Day 1 Sunday
Day 2 Monday
Day 3 Tuesday

Matt Murphy

Club Manager – Hazeltine National

Matt Murphy’s professional career in the hospitality industry started in the same place as many great culinarians…the dish room! His first “real job” was in a local pub in his hometown of Duluth, Minn. After more than a year of “entry-level experience,” his culinary journey began. He made two significant discoveries during this stage; his love for the industry, and for the woman who has now been his wife of 26 years, Melissa. His time did pay for his degrees in Computer Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

At this point, however, it was becoming obvious that Murphy did not have a future in either the computer industry, or in Duluth. He moved to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where he worked for several notable clubs in the region. After working as a Sous Chef for three years, he landed his first Executive Chef position at Golden Valley Golf and Country Club—a storied property known for its A.W. Tillinghast layout (one of only two in the Midwest), and its long history of being one of the great social clubs in the Twin Cities region.

During Murphy’s time at Golden Valley, he was given the opportunity to design the kitchens and service areas for the new 64,000-sq. ft. clubhouse that opened in 2001. After nine years as a chef and 20 as a culinarian, he then took the job of Club Manager. When he left Golden Valley after 11 years, the club’s F&B revenue exceeded $4 million for the first time.

Matt Murphy’s next opportunity came at Hazeltine National Golf Club (HNGC) as Club Manager. HNGC had hosted a US Open, US Women’s Open, US Senior Open, US Amateur and four other USGA national events. It was also the host of the 2002 PGA Championship.

Within a month of Murphy’s starting as Club Manager at Hazeltine in the winter of 2007, the trailer that would be needed to provide office space for officials of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America was delivered to the storied golf course outside of Minneapolis, to begin preparations for the PGA Championship that would be held there in August 2009.

Murphy thus immersed himself pretty much from day one of his new job in all of the details that were required to ensure a successful tournament and reform the clubhouse operations. He certainly showed that he passed the crash course with flying colors: The 2009 PGA, which culminated with Y.A. Yang’s exciting last-day, head-to-head victory over Tiger Woods, was hailed as a complete success on all counts, adding a great new chapter to HNGC’s legacy as one of the top venues for a major championship.

But after the PGA was over, Murphy had little time to accept handshakes and accolades—or to catch his breath. At the same time he was preparing for the Championship, he had also been directing the planning, and member approval process, of a $16 million long-range plan for not only major restoration work on the fairways and greens of Hazeltine’s Robert Trent Jones course, but also replacement of the club’s original clubhouse and complete reconstruction of the practice facilities.

Work to implement the plan began five weeks after Yang’s final, Championship-clinching putt. The results of the project will be unveiled by September 2010—including a unique new 49,000-sq. ft. “prairie-style farm house, wrapped in stone” that will include a 425-seat ballroom and other facilities that, Murphy expects, will help to “easily double” the club’s banquet business.

Once everything is completed, Murphy will then start the planning process for the next project: Hazeltine’s hosting of the 2016 Ryder Cup.

(Details about the course and clubhouse improvement plans were included in “Heady Days for Hazeltine” in the September 2009 issue of Club & Resort Business.)

Chef Robert G. Wysong

Executive Chef – The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort

Certified Executive Chef – American Culinary Federation

Classically trained and mentored by pedigree industry professionals, Chef Robert Wysong now calls upon the full breadth of his talent and leadership style to drive the food-and-beverage division of the acclaimed Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, near Charleston, S.C.

At an early age, family meals influenced Wysong’s interest in cooking and entertaining, thus guiding him into the field of professional cooking. By his mid twenties, his goals would include service in prominent restaurants and hotels. Aware of his need for more formal training, Wysong was accepted to Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, where he achieved honors upon graduating in 1993.

Post-education, Wysong continued to seek positions where quality of experience prevailed. Among other positions, he worked for the Pensacola (Fla.) Country Club and then served as Chef Tournant, Executive Sous Chef, and Executive Banquet Chef for the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, N.C., for almost five years. The culinary mystique of The Ritz- Carlton organization then attracted him to the opportunity to help open the new Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Following a very successful opening and more than five years of operation, Chef Wysong moved to his current position in 2005 as Executive Chef for The Sanctuary, a unique Forbes Five-Star/ AAA Five-Diamond luxury oceanside hotel.

The cuisine of Low Country coastal South Carolina is a major attraction for guests and friends of The Sanctuary and Resort. The procurement and use of fresh, seasonal farm offerings continue to guide the concepts and menus of The Sanctuary’s restaurants. This philosophy keeps everything in agreement with the region’s climate, agriculture, resources, and social customs. It further enables Chef Wysong to promote a robust cuisine defined by a simple, yet refined and ingredient-driven cooking approach. This approach was highlighted in a “Chef to Chef” interview with Chef Wysong that appeared in the February 2009 issue of Club & Resort Business (“A Sanctuary for Dining Excellence”).

