Sunday Brunch with the Daniel Island Club’s Chef Tyler

Chef Tyler Dudley with his sous chefs Chris White, Marc Smolinski & Joseph Strickland. Not pictured: Lauren Whetsell

Ten local chefs, caterers and restaurants presented their visions of a “Lowcountry brunch” to more than 400 eager diners at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival’s Lowcountry Gospel Brunch on Sunday, March 8. Guests listened to the amazing sounds of the Gullah Gospel Ensemble while enjoying some of Charleston’s most delicious and creative brunch menus.

Chef Tyler Dudley of the Daniel Island Club participated in the sold out event, and served a three-course menu that featured local ingredients blended with traditional and non-traditional southern fare.

His menu included Orange Benne Seed Muffins, Southern Tomato Pie, Lump Crab Huevos Rancheros and Cinnamon Bun Crème Brulee.

See Chef Tyler’s mouth-watering dishes AND his recipe for Orange Benne Seed Muffins below!

* photos by Lauren Whetsell

Orange Benne Seed Muffins

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus up to 1 tablespoon for topping the muffins, if desired
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons benne seeds
• 1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush a 12-cup muffin tin with butter and set aside. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with an electric hand-held mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter, zest, and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in the benne seeds.

Fold the flour in 3 parts into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk in 2 parts, until just combined. Take care not to overmix the batter. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in the pan on a rack. Serve warm.

Five Weeks until the Nationwide Tour Championship!

The excitement on the island is building as the staff at the Daniel Island Club and organizers of the Nationwide Tour Championship work hard to get things ready for what is sure to be an exciting week of competitive golf! In just five weeks, the 2009 Nationwide Tour Championship will make its debut on the Ralston Creek course at the Daniel Island Club.

The top 60 money winners from this year’s Tour will head to Charleston October 19 – 25 to compete in this season-ending event, but only 25 will earn their PGA Tour cards for the 2010 season.

Event organizers recently met with local media and golf insiders — including Matt Bettencourt, the 2008 Nationwide Tour Champion — to discuss plans for this year’s event.

Besides the main tournament, other plans for the week include Pro-Am competitions, afternoon and evening music performances and special events, a junior’s golf event and an area where spectators can watch the tournament while keeping up with the weekend’s football games.

Watch the video below for a brief look at what 2008 Nationwide Tour Champion and current PGA Tour player Matt Bettencourt had to say to the media this week about this year’s venue and the Nationwide Tour Championship experience:

The event’s “Tickets FORE Charity” program is ensuring that 100% of proceeds from ticket sales go to over 40 local non profit organizations. Tickets can be purchased by calling (800) 677-2293 between 9:00 am – 5:00pm, Monday through Friday. For further ticket details, click here.

For questions or more information about the event, please contact Margaret Shaw at (843) 849-3154 or e-mail at Margaret.shaw@familycirclecup.com.

Daniel Island Club’s Ron Cerrudo Ranked Among Top Ten Golf Instructors in SC

Golf Digest magazine’s most recent ranking of the country’s best golf instructors by state is out, and the Daniel Island Club’s Director of Instruction has landed in the top ten for South Carolina. Ballots were distributed to more than 1,000 instructors throughout the state, asking them to rank their peers on a grade-point scale from 1 to 10. This year, Ron Cerrudo is number five on the list.

 Ron has been helping members and guests at the Daniel Island Club’s expansive practice facility improve their game since 2003. A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, he settled on Hilton Head Island, where he developed a successful following as a golf instructor, before coming to Daniel Island.

 

You can check out some of Ron’s tips and pointers right here on My Island Town, where we periodically post his insights in a series called “The Practice Range.” The latest tip – “How to Play in Wet Conditions” – was just posted today.

Congratulations, Ron!

