Chelsea Kalt
I love the full experience of playing a round of golf. Sure it includes hitting drives and making (or missing) putts, but there’s so much more to it. Eating and drinking the occasional cocktail while playing golf is such a joy, and having the free time to do so is a privilege not lost on me. In the spirit of dreaming of brighter and warmer days, humor me as I reminisce about some iconic bites and beverages I’ve had thus far on or near the golf course. And I intent to update this blog throughout the year as I experience (manifesting this!) blog worthy bites in 2024. How does that sound? Sounds yum!
Pre Round Warm Up:
Have you ever had a cup of coffee that exceeded your expectations? It was solely meant to serve as a functional way to kick off the morning routine and yet I can still recall it 10 months later. A woah moment of, I’m going to sacrifice my time at the practice range because I have to have one more cup because it's so smooth? There’s a lot of wonderful elements to Chechessee Creek Club (fun walkable course, cool clubhouse, and we love Coore & Crenshaw), but the hot black coffee I had with breakfast that day was magnificent. I wish I had told my new instagram friend @happiestcoffeehour about it. Whatever they were brewing in the 2023 season, I hope it makes a comeback for their members and guests in 2024.
PS - awesome logo. Buy something from the proshop.
The soup of the day at Crail in Scotland was arguably my favorite meal of the whole FTL Scotland trip. In the spirit of jetlag and having the first-tee-of-an-epic week jitters, I don’t remember exactly what kind of soup it was. Does that matter for the purpose of this blog? No, and trust me because I’m loyal and honest. Here’s what I do remember, it was steaming hot, and it was tomato based with lentils. It rocked my world. If you have any further questions, please direct them to Kelly S., she’s a soup connoisseur.
Shoutout to the girls who ordered the baked potato with cheese and sour cream which was the largest baked potato I’ve ever seen, and was labeled as a “light bite” on their menu. Lesson to be learned, if Crail in Scotland is on your itinerary you should prioritize eating there, too.
The breakfast tacos at the driving range at Diamante in Mexico are top notch (as is the driving range itself). My mouth is watering as I think about the habanero sauce I drizzled on top of them. Before one of my rounds, a local commented that he was impressed by the quantity of habanero sauce I added. What can I say, I like my mouth to be on fire.
Snacks at The Turn:
Everyone talks about the macaroni pie at the turn at The Old Course, but seeing as I’m lactose intolerant (and a little bit nervous at The Old Course) I opted for something a little less chaotic, the potato and leek soup. Don’t sweat, I still took a lactaid pill and always carry them in my golf pouch. Sipping soup out of a paper cup on The Old Course makes you feel like you’re in an early 2000s rom-com where you’re just too busy and sucked into your job, and you simply cannot be bothered by your romantic love life! This soup was so good (insert the Adam Driver good soup voiceover).
The Bandon Dunes energy balls are so top notch that when I asked my brother-in-law, “what can I bring back?” as a souvenir from my FTL 2022 trip, he asked for those only. If you haven’t had Bandon’s energy balls, they’re like an oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate energy sphere snack. I also like that they come in a box similar to a sleeve of Pro V1x’s. Hashtag, athlete.
We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, as one of my all-time favorite snacks at the turn is a good ol’ American hot dog. If it’s on the menu after the ninth hole, nine times out of 10 I’m going to get it. Here are some courses whose hot dogs have been exceptional: Inverness Club, The Course at Yale, The Creek. A packet of ketchup and eyes on the 10th tee is where I want to be.
Beverages at The Turn:
The first time I’ve ever had a slushy transfusion was at Augusta Country Club. Like most new things introduced to me, I was skeptical. I only recently leaned into the transfusion scene, and I’m certainly not a slushy girlie. I thought to myself privately, “why is the lovely host insisting I drink this?” Whelp Daniel SURE was right; freaking rocked. Sara and I split it, two straws Disney movie style, and agreed that a couple of slushies on a hot Georgia day could put you into a nap or coma (dealer’s choice). Shortly thereafter, I left my approach short in Rae’s Creek (I’m not blaming the slushy).
I would be remiss not to talk about the Augusta Country Club Velvet Hammer. A Velvet Hammer is an ice cream milkshake with vodka and kahlua coffee creamer (I think). Remember when I told you I was lactose intolerant? Yeah, so I had to skip this one, too. But if you ever visit, I say give it a try. They even make polos and putter head covers with the Velvet Hammer on them, so it’s got to be tasty.
Snacks at The 19th Hole:
The Club House Sandwich at Erin Hills (86 the ham), paired with a Spotted Cow, slapped at the end of an awesome FTL weekend. We ate on the clubhouse patio, and watched the rest of the FTL squad come in. I love a bready crunch, 10/10 no complaints.
Beverages at The 19th Hole:
The South Side at The Creek was incredibly refreshing. There’s a hint of mint, rum, and some secret ingredient that makes you go from feeling good to gooood. Nothing better than having a beverage on a patio waiting for that summer breeze to pick up the hairs behind the back of your neck.
My transfusion on a warmer-than-average October day at Newport Country Club did not suck. My friend and I were sitting on adirondack chairs (a gem that reminds me of sleepaway camp) and we were looking out over a nearly empty golf course with the water in the abyss. That's a memory that’ll never fade.
I heard that some of the staff at Congaree are training to become professionals in the hospitality and dining space, so it comes as no surprise that the spicy margarita I had with my girls after our round was exceptional. I think I had two spicy margaritas. No, I definitely had two.
Beverages that Surprised Me:
I think it's so cute when a golf course makes their own beer. I’ve only had about four unique beers (Sheep Ranch, Southern Pines, Streamsong’s Little Payne Creek, and Erin Hills Pils) and I hope it continues to trend with other new golf resorts and clubs. So far I think my favorite was Sheep Ranch (at Bandon Dunes), and I’ll admit since it came from a tap it might skew the first place result.
I’ve only seen this once: The free standing keg in the pro shop at the Inverness Club. Does this exist anywhere else? How come more clubs aren’t doing this? That’ll get anyone to buy something extra in the pro shop during a thunderstorm delay.
Snacks I Think About For My Future:
The burger dog at Olympic Club, which needs no explanation, is something that lives in my head rent free.
The pimento cheese sandwich at The Masters. Period.
I once read that Belgrade Lakes in Maine has a superb lobster roll at the turn. Playing golf on a Maine summer day is something I need to accomplish sooner rather than later.
I would like to know what all the fuss is about with the peanut butter, jelly and bacon sandwich at Fishers Island Club. That would be a treat.
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