Nearly eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have begun to operate a little differently.
With enhanced safety procedures, such as plexiglass and sanitation stations dispersed around the sprawling 77,000-square-foot clubhouse, TPC Sawgrass prides itself on being at the forefront of modern hospitality in the region.
On Oct. 20, TPC Sawgrass hosted an open house for all past, current and prospective clients to get a glimpse into how they are operating safely in a large banquet environment.
“We took early action to put into place national strategies for the TPC network of clubs,” said Peter verDorn, sales manager at TPC Sawgrass. “One big advantage at Sawgrass is that we are so spread out, more than other venues, so we are able to take groups and put them in larger rooms that they feel more comfortable with.”
During the open house, staff members arranged three of the luxurious banquet halls into examples of what future company events or wedding receptions may look like with the new safety protocols in effect.
A business meeting hosted at the clubhouse would include spaced-out tables and a projected screen, whereas a party in the ballroom would showcase socially distanced tables and a live DJ.
The clubhouse’s restaurant, which is open to the public, remains at 50% capacity, but verDorn said because the restaurant has so much space, these measures make the guests feel safer.
As guests experienced at last week’s open house, events hosting food distribution now offer a wider spread-out of food arrangement, plexiglass barriers and employees wearing masks. Staff members were passing out individually wrapped hand wipes, as well. All part of new policies to help establish guest safety.
Despite lowering the capacity of people in the clubhouse, TPC Sawgrass’ clubhouse is still hosting a number of weekly corporate events and meetings.
“We’ve been busy with a lot of weddings that got pushed back from earlier this spring,” verDorn said.
The Oct. 20 open house was a huge success for TPC Sawgrass, and verDorn said they received incredible, positive feedback.
“People have not done things like this in months. They want to get out, they just want to do it safely, and we want to show them that it is possible as long as you take the proper steps,” he said.
TPC Sawgrass anticipates using this safer strategy into the foreseeable future, ensuring guests that they can operate larger events in a controlled setting while still providing a beautiful experience.
