I have been a professional food photographer for over 15 years and have photographed the plates of Eric Ripert, Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Joel Robuchon, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Anthony Bourdain, Alain Ducasse, and many more world class restaurant chefs. Most of them are now hugely successful entrepreneurs and celebrities.  This elite group has always understood the importance of excellent food photography. 

Why spend all your time creating gorgeous recipes for your menu only to ruin them with less than flattering food photographs? I remember when the first iPhone was released, and the cell phone photography was so unflattering that some restaurants banned their use! Of course, that has changed now, and thankfully some cell phone photographers are getting much better than the early days, still ugly food shots convey the wrong image of your food and are a turn off to many potential diners.

 When I entered the private golf industry, I quickly realized there was a great need for high-quality food photography whether the golf club, country club or resort was serving hamburgers or haute cuisine. Why spend thousands on your golf course photography, clubhouse, interiors, and exteriors and skip the kitchen?  Food should never be an afterthought.

Don't forget your appetizers, these are often the most photogenic. This Pan Seared Port Lincoln Scallops recipe (above) is by Executive Chef Nigel Munzberg of Royal Adelaide Golf Club, Seaton, South Australia. Photo by Diana DeLucia.​

​When I look for a club to feature in my books or Golf Kitchen magazine the website is the first place I visit. I can usually tell if the club values the culinary side as they will highlight and compliment their chef, culinary team and services, often displaying the menus and excellent food imagery. However, the website is not the only place a club needs high-quality food photography; there are many places. Food photography draws attention everywhere from social media, newsletters, advertising, magazine and news stories, club banners, posters and more.

​Many golfers love to see a big, juicy beef dish on the menu and these are often the most difficult to produce. The chef and the photographer need to work closely to create an appetizing display. This Brandt Beef Bone Marrow Bread Pudding recipe took hours to create. Recipe by Doug Blair, Executive Chef at Cassique at Kiawah Island Club. Photo by Diana DeLucia

How to find a great food photographer.

​Food photography is an art form and challenging to learn; more often it is an inborn skill. The golf course photographer is likely not a skilled food photographer and vice versa. I have never been hired to shoot a golf course, while I might be able to take good enough landscapes, I am by no means a golf course photographer as I do not know the game or what golfers are looking for in a great image. I leave that up to specialized golf photographers like Larry Lambrecht, Jacob Sjöman and Evan Schiller.  Look for photographers that specialize in food photography and do your homework. Find out if their clients are happy with their services, word of mouth is essential. Local does not always mean better, hire for talent every time.

5 reasons to hire a skilled food photographer to support your culinary team.
​
1. Members of upscale private clubs can eat wherever they want. Their palates are advanced. When you produce low-quality food imagery that can be enough for them to go off property to eat, or worse, join a club that values the food and beverage department as much the golf and other facilities.2.  Younger golfers demand higher quality cuisine this means that you need to hire Executive Chefs and other culinary team players who match this demand to attract more members to the club, and you will need to support your team by showing off their work with great food photography.

2. Younger golfers demand higher quality cuisine this means that you need to hire Executive Chefs and other culinary team players who match this demand to attract more members to the club, and you will need to support your team by showing off their work with great food photography.​

​3.  My first impression as a non-golfer was how do clubs attract new members, especially the ones who have never played golf? Golfers already play so there is no point preaching to the choir; you need other avenues to get potential new members to the club. Food is one of them. More reason to hire a talented food photographer.

4. Food is a conversation topic. The last thing you want as a private golf or country club is to have members, guests, and media trashing the club's choice of cuisine. Poor food photography can be a bad choice as it shows lack of attention to the food and beverage department.

5. Hiring a reputable food photographer has many other perks, savvy food photographers are very good at marketing, you will likely have your club featured in their marketing and online social media campaigns as well as your own at no extra cost.

​Give your mixologist some publicity. This Kohanaiki Mai Tai created by Clara Kelly, Mixologist at Kohanaiki shouts Hawaii! Photo by Diana DeLucia.