THE PRACTICE RANGE: Every Possible Putt

By Daniel Island Club Head Teaching Professional, Ron Cerrudo

Recently, I had the privilege of playing with my old tour roommate, Tom Watson. Yes, that Tom Watson! The first thing I noticed was how pure his putting stroke was from short distances. As you probably know, in recent years Tom has had trouble with short putts ranging from three to five feet. I finally couldn’t contain myself so I asked him what he did to smooth out his stroke on the most crucial putts. His answer really surprised me. Tom starts by feeling the ball (what I mean is concentrating intensely on the ball) then looks at his hands as he takes the putter back. By doing this, he focuses on making a smooth stroke instead of worrying if he is going to make the putt.

If you are having trouble with short distance putts, try Tom’s approach – but make sure you practice before taking it out on the course. Tom practices these types of putts by placing the balls around the hole like a clock, three feet away from each other, making sure the area has some slope. He does this so he faces every possible putt: uphill, downhill, right to left and left to right. When you try this, make sure you give each putt your full attention. It was great playing with Tom again. He made eight birdies and two bogies – not bad for a 58 year old!

P.s. He beat me!

New Amenities Have Daniel Island Club Members Talking

The Daniel Island Club has been abuzz with excitement these days. With summer just around the corner, and warm temperatures here to stay, members of all ages are out enjoying everything from golf, swimming, tennis and croquet to tournaments and special events galore. But it’s the brand new additions to the clubhouse that everyone seems to be talking about the most.

The new wing of the clubhouse opened to members early this month. The showcase of this latest addition is a second story Grill Room with indoor and outdoor seating and stunning views of the marsh, Beresford Creek and hole 18 of the Ralston Creek course, along with a casual menu of salads, sandwiches, pizzas and entrees and a full-service bar. This will be the prime spot for viewing the action on the 18th hole during the upcoming Nationwide Tour Championship on Daniel Island this October.

The new clubhouse wing also houses the Club’s new golf shop, which has more than doubled in size to better accommodate golfers and an expanded selection of merchandise. A spacious first-story men’s lounge is accompanied by a locker room, barber shop and billiards room. All of the new spaces are enhanced by gorgeous cypress paneling and rich, Lowcountry décor.

With this latest phase now complete, plans are now underway for a beautiful new lounge and locker room for the ladies.

See the images below for more pictures of the new spaces at the clubhouse!

2009 Nationwide Tour Season Now Underway

The 2009 season of the PGA TOUR’S Nationwide Tour has begun. Celebrating its 20th-anniversary this year, the Nationwide Tour is the official proving ground of the PGA TOUR. Throughout the season’s 29 events, players compete for the chance to earn one of 25 PGA TOUR cards for the following season. And starting this year, the final winners will be determined on Daniel Island at the season-ending “Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island.” Now is the time to start following the players as they make their way towards Daniel Island this fall. These are golf’s up-and-coming stars, who will compete here at the Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek course October 22-25 this year.

The following video provides a good overview of what we have to look forward to this fall. Check it out, and visit PGATour.com for more video and Nationwide Tour coverage!

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HEALTHY LIVING: A Formula For Success!

The Daniel Island Club’s Bo Taylor shares his tips on fitness & weight loss goals.

Set a goal. Write down three to five nutrition/fitness related goals that you would like to achieve and a time frame in which to do so. They must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Why is that, you ask? If you set a goal to simply lose weight, you set yourself up for simple success and ultimate failure. If you lose only one pound you have succeeded, yet I imagine it’s not where you truly want to be. The other extreme would be to set a goal to lose 20 pounds in a week. Can it be done? Probably, but it would not be from fat loss, and it would only set you up to gain it back. Set specific goals such as: I will lose 10 pounds of fat in 30 days; I will improve my walk/run mile time by one minute in 30 days; or I will eat six nutritious meals each day for the next two weeks.

Make a plan. Sit down and write out how you plan to achieve your goal. Find a place where it can easily be found – whether it is at work, home, in your phone or organizer.

Execute the plan. This is where many people falter. If you take the time to plan your work, then you have to work your plan!

Evaluate how you’re doing. Everyone completes this step, but we are our own worst critic. In some cases, even though we are on track, we think we aren’t meeting our own expectations and give up. On the other hand, we may see little success and fall off the wagon. The third scenario is whatever plan we are executing; it isn’t meeting the goals we set, so we wonder why we should continue. In any case, you have given up.

