Local country clubs say they are seeing an uptick in corporate-outing bookings for this year. The figure is still below the pre-recession level and some planners are making do with less expensive luncheons and snacks instead of dinners. But the improvement may be another sign that business confidence is rising after the recession.
Karen Degnan, club administrator at Hastings-on-Hudson-based Saint Andrew”™s Golf Club, the oldest continuously running golf club in the U.S., said she definitely notices “an increase in companies and fundraising groups ”˜shopping”™ again for outings this year.”
“We host approximately 20 outings a year,” she said. “Some corporate, some of the larger ones are fundraisers for private schools and hospitals and we have several professional organizations that host events. There was a definite decline in 2008 but there has been a steady increase in outings through this year.
“I would say they are definitely attended by less people ”“ the days of the 120-140-person outing are few and far between. They are not as elaborate as they were seven or 10 years ago.”
At Danbury, Conn.-based Richter Memorial Park, a public golf course, corporate outings are on the rise.
“We expect an increase in the number of events we host in 2011 over most recent years,” said Maria Sanyshyn, general manager. “We offer conditions that rival the best of private country clubs and can offer our events at a fraction of the cost.”
John Hrad, general manager of Brentwood Golf and Country Club in Brentwood, N.Y., said he is enjoying “a much better year this year” than the previous year.
“We are very much in the corporate event and golf outing business. We accommodate many more corporate groups than most fine private clubs. We are quite fortunate and, yes, we have quite a few more this year,” he said.
But Hrad added that, looking at booking sheets for current event orders, corporations and fund-raising groups are all more value-conscious. “Everybody wants to spend a little bit less. Some groups don”™t want to include a lot of food service, maybe just include snacks or just breakfast before the game. More and more groups are opting for a nice lunch meal before the event, and then a prize-awarding ceremony after the event. They are cost-cutting, cost-saving for sure,” he said.
Anglebrook Golf Club in Lincolndale, corporate-outing bookings are also rising. “For 2011, we”™ve seen an increase in corporate outings,” said Matt Sullivan, general manager. “We expect to sell all the Mondays in June, and most of the Mondays in September as well.” The club is closed to members on Mondays and is available to outside groups for exclusive use, he said.
“In 2009, outings were down significantly, but we”™re very slowly building back up to the activity levels we saw prior to the economic downturn of 2008,” Sullivan said. “We”™ve rebounded to some degree, but it”™s still a long way back. Overall, corporations are certainly more cost-conscious than they were five years ago.”
At Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, Chief Operating Officer Scott Garvin said he”™s seeing an increase in the country club business overall. “We look forward to a really good year,” Garvin said. “We see an uptick in memberships, people sponsoring private events and also corporate events as well. This is the first time in a number of years that we have a waiting list.”
Todd Zorn, general manager of Salem Golf Club in North Salem, said the number of reservations for corporate and charity outings this year is still consistent with last year”™s figure.
Salem Golf Club has 10 corporate-outing bookings for this year so far. “The thing that has changed over the last couple of years is that the number of participants has gone down per outing. So for an outing three years ago that would have 120 participants, now may only have 100.”