For immediate release: September 2 , Avon, CT. Diana DeLucia, Editor in Chief and Producer of Golf Kitchen and Golf Kitchen Magazine and Events is pleased to announce that Golf Channel's Chantel McCabe will host the Inaugural Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards to be officially presented at the Inaugural Golf Kitchen Edgewood Fine Dining Soirée, October 4th, 2018 at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, New Jersey, USA.

Award Recipients: 

GOLF KITCHEN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CULINARY INNOVATORS, 2018

Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

For too long culinary talent has been hidden from recognition due to the private nature of our industry.  Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey and it's upper management team recognized immediately the importance of the "Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards" and has gone above and beyond to ensure its launch is a success.

GOLF KITCHEN CULINARY EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR A PRIVATE GOLF CLUB, COUNTRY CLUB OR RESORT, 2018

Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida, USA - Executive Chef Robert Lee
If anyone understands the palette of Arnold Palmer himself, it is Robert Lee. Robert was hired by Mr. Palmer over 27 years ago and together they collaborated over many years to establish a unique menu focused on one of the Golf Industries legends.  Lee’s tireless work, love and respect for Mr. Palmer makes him a valuable part of the industries culinary history.

Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA - Executive Chef Doug Blair

Executive Chef Doug Blair and his team at Cassique deliver a unique dining menu featuring selections sourced from local farmers and fisheries, creating a unique, intimate farm to table experience. 
After 6 years in some of Seattle’s finest restaurants and following a stint in New York training under Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Doug took the helm as the Kiawah Island Club’s Executive Chef in 2000.
Doug and his team have developed a culinary prowess to create outstanding menus to rival any of the great chefs.

Kohanaiki, Kona, Hawaii, USA - Executive Chef Patrick Heymann

Kohanaiki and Patrick Heymann have developed a unique blend of island and beach cuisine that is also indulgently elegant, and the members and guests love it.

I have rarely seen a membership so involved in the dining scene then at Kohanaiki. Patrick's ability to communicate on a culinary level with the members and guests at Kohanaiki is quite remarkable. 

Punta Mita, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - Executive Chef Pato Persico

Carl Emberson, COO at Punta Mita had recognized the importance of the culinary side of golf many years ago and at Punta Mita, he has developed his culinary team, lead by Pato Persico, that is not only very talented but openly welcome collaboration with Culinary teams from the industry globally. 
​
Punta Mita has now become the home of Golf Kitchen Punta Mita, a four-day culinary extravaganza that takes place each April and features leading culinary teams from some the world's finest Golf, Country Clubs, and Resorts golfing and cooking for those fortunate to attend.

Sebonack Golf Club - Southampton, New York, USA - Executive Chef, Anthony Giacoponello

Sebonack Golf Club has been an instrumental part of the Golf Kitchen journey, supporting the culinary vision since 2010, when the industry was lagging. 

Giacoponello is one of the finest chefs in the business. His global training reads like the who's who of leading chefs of the world. His ability to consistently produce high-quality cuisine at all levels of the club’s menu and to remain calm under all conditions is notable.

GOLF KITCHEN VISIONARY LEADERS IN CLUB MANAGEMENT

Troy Albert, Certified Club Manager and General Manager - Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York, USA.

Troy Albert is a General Manager that has a genuine love of people and it immediately shows when you enter the gates at Sebonack Golf Club. 

Albert, with the guidance of the club’s owner Mr. Michael Pascucci, has developed a unique management style that makes not only the members and guests feel appreciated, but also the staff, who are a part of the family.

Albert, who had previously worked with Executive Chef Anthony Giacoponello, had the culinary knowledge and expertise to recruit Giacoponello to take charge of this unique and prestigious kitchen which will continue to bring culinary innovation to the members, guests and the industry for many years to come.


Colin A. Burns, Certified Club Manager and General Manager - Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, USA.

