Shaquille O’Neal is not an avid golfer. But at one point, he belonged to Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere, Fla., where the clubhouse mirrored the big man’s interests.
In addition to shelves stocked with high-end spirits, the bar area boasts a half-court basketball setup. After a round at Isleworth, you can take a shot, then take a shot.
Those well-equipped facilities came up in a recent episode of the Destination Golf podcast, when co-host Simon Holt and I discussed our favorite clubhouse bars. Isleworth’s ranked high on our roster.
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So, what makes a great 19th hole?
From where I sit, the quality of the cocktails and the conversation matter. But more than anything, I’m in it for the atmosphere, and in that regard, the clubhouse bar at Gleneagles in San Francisco is hard to beat. Unlike Isleworth, there’s nothing upscale about the place.
Gleneagles is a 9-hole muni where greens fees max out at $39. The prices are a throwback, and so is the bar, which is low-slung, moodily lit and populated by characters who seem sprung from a San Francisco of another time. On any given day, the golfer sitting next to you enjoying a libation is more apt to be a fireman or a cop than a tech bro running through his stock portfolio.
On the far side of the country — and on the opposite end of the luxury spectrum — the clubhouse bar at Kiawah Island Golf Resort is another favorite, oozing with elegant Lowcountry charm. If there’s a better setting for relaxed refinement than the veranda, which overlooks the course and is kissed by ocean breezes, I haven’t found it. Not a bad spot for a drink after you’ve played your buddies in your own version of the War by the Shore.
I go could on, but better to let the podcast speak for itself. My counterpart, Simon, who hails from Scotland and has never been opposed to a post-round pint, has plenty of experience with clubhouse bars, and lots of opinions about them, too. You can hear him out — while listening to our entire conversation — here. The newest episode is also below.
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