Well guys, I am realizing that it has been over a month since I have visited the forum - I SSSOOO miss you guys!!!!
We had our closing June 15, and received the liquor license the day of the closing. Really scrambled the next day to stock the bar and get beer in the door, but we were selling by noon the following day. Makes a big difference in the bottom line! Makes me crazy when I realize what I lost in the 2-1/2 months we struggled without it, but that is hindsight and I can do nothing to change that.
We have been blessed with incredible June and July weather. We are also fortunate that we have complete irrigation installed so we have been watering ever morning. Some of the courses in the area are looking a little crispy right now, but we are still pretty lush.
Response has been awesome. We have seen so many people that are playing and raving about the course that have not been here in years because the condition had deteriorated so badly. Groups that have been coming for many years noticed changes and improvements immediately and recognized the efforts that we have made to improve the play.
The dining room has been a tough go. We are saddled with a "Fine Dining Card" that is a BOGO and these people expect the world for nothing. There are thousands of these cards out there that will expire the end of this year so I expect to be hit hard with these people come November and December. I truly am considering closing the restaurant at the end of the golf season since I don't think I can survive with half my product walking out the door for free. These people don't drink anything but water, do not order appetizers or desserts and then feel totally comfortable tipping on the amount they have paid rather than the amount of the original bill. It is a lose-lose situation for us.
Then there are the league guys who really don't know what they want. Whine because they aren't being given a special. so I run a chopped sirloin hoagie with grilled onions, mushrooms and provolone cheese with fries for 6.50 and I guess that was too much to pay, since all of three ordered it. No, make that 5 - ten minutes after we did last call for the kitchen and nobody wanted food, two more decided to order! Just cause they are special!
So the job has morphed into coming in at 5:00 and leaving on a good night at 8, more likely 10, sometimes 11 or later if we have a banquet going on. Big time of year for reunions. I seem to be living out of the laundry basket (that is when I can get laundry done!)
Fourth of July I get a text from Kendra that they were on their way to Pittsburgh hospital. It seems that she had left Ava with the boyfriends parents while they went to watch fireworks. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree in that family because they seemed to think it was a good idea to light and throw firecrackers around this newborn and one landed in her car seat, set it on fire, they couldn't get her out of the car seat in time, burned the diaper off of her and she now has third degree burns on her legs and butt. She is home but still has a nasty sore on her butt that isn't healing very fast and is aggravated every time she pees.
To top off my week, I came home at 10:00 two nights later and found my 150 pound newfie laying along side my bed, dead. So now Bruce and I had to get my beloved pet out from between the bed and the dresser (I was used to jumping over him lengthwise to get into bed!), and down the stairs, and, then what? Fortunately a neighbor came and buried him down by the pond that he loved to swim in, so I felt a bit better about that. But I swear I have a thunder cloud hovering over me this year!
That about sums up my last month. I hope everyone is having a good summer - I see some of you guys are getting together . . . . Theresa!!!! I am so jealous! I am getting things a bit more under control here now, I might be past fire suppression mode and just into maintenance. But you never know. I will have lots of catching up to do when I get back on board here!
Miss you all!
We had our closing June 15, and received the liquor license the day of the closing. Really scrambled the next day to stock the bar and get beer in the door, but we were selling by noon the following day. Makes a big difference in the bottom line! Makes me crazy when I realize what I lost in the 2-1/2 months we struggled without it, but that is hindsight and I can do nothing to change that.
We have been blessed with incredible June and July weather. We are also fortunate that we have complete irrigation installed so we have been watering ever morning. Some of the courses in the area are looking a little crispy right now, but we are still pretty lush.
Response has been awesome. We have seen so many people that are playing and raving about the course that have not been here in years because the condition had deteriorated so badly. Groups that have been coming for many years noticed changes and improvements immediately and recognized the efforts that we have made to improve the play.
The dining room has been a tough go. We are saddled with a "Fine Dining Card" that is a BOGO and these people expect the world for nothing. There are thousands of these cards out there that will expire the end of this year so I expect to be hit hard with these people come November and December. I truly am considering closing the restaurant at the end of the golf season since I don't think I can survive with half my product walking out the door for free. These people don't drink anything but water, do not order appetizers or desserts and then feel totally comfortable tipping on the amount they have paid rather than the amount of the original bill. It is a lose-lose situation for us.
Then there are the league guys who really don't know what they want. Whine because they aren't being given a special. so I run a chopped sirloin hoagie with grilled onions, mushrooms and provolone cheese with fries for 6.50 and I guess that was too much to pay, since all of three ordered it. No, make that 5 - ten minutes after we did last call for the kitchen and nobody wanted food, two more decided to order! Just cause they are special!
So the job has morphed into coming in at 5:00 and leaving on a good night at 8, more likely 10, sometimes 11 or later if we have a banquet going on. Big time of year for reunions. I seem to be living out of the laundry basket (that is when I can get laundry done!)
Fourth of July I get a text from Kendra that they were on their way to Pittsburgh hospital. It seems that she had left Ava with the boyfriends parents while they went to watch fireworks. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree in that family because they seemed to think it was a good idea to light and throw firecrackers around this newborn and one landed in her car seat, set it on fire, they couldn't get her out of the car seat in time, burned the diaper off of her and she now has third degree burns on her legs and butt. She is home but still has a nasty sore on her butt that isn't healing very fast and is aggravated every time she pees.
To top off my week, I came home at 10:00 two nights later and found my 150 pound newfie laying along side my bed, dead. So now Bruce and I had to get my beloved pet out from between the bed and the dresser (I was used to jumping over him lengthwise to get into bed!), and down the stairs, and, then what? Fortunately a neighbor came and buried him down by the pond that he loved to swim in, so I felt a bit better about that. But I swear I have a thunder cloud hovering over me this year!
That about sums up my last month. I hope everyone is having a good summer - I see some of you guys are getting together . . . . Theresa!!!! I am so jealous! I am getting things a bit more under control here now, I might be past fire suppression mode and just into maintenance. But you never know. I will have lots of catching up to do when I get back on board here!
Miss you all!