Colin Burns, longtime General Manager at Winged Foot Golf Club possesses a management style that is purely and genuinely focused on the members and guests at all times.

Burns was one of the first in the industry to improve the culinary landscape in the Private Golf Club industry. Over nine years ago he appointed renowned Executive Chef Rhy Waddington who has successfully achieved and surpassed this goal. 

With a new kitchen, renovated clubhouse and another US Open in 2020, I am sure there is even more innovation Colin has yet to unveil.  

Jay DiPietro, Chief Operating Officer (recently retired) and Consultant - Boca West Country Club, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

There are not too many General Managers that have created the culinary legacy that Jay DiPietro has at Boca West Country Club. His flamboyant management style and extraordinary vision has shaped the many culinary eating spaces at this famed residential country club.  

The industry thanks Mr. DiPietro for over 30 years of outstanding service and wish him a long and entertaining retirement.

Frank H. Benzakour, Certified Club Manager, CCE and General Manager - CCMA

Frank Benzakour is a highly motivated and strategic General Manager.  Benzakour’s style is quite individual and he possesses the ability to see through the fog. He is one of the visionary leaders who "can foresee where the puck is going to be rather than where it has been." Benzakour has the skill to decisively and successfully implement changes in an industry that typically takes much time and patience.
​

GOLF KITCHEN EDGEWOOD PARTICIPATING EXECUTIVE CHEF AWARDS, 2018

Keith Armstrong, Executive Chef at Westchester Country Club, Rye, New York, USA

Zach Bell, Executive Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Anthony Giacoponello, Executive Chef, Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York, USA
 
Dana Iannelli, Pastry Chef at Addison Reserve Country club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Michael Ruggiero, Executive Chef at GlenArbor Golf Club, Bedford, New York, USA

Tony Villanueva, Host Chef and Executive Chef at Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

For more information surrounding our event culinary team lead by Tony Villanueva, please visit the event webpage https://www.golfkitchen.com/golf-kitchen-edgewood.html

​Thank you to the Private Golf, Country Club and Resort Industry, Culinary Leaders and Members who have supported the Golf Kitchen Vision and Journey, without all of you this could not be possible. ~ Diana DeLucia, Producer, Editor in Chief, Golf Kitchen and Golf Kitchen Magazine.
​
About Edgewood Country Club

Edgewood Country Club is located at 449 River Vale Road in River Vale; N.J. Founded in 1956 on the grounds of two former pre-Revolutionary War farmsteads that were later converted into a country manor estate, Edgewood Country Club offers distinctive facilities in a warm, but sophisticated, setting. The club's jewel is an impeccably-maintained, 27-hole golf course, staffed by PGA-certified golf professionals. Other club features include six Har-Tru tennis courts, a comprehensive tennis instruction program for players of all ages, and the Club's famous Midway Bar & Grill. It also boasts one of New Jersey's largest heated swimming pools and a brand-new clubhouse and banquet facility which opened in May 2017 for both member and non-member dining and special events. The clubhouse and banquet facility, which offers fine dining and gracious service, is host to many events such as weddings, golf outings, banquets, bar/bat mitzvahs and other parties for up to 400 guests. The Club also features a state-of-the-art strength training & fitness facility for its members.

For information about membership call Kyla Basso, Edgewood County Club vice president of membership sales, marketing and club operations, at 201-666-1200, extension 273. For information on events call Candice Timmerman, Edgewood Country Club event coordinator, and sales director, at 201-666-1200 extension 218. For more information about club membership, club amenities or entertaining options, visit EdgewoodNJ.com.

About Golf Kitchen

​Founded in 2014 by CEO Diana DeLucia, an internationally recognized culinary writer/photographer, Golf Kitchen® is a unique portfolio of recipes, photos, and interviews from the kitchens and fairways of 16 illustrious golf destinations around the world.

