St. John's businesses hoping to ace Masters weekend
Masters is like the Super Bowl for golf fans, says Danny Fellingham
The spring weather in Newfoundland and Labrador doesn't generally cooperate for golfers hoping to hit the links, but a couple of St. John's businesses are finding ways — indoors — to join in on the excitement for the Masters tournament.
One of golf's four major championships, the Masters is held in mid-April every year at Augusta National Golf Club and is revered among golf fans for its history and tradition.
It's perfect timing for Danny Fellingham, the owner and operator of Tee Box Indoor Golf, who was able to open in a new location just in time for Masters weekend.
The new, expanded space on Freshwater Road has room for golf simulators, a mini-golf course, a retail area and food and drink.
"We're still getting on our feet, we're still knocking out some kinks, but I think doing it over Masters weekend with some people who are probably going to be really invested in what's going on, I think is probably the best way to do it," he said.
"It like being able to open for the Super Bowl, kind of thing. Whether you're only a little bit into golf or you live, eat and breathe it, everyone gets excited about it."
For Sullivan Power, the operations manager at Blue on Water, the tournament was a fun reason to shake up the menu.
"It's fun for the guys in the kitchen — they get to fool around, experiment with a few different things. It can drum up a little bit of extra business … and it's just fun for friends and family who are golf fans. [We've] got a few staff who are golf fans," he said.
The restaurant's Masters-specific menu pays homage to some of the traditional foods served at Augusta National with some extra flair, foods like the classic pimento cheese sandwich, using the small red chilli peppers mixed with cheddar cheese and mayonnaise.
"What they serve at the Masters is pretty simple, pretty plain, white bread, olive on top. We're obviously looking to do a little more than that," said Power.
"We just take our spin on [it]. Newfoundland's not the easiest place to track down pimentos, we've learned, in any quantity, so it took a little work to figure that out."
Blue on Water has some Masters-themed cocktails too, including one named after colourful golfer John Daly who Power suggested is "known for his drinking maybe as much as his golfing."
As long as the players are on the course at Augusta, he said, the restaurant will be serving its Masters menu.
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
With files from On The Go
