Executive Chef Tradition Golf Club La Quinta, CA

EXECUTIVE CHEF POSITION PROFILE: TRADITION GOLF CLUB LA QUINTA, CA THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OPPORTUNITY AT TRADITION GOLF CLUB Tradition Golf Club is seeking an Executive Chef to take a meaningful next step in their culinary leadership journey. This opportunity is ideally suited for a chef who has developed a strong foundation in product quality, seasonality, and team leadership, and is ready to step into a premier role within a storied, tradition-rich club environment. The position offers the opportunity to collaborate with an engaged and supportive leadership team, while leading a culinary program grounded in consistency, simplicity, and a deep connection to the membership. It is an environment where thoughtful execution, steady leadership, and a commitment to excellence are both expected and valued. Click here to view a brief video about this opportunity. ABOUT TRADITION GOLF CLUB Tradition Golf Club is a highly regarded, member-owned private club and residential community located in the heart of La Quinta, California. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mountains, the Club is recognized for its understated luxury, exceptional golf experience, and intimate, relationship-driven culture. Originally envisioned as Arnold Palmer’s West Coast home club, Tradition has long been regarded as one of Coachella Valley’s most distinctive and respected private club communities, blending timeless elegance with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The culture of Tradition is intentionally low profile, refined, and unpretentious. Members value authenticity, personal relationships, and exceptional service delivered in a thoughtful and understated manner. While the Club offers premier private club experience, it does so with a comfortable, family-oriented environment that emphasizes camaraderie, hospitality, and genuine connection among members and staff alike. The Club features an 18-hole championship golf course and a 9-hole Par 3 course, both designed by Arnold Palmer, along with an expansive practice facility that supports players of all skill levels. At the center of the community is the intimate 27,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial-style clubhouse, thoughtfully designed to complement the adjacent historic Hacienda property dating back to the early 1900s. Recent enhancements to the Clubhouse include expansive open-air terraces and a covered courtyard that maximize views of the golf course and surrounding mountains, further elevating the member dining and social experience. Members also enjoy the Tavern at Tradition, fitness and spa amenities, bocce courts, and an active social calendar throughout the season. Tradition operates as a highly seasonal club, with the clubhouse traditionally closed from June through October each year. During this period, the Club uses the summer months to complete maintenance projects, conduct operational planning, and prepare for the upcoming season, with full operations resuming in the fall. TRADITION GOLF CLUB BY THE NUMBERS 275 members in all categories 17,400 rounds of golf annually $250,000 Initiation fee $62,500 Annual dues $23M Gross Volume $8.1M Annual dues volume 52% Food Cost Budget 54% Kitchen Labor Cost Budget 24 Kitchen FTE’s – Positions – (Executive Chef, Chef de Cuisine) $2.4M F&B Volume (68% à la carte; 32% catering) 62 Full-time employees – 111 Seasonal employees 7 Board members with 3-year rotating terms 64 Average age of members Jonas for POS System TRADITION GOLF CLUB WEBSITE: www.traditiongc.com EXECUTIVE CHEF JOB OVERVIEW The Executive Chef (EC) at Tradition Golf Club is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and execution of all culinary operations, including the primary dining outlet and private dining space. In this close-knit club environment, the EC is a hands-on leader who is deeply involved in menu development, food purchasing specifications, and recipe execution, while ensuring consistent quality, strong cost controls, and adherence to the highest standards of food safety and sanitation. Working closely with the culinary team and the club’s leadership, the Executive Chef leads, mentors, and develops the kitchen staff through active presence on the floor and in the kitchen. The EC establishes clear standards, systems, and expectations, fostering accountability, teamwork, and pride in execution. Through strong communication, approachability, and a commitment to excellence, the Executive Chef plays a visible and integral role in delivering a memorable and consistent dining experience for the Club’s members. FOOD & BEVERAGE OPERATIONS: Main Dining Room – On the main level of the Clubhouse, it serves as the main dining room and bar for Tradition. The dining space opens onto a beautiful exterior patio that provides additional seating and offers an exceptional ambiance for outdoor dining. This dining space serves as the main hub for Club social functions and meetings. This single dining space is open for lunch and dinner during the season. Dinner is available based on the season and the schedules of club operations. Coyote Café – Satellite dining space, perfectly positioned as a turn-style location with full dining and seating. Outdoor cooking station, as well as indoor/outdoor seating. Seasonal operation. Courtyard Patio – Perfect setting with views of the Eisenhower Cottage, Kennedy Cottage, and Main Clubhouse. This patio is ideal for cocktail parties and members’ social events. Kennedy Cottage – small private setting for member dinners and celebrations Palmer Foyer – formally his office has been transitioned into a private dining space with memorabilia of his life and sport achievements. Men’s Locker Room Lounge – where lunch can be served Women’s Locker Room/Card Room – where gathering and light snacks take place. Leadership Take full ownership of the culinary team; build trust by engaging, observing, learning, and listening to their wisdom, experience, and needs. Earn members’ trust by instilling confidence through continued enhanced operations, interaction, and visibility. Create a fun, collaborative work environment while being “hands-on” when necessary but understanding when to step back and lead the team. Involve team members in the decision-making process of how “work gets done” and create a work environment of mutual respect in which people want to come to and participate every day. Work closely with the front-of-house leadership and broader club leadership team to ensure a cohesive experience that consistently exceeds expectations for Members and guests. Be an active and dynamic recruiter of team members and someone who inherently enjoys developing and building their team and leading them to significant, positive membership satisfaction outcomes. To have a passion and aptitude for teaching and training all food service personnel, working as necessary with the team directly responsible for operations to create