Diana initially introduced the concept in 2013 through her sold-out book Golf Club World, Behind the Gates. She launched the high class 500+ page "coffee table" collectible - Golf Kitchen – on November 10, 2016, featuring chefs from participating global Golf Kitchen® teams at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. This illustrious event joined the world of private club and resort chefs, recipes, and kitchens together with the history and stories of 16 high-end golf clubs and destinations around the world.
In the fall of 2017, Golf Kitchen Magazine, a quarterly print magazine was launched and is approaching its first year and a second book is in production titled Golf Kitchen Americas. 

In April of 2018, Golf Kitchen and Punta Mita, Mexico held the Inaugural Golf Kitchen Punta Mita four-day Culinary Extravaganza and 2 Day Golf Kitchen Golf Tournament. www.golfkitchenpuntamita.com  
​
In addition to the book, magazine, and events, the Golf Kitchen® Community has recently emerged with significant digital and social media initiatives designed to capture the appetites of golfers, travelers, chefs, and food enthusiasts around the globe. 

For table bookings contact:
Candice Timmerman
candice@edgewoodnj.com
or call 201 666 1200

For sponsorship inquiries and media contact:
Diana DeLucia
​diana@golfkitchen.com
​or call 860-406-1782​

For immediate release: August 21st, 2018, Avon, CT. Diana DeLucia, Editor in Chief and Producer of Golf Kitchen and Golf Kitchen Magazine and Events is pleased to announce the recipients of the Inaugural Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards to be officially presented at the Inaugural Golf Kitchen Edgewood Fine Dining Soirée, October 4th, 2018 at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, New Jersey, USA.

Award Recipients: 

GOLF KITCHEN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CULINARY INNOVATORS, 2018

Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

For too long culinary talent has been hidden from recognition due to the private nature of our industry.  Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey and it's upper management team recognized immediately the importance of the "Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards" and has gone above and beyond to ensure its launch is a success.

GOLF KITCHEN CULINARY EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR A PRIVATE GOLF CLUB, COUNTRY CLUB OR RESORT, 2018

Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida, USA - Executive Chef Robert Lee
If anyone understands the palette of Arnold Palmer himself, it is Robert Lee. Robert was hired by Mr. Palmer over 27 years ago and together they collaborated over many years to establish a unique menu focused on one of the Golf Industries legends.  Lee’s tireless work, love and respect for Mr. Palmer makes him a valuable part of the industries culinary history.

Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA - Executive Chef Doug Blair

Executive Chef Doug Blair and his team at Cassique deliver a unique dining menu featuring selections sourced from local farmers and fisheries, creating a unique, intimate farm to table experience. 
After 6 years in some of Seattle’s finest restaurants and following a stint in New York training under Chef Tom Colicchio, Chef Doug took the helm as the Kiawah Island Club’s Executive Chef in 2000.
Doug and his team have developed a culinary prowess to create outstanding menus to rival any of the great chefs.

Kohanaiki, Kona, Hawaii, USA - Executive Chef Patrick Heymann

Kohanaiki and Patrick Heymann have developed a unique blend of island and beach cuisine that is also indulgently elegant, and the members and guests love it.

I have rarely seen a membership so involved in the dining scene then at Kohanaiki. Patrick's ability to communicate on a culinary level with the members and guests at Kohanaiki is quite remarkable. 

Punta Mita, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico - Executive Chef Pato Persico

Carl Emberson, COO at Punta Mita had recognized the importance of the culinary side of golf many years ago and at Punta Mita, he has developed his culinary team, lead by Pato Persico, that is not only very talented but openly welcome collaboration with Culinary teams from the industry globally. 
Punta Mita has now become the home of Golf Kitchen Punta Mita, a four-day culinary extravaganza that takes place each April and features leading culinary teams from some the world's finest Golf, Country Clubs, and Resorts golfing and cooking for those fortunate to attend.

Sebonack Golf Club - Southampton, New York, USA - Executive Chef, Anthony Giacoponello

Sebonack Golf Club has been an instrumental part of the Golf Kitchen journey, supporting the culinary vision since 2010, when the industry was lagging. 

