Award-Winning Chef Cooking Up Excitement as New Operations Leader at The Loon
The award-winning chef is now in charge of more than the kitchen at The Loon Golf Resort, and he said the resort will continue to put customer service first.
Dave Bourdlaies, a Gaylord native, is the new director of operations at The Loon, where he has been in charge of food service for the last nine years.
“I am excited about it,” he said at the recent Michigan Golf Show in Novi. “I’m customer-service oriented and believe in taking care of our guests, offering a fun atmosphere, great food and seeking overall customer service satisfaction.”
Bourdlaies heads a new leadership team that really isn’t new at The Loon, which is a sparkling part of the Gaylord Golf Mecca, a marketing cooperative of 15 golf courses and 20 lodging partners.
Rob Schrader, who has worked in golf at the resort in the past, is the director of golf, and Brett Sides, who has worked in various roles, is the director of guest services.
“We all know The Loon operation and we want to make sure we don’t step away from having the personal touch,” Bourdlaies said. “We want to be all about knowing our group names and having the entertainment they seek. We want to provide a millennial approach to improving the experience people have when they come to a golf resort.”
Bourdlaies said The Loon will welcome its new visitors, returning guests and local golfers in the same manner.
“We are going to give them all the personal touch,” he said. “We want it to be a great experience. We are going to continue to work with the Gaylord Golf Mecca and promote ourselves, but also the experiences in the area. It works when we are all together making sure a visit, a round of golf, a dinner or lunch, is a great experience.”
Bourdlaies said Schrader is the perfect fit for the golf operations. “He is a great guy, he takes care of our courses and our guests and strives to make sure everyone has a positive experience,” he said.
As for Sides, Bourdlaies said he will also create a positive experience. “He’s very customer oriented and knows how to find out what the guests want and then help to deliver it,” he said.
Bourdlaies, 37, has been working in the resort business since age 15 with stops in Bay City, Lansing and Harbor Springs along the way.
He said he is ready to oversee The Loon Golf Resort and its features that include:
- Three great courses including The Loon, The Lakes and The Ridge, a trio that offers distinct golf experiences, exceptional views of pure Northern Michigan, excellent golf conditions and practice facilities and game improvement opportunities, too.
- Comfortable, modern and perfectly planned lodging, including The Loon Town Home Village with its rooms designed with golfers in mind, and the updated lodging at The Ridge, which includes hotel style rooms, suites and free-standing condominium style units.
- Outstanding dining in The Loon Restaurant, which is just a smooth 100-yard wedge shot from the Town Home Village, and The Summit Grill, which is in the clubhouse at the center of the nearby Ridge complex.
- A limo bus with friendly drivers that moves guests from The Loon to The Lakes to The Ridge with ease and comfort.
Plan your visit to The Loon Golf Resort by checking out loongolfresort.com or calling 989-732-4454. Come see Dave, Rob and Brett. They will make your visit special.
– Greg Johnson
