10 Outstanding Seafood Dishes at Golf Clubs in Florida and Hawaii

As a writer who travels the globe covering golf, travel and all things food and drink — and who amassed 110,000 frequent flyer miles in 2025 — GOLF contributor Shaun Tolson has visited some of the world’s most famous golf clubs, resorts and best-kept secrets. Below, on Clubhouse Eats, he shares some of his favorite bites and sips from his recent travels.

When you book a trip to Hawaiitravel comes with a number of expectations: a laid-back lifestyle, dramatic scenery, postcard-like beaches, the occasional lion, and plenty of fresh fish. My recent visit to the island of Kauai reinforced all these assumptions.

Similarly, when you head to a golf resort for a food and wine event called Fish to Fork, which this year celebrated its 10th anniversary in Omni Amelia Islandyou know what you’re getting into—namely, a bunch of dishes that everyone celebrates SEA.

What follows are the standout bites from both trips, all of which bring fish to the fore.

First stop … Longs Drugs?

Shortly after landing on Kauai, as I made my way up the east coast of the island toward Hanalei Bay, my host made a quick detour, pulling into a Longs Drugs. Here I learned that he grew up on the island of Oahu, although he now lives in Scottsdale; and the purpose of the halt, I also learned, was to supply for the rest of the journey. “This is a veteran move,” he told me.

Predictable fare included sweet Maui onion chips and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, but my host threw an unexpected ball by adding assorted bags of sour tuna and a bag of shredded ika to our shopping cart, the latter of which is Japanese-style minced squid. The slightly chewy, dried strips of cephalopods were unusual – in a good way – but difficult to describe. Most importantly, they tasted mildly of the ocean and offered a touch of sweetness, meaning most people would likely find them enjoyable.

On the other hand, the pickled tuna tasted strongly of the ocean, so you’ll need an honest appreciation of fish taste to deal with these particular bags of pickles. That said, the original flavor is the way to go, as long as you want to eat something that tastes distinctly Hawaiian. The teriyaki style, in contrast, was so strong with teriyaki flavor that it overpowered the natural flavor of the fish.

Tuna drills everywhere!

To the casual observer, the Hawaiian Islands and tons of poke are as interconnected as Philadelphia and steak, Maine and lobster, or New Orleans and gumbo. In reality, the traditional dish – raw yellowtail or bigeye served in a delicious marinade – is even more widespread on the islands than you might think. Having spent the better part of a week there not too long ago, I’m convinced you’re likely to find it served at gas station convenience stores … and I’d be willing to bet that even the lowbrow rendition would be delicious.

While most Kauai golf courses serve the dish, Poipu Bay takes it to another level, going so far as to appear Kauai Poke Co. as its resident restaurant. The menu contains five interpretations of the dish, with Plantation Poke Bowl being more unique. This variation features inamona nuts, crispy onions, and grits like spicy aioli and kabayaki (commonly known as “eel sauce” on most sushi menus). After a week spent eating the dish at least once a day, I still couldn’t resist ordering this house specialty and it hit all the right notes. Sure, I could have ordered an umami burger, a Korean chicken dish, or any number of delicious-sounding entrees. But when you sit down at a restaurant called Kauai Poke Co., poke seems like the way to go. And it was. If you’re lucky enough to eat it at Poipu Bay and have time for a post-round meal, don’t overdo it. Order poke.

Flavor-focused cocktail pairings at Walker’s Landing

As part of Omni Amelia Island’s three-day Fish to Fork festivities, the second night’s dinner at the resort’s marshland, Walker’s Landing, was aptly named Saltwater Ranch—a meal that drew inspiration from “the textures of ranch living and the ease of coastal living.” More specifically, the four-course dinner showed what is possible when flavorful dishes are paired with carefully mixed cocktails.

First course (blue crab with sweet corn, cured pork cheek, celery and Fresno pepper), which was served alongside a bright green vodka accented by sunflower liqueur, honey and cucumber, made me a believer. (If we’re being honest, the drink also reminded me that vodka has its place on a cocktail menu, even if the spirit lacks individual character.)

Simply put, the dish and pairing worked on every level. The cured pork cheek provided a unique richness and umami quality matched by the sweet crab, which itself was balanced by the heat of the Fresno pepper and the slightly bitter, vegetal note from the celery. On the other hand, the cucumber in the cocktail played with the celery notes in the crab salad; while the honey syrup and elderflower liqueur matched the natural sweetness of the seafood. Boss kiss!

Unforgettable main event bites

The Fish to Fork main event offered a chance to see how several different chefs approached the challenge of celebrating the bounty of the sea, and each took a unique perspective.

Joey Ward of Southern Belle and Georgia Boy in Atlanta offered his get fish on a Chick-Fil-A sandwichaccented by a ramp aioli that gave the bite an earthy kick.

Carlos Raba of Clavel in Baltimore officiated group in green mole and salsa machaand those sauces—especially the mole—were the stars. The Raba mole was rich, complex and provided a touch of spice, but somewhat overshadowed the fish. How much this affected the success of the dish is left to the judgment of the restaurant.

Similarly, Omar Collazo himself tourist made wahoo taki highlighted by a red curry, green tomato and garden seeds; and the lively and spicy curry was memorable, albeit at the expense of tasting the wahoo.

Kathleen Blake, the chef at the Blair Hill Inn in Maine, created a dish she called the Isle of Eight. red fish crudo spiked with grapes, jicama, coconut and ginger. The grapes, in particular, infused the dish with an unexpected sweetness; the coconut was a surprising twist; and the tenderness of the fish was on full display.

Chef Samuel-Drake Jones of Grand Army Bar in Brooklyn cooks a dish called Southern Drum – a red drum bouillabaisse topped with crispy polenta, grouper and a macha salsa. The bouillabaisse was rich but still reflected its oceanic roots; and the group was prominently displayed, both in flavor and quality. This was one of the standout dishes of the event.

Cesar Zapata, executive chef at Phuc Yea in Miami, fried a crispy, Porgy in Cha Ca style that was seasoned with turmeric and fennel, slathered with a green coconut curry and accented with pickled pineapple. The fish was bright and fresh – a great contrast to the sauce – while the combination of turmeric and pineapple introduced fresh and fun flavors.

Kevin Tien, the owner and creative visionary behind Moon Rabbit in Washington, DC, wowed viewers with Yosenabea Japanese hot pot in which grouper and shrimp meatballs were bathed in a XO ginger onion soup with braised shiitake mushrooms and snow peas. It was a real umami bomb if there ever was one.