A perk even better than winning at Augusta...
...and you only get it IF you win the Masters. Of course, this is coming from someone, me, who loves food and doesn't consider golf a sport. (Bucky's definition of sport is considerably broader. If you can drink beer while you do it, it isn't a sport.) With what might be the best Bucky's World yet, here's our Friday guest poster. EL
I spent some time figuring it out this past weekend, and according to my calculations, I’ve spent almost eight years of my life either playing golf or fly fishing.
The remaining years I’ve just frittered away.
Golf season starts for me the first full weekend in April, when the beauty and grace of azaleas and dogwood in full bloom are juxtaposed against the roar of the crowd on Amen Corner.
The golf season starts with the Masters Invitational, no matter how many rounds I’ve managed to play in the preceding couple of months, and the Masters Invitational begins next Thursday. ...
Masters Week, however, begins on Tuesday night when last year’s Masters champion hosts the Champions Dinner for past winners and a few, select honored guests. (I myself have never been invited.) Not only does he host the dinner, he also selects the menu.
When Tiger Woods hosted his first Champions Dinner in 1998, the menu was cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, french fries, milkshakes. By the time Tiger hosted his next dinner in 2002, he had won several million dollars in prize money and signed significant endorsement contracts. His tastes had changed accordingly. The menu was Porterhouse steaks (and chicken for the more health conscious) with sushi appetizer.
Most champions select a menu that reflects who they are. Ben Crenshaw, who was born in Austin, Texas, and played college golf for the Longhorns, selected barbecued beef, chicken, ribs and pulled pork for his dinner in 1996.
Nick Faldo, three-time winner of the Masters and a Brit, selected Shepherd's Pie (1990), steak and kidney pie (1991) and fish and chips (1997). Sandy Lyle, the only Scotsman to have won the Masters, served haggis, mashed potatoes and mashed turnips for his dinner. Had he ever won another Masters, the Champions Dinner might have been cancelled. He didn’t.
Mike Weir, the only Canadian winner, served caribou, wild boar and Arctic char.
The menu that I think would likely most impress the Sandbox? Vijay Singh hosted the 2001 dinner. The menu was seafood tom kah, chicken panang curry, baked sea scallops with garlic sauce, rack of lamb with yellow kari sauce, baked Chilean sea bass with three-flavor chili sauce and lychee sorbet.
Imagining that the Sandbox had, say, a “Commenter of the Week Dinner” and because of the exceedingly insightful comment you made last Friday, you got to select the menu for tonight’s soiree, what would it be? (Remember, it should in some way reflect who you are.)
(AP photo)
Comments
I'm guessing that corn dogs won't make the cut.:-)
Posted by: RayRay | April 3, 2009 11:04 AM
I note about spectator food at the Masters (i have been there the last two years). It is very simple, on the course you can get sandwiches, chips, beer, etc. But what blew us away was how cheap it was. Turkey Sanndwich $1.50. Chips a dollar. Heinekin $3. They could easily get so much more for them. I believe a Church runs the food stands.
Posted by: It's me | April 3, 2009 11:27 AM
Great post. I liked Phil Mickelson's choice from a few years back - lobster ravioli. Would give anything to be a fly on the wall (or bus tables) for just one champions' dinner.
In regards to the on-course consessions, The Masters doesn't need to bilk their patrons out of every dollar on food and drink. They are in fine shape financially and are more interested in putting on the best-run sporting event in the world than maximizing profits.
If you ever go to the tournament, make sure you enjoy their trademark pimento cheese sandwich wrapped in green plastic wrap. I think the cost is $1.50.
Posted by: Matt H. | April 3, 2009 12:04 PM
Perhaps Masters concession prices are so low is because of what it costs to attend one of the tournament rounds.
Not sure about now, but Thursday and Friday grounds only tickets were like $150 a couple years ago.
Posted by: PCB Rob | April 3, 2009 1:26 PM
But to answer Bucky's question, I think I'd pick a couple of things:
an ICC with everything from Olympia Subs in Parkville
or
Koco's crabcake dinner
or
BBQ from the Big Bad Wolf.
All of those items are from the Hamilton/Parkville area, where I am from.
Posted by: PCB Rob | April 3, 2009 1:28 PM
PCB Rob,
How about some caprese salad from Mastellone Deli to go with that ICC?
Posted by: RayRay | April 3, 2009 2:30 PM
- Pesto pizza with toothpick flags on the pepperoni.
- Golfball-size scallops
- Club sandwiches (upscale ingredients might include lobster, prosciutto, foie gras, etc.)
- Flights of wine, martinis, scotch, or whatever
- tea caddies on each table (along with appropriate hot water dispenser)
- Slices of fresh fruit
- Lamb shanks
- Various sources of roughage
Posted by: jl | April 3, 2009 4:12 PM
PCB Rob, tickets to the Masters are not sold to the public. The $150 are what you pay to the scalpers.
Posted by: Dan D | April 3, 2009 7:02 PM
jl - that's why you do what you do and I do what I do. I never would have thought to create a golf menu like that. Excellent job.
(You could have added a glass of casual water and Mulligan stew.)
Posted by: Bucky | April 3, 2009 11:02 PM
Oh, and a jigger of fruit juice and rum, which would be a punch shot.
Posted by: Bucky | April 3, 2009 11:04 PM
Oh, and a wedge of lettuce.
(I just got started too late.)
Good night, jl-boy.
Posted by: Bucky | April 3, 2009 11:07 PM
Bucky, I guess we know where we'll be parking our gourmet mobile food cantina in early April.
Posted by: jl | April 4, 2009 7:51 AM
Mashie potatos
Posted by: Bob | April 4, 2009 8:02 AM
And Niblicks corn.
Posted by: Retired in Elkridge | April 4, 2009 9:25 AM
Good work, Bob and R-i-E. The Mashie potatoes and Niblick corn would have to be eaten with a Spoon, wouldn't they? And the rest of the meal with a greens fork?
It all sounds like Dormie food to me.
Posted by: Bucky | April 4, 2009 10:56 AM
Rather than lay up, we went for it this morning.
After getting about 8-10 inches of rain this week, we ventured out for our 7am tee time and were told we couldn't ride, we had to walk. I am recovering from a broken toe but that won't stop me from playing. I never walked three miles with a broken toe. before.
So, we did. I made it and did okay.
Back to Bucky's question,
dessert would have to have something with chocolate chips in it.
Or those cookies called Sandies?
Posted by: PCB Rob | April 4, 2009 1:55 PM
How about an over-club sandwich, where there is an extra layer?
Posted by: PCB Rob | April 4, 2009 4:21 PM