Giacoponello is one of the finest chefs in the business. His global training reads like the who's who of leading chefs of the world. His ability to consistently produce high-quality cuisine at all levels of the club’s menu and to remain calm under all conditions is notable.

GOLF KITCHEN VISIONARY LEADERS IN CLUB MANAGEMENT

Troy Albert, Certified Club Manager and General Manager - Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York, USA.

Troy Albert is a General Manager that has a genuine love of people and it immediately shows when you enter the gates at Sebonack Golf Club. 
Albert, with the guidance of the club’s owner Mr. Michael Pascucci, has developed a unique management style that makes not only the members and guests feel appreciated, but also the staff, who are a part of the family.

Albert, who had previously worked with Executive Chef Anthony Giacoponello, had the culinary knowledge and expertise to recruit Giacoponello to take charge of this unique and prestigious kitchen which will continue to bring culinary innovation to the members, guests and the industry for many years to come.


Colin A. Burns, Certified Club Manager and General Manager - Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, USA.

Colin Burns, longtime General Manager at Winged Foot Golf Club possesses a management style that is purely and genuinely focused on the members and guests at all times.
Burns was one of the first in the industry to improve the culinary landscape in the Private Golf Club industry. Over nine years ago he appointed renowned Executive Chef Rhy Waddington who has successfully achieved and surpassed this goal. 
With a new kitchen, renovated clubhouse and another US Open in 2020, I am sure there is even more innovation Colin has yet to unveil.  

Jay DiPietro, Chief Operation Officer (recently retired) and Consultant - Boca West Country Club, Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
There are not too many General Managers that have created the culinary legacy that Jay DiPietro has at Boca West Country Club. His flamboyant management style and extraordinary vision has shaped the many culinary eating spaces at this famed residential country club.  
The industry thanks Mr. DiPietro for over 30 years of outstanding service and wish him a long and entertaining retirement.

Frank H. Benzakour, Certified Club Manager, CCE and General Manager - CMAA

Frank Benzakour is a highly motivated and strategic General Manager.  Benzakour’s style is quite individual and he possesses the ability to see through the fog. He is one of the visionary leaders who "can foresee where the puck is going to be rather than where it has been." Benzakour has the skill to decisively and successfully implement changes in an industry that typically takes much time and patience.

GOLF KITCHEN EDGEWOOD PARTICIPATING EXECUTIVE CHEF AWARDS, 2018

Keith Armstrong, Executive Chef at Westchester Country Club, Rye, New York, USA

Zach Bell, Executive Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Anthony Giacoponello, Executive Chef, Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York, USA
 
Dana Iannelli, Pastry Chef at Addison Reserve Country club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA

Michael Ruggiero, Executive Chef at GlenArbor Golf Club, Bedford, New York, USA

Tony Villanueva, Host Chef and Executive Chef at Edgewood Country Club, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

For more information surrounding our event culinary team lead by Tony Villanueva, please visit the event webpage https://www.golfkitchen.com/golf-kitchen-edgewood.html

Thank you to the Private Golf, Country Club and Resort Industry, Culinary Leaders and Members who have supported the Golf Kitchen Vision and Journey, without all of you this could not be possible. ~ Diana DeLucia, Producer, Golf Kitchen.
​
About Edgewood Country Club

Edgewood Country Club is located at 449 River Vale Road in River Vale; N.J. Founded in 1956 on the grounds of two former pre-Revolutionary War farmsteads that were later converted into a country manor estate, Edgewood Country Club offers distinctive facilities in a warm, but sophisticated, setting. The club's jewel is an impeccably-maintained, 27-hole golf course, staffed by PGA-certified golf professionals. Other club features include six Har-Tru tennis courts, a comprehensive tennis instruction program for players of all ages, and the Club's famous Midway Bar & Grill. It also boasts one of New Jersey's largest heated swimming pools and a brand-new clubhouse and banquet facility which opened in May 2017 for both member and non-member dining and special events. The clubhouse and banquet facility, which offers fine dining and gracious service, is host to many events such as weddings, golf outings, banquets, bar/bat mitzvahs and other parties for up to 400 guests. The Club also features a state-of-the-art strength training & fitness facility for its members.

