Page 26 - GBC English Winter 2022

NGCOA Canada members get to enjoy first-hand, the Bueno Barbecue Food Truck at Serenity Golf Club during the 2022 NGCOA Canada - AB Golf Invitational.
Deer Valley Golf Club, located 15 minutes north of Regina, boasts an impressive natural layout and caters to members, public play, tournaments and a wide variety of league play. Their clubhouse and patio overlook the Qu’Appelle Valley and offers scenic views in every direction. For years, their F&B services have been contracted out to Valley Girls Catering, a local company that also provides services at nearby Sherwood Forest Country Club. Valley Girls Catering has two local restaurants, Fresh Carnival and Fresh & Sweet Downtown (which was featured on The Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here”) and has three restaurant outlets at Mosaic Stadium, home of the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“With our 2,500+ tournament rounds each golf season, combined with our member and public play and having the community of Deer Valley surrounding the course, this strategy has proven to be an ideal way to enhance our F & B operations at the golf course,” noted General Manager and Head Golf Professional, John Greenough. “This has been a really good partnership and the ability to work with the Valley Girls Catering Team has certainly been a benefit in 2022.”
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“Our goal from Day One has been to make the food better at the golf course and constantly strive for new and innovative offerings,” stated Beata Kowalski, Co-Owner Valley Girls Catering. “From fire-roasted roast beef for sandwiches, to homemade hamburgers and hotdogs with delicious toppings, our focus is to make the golfers food experience truly memorable,” added Kowalski.
FOOD TRUCKS ARE ALL THE RAGE
Another approach adopted by golf courses across the country is working with local food trucks to come for special events and tourna- ments during the season, or on a regular basis to provide unique food options to their regular golfers.
In 2021, Alberta’s Serenity Golf Club took this one step further and added their own food truck to the property to not only increase food sales, but also to go along with their fun atmosphere at the club and to offer something unique to the golfers. They purchased a fully equipped food truck and offered Mexican Food with a Barbecue inspiration (see “Canadian Idea”, Golf Business Canada, Fall 2022 edition).
“We noticed people were sticking around after their rounds a lot more than in the past years. Whether they were enjoying our famous Bueno Tacos, or washing them down with a signature margarita, they were sticking around and spending more money which was great to see!” said Kevin Graf, Head Golf Professional at Serenity Golf Club. “The food truck created an experience that our golfers not only remembered, but something that they looked forward to when they arrived at the course.”
START PLANNING FOR 2023 SEASON
Now that the snow is flying and the course has been put to bed for the winter, take the time to analyze your 2022 season’s hits and misses, especially your F&B department. Labour issues are not going to disappear, so what can you do differently in 2023 to not only improve the foodservice offerings to your golfers, but also improve your bottom line?
Golf Business Canada
1. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-labour-worker-changes-charts-1.6556305
26 Golf Business Canada