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All that talk about tailgating got us thinking: Why isn’t there more tailgating in golf? Surely some hackers out there fire up a grill in the parking lot before attending a tournament, or prior to playing a round themselves, but it seems as if tailgating is solely associated with football.
Maybe the experts in Philadelphia can grow the practice at Merion for the U.S. Open? Would it even be allowed? We’re not sure, but for the sake of this exercise, we’ll assume it is. What would you bring?
At Merion, the Philadelphians are likely to cook up some cheesesteak, Italian sausage and/or Polish kielbasas, similar to what they’d eat at an Eagles game. But at a football game, you sit for nearly three straight hours. At a golf tournament, you may walk the entire course. You need some energy.
The experts suggest lean meats, leafy greens and fresh fruit for energy. That doesn’t sound like much fun for a tailgate, but you could go with chicken wings, celery/carrots with ranch dressing, and caramel-dipped apples. Or just make meatball subs – carbs give you energy.
Let’s talk about the drinks. Don’t bring Miller Lite or Coors Light to a golf tailgate; let’s step it up a bit. If you want to get really local, stop by the Tired Hands Brewing Company just a mile down Ardmore Avenue from Merion. Prior to a hot day walking the course, we suggest Tabel, a light wheat ale brewed with a variety of spices (lemon grass, orange peel and black pepper, to name a few).
Entertainment? Gotta have something to do while the food cooks, right? Sure, you could bring the tailgate staples like cornhole or ladder ball. But why not try something new?
This game would actually be perfect for tailgating prior to your own round – fuel up for the day while working on your short game. It’s better than trying to sneak a grill onto the practice green.
Then again, tailgating before you play 18 could be a little challenging. Some of those tee times are pretty early. That’s probably why golf has the 19th hole, which is basically tailgating anyway – you eat/drink at the “tail” end of your day.
But actually, maybe the most interesting question to ask regarding tailgating and golf would be this: Which pro golfers would you want at your tailgate? Here are a few leading candidates:
– Ben Crane: This guy is a goofball. We could all just sit in our lawn chairs and watch him.
– Rickie Fowler: His penchant for extreme sports is well known. Surely he’d have some spectacular stories to tell. And he could offer fashion tips.
– Bubba Watson & Hunter Mahan: Crane and Fowler formed a “band” with Watson and Mahan, so if we invite one, we might as well invite them all. Again, we could just sit back and watch.
– John Daly: Drinking beer and shootin’ the breeze are this guy’s specialties.
– Tiger Woods: Who wouldn’t want to say they tailgated with Tiger Woods? Maybe he’d bring his girlfriend.