For information about membership call Kyla Basso, Edgewood County Club vice president of membership sales, marketing and club operations, at 201-666-1200, extension 273. For information on events call Candice Timmerman, Edgewood Country Club event coordinator, and sales director, at 201-666-1200 extension 218. For more information about club membership, club amenities or entertaining options, visit EdgewoodNJ.com.

About Golf Kitchen

​Founded in 2014 by CEO Diana DeLucia, an internationally recognized culinary writer/photographer, Golf Kitchen® is a unique portfolio of recipes, photos, and interviews from the kitchens and fairways of 16 illustrious golf destinations around the world.

Diana initially introduced the concept in 2013 through her sold-out book Golf Club World, Behind the Gates. She launched the high class 500+ page "coffee table" collectible - Golf Kitchen – on November 10, 2016, featuring chefs from participating global Golf Kitchen® teams at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. This illustrious event joined the world of private club and resort chefs, recipes, and kitchens together with the history and stories of 16 high-end golf clubs and destinations around the world.
In the fall of 2017, Golf Kitchen Magazine, a quarterly print magazine was launched and is approaching its first year and a second book is in production titled Golf Kitchen Americas. 

In April of 2018, Golf Kitchen and Punta Mita, Mexico held the Inaugural Golf Kitchen Punta Mita four-day Culinary Extravaganza and 2 Day Golf Kitchen Golf Tournament. www.golfkitchenpuntamita.com  
In addition to the book, magazine, and events, the Golf Kitchen® Community has recently emerged with significant digital and social media initiatives designed to capture the appetites of golfers, travelers, chefs, and food enthusiasts around the globe. 

For table bookings contact:
Frank Benzakour: frank@edgewoodnj.com
or call 201-666-1200

For sponsorship inquiries and media contact:
Diana DeLucia: diana@golfkitchen.com
​or call 860-406-1782​

​Waking up early on Friday morning, 8th June 2018, I checked the morning news on my cell phone to learn that one of my past photographic subjects, Mr. Anthony Bourdain had taken his own life. I was then dispatched on a 48-hour journey of self-reflection.  Pardon me if I am wrong, but I have perceived that a disproportionate number of people in arts and culture, authors, journalists, musicians, painters, designers and others, were doing the same. 
 
Maybe Mr. Bourdain wanted to take the ultimate journey to the unknown, or perhaps he was hiding his true inner demons from the rest of the world and protecting everyone from the darkness that lived within him. When your career revolves around you being you, it takes on a unique perspective. You become your brand, becoming immersed in yourself as you are your career. It drives you! It becomes you! However, when you are away from that career, with your demons for companionship, you are ultimately stuck with that secret and perhaps shameful part of you, to wrestle, alone.
 
You are inspiring others and have seemingly achieved so much, so how can you possibly be so unhappy? You believe you would be dismissed if you showed a pathetic, weak persona, and so you go about life doing anything to avoid facing your real self. This situation is a recipe for severe depression. You get into character more and more and spend less and less time with the real you, the persona that you loathe.
 
Being a self-taught culinary and portrait photographer, designer and journalist, I have spent most of my adult life in some way or another, within the creative arts industry. One of the benefits of my career is that I have met, photographed, and interviewed hundreds of fellow artistic people from around the world. I love to do this, it drives me, I feel like I am doing something right, and I am in some small way making others feel appreciated and good about themselves. 
 
Unfortunately, the other side is intense, but it’s the only way you can be an artist. You must reach down deep into your thoughts, and you must have empathy for others to be able to see into their worlds. It becomes difficult to hold non-career-based conversations, you have become your career, and you have no idea how to share this inner side of yourself, especially when you despise it.  
 
