PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Hungry to get back on the green? The Players is back, and that means the actual players have to fuel their bodies to win big.
The Players and their families head inside the clubhouse for a chef-prepared meal and a customizable smoothie bar.
The smoothie bar was all Tyler Hagin's idea a few years ago. He's the director of food and beverage.
“Healthy snack. Keeps them on the go. Doesn’t weigh them down,' Hagin said.
His go-to is the triple berry smoothie.
“Tons of antioxidants in here for them," Hagin said. "Toss a little bit of bee pollen in here for them to fight off any allergies they might have on the course.”
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“There’s this big shift that The Players golfers are athletes. They’re not just golfers out there, so we really scaled back the players' dining offering to be more healthy, lean proteins," explained Hagin.
That's where senior executive chef Azhar Mohammas comes in.
“They have the energy to go hit the ball all day as long as they need to," Mohammas said.
Mohammad has the pros covered with hot meals.
“We got to make sure everything is packed with flavor. It’s not just boring chicken and rice," Mohammad said.
That it is not! He showed me an example of a meal for a pro: pan-seared sword fish, black rice, vegetables and a coconut milk-based sauce with a mild kick.
Not just anyone can try his cooking during The Players, but you can make a reservation at Nineteen, the restaurant at the clubhouse, another week and taste what we are talking about.