Troon Dines
EXPERIENCE NOT REQUIRED
Eat + Drink at Newly Opened Golfzon Social
By Joëlle Creamer
The only prerequisite at Golfzon Social (GZS) is the willingness to have fun. That’s it, nothing else. You don’t need golf clubs or a handicap, and there’s no dress code, no membership, no dinner reservations required.
Golfzon Social is the newest venue in “eatertainment” (the industry lingo for an experience that involves food and beverage, alongside other activities). Just debuted at the end of February, Golfzon Social’s inaugural location at Palisades Center in West Nyack, N.Y., is packed with 21,000-square-feet of space dedicated to … quite simply, fun. Guests can level up their golf game, family time game, and social game, all at the same time.
The new concept is a powerhouse collab from Troon, the world’s largest golf-related hospitality management company, and Golfzon, creator of the most technologically advanced simulator: Golfzon’s TwoVision. It’s thrilling to play indoor golf, with true-to-life course contours (featuring 80 of the world’s best courses) and real-time simulated ball flight data.
But for guests with sights set on advancing their game beyond the golf course, Golfzon Social’s chef-curated menu, creative cocktails, and spot-on sports-bar-like liveliness rivals even the best restaurants around.
Alexis Moniello of RealFood Hospitality, Strategy & Design shares a behind-the-scenes look at Golfzon Social’s dining and drinking experience. RealFood is part of the Troon family of brands and is the strategic partner in food and beverage development and operations for the Golfzon Social Palisades location, a future Scarsdale, N.Y. location, and others coming soon.
TROON: What’s the key ingredient to the success of the Golfzon Social experience?
Moniello: The GZS experience isn’t just a golf experience. It’s really honing in on the social experience and celebrating the conviviality of a local sports bar, while adding the dimension of simulator entertainment. It’s eatertainment at its finest!
Is GZS just for adult golfers?
GZS is for everyone. We envision the serious golfer popping in for coffee and a few practice swings in the mornings, family leagues during the day, a vibrant happy hour scene, and a fun go-to for date nights or gatherings with friends and co-workers in the evenings.
What can we look forward to from the dining experience at GZS?
The focus is on the experience, not just the food, not just the drinks, and not just the golf. It’s about getting to enjoy a space in different ways to fulfill the desires of your occasion. Every visit can be different, but every visit is a visit to share with friends and with the strangers (or future friends) sharing the seats next to you.
On the menu, emphasis is on shareable plates and large-format, shareable drinks. At the Palisades location, the bar is designed to feel like a food truck, surrounded by lounge and table seating. Guests order through a server, up at the “food-truck”-style bar, or via a QR code assigned to them upon arrival.
How about the drinking experience?
One word: CRUSHABLE. For Golfzon Social Palisades, our drink menu is refreshing and bright, with something for everyone (including non-alcoholic cocktails).
Are there signature menu items that you recommend?
Everyone will want to try the flatbreads — who doesn’t love sharing toppings on bread? The mules will also be a hit — refreshing and in a frosty copper mug; they’ll have that “sizzling fajita” effect once they start hitting tables. Or try the “Big ol’Mule,” which is the shareable version of the signature drink.
What’s something interesting about GZS that some people might not know?
Even the sims aren’t just golf! Did I mention the game Window Smash? As someone who would be considered not-quite-a-golfer (unless you count putt-putt, then watch out!), I can’t wait to get my hands on a club and play at GZS!