Among many artists, there is an inexplicable feeling of losing the persona they have created should they expose the demons manifesting in their minds.  Of course, it may or may not be true, but the risk, to the depressed artist, is not worth taking, so the anguish remains often hidden until it’s too late. 
 
Another misconception of being a successful artist is that others assume you have abundant love, wealth, success and beauty. A perception you intend to display - the value of your work. Often artists are struggling beyond belief to make their art known and seen. Social media has made it more accessible to a broader market, but it has many pitfalls and leads us further away from facing and slaying our inner beasts.
 
What can you do to help your fellow human beings? 
 
-    Try to be kind and patient, as you can never assume to comprehend the confusion within another’s mind. The brain is complicated, and the fuller the brain becomes, the less room there is to hide difficult issues under the rug.  We often misconstrue outbursts of crying or displays of grief as anger or insanity, and likely we have all been there at one time or another, and we know that it's probably a cry for help, love, and compassion. 
 
-    Don't assume another’s happiness or sadness; no one can be in another's head. Outward appearances are often very deceptive. 
 
 
-    Finally, my last but not my least crucial point of view is that a great phenomenon is that human beings are not entirely treasured until death. Then, suddenly, there comes an outpouring of love that we regret not expressing.  We have all seen this when Robin Williams, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain left this world. Think about that. Imagine being that alone and feeling that invisible. If we make an effort to take ourselves away from the harshness and ruthlessness of life and listen to each other, the world will be a better place. 
 
We should all be communicating our appreciation when possible, to those who have influenced our lives in positive ways, while they are alive!.  That is where I am going to start, how about you?
 
~Diana DeLucia
 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
 
We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
 
1-800-273-8255
 

Golf Kitchen Punta Mita featured a collection of specialty guest executive chefs from some of the most prestigious international golf clubs and resorts as well as a two-day golf tournament on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses Bahia and Pacifico, recently ranked among Golf Digest’s “Top 100 World’s Greatest Courses.”
 
​From April 26th to 29th, masterplan Punta Mita developer DINE, in collaboration with Golf Kitchen Magazine, hosted the first edition of Golf Kitchen Punta Mita. A four-day special event that created a unique experience that naturally combined the best of golf with top gastronomic experiences.
 
Pato Pérsico, Punta Mita’s own executive Chef and host of this event, welcomed Guest Chefs from some of the most prestigious Golf Clubs and Resorts in Mexico and the USA: Doug Blair, Executive Chef of Cassique at Kiawah Island Club and their Sous Chef José Carles Fábregas, Chrissie Bennet, Executive Sous Chef of Winged Foot Golf Club, Joseph Klages, Executive Sous Chef from Sebonack Golf Club, Damian Gilchrist, Executive Chef of Sankaty Head Golf Club, Lalo Palazuelos, Executive Chef from Club de Golf Bosque Real, Gastón Yelicih, Executive Chef from Cantegrill Country Club and Eva Millán, Executive Chef from El Camaleón Mayakoba Golf Club. This amazing team of chefs proved their culinary skills throughout different gastronomic experiences that took place during these days.
  
On Thursday April 26th, the guest chefs had the opportunity to represent their golf clubs at a four–hole tournament, an unexpected and friendly happening to honor the correlation between these two industries, a match worth watching and the perfect kick-off to this first edition of Golf Kitchen Punta Mita, with Doug Blair, Executive Chef at Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, South Carolina, USA, scoring his way to victory. Afterwards, Pato Pérsico alongside Damian Gilchrist, Joseph Klages, Lalo Palazuelos and Chrissie Bennett, hosted an exquisite opening dinner at the Residents Beach Club. 
 
