Title: Golf's Surprising Shift: Is the Classic Hot Dog at the Turn Meeting Its End?
Venturing to the turn for a classic hot dog might soon be as obsolete as the 1-iron, predicts Spencer Potter, the ingenious founder of ClubGrub. He ascribes this shift to golfers making healthier choices and longing for more diverse dining options.
ClubGrub, a food and beverage app used at 87 U.S. golf courses, analyzed over 27,000 orders and discovered that hot dogs, a historic course staple, constituted less than 5% of the total orders. ClubGrub, similar to a golf-specific DoorDash, enables golfers to pre-order food for pickup or delivery straight to their cart.
Prior to creating ClubGrub, Potter was a successful DJ in the New York Metropolitan area, famously selling his 867-5309 phone number for $186,853.09 on eBay. After relocating and exiting Turntable Events, he still DJs as a creative escape from tech startup life.
Potter's career as a DJ honed his skills in reading crowds, adapting on-the-fly, and delivering unforgettable experiences—skills that proved invaluable when reimagining the on-course golf dining experience. A lousy meal at the turn served as the catalyst for Potter's pivot.
"This is disgusting; someone needs to fix this," Potter lamented, observing that the poor dining experience wasn't isolated to elite private clubs or local municipal courses. The idea of providing made-to-order, fresh course nosh in a seamless manner simmered in Potter's mind for a decade before technology caught up with his aspirations, prompting him to leave the music world to tackle the mediocre golf dining experience.
"The ordering process is either waiting for a beverage cart, limited in menu and scope, or rushing into the halfway house at the turn to avoid holding up the group and settling for a hot dog because it’s quick serve," Potter explained. This inefficient process, he contended, is both a frustration for golfers and a missed opportunity for course operators to expand their onsite restaurant offerings.
Golfers yearn for variety, Potter observed. They're less enamored with hot dogs than the industry assumes, and ClubGrub's data corroborated this sentiment.
"People really aren't ordering hot dogs at all. They'd rather have a fresh chicken sandwich or even a premium burger, and that's increasing ticket averages," Potter noted. This shift in preferences meshes with the evolution of major league ballpark fare, where handheld choices have surpassed pretzels and dogs, encompassing Dungeness crab sandwiches, Korean fried chicken, and fish tacos.
ClubGrub's GPS locator separates it from competitors, sharing customers' live locations for direct deliveries. The app is utilized on the driving range, putting green, and, in certain cases, houses in the immediate neighborhood.
An overwhelming majority of ClubGrub's partners have abandoned the traditional mobile merchandising vehicles, opting instead to rely on order runners from the clubhouse. Resistance to adopt ClubGrub from club owners often stemmed from apprehension towards changing the status quo and the challenges inherent in adopting yet another new service. However, ClubGrub's POS agnostic nature and ease of integration alleviated these concerns, and the company expects its club partner count to double by the end of 2025.
ClubGrub, similar to Uber Eats or Grubhub, allows golfers to order food delivery straight to their golf cart. golfers are now choosing less of the traditional hot dog and opting for more diverse options, such as fresh chicken sandwiches and premium burgers. The use of ClubGrub has led to an increase in ticket averages, reflecting the changing preferences of golfers. ClubGrub's GPS locator sets it apart from competitors, enabling direct deliveries on the driving range, putting green, and even nearby houses.
Golfers' dissatisfaction with the traditional dining options at golf courses, including hot dogs, has led to a shift towards healthier and more diverse meals. ClubGrub, by offering food delivery directly to golfers' carts, has made it easier for golfers to order their preferred meals, such as a fresh chicken sandwich or premium burger.
Golf course operators can expand their restaurant offerings by catering to the changing preferences of golfers, who are now less enamored with classic hot dogs and more interested in diverse, made-to-order options. ClubGrub's analysis of over 27,000 orders revealed that hot dogs constituted less than 5% of the total orders, emphasizing the demand for more varied dining options.
The efficient delivery of food through ClubGrub has eliminated the frustration of waiting for a beverage cart or rushing into the halfway house at the turn for quick service. This has resulted in golfers having a better dining experience, which in turn can enhance their overall enjoyment of the game.
ClubGrub's success in integrating with golf courses and expanding its club partner count indicates that traditional mobile merchandising vehicles are becoming obsolete. ClubGrub's ease of integration and POS agnostic nature have made it an attractive option for club owners, who are now abandoning traditional methods of food delivery in favor of ClubGrub's more efficient and customer-friendly service.
