©2019 Saratoga Photographer.com
By Susan E. Campbell
There is a transformation underway at Greenfield’s Brookhaven Golf Course and central to the changes are new owners and a new name for the club’s restaurant, The Full Course.
Tina Pethick has worked in the restaurant business since 1982, including 15 years at Perillos Golf Course near Malta, and had been looking into buying a restaurant for some time.
“I was cutting coupons when I saw the ad for Brookhaven, which is only four miles from home. I contacted Jeff Douglas and he said, ‘Go for it,’” said Pethick. “It was the perfect location and perfect timing.”
Douglas came in with Pethick as a financial partner and contributes his experience in business to the team. He works full time as a superintendent for a construction company and joins Pethick after work to “help with repairs and day-to-day physical maintenance,” she said. “He is my calm and the brains behind this venture.”
Pethick said she had “many requirements” for going into business on her own. “The restaurant has to be clean and fresh and employees need to earn their money. I believe that the better you treat your employees, the better they will treat you.”
The former Haven Tee Room had been closed since November when the golf course closed for the season. Pethick started in January to get ready for parties and weddings that had been booked through the spring.
“There were contracts we wanted to make sure were fulfilled,” said Pethick.
The focus in transforming the restaurant has been on “putting customers first” and recreating a setting that is “more inviting to families” she said. “We want to be a destination that’s fun, whether after golf or after work. We are aiming for a neighborhood bar atmosphere where people can chat and have a good time.”
The owners have replaced banquet tables with round tables and updated the paint colors and curtains. In the kitchen, Pethick has done “a lot of cleaning and organizing to make a smoother flow” for staff. A small snack bar area that was underused was repurposed into a small, private dining room seating 30, she said.
“The menu has lots of homemade items and family friendly food, and favorites like chicken parmigiana, pork cutlet and bruschetta,” she said. “Our goal is to do as much in-house is possible. All of our dressings, for example, are homemade.”
Dave Deval is the new head chef and chef Aaron Mondore works with Deval on banquets and receptions. He has experience from BWP, Mangino’s, the Horseshoe and Nové.
At the front of the house, Pethick is a “hands-on manager who can do whatever is needed, from serving and bartending to doing paperwork and recipes,” she said.
She will be looking to add staff as the year goes on, she said. There will be music on the patio Friday evenings during the warmer weather. The patio seats 40-50 and has not been used in the past for musical entertainment, according to Pethick.
The Full Course at Brookhaven Golf Course is north of Saratoga Springs at 333 Alpine Meadows Road in Porter Corners.
“This is a great place to get out of the hustle and bustle and look out into the Adirondacks,” said Pethick. “We want to be a place that the community wants and invite their input. They have been very supportive.”
The Full Course is open every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The website is www.fullcourseny.com.