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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA | The first question asked by members of the media had nothing to do with golf. To a person, the venerable keepers of the fourth estate arrived at the Olympic Club last week for the U.S. Women’s Open with only one thing on their collective minds – where are the Burgerdogs?
Julia Pine ran the press center at Olympic and addressed the issue at the beginning of the week.
“I made sure we put them out on Monday so media wasn’t asking me when we were getting them,” she said. “Gotta get those questions answered early.”
So, to answer the obvious question for the uninitiated, it’s not burger dog, it’s Burgerdog™ – trademarked by its creators, Bill and Billie Parrish of Hot Dog Bills, in Northern California, and promoted as “the original.” Just as the name implies, this American innovation is a burger shaped like a hot dog and served on a hot dog bun, complete with onions, pickles, cheese, ketchup and mustard (mayonnaise optional).
Like a lot of great creations, the Burgerdog was an example of necessity being the mother of invention. Bill and Billie opened a mobile hamburger trailer in 1950. But as their popularity grew (it’s all the spices) geometry worked against them. Hamburgers are round. Food-truck grills are rectangular. In order to maximize space, the Parrishes began hand forming their burgers in the shape of hotdogs and putting them on grilled buns. One of their frequent parking spots was at Lake Merced, which is adjacent to the Lake Course at Olympic Club. Club caddies, recognizing a good thing when they smelled it, ventured through the woods to get Burgerdogs, at first for themselves, but later for the members.
Soon, the club asked the couple to move their operation into the halfway house. Now, it’s an iconic part of Olympic Club lore, an unhealthy and delicious snack found at this private golf club.
Wednesday night, before the start of play, more were brought in as a treat for the media.
“No need for dinner plans,” one scribe announced. “Burgerdogs in dining.”
A fed reporter is a happy reporter. Everyone looks forward to future championships at Olympic.
Steve Eubanks
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