The 2024 Club + Resort Chef of the Year Culinary Competition at the end of the Chef to Chef Conference in Austin was a vibrant display of culinary talent and creativity. The event, a highlight of the conference, brought together four top chefs from clubs across the nation to compete in a high-stakes environment.
Martis Camp Club’s Executive Chef Conor Ball, from Truckee, California, emerged victorious, earning the title of Club + Resort Chef of the Year. Chef Ball’s winning small plate was a pho beef tartare with pickled jalapeño, mango, and crispy wonton. His entrée featured a diver scallop ‘chowder’ with applewood smoked bacon, celery, and fennel.
Chef Ball was assisted by his apprentice, Yafreicy (Yaya) Rodriguez, Banquet Chef at Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C., and a Club + Resort Chef 40 Under 40 honoree. Together, they demonstrated exceptional teamwork and skill, earning Ball the prestigious title and a $4,000 prize.
The runner-up was Lexington Country Club’s Executive Chef Chloe Dykes, from Kentucky, who competed alongside her apprentice Aladdin Chitadze, Sous Chef of Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dykes was awarded a $1,000 prize for her impressive dishes.
Other competitors included Anthony Capua, CECC, Executive Chef at Brentwood Country Club in Los Angeles, California, and Kevin Murphy, Executive Chef at Edgartown Yacht Club in Massachusetts. Each chef brought their unique style and culinary expertise to the competition, making it a memorable event for all attendees.
Two sponsors made the competition possible: Sterling Silver, which provided high-quality beef, and Triar Seafood, which supplied swordfish, scallops, and red shrimp.
The Club + Resort Chef of the Year Culinary Competition continues to be a vital part of the Chef to Chef Conference, offering an exciting, live cooking experience that celebrates the passion, innovation, and expertise of club chefs.
Former Club + Resort Chef of the Year Winners:
- 2024: Conor Ball, Executive Chef of Martis Camp Club
- 2023: Sam Brod, CEC, Executive Chef of The Landings Golf & Athletic Club
- 2022: Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC, Forest Lake Country Club
- 2022: James Allen, CEC, Blackthorn Club at the Ridges
- 2020: Scott Craig, CEC, CCA, WCMC, Myers Park Country Club
- 2020: J. Kevin Walker, CMC, AAC Ansley Golf Club
- 2019: Eva Barrios, CEC, Austin Country Club
- 2019: Nelson Millán, San Antonio Country Club
- 2018: Brandon Gross, The Metropolitan Club of the City of Washington D.C
- 2017: Todd Walline, CEC, CCA, Blue Hills Country Club
- 2016: Thayer Johnson, Castlewood Country Club
The application for chefs interested in competing in the 2025 Club + Resort Chef of the Year Application is now open. Click the button below to apply.
