A Seat at the Table

Last week at The Addington, I found myself on the patio after a round; just the way it worked out, there was only one table with space. My playing partners had scattered, and I asked a chap putting out on the green if the seat next to his jumper and half-finished drink was taken. He nodded, said I was welcome to the other one. So I sat.

When he came over, I introduced myself. His name was Simon. He’d been a member for 54 years. We got talking; about the course, its changes, its heyday, its dips. About how he views the renovation project. About golf, really its rhythms, its people, the way it keeps us coming back. We spoke for quite a while. So long, in fact, he nearly missed his tee time.

It struck me how unlikely it would have been for us to meet otherwise. Different age, different circles, different rhythms of life. And yet here we were, connected by a shared love of the game, chatting over a casual drink, thanks to nothing more than a bit of spare seating.

And it got me thinking. About layout. About design. About community.

In hospitality, I’ve obsessed over seating plans for years. Wagamama figured it out decades ago: long benches, shared space, organic interactions. What if we brought some of that thinking to golf clubs? What if furniture placement didn’t just serve form and function… but connection?

In the UK, we’re not always great at striking up conversation; think of the London Underground, everyone avoiding eye contact like it’s a game. But a table shared? It changes things. It opens doors. It makes space for a chat with someone like Simon.

Some US clubs are quite deliberate about this, staff often placing you with another fourball post-round, sparking those natural conversations. We don’t really do that here. But maybe we could.

Because F&B isn’t just about food and drink. It’s about what happens around them. It’s the stories shared over a pint. The nod across the room. The unexpected conversation that stays with you.

A bit of thought in room layout — just enough friction to invite connection — might just be one of the simplest ways to deepen the member experience.

And I, for one, am glad I asked if that seat was taken.

Quick one — if you’ve not done this yet, my scorecard helps you spot gaps across guest experience, costs, and day-to-day ops. Takes a few minutes and you’ll get a proper report at the end.