The famed writer and one man think tank GK Chesterton once remarked that it is hard to take man seriously, nourished as he is by pushing food into a hole at the bottom of the face. Clearly, Chesterton had not spent enough time in the dining rooms of Britain’s most historic golf clubs. While he may have been a regular at the dessert end of any menu, his perspective on human dignity might have shifted had he experienced the formal golfing luncheon in its full glory.
Many of the clubs lying at the very heart of the game in the UK, venerated institutions like the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield, Royal St George’s, Prestwick and Rye, take nourishment quite as seriously as the golf itself. In fact, many of these great institutions view themselves primarily as lunch clubs that just happen to possess a famous links only yards from the dining room.
There is nothing quite like three hours of play in a stiff, cold breeze culminating in the cosy atmosphere of a tweed populated lounge. The ritual of sliding into a comfortable leather tub chair to sip a gin and tonic while pondering the day’s gastronomic offerings is a vital part of the experience. This anticipation fuels the pre prandial exchanges, some of which have been known to run throughout lunch, into the night and well beyond.
At these clubs, the serving of food and the imbibing of wine are elevated to a ritual. To enter the dining room at Prestwick and see the long table, where members, guests and visitors all commune as one, is to be transported to a bygone age. The grandeur of the colonial set up at Royal St George’s has a similar effect, taking you back to a time when the British Empire was at its peak.
World class conversation demands to be accompanied by fine food and beverages. Over the years, I have found myself at the foothills of global history while dining at a British golf club. I have chatted to all kinds of characters, from the grandson of a Titanic survivor to the nephew of the stenographer at the Nuremberg Trials.
These exchanges are best enjoyed alongside a venue’s signature dish. The R&A’s beef mince topped with a poached egg and the famous treacle pudding at Rye are legendary for a reason.
Golf in these establishments could be considered a triathlon consisting of three distinct elements: golf, food and drink. Each athlete will have their own favoured event and their own optimal level of performance. Whether that involves two sloe gins or four before the afternoon foursome is a matter of personal strategy.
While personal bests are hard to calibrate in this specific field of athletics, everyone wins a medal during days spent with like minded company.
We know you do not need yet another excuse to don a jacket and tie, but as Chesterton once wrote, poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. I too have been remiss in that regard. It is perhaps the perfect excuse for you to return to the UK and carry out further research. Port would be the perfect accompaniment, but you already knew that.
This feature was written by Kenny Reid. Based in Scotland, Kenny is a respected golf writer and the author of Seve Ballesteros’s Touch of Class, which explores the iconic story of Seve’s 1984 Open Championship victory at St Andrews.
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