A two- time Chapter Chef of the Year and managing member of the Greater Charleston Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Wysong has supported the ACF mission and purpose since 1995. In 1997 he was recognized as Certified Chef de Cuisine, and currently as Certified Executive Chef. The greater goal is to continue the ACF certification track to its fullest potential.

Chef Wysong also serves as advisor to several Hospitality and Culinary programs based in the Charleston area.

Chef Patrick Wilson, PC-III, WCC, CCA, CEC, ACE, FMP

Patrick Wilson, PC-III, WCC, CCA, CEC, ACE, FMP, is the Executive Chef and House Manager at The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club in Hastings On Hudson, N.Y. Dating to 1888, Saint Andrew’s is America’s oldest continuously existing golf club (1888) and a founding member of the United States Golf Association. Located 20 minutes from New York City, members and guests enjoy golf in a spectacular setting while playing one of the metropolitan area’s best-conditioned and more exciting layouts – a challenging par-71 layout that was redesigned as a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in 1983.

In the light and airy dining room of Saint Andrew’s turn-of-the-century clubhouse, Wilson and his food-and-beverage team offer lunch and dinner menus with offerings for all styles of food. Wilson recently changed the club’s menu to a two-sided presentation: one side for a more traditional menu called “Club Fare,” and the other for an a la carte-style menu called “Modern Fare.” Items on the Modern Fare menu are lower in price, smaller in portion, more healthful, and allow for quicker service. The Modern Fare menu also includes non-prime cuts of meat, such as Hanger Steak, Braised Short Ribs, Filet of Fluke/Sole, and Sushi-Grade Pan-Seared Tuna, served in non-traditional china platters and bowls.

To keep menus more healthful, Wilson thickens soups with rice, potatoes or purees, and does not use roux in anything. For sauces, he makes glazes through reductions to enhance flavor, and uses a variety of seasonings, dashi, vinegars and compounds. He personally makes all pastry in-house and features healthful grains like spelt, quinoa, wild rice, Basmati rice, polenta, cous cous, brown rice and spaetzli, to supplement heavier starches.

Under Wilson’s direction, Saint Andrew’s started a fixed-price special on Wednesday nights in July and August (normally slow months for the club), and the offer drove business and bar consumption up 400% during that period. Thursday nights have become  theme nights at the club, with special menu items for themes such as Bistro Night, Steak Night, Lobster Night, Italian Night, Sushi and Sashimi Night, German Night, North African Night, French Night and Mediterranean Night.

For private parties, corporate outings and tournaments as well as member dining, the Saint Andrew’s food and beverage team also takes full advantage of the sweeping and spacious new deck that is poised dramatically from the clubhouse and overlooks the spectacular topography of the golf course’s fourth hole.

Beyond his role as Executive Chef and House Manager, Wilson, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), is also a mentor for the Pro Chef Exam and has floor-judged the Pro Chef exams. He is also an Approved Practical Examiner for the American Culinary Federation, and as such is one of only two chefs in the world who has both completed the Pro Chef exams and is an ACF-approved examiner.

Wilson has earned numerous certifications and accolades during his career, including Pro Chef Levels 1, 2 and 3; ACF Competition Gold Medal Winner; New York Hotel/Motel Show “Best Fish Platter”; Certified Culinary Administrator; Certified Executive Chef; World Certified Chef; Food Management Professional, National Restaurant Association; and Approved Culinary Evaluator. He is currently an Approved Master Chef Candidate for the Certified Master Chef exam.

Wilson has cooked at the James Beard House and consulted in Shanghai, China at the Nine Dragons Resort on cooking for Western tourists. He has also demonstrated Western Pastry at the Szechwan Institute for Higher Learning in Chengdu, China.

Randa Warren, M.S., CWE, DWS, CSS

Master Sommelier
Certified Wine Educator
Diploma of Wine and Spirits
Certified Specialist of Spirits

Randa Warren has been involved in the wine business for over 12 years.  She began through home study of WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust in England) wine courses through the International Wine Center in New York in 1998, and completed the final WSET Diploma program in 2001.  During this period, she also embarked on a rigorous journey with the Court of Master Sommeliers, gaining her Advanced Sommelier title on her first attempt in Las Vegas in 2000.

In the spring of 2001, Warren added the distinguished title of Certified Wine Educator, through the Society of Wine Educators in the United States. Fewer than 150 people that have earned access to this prestigious title.

In the spring of 2007, Warren became the sixteenth female Master Sommelier in the world, in the Spring of 2007.  Currently, there are only 167 Master Sommeliers worldwide, of whom 17 are women.

Currently based in Tulsa, Okla., Warren has written a local wine article for over ten years for Tulsa People, a monthly consumer publication.  She conducts private seminars and classes for financial institutions, business organizations, country clubs, resorts and private wine collectors around the country.  She also conducts monthly wine classes for many local Tulsa residents, and currently assists the Court of Master Sommeliers in teaching their Introductory and Certified Sommelier exams around the country.

