Memorial’s milkshakes a hit with pro golfers
DUBLIN — On his first trip to Muirfield Village Golf Club for the 2019 Memorial Tournament, Joel Dahmen knew exactly what he had to do first.
It wasn’t to hit golf balls or check out the course. Wasn’t to go search for host Jack Nicklaus to shake his hand. Wasn’t to go and putt. Wasn’t even to unpack.
Instead, the first thing Dahmen did after he parked his car was head to a special bar in the clubhouse.
And get a milkshake.
“I had watched this tournament for 15, 20 years, and you’d hear about the milkshakes. And when you get here, that’s what you’re supposed to do: go and get a milkshake,” said Dahmen, who went and got another shortly after talking about them. “Since my first one, the trick is how many are you going to have. Do you limit yourself to like one a day? Do you get multiple a day? Do you not have one too late in the evening?
“There are some tough decisions to be made.”
A lot of players have a bunch of them. The famous concoctions of milk, ice cream and an assortment of delectable flavorings rank right up there with other highlights of Nicklaus’ no-stone-unturned approach to welcoming the players to the ultimate PGA Tour destination.
And it’s not a surprise that Nicklaus started rolling out the milkshakes long ago. He’s well known for his sweet tooth. He even has his own line of ice cream.
“I don’t remember the first one but I remember the last one. Chocolate and peanut butter, the Buckeye. And I can’t wait to finish my day to have another one,” Joaquin Niemann said. “They’re the best.”
But they’re not exactly good for the diet. The 16-ounce liquid gems pack 1,100 to 1,200 calories per serving.
The Buckeye, consisting of creamy peanut butter, chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream and a splash of milk, is by far the top go-to for those who indulge.
“I’m a member of the club here, and I get them the weeks that I’m here practicing and playing,” Jason Day said. “They are unbelievable. I don’t know what they do, if they put some special thing in them, but they are unbelievable. I’m good for one or two or those this week.”
Not all kneel at the altar of the Mighty Muirfield Milkshake.
“I guess I don’t want to get in trouble here, but like I — like the milkshakes are good. I’ve had milkshakes that are just as good elsewhere,” Rory Mcilroy said. “Maybe because it’s Muirfield Village, they taste better, I don’t know.
“I’m happy with having one or two a week. I’m certainly not one of the guys that’s standing there getting two a day.” But Mcilroy is an outliner.
Jon Rahm, the 2020 Memorial champion, gets several during the week.
“I know a lot of people are going to look like oh, he’s definitely drinking two or three a day. I’m not. I would like to,” he said. “I think the first one was an Oreo milkshake, and then I posted it on social media, like, oh, what milkshake should I get. And everybody was mentioning the Buckeye.”
Rahm said he had no idea what a Buckeye was. He found out when he, Tony Finau, Graeme Mcdowell and Ian Poulter played nine holes for charity ahead of the 2020 Workday Charity Open.
“They brought us Buckeyes on 18 and that was the first time I’ve tried it, and I don’t think I’ve changed from the Buckeye since,” he said. “They’re extremely good. I mean, they do a really good job, right? Obviously, it’s not like a chain, so they do a couple for the players that are asking, and they can take their time and they are really, really good. I mean, some of the best out there.
“If you see me walking out with a couple, which it could happen, remember my wife is pregnant, right. So it’s not always for me.”
We’ll take Rahm at his word.