Golf season is here, and with it comes the chance to celebrate victory with a feast or drown your sorrows with a libation just off the green. Golf course restaurants can be "very interchangeable as far as what the menus look like and taste like," said Garrett Hadfield, a professional golfer who operates the Rundle Park Golf Course and its Shortees smashburger concept. "I think it's just one of those, 'If it's not broke, don't fix it' models." While golf course food needs to be metaphorically "easily digestible" in order to please everyone, Hadfield told Taproot, that doesn't mean it has to be boring.
The food and vibes at the space shared by Flat Boy Burgers and Shiddy's Distilling inspired Hadfield to open Shortees last year. Smashburgers are a practical choice. Hungry golfers want something that can be ready between turns, usually within 10 minutes. And given that Rundle Park is a public golf course, Hadfield wanted his burgers to taste good for just $11. "Why would I charge you $23 for a hamburger when my green fee is $35 at its most expensive, on the weekend?" Hadfield said.
The Woodvale Room is another newer concept for golf course dining, operated inside the Woodvale Community League's facility at the Mill Woods Golf Club. The main floor has a new, casual clubhouse with quick bites, but hidden upstairs is a dramatic, speakeasy-like parlour with gold and green details. The menu includes elevated fare such as an artisan butter board, elk carpaccio, and mushroom risotto. There are also extensive wine, beer, and cocktail lists, plus 26 varieties of gin from across the globe. Many golf course restaurants want to be destinations of their own, Hadfield said, and The Woodvale Room certainly makes a compelling case for one.