a learning culture of development. Operations Be a collaborative team player who is willing to be “hands-on” within the operations daily, while training the team to take ownership and step back when appropriate. Develop and maintain standard recipes and techniques for food preparation and presentation that help to ensure consistency, high-quality, and minimize food costs. Be well-versed in menu development and execution of various cuisine types and styles. Attend Food and Beverage, Leadership, Financial, and other Meetings and represent the culinary team as a senior leader at the club. Establish controls to minimize food and supply waste and theft. Safeguard all food-preparation employees by implementing training to increase their knowledge about safety, sanitation, and accident prevention principles. Maintain safety training programs. Manages OSHA-related aspects of kitchen safety and maintains MSDSs in an easily accessible location. Membership Have a heart of hospitality, embrace, appreciate, promote, and elevate the warmth and culture of the Club. Be highly visible and engaged with Membership throughout the F&B outlets and events, have an intuitive feel for where to be and when. Welcome, encourage, and engage in regular feedback from Members. Be responsive to Members’ requests for menu selections, event planning, etc., and strive to find creative ways to accommodate reasonable requests with a “can-do” approach Consistently innovate, elevate events, and build on a core selection of club favorites and signature dishes. Create seasonally appropriate menus that the Membership has a hard time choosing from, with regular features and specials. Financial Clearly understand the metrics for successful attainment of financial goals and objectives in F&B operations and consistently review these expectations with their direct reports to ensure understanding and ‘buy-in’ from those contributing to their attainment. Oversee the pricing of menus for all outlets in the club and for special occasions and events. Schedule and coordinate the work of chefs, cooks, and other kitchen employees to ensure that food preparation is economical and technically correct, and within budgeted labor cost goals. Embrace the use of systems (including regular inventory processes) and technology to assist in the management of the kitchen and the financial performance of the operation. Monitor payroll and labor resource allocations to ensure they are in line with financial forecasting and goals. Maintain strong relationships with local vendors and identify new vendors to ensure the best prices for the best quality products. INITIAL PRIORITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE CHEF Set a Culture of Quality and Pride: Establish clear expectations around food quality, cleanliness, and execution, and ensure that member favorites and special offerings are prepared with care, consistency, and attention to detail. Focus on Consistency and the Fundamentals: Prioritize doing the basics well every day, strong organization, sound systems, and reliable execution so that members can count on a consistently positive dining experience. Get to Know the Members: Take time to understand member preferences, dining habits, and traditions, maintaining popular staples while building trust through responsiveness and familiarity. Introduce Thoughtful Creativity: Refresh menus and features in a way that feels approachable and appropriate for the Club, balancing creativity with comfort and familiarity. Lead and Develop the Team: Serve as a hands-on leader and mentor, supporting staff development through coaching, training, and clear expectations while fostering a positive, collaborative kitchen culture. Be Present and Approachable: Maintain a visible, welcoming presence in the kitchen and dining areas, building strong relationships with members, staff, and leadership. Provide Steady, Practical Leadership: Offer calm, organized leadership within a smaller operation, working closely with the front-of-house and management team to support teamwork, communication, and shared goals. CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS Five years’ experience in a similar role or Executive Sous Chef with exposure to luxury hospitality, or large multi-outlet operations with both busy a la carte and banquets. Experienced with and embraces new technology, including POS and Microsoft Suite. This is an ideal role for a mature Executive Sous Chef to begin their advanced leadership in the private club sector. EDUCATIONAL AND CERTIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS An associate or bachelor’s degree is preferred with a focus on Hospitality Management or Culinary. In lieu of the degree, substantial culinary or hospitality experience will be considered. Has achieved or is working towards Certified Executive Chef (CEC) certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) or Pro Chef II certification through the Culinary Institute of America. Food Safety Certified SALARY AND BENEFITS Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The club offers an excellent bonus and benefits package, including association membership. Salary Range: $180,000 – $210,000 INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO APPLY Please upload your resume and cover letter, in that order, using the link below. You should have your documents ready to attach when prompted during the online application process. Please be sure your image is not present on your resume or cover letter; that should be used on your LinkedIn Profile. Prepare a thoughtful cover letter addressed to Mr. Kyle Draper, CEO of Tradition Golf Club. Clearly articulate your alignment with this role, why you want to be considered for this position at this stage of your career, and why the club and the La Quinta, CA area will benefit you, your family, your career, and the Club if selected. You must apply for this role as soon as possible, but no later than Monday July 20th. Candidate selections will occur in Late July, with the first Interviews expected in Mid-August and the second interviews shortly thereafter. The successful candidate should assume their role in September. IMPORTANT: Save your resume and letter in the following manner: “Last Name, First Name – Resume” & “Last Name, First Name – Cover Letter Tradition Golf Club” (These documents should be in Word or PDF format.) Note: Once you complete the application process for this search, you cannot go back to add additional documents. If you have any questions, please email Bethany Taylor: bethany@kkandw.com LEAD SEARCH EXECUTIVES: Annette Whittley, CCM |Hospitality Consultant, Trainer & Search Executive O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 721 | M: (561) 827-1945 annette@kkandw.com Lawrence McFadden, CMC, ECM | Search & Consulting Executive O: (833) KKW-HIRE, ext. 715 | M: (239) 963-6888 lawrence@kkandw.com To apply for this position click the link below. Apply for the Tradition Golf Club Executive Chef position