On a recent golfing jaunt, I witnessed a gentleman stop at the halfway hut and order a “Bovril and Sherry” – in the same container I might add. When I put this to a reputable golfing partner of mine he replied with the immortal line of “Well, any self-respecting golfer knows that the drink of choice in a halfway hut on the Kent coast is Bovril and Sherry”. Quite, how ignorant of me, though one for the educated palate I would suggest. It might not catch on everywhere but it certainly reveals the miscellaneous choices made in the sanctuary that is The Halfway Hut.

Being a man with a 34” waist (give or take), I couldn’t possibly lay claim to being a connoisseur of the halfway hut, but I have frequented a few in my time. At its most lavish, I’ve experienced a sit down barbecue encompassing three separate courses and lasting well over an hour. That was a lengthy round, and needless to say, the display of golf on the back nine turned into something unbefitting of the hospitalities, as is often the case with a drawn out session of culinary over-indulgence.

As magnificent as that was, the halfway hut can also offer the ultimate tease and disappointment. I think we’ve probably all experienced marching towards the hut, feeling so hungry and parched that you can almost feed off the anticipation of the treats inside, only to suffer the ultimate frustration of a bolted door and the back nine with a rumbling stomach. The barbecue may be a little out of the ordinary and certainly not to the taste of those two-ball clubs whipping you round in three hours, but it does serve to demonstrate the extent of the Epicurean delights dished up at some halfway huts.

So, what of the nutritional benefits of the hut?  Limited, I’d say, but I am sure this is a case of supply meeting demand.  Health conscious as we all are these days, the halfway hut represents an opportunity for guilt-free indulgence at the adult equivalent of the school tuck shop. I’m sorry, but a salad just doesn’t cut it on a frosty morning peppered with misplaced tee shots; a bacon roll is the order of the day.  If ever there was a call for comfort food, this is it. Easily justified too; let’s remember we walk several miles around the golf course, so that offsets any unhealthy selections. No honestly, it does.

But if that still doesn’t satisfy the nutritionists, I’ll leave them to scoff at the famous Richard Boxall quip, ‘I always thought ‘Gym’ was a man’s name’. That should distract them while we true golfers salivate over the merits of a perfect sausage sarnie.

All that said, I doubt that my barbecue experience is the most lavish when compared to other offerings.  I also doubt it’s likely to catch on. But, it’s another good point for debate in the amateur golfing world. What exactly makes a good halfway hut? Is it one that serves a ‘Bovril and Sherry’, a lengthy sit down barbecue or a bacon roll and a mug of tea? What offerings are lacking that you’d like to see introduced at your local ‘pit stop’? And where are the best halfway huts in the business? If anyone can beat the three course barbecue, I’d gladly accept an invitation to sample the best in the business. Food for thought…

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