Eat well, play well
The 15 best hot dogs in golf: Our objective ranking based on tasting by golfers like you
It’s no surprise that hot dogs are the classic go-to fuel for golfers making the turn; they’re a quick, cheap blend of simple carbs and protein that can be eaten with one hand—no plate needed. Oh, yeah, and they pair nicely with a cold beer.
But that’s your standard dog. The glizzies on this list of the best hot dogs in golf, however, don’t settle for your simple ketchup and mustard on a mixed-meat frank. In fact, we concede that many of the hot dogs on this list aren’t even technically hot dogs—burgers in the shape of dogs, bratwursts and bison meat all land a spot on our ranking because of their willingness to shake up the halfway-house grub.
Scroll on for our ranking of the 15 best hot dogs in golf, which we compiled with the help of our 1,800+ course-rating panelists, as well as our fans on Facebook, who judging by the enthusiastic response, take their dogs quite seriously. Don’t see your favorite hot dog on our ranking? Leave a review on one of our over 17,000 course pages and tell us why it’s worthy of a spot on our next list.
The 15 best hot dogs in golf
This isn’t your typical pork or beef frank. The famous burgerdog at The Olympic Club is closer to a hamburger, but considering its hot-dog shape and bun, it qualifies in our book. As one of our course-rating panelists writes, “The concoction of meat is divine.” Another adds that to get the most our of your burgerdog experience, lather on the cheese and onions. No argument here.
Being a Chicago-area course, Cog Hill must live up to high expectations when it comes to hot dogs, and they deliver, offering a dog with yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, chopped onion, tomato slices, dill pickle spear, peppers and salt. One of our panelists sums it up nicely: “Like any self-respecting purveyor of hot dogs in Chicago, it has all the right toppings.”
OK, it’s technically not a hot dog, but the Sheboygan Brat is a favorite among our panelists and Facebook fans. “All you can eat and included with the golf. Big and satisfying, just like the course,” says one panelists. Unlimited brats, both in onion and sauerkraut varieties? No excuse for running out of energy on the back nine.
With the course just a few years old, Sheep Ranch might already have the best hot dog on property at Bandon Dunes. The Linguica Dog at the Pacific Grill is a close second and is a refined international take on the traditional dog. As for Sheep Ranch, one panelist says that it’s "The Platonic ideal of a hot dog at the turn with a cold beer.”
“With chili and Mexican street corn, it’s a fun but messy riff on a classic glizzy. I recommend you try one but grab some napkins and a seat before you do,” says Eric from New Jersey. Streamsong is filled with great eats across their four courses but save room for this feast of a dog on the Black Course.
We’re done with the ketchup vs. mustard debate. Give us Tobacco Road’s spicy pimento cheese all day. The club’s grill heaps a healthy pile of the tangy spread, made fresh every day, on this glizzy. You’ll want a cold beverage—and possibly a toilet—closeby after devouring this delightful dog.
Public golfers can enjoy a burderdog—made famous at The Olympic Club—at the Alister MacKenzie gem just an hour and a half away. Before heading across the parking lot to the classic back nine, it’s tough to walk past the glorious smell of the burning charcoal coming from the grill. Reward yourself—there are no rules when playing one of golf’s great designs.
We’ll leave the description to Jack Bingham, a caddie at Harbour Town and frequent consumer of their renowned dog. “All-natural Nathan’s beef dog. The secret is in the bun,” he says. “It’s actually a lobster roll bun, which gives the perfect sweet to the salty.”
A great hot dog is more than great meat and toppings. A high-quality bun can elevate an otherwise average dog. One of our Facebook followers, Tim Scarpino, values a great bun and has found one at Deep Valley just north of Pittsburgh. “They slather butter on a potato bun and toast it before putting the hot dog in,” he says.
Any foodie will tell you no-frills spots can often be sneaky spots for great grub. Such is the case at Pinetuck Golf Course in Rock Hill, S.C., where one of our Facebook fans, Daryll B., reports ordering two dogs “all the way,” which came with mustard, chili and coleslaw. If it’s good enough for this Chicago resident, it’s good enough for us.
Hot dogs are a democratic food—daily-fee munys, swanky top 100 clubs and high-end resorts all have their own unique tastes on the classic, as is the case at Kapalua’s Ritz-Carlton Resort. Mike Kinasiewicz, one of our Facebook fans, loves the slaw that Kapalua throws on their dogs, which we agree is a great choice. It’s a refreshing crunch to counter the savory meat.
The burgerdog isn’t solely reserved for those lucky enough to play the private Olympic Club or the higher-end public course in the area, Pasatiempo. For under $50 (San Francisco residents can play for $25) you can play the nine-hole par-3 course at nearby Golden Gate Park and grab their take on the burgerdog.
Should you receive an invite to play at the exclusive Long Island club, (1) accept it on the spot and (2) save room for the chili dog that is a must eat. The dog is so good that our Facebook follower Clinton Russell says he wants to go back to Maidstone just for the dog. Considering their West course is ranked No. 52 on our America’s 100 Greatest Courses list, that's a high compliment for the dog.
Your reward after finishing the fifth hole at Buffalo Ridge at Big Cedar Lodge? A complimentary Buffalo Dog, yes, made with bison meat. The uniqueness alone lands it a spot on our ranking, but the taste delivers as well.
Chili dogs are only for the brave on the golf course. If your gut can handle it, head to this under-the-radar spot in the Carolinas for some homemade chili on top of a glizzy. According to our Facebook fan Eric Z., it’s worth it.
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