An innovative approach to progressive dinners at Vestavia CC has resulted in wait lists of 200 members vying for a spot.

At many clubs, progressive dinners generally end with members driving haphazardly around the golf course, having had a few too many cocktails during the second or third courses. But at Vestavia Country Club, Birmingham, Ala., a new take on the progressive approach keeps members out of the driver’s seat, while guaranteeing them an especially good time.

“Guests arrive at the short course just as the sun is setting,” says Michael Murray, Vestavia’s Director of Food & Beverage. “We have the valet set up right by the opening hole so that when they step out onto the course they are handed a glass of champagne and an amuse bouche to enjoy as they listen to live music and wait for the others to arrive.”

The Goal: To create a unique, progressive outdoor dining event for members that would take advantage of Vestavia CC’s par-3 course. Vestavia Country Club, Birmingham, Ala. The Plan: Planned around a full moon to maximize natural light, the dinner took members on foot to three separate dining destinations on the club’s scenic short course. The Payoff: A special dining experience for members that has become an biannual event that now generates so much excitement, the club has to sell tickets for it through a lottery system.

Once the full group is on property, members are directed to where appetizers greet them, featuring elaborate raw bars, cheeses and other specialty creations.

From there, members promenade to the next hole, just a short distance away, where a chef-manned action station serving some variation on a salad is set up, along with tables filled with flowers and illuminated by string lights.

Once the sun has set, luminaries are brought out to guide members to the next hole,  where dinner is served alongside a string quartet.

“We change the types of tables and the menus each time,” says Murray of what has become an biannual event, now held in the spring and fall, at Vestavia. “We’ve done long community-style tables, traditional circles and even squares. It all depends on the theme, which also dictates the menu.”

After entrees, members walk back to the first hole, where they enjoy more music and dancing as well as a full bar and make-your-own-s’mores.

“Our course has multiple levels with rock outcroppings, so you can’t see the next hole,” says Murray. “Each one truly has its own unique feel and look. It makes for the perfect progressive dining venue.”

The menu for each progressive dinner revolves around some kind of seasonal/local theme.

“It’s also important that the dishes served during the first couple of courses are easy to eat without silverware, as well as easy to eat while standing up,” notes Murray, who was previously the club’s Executive Chef. Some of the most successful hand-held menu items have included flavored popcorns, homemade corndogs with a honey Dijon dipping sauce, and crostini bars with different pates and spreads.

“Last year, we were able to pair wines with each course,” says Murray. “That really elevated the elegance of the event for members.”

Because the first few progressive dinners sold out in mere minutes, the club decided to institute a lottery system where all interested members were able to put their names in a hat. Once the lottery closed, the chef would pull names to create the attendee list.

“For the first dinner, we sold 80 spots and still had 200 members on a wait list,” explains Murray. “For the next event, we decided we had to do something more fair, to open it up to those who couldn’t call as soon as the event was opened for reservations.”

It takes Vestavia CC’s team a few hours to set up the entire event, but each time the teams have gotten smarter about how and where they prepare for the dinner. For the most recent one this spring, they staged each hole in the ballroom, then enlisted the help of the course-and-grounds crew to transport all the pieces and parts.

“The first year, it took 30 people 12 hours to set it up,” says Murray. “The most recent event took just four guys and eight hours, thanks to better organization.”