The standard playbook for country club food and beverage has long included a regular rotation of burgers, hot dogs, club sandwiches, a reliable-yet-uninspired Friday night prime rib, and an operation expected to break even at best.
Enter Ray Whitlock. As the Director of Culinary Experiences at Bobby Jones Links, one of the golf industries leading club management firms, he is stepping entirely out of the traditional golf world and firmly into the modern restaurant arena. Tasked with crafting menus across the company’s diverse portfolio of golf properties, Whitlock treats each club as a standalone culinary destination.
“It’s all about the members,” Whitlock says. “When they start seeking elevated dining, we begin running specials. If we start selling a bunch of steaks, then it’s time to make a (more permanent) change. So it’s essentially member-driven. We really have to know our clients and community.”
Before heating up a single skillet, Whitlock maps out the local dining ecosystem, examining what popular restaurants are doing within a 10-mile radius of the club. The goal isn’t to force-feed fine dining where it doesn’t belong. It’s about meeting members exactly where they are and then raising the bar. If a community won’t support a $45 sea bass or Wagyu steak, Whitlock instead finds creative ways to elevate staples like burgers and hot dogs or utilize alternative cuts like flank steak to keep prices aligned with local expectations.
Live Oaks Golf Club in Jackson, Miss. is undergoing an aesthetic rebranding complete with trendy colors and lux new furniture. To match the fresh vibe, Whitlock deployed what he calls his culinary safety net: a “555 menu” consisting of five appetizers, five salads, and five entrees. By restricting the size of the initial menu, the kitchen can focus strictly on sourcing the highest quality local ingredients. At the club’s standalone restaurant, Roosevelt’s, the menu leans into the area’s rich Southern heritage and local love for seafood, complemented by a homemade chocolate chess pie. To test the waters for future growth, Whitlock will use July to run unlisted steak and scallop specials. If the members bite, those items earn a permanent spot. If not? The safety net holds, and the menu evolves organically.
When Whitlock seeks inspiration, he looks at successful, high-quality, casual-upscale restaurant concepts. The objective is to merge top-tier restaurant service with the welcoming, familiar atmosphere of a private club. Nowhere is this hybrid model more evident than at Boone’s, located at the Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta. The restaurant boasts a dedicated mixologist and curated plateware and glassware – amenities rarely seen at a standard golf course eatery. Then, there’s the food. Boone’s features a dish that Whitlock admits he still thinks about while driving around: a legendary duck burger featuring Berkwood bacon, blue cheese, smoked blueberries, and whole grain mustard. “A lot of clubs won’t do a duck burger with blueberry compote, but it’s one of Boone’s top sellers,” says Whitlock.
This shift from a standard amenity to a legitimate culinary hotspot isn’t just about prestige; it’s about the bottom line. In the modern era, Whitlock believes all avenues must lead to profit, which can then funnel directly back into the club for better kitchen equipment and enhanced facilities.
Every dining experience undergoes Whitlock’s scrutiny. He obsesses over dietary restrictions, lighting, background music, and service styles, deciding whether a venue requires a casual walk-up window or full-blown French service with polished silverware. Even menu typography and materials are fair game, with Whitlock currently favoring a modern landscape layout printed on an innovative, wipeable plastic paper that’s trending in the restaurant industry.
Whitlock relishes the autonomy BJL gave him. That freedom allows him to get his hands dirty. He’s truly a chef’s chef. Having visited 25 clubs in the past year – eating out continuously along the way – he brings a wealth of external trends and a fresh pair of lenses to kitchens where chefs are often trapped within their own four walls for 16 hours a day.
Whether he’s introducing a new dish or orchestrating an exclusive, one-off wine club dinner featuring high-end beef for members craving a premium night out, Whitlock’s ultimate goal remains to transform golf course restaurants into treasured, bustling community assets where locals genuinely want to gather.
