5 Most Wanted: Round/Meals - Walker Simas
In the spirit of soon to be winter and the hopeful return of warm weather golf, we need something to plan for, to work towards, and to brainstorm for the year ahead. There are those who plan their golf and leave the food discussion for a game time or game day call. That’s fine- no need to be a hardo and have reservations booked 7 months in advance. That being said, I think about food options immediately after the golf bit is settled.
When a day is filled to the brim with camaraderie, friendship, amazing landscapes, some competition, a few random spontaneous moments, PLUS some good food- my friend you are “tapped in”. Tapped into a higher frequency. You’re drinking from a flowing tap.
I’ll hear your counters, but I will say to you this: Have you come this far to miss what’s right in front of you? For science(!) an assessment must be made of the region's food offerings. It not only pads your storytelling portfolio, but you’ve gotta eat! It’s one of the three essential NEEDS.
In THAT spirit, these are my top 5 most wanted food/golf experiences, and the rules that come with them:
[Golf] Interesting landscape or features worth seeing on their own
[Food] Great (either appropriate or surprising) food
* No food at golf course establishment is eligible
* No resorts
1. Whack Whack Golf Club (East) X Habanero Kitchen Bar: Manila, Phillipines
Whack Whack is a crazy name fascinating spot and the only reason I know anything about it is because of its volcano hole, the 8th. When I look at island greens, I can’t help but imagine all the work that went into building them. A volcano hole get’s the same hormones going for a much cheaper price. Despite the rarity of them and that possibly inflating the value in my mind, I’d seek one out. An early episode (1962) of Shells Wonderful World of Golf took place at Whack Whack- and they hit all the good spots.
Before you start wondering where they got the dirt to build the volcano hole, check out 13! Suspicious!
In a similar way to how strange the golf is, I want the same energy from dinner. It’s a 25 minute commute over to Habanero Kitchen Bar from Whack Whack where you will be greeted by sliced pork belly and another host of really interesting dishes. That dish below you is called Habanero Lechon and is 2.2 lbs of pork per serving. You can simply dip in the chili soy sauce they offer (spice 1-5), or you can put on the afterburners and go with the fermented shrimp & rice sauce with mustard leaves. They also do thin crust pizza with oysters, anchovy pasta, and a custard egg dessert presented in a nest.
2. Chicago Golf Club X Hermosa Restaurant: Chicago
Chicago Golf is very much still on my bucket list as a C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor courses are such a joy to play. It goes without saying, but the agronomy and maintenance by Craig Smith and team compliments the design so well. There is something about playing on turf at an an old golf course thats so dissimilar to a recently restored or modern golf course. With a half a dozen grass types at Chicago, it’s all about the bounce and your ability to understand the weather and how the ground game will be affected.
And just like Chicago Golf, I want something for lunch that feels old, but has tricks up its sleeve. After a big round, I’m looking for an equally big follow-up that feels classic.
Hermosa Restaurant is exactly that. Aggressively a grab and go lunch spot that has evolved into a sit-down, family style place because of demand has my name written all over it. For a time, everything revolved around this Cambodian fried chicken sandwich. Because so many wanted to sit down and try new dishes chef Ethan Lim was supposedly making, they offer a family menu option for those who wish to try all the dishes only available if you purchase the entire room for an evening.
3. Cape Arundel Golf Club X Central Provisions: Maine
Cape Arundel is an old Walter Travis design. For the opinions in the GCA space that I really value, there have been quite a few mentions of this place. It’s 5,800 yards and a par 69 ;), with a really neat set of greens. Every ounce of value that this small site offers is used. The first is a handshake, but very quickly shows you how small contour can expose your weaknesses.
Looking ahead to the Portland Marathon in ‘24, this seems like the obvious must hit. And to accompany that, we’re going to need some good fuel and some acclimation time.
That’s where Central Provisions comes in. WHEN has a name like ‘Central Provisions’ ever let you down? I can go ahead and tell you there will be some cured meats and some sort of grainy mustard. Pickles, cold beer- that’s a given. To make things better, they’re doing a bunch of ingredient-focused small plates too. Allllll in an open kitchen. Allll in a 30 minute drive.
4. The Golf Club X Drelyse: Columbus, OH
Y’all know Ohio, now. You’re in for some random curveballs. The Golf Club is a course I simply have to play as I continue my quest to give Pete and Alice (Dye) a thorough chance. As I have stated many times before, I respect the Dyes and what they have done for the game. Though the designs aren’t my favorite, it is only fair that I give them all a good shot before my time is over. If you’re going to get yourself into something like that, TGC is a great place to start.
To make things even more interesting, I thought what a shame it would be to miss a chance on a wild, out of the box meal. Maybe I should reserve African for Washington DC, but what the hell else am I going to find in New Albany? Noodles, chili, and cheese?
Chef Lisa Bannerman has been serving Ghanaian food in the Columbus area for a decade, and made it onto Eater’s must hit list for 2023. After all, Dye was mostly about texture, and that’s how I see African cuisine. It may be difficult to understand, but once you’ve been around a few times you’ll not only get the hang of it- you’ll be coming back for more.
5. Yale GC X Sally’s X Pepe’s X Modern: New Haven, CT
Look, if you didn’t see it coming, that’s on you. The Yale GC Restoration by Gil Hanse & Co will be one of the more important restorations done to any golf course in the USA in this generation. After barely scraping by to hold onto the golf course post-COVID, construction has begun. Active voices and catalysts for the restoration Colin Sheehan & Will Smith might be getting a call when the time comes to head that way. After all, we will need someone to show us around the golf course, but more importantly the New Haven pizza (sorry, apizza) scene.
First comes Sally’s- tomato pies, taste the coal, love the char. Next comes Pepe’s with the palate cleanser (clam pie, add bacon), and dust off with another pie from Modern to say “thank you very much, and goodnight”
