Drive Thru Events

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

Drive Thru Innovations:
With so many limits on gathering restrictions and parties, clubs had to get practical and creative when it came to hosting traditional events such as golf tournaments and holidays. To be able to still execute and provide the same level of service and amenities, we resourced to creating a drive-thru style of service for many of our events. Since it was pioneered in the 1930’s the drive thru has allowed patrons to receive service without leaving one’s car. When deciding how to keep members socially distanced this concept seemed to spark the interest of our team.

During our largest event of the year, Member Guest Tournament, we created an outdoor “grab and go” bar and restaurant drive thru. The area was tented and allowed enough room for golfers to drive thru while playing their round of golf and grab all of their food and beverage needs. This concept made it fun and exciting for all members including those who did not feel comfortable being in large groups. It also provided us with the opportunity to host a variety of events that would otherwise not be possible with COVID-19 restrictions. This worked well for other club events too, as we were also able to implement a “drive thru” Trick or Treat event for Halloween. Kids and parents both dressed up for the occasion and drove thru a number of decorated golf carts, each one decorated by a different department. Staff attendants were present at each golf cart and gave out candy and prizes throughout the evening as a parade of cars circled the parking lot.

How was this idea implemented and what have been the club members' reactions?

It was a true team effort to pull off these “drive thru” events. Halloween involved all departments such as golf, golf course maintenance, tennis, fitness, activities and food & beverage. Member Guest was a brainstorming session between golf and food and beverage. F&B arranged the tent rentals, refrigeration and set-up while golf coordinated tee times, scoring and controlled pace of play. Members were appreciative of the efforts of the club to keep traditional club events alive at the club while dealing with COVID-19.