The following day, the Bahia Golf Course was the perfect setting to begin the awaited tournament, offering amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and Banderas Bay and a challenging wavy-terrain which shows-off the players putting skills. Later on, guests were able to choose between two simultaneous dinners: Sufito, an oceanside restaurant at Sufi Ocean Club, welcomed Chef Gastón Yelichich, who created a delicious three-course Uruguayan menu. On the other hand, Jesús Durón, executive chef of the famous restaurant Carolina at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, was joined by Doug Blair to create a South-Carolina-meets-Mexico fusion menu.
 
The second and last day of the tournament, the participants played at the Pacifico Golf Course, best known for its famous island green, “The Tale of the Whale” - the world’s only natural ocean island green, and congratulations go to: First Place, Dermott and Martina O’Flanagan; Second Place, Juan Carlos and David Rosales; Third Place, Fernando José Arrangoiz and Eduardo Palazuelos. The tournament ended with a delicious lunch at the 18th hole, offered by talented Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita chefs Esther Sánchez and Héctor Leyva, and guest chefs Eva Millán and Chrissie Bennett.
 
The closing gala was celebrated at the Kupuri Beach Club, with an innovative concept in which Pato Pérsico, Lalo Palazuelos and Gastón Yelicich, born in Argentina, Mexico and Uruguay respectively, created a gastronomic tour of their countries with traditional dishes, transporting diners to a whole new flavor dimension.
 
To wrap up the first Golf Kitchen Punta Mita, an exquisite Sunday Brunch took place at the unique Kupuri Beach Club. The well-known chefs Doug Blair, Damian Gilchrist and Joseph Klages offered the perfect mix between sweet and savory: the best way to start any given day and conclude this exceptional event that will be forever remembered. 
 
“We were thrilled to collaborate with the highly-respected Golf Kitchen Magazine’s Diana DeLucia in creating the inaugural Golf Kitchen Punta Mita Gastronomic Extravaganza,” said Carl Emberson, Director of Marketing and Operations at Punta Mita. “This extravagant event is in a class of its own in showcasing the very best cuisine the Golf Club industry offers.” 
 
“Punta Mita was a fabulous host to collaborate with on our third Golf Kitchen event and the first at at Punta Mita,” said Diana DeLucia, Editor in Chief of Golf Kitchen Magazine. “Carl Emberson had the brilliant idea to add a golf tournament which turned out to be as a big a hit as the culinary delights. Many special thanks to all the Golf Kitchen Chefs who worked tirelessly to make this a special event, it is all about celebrating you.”
 
Thanks, in great part to our sponsors Riviera Nayarit Visitors and Convention Bureau, Las Marietas Punta Mita and Pambuck, bringing our community together in good spirits to enjoy unforgettable culinary experiences, carefully curated selections of fine wines and outstanding golfing in one of the most beautiful resort destinations in the world.
 
 
 
About Punta Mita
Punta Mita is an ultra-luxurious, 1,500-acre resort and residential community situated in the Riviera Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta. It lies on a private spear-shaped peninsula surrounded by white sand beaches, Pacific Ocean waters and lush tropical flora. Punta Mita is home to private villas and residences, two 5-Diamond rated Resort: The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort and Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, a Tennis Center, four Resident’s Beach Clubs, and two Jack Nicklaus Signature Championship Golf Courses. Pacifico Golf Course is best known for its famous island green, “The Tale of the Whale”. The world’s only natural ocean island green. The Bahia Golf Course in Punta Mita offers more slopes around the greens and heavy contours to create more movement on the fairways and greens. www.puntamita.com   
 
DINE, Mexico’s premier real estate development company, is the owner and developer of Punta Mita. DINE’s real estate portfolio includes commercial, residential and master planned communities throughout Mexico. DINE was founded in 1978 to serve the specific needs of the highest income sectors in Mexico, establishing unprecedented design quality in residential, commercial, leisure and corporate real estate development. www.dine.com.mx
 
 
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Emma Perez
Punta Mita Resort  
329-291-6500
emma@puntamita.com

Diana DeLucia
Golf Kitchen Magazine
860 406 1782
diana@golfkitchen.com