Winter 2021

LUXLIFE MAGAZINE | 23 Winter 2021 of partnering with a local brewery to craft a delicious honey-saison beer that became an instant hit amongst their beer lovers. With their garden, honey, and orchard plans, Palo Alto Hills has a wonderful foundation to work off of, lending themselves to have one of the most sustainable, future-focused food and beverage programs in the Club industry. Yet, this is only one side to the food and beverage equation. Palo Alto Hills also has a brilliant, on-site Sommelier who heads the wine program at the Club. With a Michelin-backed background, Thomas Brenner has been instrumental in creating a well-rounded, elite list of wines for all palettes. Boasting nearly 350 labels and with connections to all the exclusive vineyards, Palo Alto Hills can offer wines for any occasion at a more attractive price than most, if not all, other wine sellers. Further, Palo Alto Hills brings a wonderful suite of ambitious food and wine events that will make the non-member envious. The Taste of Excellence event connects world- class wineries and Chefs from around the country, bringing an ultra-luxury food and wine tasting experience right in their Grand Ballroom and outdoor space. An important addition to their food and beverage program is the ability for the Members to choose when and where they experience their Palo Alto Hills Membership. They have a truly breath- taking array of takeout options so their Members can take a little bit of the Club home with them every day. Lunch To Go – A beautiful burger, a fresh salmon bowl, and a drink to go. Dinner To Go – Creatively curated and built to delight the senses. This is the option for those who want to bring home the true PAHGCC dining experience. Wine To Go – World class wines by the bottle or by the case, with prices that are only achievable through a PAH Membership. Groceries To Go – Why go out to shop when Members can get all their groceries at the Club. Everything a Member may need, in one spot. Farmer’s Market Boxes To Go – Fruits, greens, and lean proteins, all in one box. Completely customizable, Members cannot get enough of their PAH Farmer’s Market Boxes. It is no surprise that Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club has received #1 Culinary programming in California and #15 nationwide, and we couldn’t be more pleased to award them the prestigious title of ‘Golf & Country Club of the Year – SF Bay Area’. Company: Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club Phone: (650) 948-1800 Website: pahgcc.net for new Members, and an e-commerce platform for their Members, the Club has brought in many modern amenities to bring the Country Club experience into the future. Furthermore, it has used this to ‘show not tell’ how it has a core ethos of focusing on the young, considerate, family experience. Attaining #1 status nationwide for wellness centers and programming is no easy feat. It not only takes an impressive facility and space, but you need distinctive, experiential programs for fitness, youth, and family, all of which defines the Palo Alto Hills experience. Alongside this, it also boasts an Aqua Spa that not only offers a wide variety of massage options and facial treatments, but also has nuanced therapy like stretching sessions for golf flexibility. Moreover, their second-floor gym with studio windows that impressively overlook the expanse of their sprawling landscape additionally offers daily classes with personal trainers both in-person and virtual. Ever think you wanted a view while you’re playing tennis? Well, their tennis courts are perched atop a hill with views of the San Francisco skyline stretching to the far reaches of downtown San Jose. They have a competition pool offering year-round casual swimming alongside a proud, storied swim team for the young. As impressive as this may sound, nothing quite beats the warm feeling of community and togetherness that their space lends itself to. Their attention to family offerings extends year-round beginning with their variety of structured youth camps throughout the heartbeat of the summer and into the winter season. They offer everything including youth dining etiquette classes, youth culinary classes, lessons in golfing, swimming, and tennis, themed kids’ nights out and movie nights, and the list goes on. Some of the best family moments can be found in their events for every holiday of the year as well as their unique staple ‘Camp Runamok’ where families spend the night camping atop the Club’s hillside range, granting an unrivalled view of the Bay Area while undergoing the classic family games, activities, movies, and of course, a bonfire with s’mores. All of this encapsulates the Palo Alto Hills future-focused family-based mindset, which is something other Clubs are starting to pick up on. Having an impressively lengthy vertical that doesn’t mesh into a list of shallow experiences is a balance that is hard to find, yet Palo Alto Hills has managed to pull off the ultimate line-up of offerings with an immense amount of depth and thoughtfulness put into each endeavour. While the focus on family has remained core to the Palo Alto Hills experience, their exclusive culinary offerings cannot go unnoticed. With decorated Executive Chef Brian Healy holding decades of fine dining experience in the food and beverage world and a garden with plans on expanding to an orchard containing 150+ different varietals of fruit trees, Palo Alto Hills takes fresh, creative, seasonal food to another level. Their multi-faceted dining repertoire covers everything from the casual eat to the creatively curated fine dining experience. Using only fresh, seasonal, local, and quality ingredients, they have made momentous strides in creating a sustainable and world-class food and beverage program that has become their full-time sommelier’s playground for pairings. Unique to their Club, they have a bank of on-property beehives that are harvested annually, producing wonderful batches of in-house honey. They gather around 200 lbs of honey each year which they infuse throughout their daily menu specials and signature cocktails. A relatively new, but popular experience has been their Honey Harvest Dinner where Executive Chef Brian Healy creatively curates a list of honey- inspired dishes in a 5-course prix fix menu- format to delight, inspire, and experience. In addition, they use the honey in many of their salads, cocktails, and even offer take-home jars exclusive to the Palo Alto Hills Member, their contribution to natural allergy relief. Last year, they even went through the steps