Dear Members,

The Board of Directors would like to thank you for taking the time to complete the Dining Survey.  Your input will help us to direct Restaurant operations going forward.  Of those that responded to the survey, 75% were over the age of 60.  Two-thirds of the respondents were men, and all but 4 were members.  Demographically, these numbers directly correlate with the makeup of our membership.

79% of our members believe Kingswood Golf Club should be one of their favorite places to dine, but only 34% state that it is.  The other 66% opt to dine out at other establishments in town.  When in Wolfeboro, the average number of times our members go out to eat each week was 2-3 times.  Of those dinners out, less than 17% were at the club.  Members cited public adhering to the dress policy, faster service, and improved ambience as the top three things that would entice them to dine at the club more frequently.

79% of our members believe the servings are the right size and 68% believe the food is consistently of good quality.  These numbers are better than average for a club restaurant, however only 52% believe dining at the Club is a good value when compared to other similar local establishments.  The top 5 restaurants that members dine at (other than at the club) were O’s, Wolfetrap, Nolan’s, Morrissey’s, and Garwoods, respectively.  Each of these establishments have about the same pricing as the Club, and dining style runs from high-end to casual/family style.

With respect to events, 40% of our members who have had a buffet dinner at the club were happy with the food and only 34% of those diners were happy with the quantity of food on the buffet.  With respect to on-course refreshments, 55% of our members prefer the snack shack to the cart.  Presence of the snack cart was 50/50 on the course, but only 27% were happy with the cart selection.  Several members stated that the cart interfered with their play due to the drivers’ inexperience with golf ettiquette. 

In open response, the addition of certain menu items came up frequently; in the restaurant, members wanted more fresh fish dishes, healthier dining options (fewer fried foods and meals with sauces), desserts that are not frozen, a greater variety of soup and sandwich/wrap options (chicken salad, seafood, tuna salad, egg salad, wraps, BLTs, etc.), and fresh fruits.  On the course, members wanted sandwiches, hot dogs, a better variety of chips and candy bars, and fresh fruits (apples, bananas, etc).

With regard to beverages, 53% of our members were happy with the beer selection but only 30% were satisfied with the value for the price.  39% of our members were happy with the liquor selection, but again, only 30% were satisfied with the value for the price.  29% of our members were happy with the wine selection but 23% of the wine drinkers were dissatisfied with the value for the price.  These numbers may be influenced by the type of beverages our members typically drink, but cost seems to be the leading factor in the low alcohol sales to members.  There were a few members who requested more reasonably-priced house wine, rather than the fancy stuff.  Likewise, members were looking for moderately-priced beer both on and off the course.

The open response answers at the end of the survey are too numerous to list individually, but several points were touched upon multiple times.  Overall, though there were requests for more selection on the course (preferably in the Snack Shack), healthier options, smaller portions, and greater focus on the members, the membership is generally not unhappy with the food and find the prices to be average for the area.   Most members preferred outdoor dining to indoors, citing lack of ambience, noise, and the growing non-golfer bar crowd.   Though several members liked having the younger public presence, the lack of adherence to the dress code and exuberance (to put it politely) added to a greater number of members feeling uncomfortable at their clubhouse.  12% of our members liked the Saturday outdoor music, but more than half of them thought it was too loud.  Overall, membership prefers background music and likes soft rock.  55% of our members do not dine at the Club on Saturdays because of the crowds.

The main areas that the members would like to see improvement in is making the clubhouse feel more like a part of Kingswood Golf Club, rather than a bar that happens to be on the course, an improvement of wait time for food & drinks, followed by cart service that does not interrupt play of the game, and the need for wait staff to be better trained and dressed appropriately (collared shirts with pants or longer shorts or skirts and name tags was preferred, hands-down).   Members would like to see Club activities such as Trivia Night, Themed Dinner Events, Holiday Parties, and a greater focus on members in general. Many members feel they come in second to the public and do not experience any sense of belonging in or appreciation at their clubhouse.

More than a few members mentioned the fact that the clubhouse was dated and needed a facelift.  The Club offers substantially reduced rent (well below market value) to the purveyor so that the members have a fully-operational restaurant to serve them when they’re at the course.  The idea is that there is a give & take with the arrangement in that the restaurant focuses on membership but retains any profit.  Any upgrade to the building, whether it be furniture, physical improvements, major repairs or purchases, or even a paint job, is at the expense of the Club (and therefore the membership), not the purveyor. Although several members were strong proponents for the Club running the Restaurant and limiting public access, 67% of our members were not interested in any yearly fee or minimum to make it possible.

In order for anyone to be successful in a restaurant, they need to have a base income to cover overhead, food & beverage costs, licensing, insurance, staffing, etc. In Kingswood’s case, without increased restaurant use by the membership or an annual fee or minimum, the public is necessary to make up the difference.  The restaurant plays a very strong part in Kingswood Golf Club’s image and the public has an effect on that image.  Certainly, enforcing the dress code and having separate areas for members and the public would have a positive effect on the ‘Country Club’ feel that our members are looking for, but it also would decrease the income needed to operate.  Some changes, such as having the Snack Shack open, increasing selection and dietary concerns, and having the servers trained and re-outfitted are easily accomplished.  Others will take some time and consideration so our purveyor contract addresses members’ concerns regarding use of the Clubhouse.  We welcome all members to consider joining the House committee, where they can have a more immediate impact on operations and member satisfaction.

Thank you, again, for your time and thoughtfulness with the survey.