January is a great time to play golf in Southern California — especially the area south of Los Angeles and north of San Diego, not too far from the wine country of Temecula.
And our new Traveling Golfer Host Chef Marc Cummings introduces us to a Pacific Coast golf and gourmet hideaway you’ll be thinking about for a long time.
As you will see in this January 2025 episode of Traveling Golfer, Chef Marc is a celebrated culinary master known for his delightful creations and charismatic presence on the Food Network. Born and raised in Southern California, Chef Marc developed a passion for innovative cooking and the finer things in life like golf and the California laid-back luxury style while also giving back helping to raise money for numerous charities.
Red Hawk Golf Club
In this episode, Chef Marc’s first course (yes a combined culinary-golf reference) is at the Red Hawk Golf Course in Temecula. He gets an overview of this classic championship course from Redhawk general manager Randy Wood.
Then Chef Marc serves up (yes, another cross reference) an incredible approach shot on the par three island hole along with Red Hawk’s Head Pro Isaac Rodea.
Redhawk is definitely a course you can play year-round thanks to the California weather and the care and conditioning by the Red Hawk staff.
But you better bring your A-game.
And as chef Marc shows us, you also need to bring your A-game palate.
Tastes of Greece
He takes us to Tastes of Greece, a Greek restaurant in nearby Laguna Niguel. Chef Marc rates this as the top Greek food place in Southern California.
Plus, he shows us how when you walk into the restaurant you will think you are transported to the Greek isles.
The restaurant has only original recipes from over 100 years old — all made by hand.
Co-owner Elizabeth Gaintanis explains the cuisine that she learned living in Greece for 23 years. Her co-owner husband Gianni Gaintanis, a native of Greece, is introduced to us as the Greek LeBron James. He tells Chef Marc about his basketball prowess.
Next chef Mark shows off his expertise in the kitchen as he makes Jewel Rice for us. This combo of onions, mushrooms, cranberries, raisins, honey, white wine and rice is an elegant yet complicated taste — that our cameras caught executive producer Jeff Gilder sneaking a taste.
Lounging in the 1950s Hollywood Style
To close out the show, Chef Marc lounges at the El Caminante Bar and Bungalows in Capistrano Beach to talk with General Manager Brandon Collins who explains about the great cocktails, coffee, and food along with the classic 1950s style bungalows.
The setting reminds you of some Hollywood movie in the 1950s and you’d expect Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe to stroll out with a cocktail in hand.
You’ll enjoy your journey out west as well as the expertise of Chef Mark in this episode of the Traveling Golfer. If you make the trip, let us know here.
Real John Daly is a Producer and Host for Traveling Golfer. He writes and produces for the TGD Newswire at www.thegolfdirector.com. He is a former player on the Celebrity Players Tour who still holds a single-digit handicap. He was the host of Real TV, the groundbreaking reality show in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He is currently the Co-Creator and Co-Host of Undercover Jetsetter with Susan Anzalone, a show on travel, food, wine, mixology and, of course, golf. They show you how to jet set the world and at home. They also co-authored the book, The TV Studio In Your Hand: How to Shoot, Edit & Deliver the Easy Way on Your iPhone.
