Back when I was just a young pup shagging balls for a couple bucks an hour at Bishop Country Club in California’s Eastern Sierra, my lunchbreak treat of choice was the clubhouse grill’s not-so-famous Ortega Burger. Nothing more than a basic cheeseburger with a couple of grilled ortega chiles draped across the beef, with fries or chips on the side. And man, was it good. Same with the big hot dogs, grilled ham and cheese, egg salad sandwiches and the other half-dozen or so items on the bulletin-board menu hanging above the counter. Washed down with a Coke or iced tea (the Arnold Palmer was but a gleam in its namesake’s eye), such fare did the job for the small-town hackers who made this club their daily social hub.

This was golf course food. It still is at thousands of municipals across the country, and will be forever. Burgers, dogs, sammies, basic salads, with a fountain soda along for the ride: These are the staples of the swinging masses. But more often than not, those same comfort foods find themselves up against new competition, sometimes even Top Chef-worthy, because that’s what the people want as daily-fee clubs climb the social strata (and seek new non-golfer revenue streams) and classically trained chefs gravitate toward friendly kitchens where they can practice their creative, mouthwatering craft.

Thirty-five years beyond the Bishop burger, public courses throughout the West give golfers a full-on restaurant experience, usually in a setting that goes far beyond the lunch counters and linoleum floors of the old days. Popular venues like Wolf Run Golf Club and the Resort at Red Hawk in Reno-Sparks, Nev., and countless courses throughout California — Haggin Oaks in Sacramento, Ridge Creek in Dinuba, Monarch Dunes in Nipomo and Arroyo Trabuco in Mission Viejo, just to name a few — turn the classic 19th Hole grill concept on its head. A good 21st century public clubhouse chef keeps one foot in the familiar past while bringing the kind of cuisine once pretty much reserved for private club members (or partakers of the “rarefied public” Pebble experience) onto plates for the rest of us.

Of course, this wasn’t an overnight revolution. As with most lasting changes, it took place incrementally as America’s culinary palate broadened to embrace foods from around the world and delved deeper into America’s rich regional stew. This spread of our culinary wings, coupled with the growth of a golf resort culture once reserved for places like Pinehurst, has simply made grill fare better. It’s enough to make us search the Food Network for a hacker’s version of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

A recent Wolf Run special brought today’s cross-cultural trend into delicious focus: Chef Paul Powell’s Prime Rib Taco with Rice and Beans fit perfectly with regular menu items, from Emeril’s Chicken Strips to overstuffed sandwiches, seafood items and bistro-worthy entree salads (the Grill there also hosts regular wine-tasting dinners and other foodie-friendly events).

At Red Hawk, Chef BJ Mueller and Food and Beverage Director Al Karsok conspire to make David’s Grill a cut above your garden-variety golf-based sports bar; even H’s Burger (named after Red Hawk honcho Harvey Whittemore) has a definite gourmand-pleasing personality, and one of FG’s favorites, the grilled cheese sandwich — made with ham and tomatoes on Parmesan-crusted sourdough — has taken up permanent residence on the menu. “I try to take it off, but our customers won’t let me,” Karsok says. “It’s that popular.” And that delicious, especially when consumed on the patio on a warm summer day with the Lakes Course’s final green a few yards away, and a big pile of sweet potato fries on the side.

Over the hill at Haggin Oaks, it’s not so much that the food is overly exotic or unexpected at MacKenzie’s Bar and Grille (named for the golf course’s original architect, an old Scot named Alister). As the city’s No. 1 muni, its clientele is looking for a good, solid variety of fresh fare, and this step-up-and-order facility doesn’t disappoint. The breakfast sandwiches and omelets are outstanding, lunch specials have that homemade glow (check out all the local suits sneaking in for a bite and maybe a few practice putts outside the door), and the dinner hour gets its share of business, too. Proprietor Ken Morton and his family took this place up a notch five years ago, decorating its tables and walls with memorabilia from Haggin’s 75-year history; clearly they were a quick study when it came to dishing up diner-with-a-difference food, done well.

And that’s a trend we can swallow. Sure, I still think about the Ortega Burger, but I’m always on the lookout for flavorful food with a surprise flair. And these days, I’m finding it almost everywhere.