With temperatures flirting with the 90 degree mark and humidity way above 50 percent, golfers at this year's Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC, were slightly more conscious of what they were eating than the spectators there watching them-- health reasons aside, there was a $5.1 million purse at stake.
At the Wyndham the responsibility for feeding the golfers fell on the shoulders of Dave Marra, food and beverage director for Sedgefield Country Club. With decades of PGA experience under his belt, Marra is a pro when it comes to dealing with golfers' needs. Sedgefield converted the men's lounge in their clubhouse into a private space closed off to the public and media for the golfers and it was in this space players were able to beat the heat, relax and eat buffet style during their downtime.
At one point or another, Marra's team more than likely fed the entire field at the Wyndham-- some 150 hungry athletes. "All of the golfers' meals are comped," said Mara. "They have an incentive to eat here," he added. Comped meals are standard practice along the Tour, just one of the many perks of being a PGA card holder.
According to Marra, the food served to the players typically stays the same from event to event. That's mostly because the golfers know what they like and what works for them. But just because the food may lack a little creativity, organizers stress it doesn't mean that the fare is lacking in quality.
"The food needs to be as good as it is reliable," explained Marra.
The golfers start their day with a full service omelet station, there are also the typical breakfast sides like sausage, bacon and fruit. For lunch the golfers usually have available to them a live-action pasta station, offering daily choices such as mushroom ravioli primavera.
"[It's] full of the starches players always want," said Marra.
The Wyndham also created a roast and ham carving station for sandwiches. And on top of the main dish offerings, the players are also served salads and several desserts.
Despite all the hard work put in by the kitchen staff, the most popular item by far are the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
"They'll take four or five with them out on the course," said Marra smiling and shrugging his shoulders at the same time.
Another popular item with the pros? Cookies. No sense in messing with the classics.
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