Club + Resort Business

  • Home
  • Course+Grounds
  • Design+Renovation
  • Food+Beverage
  • Golf
  • Management
  • Technology
  • Top Ranked
    • PATIOS 2022 – Open for Submissions
    • 2022 Top Ranked Racquet Facilities
    • 2022 Aquatics & Pools
    • 2022 Fitness & Wellness Centers
    • 2022 Culinary Experiences
    • Locker Rooms
    • Patios
    • Pro Shops
  • People
  • Resources
    • C+RB Playbooks
      • Culinary Playbook
      • Kitchen Equipment and Design Playbook
      • Maintenance Employees Playbook
    • Digital Issues
    • ECM Awards
    • FAQ
    • Leaders in Clubs + Resorts
    • Podcasts
    • Sponsored Content
    • 2022 Club + Resort Business Leadership
    • Videos
      • The Road Ahead/The Road Back
      • Unboxing Videos
    • Webinars
      • Membership Marketing Webinar Series

Themed ‘Passport Nights’ Give Colleton River Club Members a Global Dining Experience

By Joanna DeChellis, Editor, Club + Resort Chef | June 17, 2020

The Bluffton, S.C. club offers its members a monthly culinary event centered around a destination or unique geographic attraction. The popularity of the reservation-only evenings has resulted in consistent sellouts over the past year. Also, the sale of club-logoed cups with unlimited refills at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. has significantly reduced plastic use at its pool.

(As featured in C+RB’s 14th Annual Ideas Issue, June 2020.)

Once a month, the Colleton River Club in Bluffton, S.C., immerses its members in a unique dining experience through its “Passport Nights” program, where a la carte dining is paused and its place is taken by a deeply themed event centered around a destination or unique geographic attraction. 

“We pick themes that suit locations our members have thoroughly enjoyed visiting in the past,” says Executive Chef Robert Wysong. “Last year we did locations like the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. Other themes are fit into current events, such as Oktoberfest and Mardi Gras.”

Every event has an array of special touches to make each “trip” feel unique and special, says Wysong. “We look at all details, including music, entertainment, staff uniforms, and food,” he says. “The dinners are presented in an interactive setting, with chef-attended action stations, too.”

Passport Nights, typically held on Saturdays, are by reservation only, as their popularity has caused consistent sellouts over the past year.

And the “passport” aspect is not just an overriding theme—members are given an actual booklet that gets stamped each time they attend a Passport Night. After accruing eight stamps, members are entered into a drawing for two complimentary tickets to the club’s annual New Year’s Eve bash. 

“Members here thrive on the variety created by our inventive food-and-beverage team,” says Wysong. “As it evolves, I think we can go deeper into regional cooking. There are a lot of possibilities, the deeper you venture into Asian and European cuisines.”

Going forward, Passport Nights will be the centerpiece of Colleton River’s weekend dining plan, as the club ramps back up from the coronavirus disruption. 

“As we restart our process and develop new ones, we will look at weekend dining options for members differently across the board,” Wysong says. “This is our chance to continue breaking the routine and generate more excitement.”

The Goal: Colleton River Club wanted to engage members in the a la carte dining experience and drive participation.
The Plan: The “Passport Nights” program, held once a month typically on Saturdays, transforms a la carte dining into a themed destination with décor and specialty menus. Members are issued special booklets that are stamped when they arrive for each new event; accruing eight stamps qualifies them for a drawing for tickets to the club’s annual New Year’s Eve bash.
The Payoff: Colleton River members are so thrilled by the event that participation increased on Passport Nights by 58% and they are consistently sold out.


Is selling special club-logoed cups at a price of $125 for kids and $85 for adults a sustainable proposition? It certainly proved to be one at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb., where the club promoted the purchase of the insulated cups, which came with a straw, to reduce plastic use at its pool. Those who bought the cup were entitled to free refills for soda, iced tea and other non-alcoholic beverages all summer long (and discounted specialty drinks on the weekend for those with adult cups). 

“The cups were very popular among members—we sold out of the original order of 100 and had to make multiple reorders during the summer due to high demand,” reports the club’s Allison Boyd. “We strive to be very conscientious with our waste, and these cups have helped immensely with that.”

About The Author

Joanna DeChellis, Editor, Club + Resort Chef

As Editor of Club + Resort Chef, Joanna DeChellis has written dozens of profiles detailing the inner workings of food and beverages operations at clubs and resorts across the country. She’s penned award-winning articles about the many intricacies within food and beverage as well as culinary trends and breaking news. She is co-host of the award-winning podcast, Club + Resort Talks, and has served in a variety of content-development roles over the course of her career, including digital, marketing, print, and in-person events. She’s also the Director of Community for the Club + Resort Chef Association. Prior to these roles, she was the Managing Editor of Club & Resort Business.

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Related Articles Read More >

man and child walking on a golf course
Time on a Golf Course is Time Well Spent
A TikTok video showing a cocktail in a glass with ice
Champions Run Introduces Timely Communications with TikTok
Kids on a dock with a red kayak and colorful paddles
Private Club Tweens, Early Teens Tackle Adventures
Young golfers smile on green with yellow golf balls
Youth Golf Instructors Pave the Way for the Next Generation
Top Ranked Private Club and Resorts

C+RB Newsletter Sign Up

Club and Resort Chef

ClubandresortChef

Club + Resort Talks

April 15, 2022
Implementing a Private Barrel Selections Program at Cherokee T&CC
See More >

Club + Resort Business Digital Editions

Club & Resort BusinessBrowse the current issue and archived issues of Club & Resort Business in an easy-to-use, high-quality format. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading club and resort magazine today.



Club + Resort Business
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Submit Industry News
  • New Print Subscription
  • Manage Current Print Subscription
  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • Club + Resort Chef
  • Club + Resort Chef Association
  • Club + Resort Chef Recipes
  • Chef to Chef Conference

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Club + Resort Business

  • Home
  • Course+Grounds
  • Design+Renovation
  • Food+Beverage
  • Golf
  • Management
  • Technology
  • Top Ranked
    • PATIOS 2022 – Open for Submissions
    • 2022 Top Ranked Racquet Facilities
    • 2022 Aquatics & Pools
    • 2022 Fitness & Wellness Centers
    • 2022 Culinary Experiences
    • Locker Rooms
    • Patios
    • Pro Shops
  • People
  • Resources
    • C+RB Playbooks
      • Culinary Playbook
      • Kitchen Equipment and Design Playbook
      • Maintenance Employees Playbook
    • Digital Issues
    • ECM Awards
    • FAQ
    • Leaders in Clubs + Resorts
    • Podcasts
    • Sponsored Content
    • 2022 Club + Resort Business Leadership
    • Videos
      • The Road Ahead/The Road Back
      • Unboxing Videos
    • Webinars
      • Membership Marketing Webinar Series