His piece de resistance, says Todd, is
freshly caught, grilled, tasty mid-sized
Atlantic Swordfish sourced from Massachu-
setts. Keller, a personable soul, also comple-
ments his food by visiting his diners at their
tables, sharing insights on the fare at hand.
Keller also has a large brunch following.
“His Easter, Mothers’ Day and Thanksgiv-
ing brunches are attended by full capacity
BHCC members and are matched by the
light, eclectic and tasty nature of the food
he makes available to golfers before teeing
off,” Todd says.
PRINCESS ANNE COUNTRY CLUB,
VIRGINIA BEACH
When Princess Anne Country Club in
Virginia Beach opted for a $1.2 million ren-
ovation of the Chesapeake Room, its main
dining room, executive chef Geoff Benson
took the opportunity to revamp his menu
that services both the main dining room
and the Linkhorn Lounge. It’s filled with
fresh, locally grown and caught items from
the Hampton Roads area. In addition to
the main menu, Benson—who previously
worked at Belle Meade Country Club in
Nashville—added a small plate menu to
satisfy both the happy hour crowd and
the folks coming off the golf course and
tennis courts.
“Chef Travis is very innovative and is always
looking to put a signature twist on his dishes.”
A WORD TO THE WISE
When in doubt, local knowledge
concerning golf grub tends to be
spot on. Piankatank River Golf Club
member Jonathan Vannoy swears
by his club’s oyster tacos. “And the
franks are better than any big league
stadium hotdog,” he says.
In-house counsel can be even
better. One veteran golf writer recalls
traipsing in from a disappointing
round at Sea Island. A keen-eyed
locker room attendant suggested he
go to the adjoining Davis Love Grill
and try the Kobe Steak salad. “Best
lunch I ever had,” the writer says.
24
Princess Anne also offers some interest-
ing on-course options. The club’s “Tasting
on the Tees” event has sold out two years in
a row and features “themed” wine regions
stationed across the golf course with more
than 20 wines to sample with well-paired
hors d’oeuvres. Most of the club’s golf out-
ings include live grill stations on several
holes, which serve local seafood tacos, crab
cake sliders and tenderloin bites. Princess
Anne anticipates adding a live grill to its
“10th Tee” as Benson continues to add fresh
ideas and items to liven up golfers’ rounds.
RIVER BEND CLUB, GREAT FALLS
Resourcefulness and creativity in the
kitchen are time-honored characteris-
tics of the best cooks. Several years ago,
executive chef Trever Travis, faced with
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J U LY / A U G U ST 2 0 1 9
a longer-than-expected remodel, opened
up the club’s pool house kitchen to pre-
pare and transport a buffet to the main
vsga.org
—River Bend Club member Carol McGarry