AC Member Dining Survey
As we look ahead to 2027 and continue enhancing the value of membership, we have decided to transition the Taproom into a fully private dining space reserved exclusively for members, their families, and invited guests. This change will create a more exclusive, member-focused experience.
To help shape our future food and beverage offerings, we’ve narrowed the structure down to two options and need your feedback on which best aligns with your membership experience. We’re asking for as close to 100% participation as possible, as the survey results will ultimately determine which direction we take.
In either scenario, we plan to operate the Taproom much as we did this year; open seasonally from April through October and offering breakfast and lunch. The primary question is whether to include dinner service, and the answer to that is found in understanding the role and need of food and beverage.
What is the Role of Food and Beverage at the Club?
It’s intended to complement and complete your experience as a golf member. While every club needs to offer some level of food and beverage service, offerings vary widely depending on the club’s location and the dining options available nearby.
Atlantic City Country Club is a unique location with a short season at the Jersey Shore and an abundance of excellent dining options, particularly for dinner. This is one reason several other notable clubs in the area have chosen not to offer dinner service. Members generally prefer not to pay for services they are unlikely to use.
Clubs in the New York City area, and many clubs in Florida, especially in the Naples market, have adopted similar approaches. In other markets, with a longer established season and fewer available options nearby, dinner service is non-negotiable. However, that comes at a cost to the membership in the form of dining minimums.
Why Do Food & Beverage Minimums Exist?
Club Benchmarking published a great article on why clubs have F&B minimums as it is the most misunderstood charge on the statement. It is not a profit center. In most cases it is a subsidy mechanism for a department that loses money by design. The minimum exists to guarantee the food and beverage department a baseline of revenue it cannot count on from voluntary member dining alone. That guarantee is not arbitrary. It exists because the underlying department is, at most clubs, structurally unprofitable. Atlantic City Country Club is no exception.
What do YOU Want to Complete Your Membership Experience?
Dinner service is the key consideration, and we would need your feedback. Please select the option you personally prefer, rather than the one you believe others may favor. If you do not anticipate using the Club for dinner, we encourage you to let us know. Your response will not hurt our feelings, we simply want to shape the food and beverage program around the services our members value and are most likely to use.
Yes, I would like regular dinner service.
This option would require an annual $1,000 food and beverage minimum per membership, subject to the following terms:
- The minimum would apply to Taproom dining and could be used toward breakfast, lunch, or dinner and includes purchases made by your family members and accompanied guests.
- The minimum can also be used if you attend social events and holiday gatherings.
- The minimum would cover food and non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages and halfway house purchases would not count toward the minimum, nor would taxes or gratuity.
- A standard 15% automatic gratuity would be applied to your bill with the option to tip additional.
- Dinner service would be offered four nights per week, as it was this year, from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- The minimum would be calculated annually and would not need to be met on a monthly basis.
- The minimum would be paid up front, and a credit applied to your account.
No, I prefer breakfast and lunch only.
I would prefer not to have regular à la carte dinner service and would not want an annual food and beverage minimum.
This option would not eliminate all dinner offerings. We would plan to host a themed dinner each Thursday evening during the summer season, along with social events and holiday gatherings throughout the year, provided there is sufficient member interest and support.
Additionally, we can still accommodate nearly any small private dinner or dining event through our banquet department. The only difference being that menus and other details would be arranged in advance, rather than guests ordering à la carte upon arrival.
If you are undecided or anticipate using dinner service only occasionally, this may be the best option for you. There would still be enough dinner-related activity to meet the needs of members who plan to dine for dinner on a limited basis.
AC Member Dining Survey
The survey will remain open through the end of August, providing you with an opportunity to connect with us and share any questions, concerns, or suggestions while you are still in the area. Please submit your official responses by August 31.