Warren has been a member of the Confrerie du Tastevin in Burgundy for over 10 years and is a Dame de la Chaine des Rotisseurs in the United States (formerly Vice Eschanson of the L’Ordre Mondial, a sub-division of the Chaine des Rotisseurs specializing in the area of wine).

Clive Smith, Clubhouse Manager, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.

Coming from a large family that loved to entertain, Clive Smith opted for a career in Hospitality and Hotel Management  and graduated from the TWR Hotel School in Johannesburg, South Africa.  He then worked on three different continents, in kitchens as well as at the front-of-the-house, for both restaurants and resort hotels, before returning to South Africa for his first experience in the club industry at The Country Club Johannesburg.

Smith has been in the United States for the past 12 years. After a six-year tenure with Restaurant Associates, a – premier hospitality company, he moved back to the private club industry.  The last six years have been spent at Merion Golf Club, where his passion has been to deliver superior hospitality and create events that members and guests will enjoy and remember.

Having always had a special passion for wine, Smith has completed the Introductory Sommelier Course offered by the Court of Master Sommeliers, and is preparing to take the next steps towards certification. As Merion’s Clubhouse Manager, he has developed a wine program that has continued to grow over the past five years, with at least 10 wine dinners a year now on the club’s events calendar. Smith has brought winemakers from South Africa, France, Italy, Argentina, the U.S. and elsewhere around the world to showcase their country’s products and add to the “wow” factor of Merion’s wine program. “The success of our wine dinner events sell themselves,” Smith says. One of the most successful concepts (C&RB, July 2008, pg. 64) has been the Sundowner Wine Dinner held on Merion’s famed East Course (where the U.S. Open will be contested in 2013).

The success of the wine programs has also translated into other popular regular beverage events at Merion, such as single-malt scotch whisky tastings with The Macallan and The Glenlivet, and Brewmaster Dinners with Victory Brewing Company. A goal of the beverage programs at Merion is  to try to keep all palates happy, and that goal is pursued by having a full complement of lists in place for Reserve, Regular, Wines by the Glass, Port, Dessert, Single Malts, Beers, and fully stocked bars.

“The key element in making our beverage programs successful at Merion Golf Club,” Smith says, “is by having good controls on a fully stocked wine cellar and liquor room; on-the-job training and staff education; product knowledge, and marketing.  But most of all, a beverage program is not complete without the complement of great food. I am fortunate to have a great food-and-beverage team that constantly strives for the best.”

Chef Gerald Schmidt, C.E.C.

Gerald Schmidt, C.E.C., is Executive Chef and Culinary Director for Linger Longer Communities, which includes Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. In this position, Chef Schmidt oversees all culinary operations for five clubhouses, The Lake Club and a full-service, country-style, as well as all catering events for the community that was named the “Best of the Best” Golf Community by the Robb Report.  He manages a culinary staff of over 50 people at this 10,000-acre golf and lake community, which covers more than 80 miles of shoreline on Lake Oconee.

Chef Schmidt’s experience before taking his current position in 1999 included four years as Executive Chef at The Citrus Club in Orlando, Fla.  As part of his work with this ClubCorp property, he became a Regional Chef Specialist, working with 14 clubs, and created a legendary “Chef’s Dinners” series that featured guest chefs from other ClubCorp properties. He also was part of the team that opened the University Club at Florida State University’s Doak Campbell Stadium, and was part of a traveling team of chefs specializing in corporate, wine and fundraising dinners throughout the ClubCorp network.

During his career Chef Schmidt has also worked as Sous Chef Tournant for the Grande Floridian Beach Resort in Orlando, a luxury property within Walt Disney World; as Executive Chef at the Stanhope Hotel in New York City; as Executive Chef at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, Long Island, N.Y.; as Chef de Cuisine for the Trumpets Dining Room (Donald Trump’s first hotel endeavor) at the Grand Hyatt New York; as Chef Tournant for Les Chefs de France at the EPCOT Center in Orlando; and in an externship that covered every line position at the Hyatt Palm Beaches and Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Fla.

A 1982 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Schmidt was a finalist for the White House Chef position in 2005 and prepared state dinners and cuisine for Congressional receptions as part of the interview process.

Throughout his professional career, Chef Schmidt has put an emphasis on community involvement and has been an active participant of the Share Our Strength food drive for the hungry, including serving in an organizer capacity for several years in Central Florida. He also prepares monthly and yearly meals for active-duty military personnel at Veterans Hospital in Augusta, Ga.

Chef Schmidt has also been active in forming the Lake Oconee chapter of Chaine des Rotisseurs and has helped to build it up to now be the organization’s third-largest starting chapter. In 2006, he received the Silver Star of Excellence award for leadership, dedication and commitment to the Lake Oconee Chaine, and was also awarded

first ever nationally-awarded Jeunes Commis Medal of Merit for commitment in training and mentoring young staff.