Chefs, Athletes, and Icons Rally for City Harvest at Annual Golf & Tennis Tournament
At first glance, a golf course might seem like an unlikely battlefield in the fight against hunger. But for Herb Karlitz, the impresario behind the Celebrity Chefs & Friends Golf and Tennis Tournament, the lush fairways and clay courts provide the perfect backdrop for a cause that has never felt more urgent.
On October 6, more than 100 celebrated chefs, restaurateurs, and athletes will descend on Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, New Jersey, for the event’s sixth edition, benefiting City Harvest, New York City’s pioneering food rescue organization. Headlined by golf legend Annika Sörenstam and tennis icon Patrick McEnroe, the day promises both spectacle and purpose: raising funds to combat record levels of food insecurity across the five boroughs.
“It’s surreal that in this day and age someone can spend millions to fly to the moon, yet there’s a child in New York who won’t have dinner tonight,” Karlitz said in an interview. “If I can leverage my relationships and know-how to help City Harvest feed more people, that’s a win.”
A Culinary Day Camp
What sets this charity tournament apart from the dozens held each season isn’t just the celebrity wattage—it’s the food. Think of it less as 18 holes and more as a roving food and wine festival. Guests move from tee to tee, greeted not just by golf pros but by chefs shaving Urbani truffles, caviar bumps from Black Diamond, or serving wood-fired pizza. “It’s the level of food you don’t get anywhere else,” Karlitz said. “I wanted to flip the script. Chefs are always asked to give. This is about thanking them, while raising serious money.”
This year, Kwame Onwuachi is the golf chair. His restaurant Tatiana was named #1 by the New York Times for two consecutive years (2023 and 2024). His newest restaurant, Dogon, in Washington, DC was just named one of “50Best” in North America. Restaurateurs Simon Kim (Cote Steak and Coqodaq) and Kerry Heffernan (Grand Banks) oversee the tennis courts, where matches blur into tastings and wine pairings. The roster of culinary talent is staggering -- Marcus Samuelsson, Masaharu Morimoto, Geoffrey Zakarian, Michael Anthony, Jonathan Waxman, Alfred Portale, Rocco Dispirito, Alex Lee, Cosme Aguilar, Helen Nguyen, and Franklin Becker, among others.
And it isn’t just chefs. Athletes and entertainers bring star power to the greens: CC Sabathia, Mark Messier, Justin Tuck, Jordan Clarkson, even hip-hop star Ja Rule and radio personality Angie Martinez. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac, who has hosted in the past, is also scheduled to attend. At last year’s tournament, guests lined up to see if they could return the 160-mph serve from tennis pro Reilly Opelka—each miss adding dollars to City Harvest’s coffers.
More Than a Game
The lighthearted vibe—Karlitz calls it “day camp for chefs”—belies the gravity of its mission. According to City Harvest, one in four New Yorkers is struggling to put food on the table, and recent federal cuts to food assistance programs are compounding the crisis.
“The need is greater than ever,” said Jilly Stephens, City Harvest’s CEO. “This tournament helps us rescue high-quality, nutritious food that would otherwise go to waste and deliver it, free of charge, to our neighbors in need.”
Karlitz has worked with City Harvest for years, producing events and championing its model of food rescue and redistribution. He speaks reverently of the organization’s truck drivers, who fan out across the city daily, ferrying food to pantries and soup kitchens. “Those guys make you cry,” he said. “They’re the real heroes.”
Since its inception, the tournament has raised nearly 4 million meals for New Yorkers, City Harvest confirmed. “That this little kernel of an idea could have that kind of impact—it blows me away,” Karlitz said.
Making It Special
Exclusivity is part of Karlitz’s playbook. A veteran marketer and event producer whose Karlitz & Company has curated thousands of unique experiences for American Express, Resy, EY, and other global brands, he knows the difference between a nice day out and a can’t-miss happening.
At Montclair, guests will sip cult Napa wines poured by the vintners themselves, bid on rare wines and bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, and nibble bagels baked on-site by cult favorite Popup Bagels. Even sponsors lean culinary: Resy, S.Pellegrino, Urbani Truffles. “Think about it—Resy is a sponsor of a golf tournament,” Karlitz said with a laugh.
The move to Montclair Golf Club this year allows for more breathing room—36 holes, more tennis and pickleball courts, and more space for culinary activations. “Last year we had almost two groups on every hole. It was packed,” Karlitz said. “Now we can expand without losing the vibe.”
For all the glitz, Karlitz insists the heart of the day lies in its impact. He recalls bringing his daughters to volunteer at a soup kitchen on Thanksgiving, across the street from Thomas Keller’s Per Se, where they had just watched the Macy’s parade. “I didn’t want them thinking Per Se was the real world,” he said. “They needed to see a guy in a suit standing in line for coffee at a food pantry. That’s New York too.”
As chefs, athletes, and sponsors mingle on October 6, it’s that duality—celebration and sobering reality—that will define the day. “What I hope people walk away with is this sense of almost guilt,” Karlitz said. “‘I had so much fun, and at the same time I helped feed people.’”