Adjust! How badly do you want this goal? How long would you push your little boy/girl to learn to ride a bike before you gave up on them? Never, I would hope. Adjust your goal and/or your execution to be able to attain your goal(s).

Be a copycat. Do you know someone who is in the shape you want to be in and has reached the goal you are chasing? Find a mentor, a trainer or a nutritionist. Find out how they did it or how they showed someone else. Copy their road map to success!

Be stubborn. Some people call it committed or determined but I call it stubborn. You have to be able to face temptations and obstacles when training and dieting. Make your goal something you truly desire. Then your motivation to attain it will not waver.

What are your tricks to staying healthy? Share them with other readers below.

By Bo Taylor, Fitness Center Manager, Daniel Island Club

TASTE OF THE TOWN: Shrimp & Grits

Virtually every restaurant in Charleston has a shrimp-and-grits dish, but Executive Chef Tyler Dudley at the Daniel Island Club treats the club’s members and guests to this Lowcountry favorite by presenting it in a martini glass on special occasions and as a full entree for those who can’t get enough of this tasty dish. Tyler sets his recipe apart from others with his use of tasso ham, giving the dish a smoky and savory flavor. Here he shares his signature recipe.

Shrimp and grits
Serves 6
1-tablespoon Grape seed oil
2 lbs                     Large peeled and deveined shrimp
1 ½ lbs                Andouille sausage sliced thin on the bias
½ lbs                   Tasso ham shredded
2-tablespoon       Shallot chopped
1 ½ cup                Chicken stock
2 tablespoon        Chopped parsley
2-tablespoon        Sliced green onion green part only
2-tablespoon        Seeded and chopped tomato
Salt and pepper

Heat the grape seed oil in heavy bottom sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and sauté until slightly pink then remove. In the same pan, add shredded tasso, andouille sausage and chopped shallot and sauté for two minutes. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock and reduce by half. Add shrimp back into pan and cook an additional two minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Cheddar grits
2 cups            Whole milk
2 cups             Chicken stock
1-teaspoon        Kosher salt
1-cup            Stone ground grits
¼ cup            Butter
1-cup            Heavy cream
½ cup            Shredded white cheddar
2-teaspoon        Fresh ground pepper

Bring the milk and chicken stock to a slow boil.  Stir in salt.  Slowly add the grits, stirring constantly.  Let the grits thicken and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Stir occasionally, avoiding burning on bottom.  Stir in butter, cream, and cheese.  Simmer for 5 minutes and stir in pepper. Check seasoning.

Divide the hot grits between 6 bowls and spoon the shrimp and sausage mixture over the grits. Garnish with parsley, green onion and tomato. Enjoy.

What’s your favorite Lowcountry recipe? Comment below and share with others.

SERVE & RETURN: Perfecting Your Return

By the Daniel Island Club’s Tennis Professional, Ben Cook

Without a doubt, the serve and return of serve are the two most important shots in tennis today. If you have a big weapon, you will pick up a free point or two per service game. If you struggle, you will find yourself on the defensive end in your service games. This is why many players spend hours working on their serve.

The more neglected shot, in terms of practice time, is the return of the serve. If you have a strong return, take the offensive in many of your opponents’ service games and get more breaks. To be a better service returner, try to work on the following.

1.    While your opponent is going through his/her service ritual (bouncing the ball, etc.), make sure your feet are moving. Avoid being flatfooted.
2.    When the toss goes up, try to take a step or two going forward. This will get your momentum moving into the shot instead of being on your heels.
3.    When your opponent makes contact with their serve, you must get in split step. This will allow you to react better and be ready to move in either direction. Being flatfooted on your opponent’s contact will lead to missed returns.

So keep sending time working on your serve. But also find a partner to serve you some, and work on those returns. It will make you a better player.

Contributed by Ben Cook, Head Tennis Professional, Daniel Island Club

What helps make you a better tennis player? Comment below and share your insights with other readers!