but the clubhouse deserves some love, too, for also helping to provide a truly distinctive venue for a major sporting event.
You Can Believe Your Ears
The stories we find are equally varied between success and innovation, and decline and failure. Who do you think made this statement: “Some people look at a golf and country club as a social amenity. I look at it as a recreational amenity. I also look at it as an environmental amenity, because if you…
Catastrophic Consequences
A new pattern for natural disasters that has been notable not only for its fury, but also its frequency and reach, promises to have long-standing implications for clubs’ insurance situations. By Joe Barks, Editor On the whole, club properties in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. that found themselves in the path of the wide swath…
They’ve Got It Covered
I received many e-mails and calls as soon as the issue came out, from people who wanted to know if this was really a club scene. Of all the covers we’ve had for issues of Club & Resort Business (and believe it or not, we’re going to hit issue #100 in our history later this…
Totally Wired
From the golf course to the pool to the back office, Vermont National Country Club uses technology to the fullest to enhance members’ experiences. By Joe Barks, Editor Club management has always been a balancing act, and making the most of technology is no different than offering the right mix of facilities, amenities and member…
An Image on the Rise?
Although George Clooney’s character in The Descendants ends up rejecting the opportunity to create a new golf resort, by the score I kept, our industry still came out ahead. Any time you can get George Clooney to help show the club business in a positive light, that’s a good thing. And even though Clooney’s character…
Delighting in the Details
Mountain Ridge CC took everything back to the drawing board, to dress up its classic clubhouse for a milestone year and get its second century off to an exciting start. By Joe Barks, Editor It took years before the members of Mountain Ridge Country Club moved to make up for lost time—but once they did,…
Making Mirabel a Place of Distinction
To stand out in a crowded field, this Scottsdale club has found the right spots to offer a little bit more—and a little bit less. By Joe Barks, Editor For an 11-year-old, Mirabel has seen a lot of the club world—and already has a pretty mature attitude about what it wants to be. After coming…
Better by Half
Less is proving to be much more at the Petroleum Club of Fort Worth, where a new lease has led to an exciting new stage of life. By Joe Barks, Editor When you’ve run a club for 40 years, you get pretty good at recognizing and anticipating when a reality check is needed—and then moving…
Putting The Prairie Club on the Map
A well-coordinated strategy has led members and guests from all corners of the country to discover “the Plains truth.” By Joe Barks, Editor The global economy and World Wide Web were supposed to have ended provincialism, and made everyone aware of all parts of the planet, long ago. But Patrick Kilbride, PGA Head Golf Professional…