Troon Country Club Executive Chef Carlos Lechuga was recently named to Club + Resort Chef’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2024. Chef Lechuga’s selection followed a comprehensive nomination process led by industry leaders and peers, with the final selection overseen by Club + Resort Chef and a panel of club chefs. The criteria for selection were stringent, focusing on each nominee’s commitment to culinary excellence, creativity, leadership, active participation in the industry, and their overarching ability to inspire those around them. Club + Resort Chef is a bi-monthly magazine for club and resort chefs and food-and-beverage professionals.
Chef Lechuga, 35, has been leading the culinary operations at Troon Country Club since December 2021. His passion for cooking while creating delicious and aesthetically pleasing dishes that reflect his love for local and seasonal foods have earned him rave reviews from the Troon Country Club membership. He is extraordinarily organized and understands the importance of maintaining visibility with the members and regularly spends time out of the kitchen. Chef Lechuga applies his unique brand of creativity when designing menus for the Club’s dining outlets and member events – whether it’s a 300-person themed event or presenting the perfect pairing for a featured wine dinner – and his Daily Features and Catch of the Day are consistent top sellers. Under Chef Lechuga’s leadership, member satisfaction scores related to food consistency and quality have increased by 17.5 percent year over year, and the member experience rating in food and beverage has increased 6 percent.
“Chef Lechuga consistently demonstrates a high standard of excellence, exceptionally sound judgement and management abilities, and is able adapt to the dynamic and challenging demands of the Club’s social calendar and multiple dining outlets,” said Garrett Wallace, chief operating officer and general manager, Troon Country Club. “Above all, Chef Lechuga is consciously kind and truly cares about his people. He intentionally goes out of his way to build the proper culture so that he’s not just building a team, he is lifting up each individual. The result is a culinary team that is not only skilled, but also enthusiastic, loyal, reliable, and willing to reach for a higher standard.”
As a child Chef Lechuga’s passion for the culinary arts developed while cooking family meals with his father, and spending hours watching the Food Network and popular shows such as Iron Chef. To this day, Chef Lechuga enjoys bringing people together, creating memories while sharing food.
“This is quite an honor and means so very much to me,” said Lechuga. “Thank you to Club + Resort Chef for the recognition and to our Troon Country Club culinary team for their relentless dedication and tremendous teamwork.”
Club + Resort Chef’s 40 Under 40 recognition not only honors the individual achievements of the 40 culinary innovators but also highlights their collective impact on elevating the standards and expectations within the club and resort culinary community. It serves as a testament to their hard work, creativity, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of club culinary.
Located in North Scottsdale, Troon Country Club recently completed a $3.75 million dining enhancement project and launched a new restaurant, Vista. Chef Lechuga’s wine dinners were one of the driving forces to adding an elevated dining experience to the Club. Additional culinary offerings include the Quail’s Nest lounge, The Roost members’ grill and The Poolside Grill. The Club’s expansive patio is a perfect backdrop for sunset dinners, lunch with friends or a refreshing beverage after play and is equipped with misting systems and heaters that allow the space to adapt with the seasons. Troon Country Club features a Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf-design that originally opened for play in 1986. In 2020, the course underwent a $4.6 million dollar, seven-month-long renovation led by Weiskopf and design consultant Phil Smith.
For more information on Troon Country Club, visit www.trooncc.com or call Nicole Niemann, Director of Sales and Marketing, at 480-473-5093.
