Fareways

A Bite at the Turn

Colorado golfers recall top meal memories on and off the links. By John Lehndorff

CRABBY PATTIES: The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake is a staple at North Carolina’s Pinehurst Resort and is often the focal point of a memorable meal.

FOOD MAY NOT be the first thing golfers recall about great days on the course. If truth be told, the bill of fare in the clubhouse is not usually the primary attraction. “Golf is usually more about drinking than eating. Every golf course has something they are famous for and it’s often a cocktail,” says Frank Bonnano, a Denver chef and restaurateur and inveterate golfer. That said, many courses are known for particular dishes. Think about the chocolate milkshakes at Castle Pines Golf Club and the seafood chowder dished at Maidstone Club on Long Island, as well as the Bill Burger—a hot dogshaped burger in a hot dog bun—served at San Francisco’s Olympic Club. The most renowned dish of all is the pimento cheese sandwich served at Augusta National Golf Club. Recently, we asked some Colorado golfers to share their favorite memories of food and the links. The dishes and the meal occasions they recall range from humble fare to truly magnificent feasts, much like the rounds of golf that preceded the meals.

SHANE BERTSCH

A Denver-born PGA tour golfer since 1994, Bertsch won his first tour event in August at the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri. “We traveled a ton in my career in an RV. We home-schooled the kids and we cooked a lot because going out to eat gets old. What I hate the most is that to go out for a good meal for two can cost $100 minimum. We can get five days of groceries for that. The day I won the tournament, my wife had to go home before I finished, so I was alone the night after I won. We were staying in a time share and, for my victory meal, I ate four leftover Sloppy Joes all by myself with a couple of Coors Light. They were the best I ever had.”

TOM FERRELL

Membership and Marketing Director at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker “The meal I will always remember was in 2013 at Pinehurst in North Carolina. It was the annual meeting of Coore and Crenshaw, the Austin-based firm that designed a lot of courses, including the Colorado Golf Club. We got to play Pinehurst No. 2 with representatives of all the clubs, a total of maybe 60 people. This was the year before the course was used for the U.S. Open. The highlight of the gathering was annual dinner at Pinehurst hosted by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The food and wine were great, starting with the lump crab cake they are famous for and the filet mignon they’ve been serving since about 1895. After the meal, I moderated a discussion with Bill and Ben about Pinehurst No. 2, the course we’d just played. With all the traditions and the history, it just all came together in this great moment of food and drink and golf.”

PAUL STOLTZ

Head Chef at Lake Valley Golf Club in Boulder “My most memorable golf meal was a long time ago when I was in my twenties. I was a newbie professional cook—definitely not a chef—and a newbie golfer. My golf instructor in

Boulder invited me on his family’s golf vacation to Myrtle Beach. I felt like I was in over my head at that big golf course and I played like a beginner. After we played, we went to his motherin-law’s house on the course at John’s Island, the site for the Ryder Cup. I remember that the dish she made was just five ingredients: prawns, pasta, white wine, salt and olive oil—but it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. It wasn’t just the taste—it was the smell and the look of the dish and the white wine we drank with it. It was also the feeling of the place as we looked out into the marsh. I went back to cooking understanding that sometimes less is more. When I’m cooking now, I take things out. The same thing with golf. I learned to slow down and focus. I’m a much better golfer now, too.” various golf destinations. oysters and any kind of seafood you want.” and chili.” and rotisserie chicken.”

PINING FOR THIS: A conversation combining golf and iconic fare has to include the chocolate milkshakes at Castle Pines Golf Club.

JANENE GUZOWSKI

A golfer since childhood, she is the first female President of the Colorado Golf Association. Her term ends in December. “My claim to fame is introducing Birdie Juice to male golfers. I’m going to say that every single man I golfed with over the past five years didn’t know it existed. I think Birdie Juice was pretty much a strictly female thing. The guys didn’t know that we were carrying flasks, bottles and shot glasses with us until I would whip out the Birdie Juice. I would keep bottles of Fireball—the Birdie Juice of choice, Rumchata, Jack Daniel’s Apple, Jim Beam Peach, and Butterscotch Schnapps… which I don’t care for. Sometimes there would be more than a few birdies. Keep in mind, Birdie Juice is just a fraction of a shot, not the whole thing. Since I introduced the CGA to Birdie Juice, you can now order a birdie juice metal flask at coloradogolf.org.”

JOHN TOBEY

Owner of John Tobey Events “My favorite golf and food moment was in 1998. I was the Food and Beverage Director at the Country Club at Castle Pines and we arranged this amazing pairing dinner with Veuve Clicquot, the French winery. At the time they were mainly known for the Yellow Label Champagne, but we paired each of the six courses with a different wine, including some that weren’t available to the public. After a great round, we were greeted at the door with Veuve Clicquot Rosé and passed appetizers. I remember the menu from (then Executive Chef) Michael Farrell included scallops, an elk entrée with Brut Le Grande Dame and a dessert and cheese course with Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec. Everything about it was extremely high caliber and highly memorable.”

FRANK BONNANO

Chef and owner of Bonnano Concepts, which includes Mizuna, Luca D’Italia, Salt & Grinder and Lou’s Food Bar in Denver “My most memorable golf meal was at The Links at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. I was there for a three-day golf trip. I shot an 81—not great, but pretty good—and then we ate at a restaurant at the course. They did this foie gras crème brulee (warm savory custard) that blew me away. I loved it so much I’ve since replicated it for events. Another time at Pebble Beach I decided to grab a quick bite. I was going to order a steak, but the waiter insisted that I get a club sandwich. He said it was ‘the best.’ He was right. It was a perfect club sandwich. Just the right bread. Great turkey. Perfect bacon. Everything was done just right. I think I shot an 80 that day.”

John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. He hosts Radio Nibbles

Taste Tour: A pro’s favorite spots Shane Bertsch, a Denver-born professional golfer, has been on the links and on the road since 1994. He shares some favorite dining spots he has discovered at • New Orleans: “There’s a place there called Mutha’s that we love. You can get a roast beef sandwich for lunch and they put what they call ‘debris’ all over it, which is basically gravy. We also like the ACME Oyster House—a pretty famous place—that’s great for baked • Texas: “A favorite in Texas at various locations is Pappasito's Cantina. They have really tasty Mexican food.” • Ohio: “On the mostly unhealthy side, in areas like Columbus we always like to stop at Skyline Chili for Coneys covered with cheese • California: “We like to hit this place called the Little Chicken House in Pacific Grove near Monterrey. It’s a drive-thru that has barbecue ribs on KGNU.

• Hawaii: “We always make sure we go to the original Roy’s restaurant in Honolulu. We also really like Hawaii 3660 on the Rise—it’s a oneof-a-kind place.” Bonus: Janene Guzowski of the Colorado Golf Association recommends the Kūki‘o Championship Golf Course in Hawaii for its series of striking Comfort Stations on the course: “The Comfort Stations look like the snack aisle at Costco plus a full bar and frozen treats, bags of granola and giant jars of candy.”

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PINEHURST GOLF RESORT