{"id":109588,"date":"2025-08-01T06:45:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T06:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/109588\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T06:45:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T06:45:11","slug":"how-a-maricopa-golf-club-bistro-survives-the-summer-slump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/109588\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Maricopa golf club bistro survives the summer slump"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The BLT sandwich is served with a half-pound of bacon and a side of French fries and ranch dressing at the Duke at Rancho El Dorado’s Silver Spur Grill on July 30, 2025. [Monica D. Spencer]<\/p>\n

The facts don\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n

Fact 1: It\u2019s hot in Maricopa in the summertime.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fact 2: Many snowbirds flock to cooler northern locations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fact 3: Higher temperatures and a smaller number of people equal fewer golfers and, in turn, less customers for the Silver Spur Grill<\/a> at The Duke at Rancho El Dorado.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Business is \u201cdown quite a bit, at least 75% between June and August,\u201d Terry Duggan, CEO of the local operation, told InMaricopa earlier this month. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty normal. You just have to get a little more creative, and we continue to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the traditional methods to try and encourage golfers to brave the heat is The Duke Summer Punch Pass. For one price ($299 plus tax), golfers get 10 rounds, an equal number of drink tickets, a dozen golf balls and 10 small buckets for use on the driving range.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The passes are good through Sept. 28, just prior to the course closing for two weeks for its last grass overseeding before the busy season commences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe get early golfers [in the grill] until about 9:30 a.m.,\u201d Duggan said. \u201cWe\u2019re trending up a little this year [in both golf rounds and restaurant guests]. At lunch a few more come in. The afternoon is pretty sparse right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The chef salad served at the Duke at Rancho El Dorado\u2019s Silver Spur Grill is a dish that light but not overly so. It features a hefty mix of vegetables, bacon, turkey, salami, pepperoni, cheese and boiled eggs. [Monica D. Spencer]With golfers hitting the tees at first light, one special offers the opportunity to play the back nine holes (starting before 6:30 a.m.) followed by breakfast. \u201cWe get a few of those every morning,\u201d Duggan said.<\/p>\n

Three summer tournaments with early morning shotgun starts typically attract about 100 golfers each with lunch and drinks following.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Enticing the non-golfers to come out to the grill and bar is where the creativity comes in. A few examples:\u00a0<\/p>\n