Graeme Bates

There’s much more to golf than improving your swing and perfecting putting. Yes, there’s always that primal instinct of sport – the challenge and exhilaration of competition, whether you’re watching or playing. Then there are those who simply enjoy a hit, inhaling the fresh air, soaking up the scenery, exercising the body and brain – socialising, eating… drinking. In absoluteness, the ultimate day of golf goes beyond the greens to which this column observes the neurological receptors, the gustatory and olfactory senses of both amateur and professional golfers all over this planet. We take a cross section of the golfer’s stomach and we probe the visual, the tactile, the fine motor controls of pleasure, going where no golfing publication has been before, right to the dopamine receptors and intestines of – the Golfer’s Palate.

Club Member of Robina Woods/Colonial Golf Clubs Queensland, Amateur Handicap 9

Which Golf Club 19th Hole (bar, beer, wine list, food) has impressed you the most?

Army Navy Country Club, Arlington Virginia USA www.ancc.org

Where is the most memorable meal (restaurant) you have had on a golf trip?

As above. My father was a diplomat (but not a golfer) so he organised a game for me with 3 of his mates, introduced to me as Frank, Jim, and Bill, and after a great round they really laid on a fantastic repast. It was only then I discovered my playing partners were a General, an Admiral, and an Air Marshall!! Were there some stories to be heard sitting under Eisenhower’s clubs??

Where have you dined recently (restaurant) that impressed you?

Ortiga, Brisbane,Queensland, Australia www.ortiga.com.au

Do you have a favourite regular restaurant?

Champagne Brasserie Broadbeach Queensland http://champagnebrasserie.com.au/

Do you cook at home and is there a dish you have perfected?

I am going through a “Sous-Vide” phase at present, and the results are (for the most part) fantastic!!

Do you enjoy wine? What wine are you drinking at the moment?

Love it!!  At present I’m really enjoying Weninger “Hochacker” Blaufränkisch and Le Fonti “Fontissimo” www.weninger.com www.fattorialefonti.it

Have you had a new wine discovery lately – new region, variety or style?

Navazos Niepoort …sort of a cross between sherry and white wine! Amazing! www.equiponavazos.com

What is the most enthralling golf course you have played on, in terms of dramatic scenery?

Royal St. George’s, Sandwich, Kent UK www.royalstgeorges.com

Beautiful, but the toughest course I have ever played! It has hosted the British Open on 14 occasions and the fact that only three winners have managed to beat par is testament to its difficulty!

What is the most memorable golf holiday or destination you have been on?

Playing (and winning) a Pro-Am at Bukit Jambul Country Club, Penang    www.bjcc.com.my