Will McGough

famtripper blog

Login

Username Password
Remember me

Search

http://blogs.gonomad.com/wake-and-wander/about/

I could tell you a few things: I'm a writer, I live in Santa Barbara, and I'm an introvert's worst nightmare.

Other items: I am a big fan of telling the truth, short stories are my bread and butter, and I really like being on the go.

But if you want the whole story, I need more than seventy-five words.

Will McGough
Contributor

Blog entries categorized under

Gators and Golf: Hackers Absorb Aura at King and Prince

By Will McGough | Thursday, 19 April 2012 | Comments | Subscribe to updates

Earlier this week we took the shuttle over to the King and Prince golf course, located about 15 minutes from the resort.

It’s one of the longer drives you can make on the island (99% of the places a visitor would want to frequent are within 5 minutes of the King and Prince Resort), yet when I arrived at the course I realized the benefits of the remoteness, the reason it was decided to not build one closer to the resort – it’s flat out beautiful landscape in every direction.

Something that really interests me about golf: I can’t think of another game that attracts so many bad players. Think about it – people who are admittedly terrible still find themselves hacking away, paying significant money for greens fees and clubs.

And I completely understand why, because I am one of those people. I will admit I am an awful player, but that has never stopped me from enjoying the ambiance. I certainly appreciate those that develop their skills and become good players, however I can never focus on my game long enough to really advance in the sport. Head down? No thank you – there’s simply too much aura to soak up: The beauty of the course and its design, the comradery of a friendly foursome, the sounds of the birds, the smell of the grass and the feel of it on your feet.

That’s right, I play barefoot sometimes (see photo). Most people laugh at me, until they lose the shoes themselves and realize that the short and soft grass of a golf course feels amazing on the bottoms of their feet.

Before we hit the driving range we commandeered the carts and set off to explore the course, taking in the different colors of green against the blue sky and reflective lakes. We located an eagle’s nest high in a tall Georgia pine, as well as a few alligators sunbathing at the edge of the water traps. Pine trees line many of the holes, but marsh land stretches as far as the eye can see on the back nine. The raw, natural surroundings and wildlife of Southeast Georgia make this an interesting course to play - even if you're "not a golfer."

Here are a few photos from the trek around the course:

Photo courtesy King and Prince Resort.

The loneliest palm.

Gator!

Love the Spanish moss.

Worst/First barefoot golfer.

Caravan of writers. Photo courtesy of Tom Ski.

Photo courtesy Tom Ski.

St. Simons: King and Prince Serves Up Appetizer

By Will McGough | Wednesday, 18 April 2012 | Comments | Subscribe to updates

I arrived at the King and Prince Resort on St. Simons (off the coast of Georgia) knowing that I would be participating in a Southern Culinary Showcase, but I had no idea they would put on such a performance the first night.

I actually contributed to the meal – I sautéed the shrimp and prepared the pork, tomato, and corn gravy to accompany the grits. In the past grits, was a dish that reminded me of something served at a bad diner, dry and bland, but when the chef passed me the heavy cream, I knew we were officially in the south.

The brand new Executive Chef Jeff Kaplan (he's been on the island for ten days) and his crew allowed me to have some fun flipping the shrimp, but eventually it was time for me to step aside, let them do their thing. As the courses began to roll out of the kitchen, I was more than happy to get my tail back to the table.

We started with a spread of Artisan cheeses from Sweet Grass Dairy (Thomasville, GA), paired ridiculously well with local honeys and jams - you can't really beat a well-thought sweet/salt combo (more info and photos to come... I am going to attend a honey tasting later in the trip).

The main course of shrimp and grits was easily the best version I've ever had - it was creamy and the Georgia shrimp are naturally sweet (noticeably so compared to shrimp from other regions... more to come on this later as ell).

The first course of fresh oysters stole the show in terms of creativity - they were served with sweet corn and asparagus. Again, the traditional salty-sea taste of the oysters combined with the burst of sweetness in the corn jumped off my palate, and the crunch of the asparagus provided the texture (a good way for first timers to get over the "sliminess" of oysters).

One of the great things I’m realizing about Georgia is the incredible balance in its signature fare. For every Southern-style comfort dish with heavy cream, there’s a piece of fish or a fresh peach providing a light complement/alternative.

Or you can say screw it – you’re on vacation – and toss the peaches into a crème brulee.

Had I been in a room by myself, my tongue would have been on the dish.

First two photos courtesy of Desiree Miller: