Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Have You Scheduled Your Holiday Party?

Northland Country Club' Clubhouse Manager Gary Schneider and Executive Chef Mike Schueller will be busy this holiday season. Schneider and Schueller are donating their services to members who are hosting holiday parties, but would like to have the event catered. They've already booked 14 parties for groups from 14 to 50. "We'll work with the member to design the menu, we'll buy the food and we'll prepare it," said Schneider. All that's required is for the member to pay for the food. If you're interested, call Gary at the NCC office at 525.1941. The service will continue until the new clubhouse opens.

Clubhouse Construction Update

Shane Johnson of Johnson Wilson Constructors last night provided the NCC Board of Directors with the latest clubhouse construction update. "We're on schedule," Johnson said.
Floor panels for the first floor were delivered to the site yesterday and will be installed later this week, weather permitting. Johnson said he expected steel for the second story and verandas to be in place next week, to be quickly followed by the second floor walls and floor. Before the end of December, roof trusses will be in place and the entire building should be fully enclosed by the be
ginning of January.
"We're also doing site cleanup as we go along," said Johnson. He expects this will result in less work in the Spring when attention will b
e directed towards repaving damaged areas and landscape efforts.
Johnson also is asking that members interested in site progress check with Johnson Wilson personnel on site before entering the construction zone. "We can appreciate their interest in the progress," said Johnson, "but they have to understand any people on site without protective gear is an OSHA violation for which we would be held liable."
Without extensive delays, Johnson expects a June opening for the new clubhouse.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Meet Our New Superintendent

The NCC Board of Directors would like to introduce you to Christopher Tritabaugh, the new Golf Course Superintendent. Christopher is shown here with his wife Lindsay, who is from Duluth (a graduate of Duluth East). The two were married this summer in Duluth; Chris and his groomsmen played the golf course the weekend of the NCC Y&O Tournament.
Chris is a 2001 graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science. He has a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture.
Chris has been employed as Assistant Golf Course Superintendent at St. Paul Town & Country Club since March 2002. He served one year as Assistant Superintendent at St. Cloud Country Club prior to moving to Town & Country.
While at Town & Country, Chris was responsible for coordinating a crew of 20 seasonal workers, assisted in development and maintenance of the annual budget, developed and calibrated chemical application programs, and coordinated major creek, tee and bunker renovation programs on 17 holes of the golf course.
Dr. Tim Smith, NCC Green Chairman who headed the Superintendent Search Committee, told the board of directors that the selection process was "very competitive.""We had a very prestigious field of candidates from some of the finest courses in the Upper Midwest and from other areas of the country," said Smith.
NCC President Jim Abelsen, also a search committee member, said he was also impressed with the "quality, experience and talent" of the candidates. Over 70 resumes were received from applicants across the country. The field of candidates was initially narrowed to 15 before six finalists were selected.
Tritabaugh will begin his duties on January 2, 2007. A welcoming event for all members to meet Chris is being planned.

Final Notice About Women's Luncheon

Here's one final notice about the annual Northland Country Club Women's Holiday Luncheon which will be held just one week from today.
The event at the Kitchi Gammi Club on Tuesday, December 5 beginning at 11:30am. Members and their guests are invited. Call Peggy at the Northland office today to make your reservation.

Monday, November 27, 2006

New Quick Poll - Tennis / Croquet / Bocce

Now that the clubhouse and pool facility at Northland Country Club are being completely rebuilt, some members have asked whether some attention will be given to the club's tennis facility. What do you think? Do you believe the tennis facility needs to be upgraded to provide a better experience for members, especially those who have joined the club just for the tennis option? We've posted a new quick poll for your opinion.

We've also added a new question concerning the possibility of constructing a new pitch for croquet and bocce/lawn bowling. Over the years, there have been several members who have indicated a desire to add the feature. What do you think? Should the board of directors consider adding a facility to provide this opportunity? Take the quick poll.

As always, comments are welcome under the "Comments" section beneath each of the stories.

Irrigation Survey Results - Yes & No

Those members of Northland Country Club who voted in the most recent Quick Poll indicated they believe a new golf course irrigation system is important, but they do not support the concept of a one-time member assessment to pay for the estimated $1.3 million cost.
It must be noted that an assessment has not been discussed nor proposed for the project.
The results of both surveys are posted below.

Members In The News - Askeland Just Misses Shooting His Age

NCC member Warren Askeland (seen on the right during the clubhouse demolition) narrowly missed shooting his age this past Friday while on a golf outing at The Refuge Golf Club in Oak Grove, Minnesota. The 92-year old Askeland was with a group of Northland members and others who took advantage of near 60-degree weather for one additional round of golf before putting their clubs away for the season. Included in the group was 12 year old Andy Krasaway, which prompted NCC member Joe Jeannette to ask: "When was the last time you played in a foursome that had an age difference of 80 years between two of the players?"

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

Membership Committee Meets - Will Present New Incentive Package, Rates

The NCC Membership Committee will present the board of directors with a revised incentive program to attact new members and a revised schedule for fees when the board meets next Tuesday. The membership group met yesterday at our temporary offices at Technology Center in downtown Duluth.
Membership Recruitment and Retention Director Ann Robertson (pictured on the right) had drafted an extensive listing of possible incentives for the committee to consider during the 2007 season. Ann also reported on the successful marketing efforts of the past year.
One other item discussed at the meeting yesterday was the possibility of limiting the number of members in each of the club's membership classifications; for instance, limiting the number of non-resident golf members to 75, which allows for only 25 more members.
A full report on the new incentive packages - which may include additional options for current members to be rewarded for their recruitment efforts - will be presented to the general membership and the public following the board meeting on November 28.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Search Committee Will Recommend New Superintendent

The search committee assigned the task of selecting a new Superintendent has completed its work and will recommend its choice to the NCC Board of Directors when it meets on Tuesday, November 28.
Almost 70 applications for the position were received by the committee from men and women working at golf courses across the country. During its first meeting, the committee narrowed its field of applicants to 15. These applicants, both men and women, were each interviewed by telephone for one hour.
Following the phone interviews, the committee narrowed its list to 6 finalists. The finalists were invited to Duluth and each spent 90 minutes with the search committee.
The nominee has visited the golf course on several occasions in the past two months. We'll provide additional details of his background and experience following the board meeting next Tuesday.

Walls Are Going Up On New Clubhouse

Here are two photos taken late this afternoon showing some additional installation of steel girders and the first sections of exterior walls. If you look at the photo taken yesterday, you'll note that the structure has changed considerably.
A construction update will be presented to the board of directors on Tuesday. We'll make certain an update is provided here and in the upcoming newsletter. Plans call for the first floor of the new clubhouse to be enclosed and heated by the end of December.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Results Of New Poll

Have you checked out the results of the new surveys on irrigation?
Click on "View" under each of this week's two surveys to view the current voting trend. If you have something else to add (see the story on irrigation below), remember that all comments can be made anonymously. Also, even though we continue to see fairly decent site traffic, we'd appreciate you reminding family, friends and other members to check back frequently for our daily (well, almost daily) updates.

Not That It Matters, But.....

Here's a brief update on web traffic for this blog site:
This past week we had 843 page views. The traffic included 268 returning visitors and 190 first time visitors to the site. Most exotic location for one of the visitors this past week? Well, several actually, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia. The week before we had visitors from Japan, Finland, Mexico, Scotland and Ireland. And, just today, we've had visitors from eight states.

Mid-Afternoon Course Update

Crews with Johnson Wilson Constructors put the first of the steel beams for the new clubhouse in place today. As this was happening, crews were also clearing space for the pre-cast clubhouse walls which are expected to arrive late this afternoon and tomorrow. Work of the elevator shaft which was started last week has been completed. Other crews were working in the pool area, removing the remaining soil that had been stored for back filling the foundations.

Out on the golf course, the continued spell of warmer weather has allowed members of the grounds crew to make considerable progress on their tree cleaning efforts. Work on the area between the 6th and 7th fairways will be completed shortly. Interim Superintendent Tracy Pearson says the crew will next tackle the left side of the 14th fairway where additional brush and buckthorn will be removed.

Irrigation Survey - What Do You Think? - Two Polls Have Been Added For Your Input

This week's survey - actually it's two surveys - is all about a new irrigation system at Northland Country Club.
For several years, the club has been advised that a ne
w irrigation system, perhaps a new 3-line system, would greatly improve turf conditions. Costs for such a system have varied, but generally price quotes range from about $1.2 million to $1.5 million.
We'd like to know how important you think a new irrigation system is. And, although there has been some discussion about financing - although no one has discussed the possibility of an assessment - we'd like to also know what you think of a 1-time assessment to cover costs.
As always, you can take a moment to comment after you've taken the two surveys. Use the "Comment" section under this story.

"Native" Areas Survey Results


We've combined the responses from the last week's poll about "native" or wild areas on the golf course, including those areas around the creek beds and the areas in the rough that have been allowed to grow out. A slight majority of the members taking the poll preferred the more wild look to the features than a more managed and cared for appearance.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Construction Update - Walls Arrive Monday

Work crews with Johnson-Wilson Constructors today were busy building the elevator shaft for the new clubhouse, as seen in the photo on the right.
According to the project's on-site foreman, structural steel will start going into place tomorrow morning in anticipation of the arrival of the clubhouse walls on Monday. All walls, which have been pre-built off site, are expected to be delivered by the end of the day on Tuesday. Within a few days, the pre-cast floor segments will also be delivered. Windows for the new building were ordered last week and will arrive within 5 weeks.
The current construction schedule calls for the entire first floor of the new clubhouse to be enclosed and heated before the end of the year. A construction update will be given to the board of directors at the November 28 meeting.
((Reminder: If you click the photos they can be viewed full screen))

Tree Cleanup Continues

Now that the buckthorn has been removed from the left side of the 16th fairway, the grounds crew has now turned its tree cleaning attention to that area between the 6th and 7th fairways. The photo on the left was taken this afternoon from the forward tee on #7 looking back up the 6th fairway.
This latest effort will remove the dead trees, underbrush and small aspen (popple) that have grown in, exposing the pines.
Weather permitting, the crews hope to clear a major portion of the area before moving on to other sites on the course. Up next, additional buckthorn removal along the left side of #14 from about the 150 yard mark to the garden area alongside the 15th tee.

Can't Read Enough About Golf?

Northland Country Club Membership Director Ann Robertson has found a great resource for news about golf and the golf industry. You can learn more about Golf 20/20 by clicking this link.

While you're looking through the website, take a moment to read some of the research reports about the economic impact of golf, and how the industry is changing. Ann found this great article on What Women Want. - From Golf.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

A Few Reminders

Invitations have gone out for the 2006 Northland Women's Holiday Luncheon. The event will be held at 11:30am, December 5 at the Kitchi Gammi Club. All women members and their guests are invited. If you haven't yet reserved your table, do so today. Call 525.1941 to make reservations.

This might also be a good time to call the NCC office and make
your reservation for Breakfast With Santa. This popular holiday event for NCC families is being held at 9am on Saturday, December 16 at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in The Depot. Tickets will allow guests to visit all exhibits in The Depot, including the popular Children's Museum and other history exhibits.

Finally, we're still looking for someone willing to serve as a team captain for the Northland member's group that has been asked to marshall one of the holes during the 2008 Women's U.S. Open at Interlachen. You can read more about this by going to the October 11 story in our blog's Archive section. If you're interested, you should contact PGA Professional Joe O'Connor at 525.1970.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

New Survey Addresses "Native" Areas

One of the topics that always generates interest and discussion at Northland is the management and care of the "native" grass areas and the creek beds. Some members prefer a more manicured look to the entire golf course while others prefer a more wild look.
For the past several years, many areas of the course, including the creek beds were allowed to grow in, often producing a nice stand of fescue grasses, but occasionally other forms of gras
s that are less attractive. In some cases, the areas have become overrun with weeds.
In the fall, the areas are cut back for the winte
r. Creek beds become more fully exposed and several golfers this past season indicated they preferred the more controlled look along the creek beds.
What do you think? How should these areas be managed? We've posted a new Quick Poll on the right side of the screen. Take a moment to complete the survey and, if you have a comment, we'd appreciate your thoughts below under "Comments".

Poll Respondents Oppose Advertising

We've wrapped up voting on the latest Northland Quick Poll. Results are posted below and indicate a majority of those participating oppose advertising on both the NCC website and this blog. Thanks for your participation.

Northland Crew Still Active Despite Weather

The grounds crew at Northland Country Club was completing and beginning a number of projects on the golf course today.
Crews have completed putting up rope barriers around all of the greens to prevent snowmobile and ski traffic. It was evident on the course today that quite a few cross country skiers had used the course the day after our recent snowfall.

Crews have just a few hours work left to complete the buckthorn eradication alongside the 16th fairway. As with other brush clearing programs, most notably the work last week alongside the 15th fairway, these efforts will assist in air circulation and course playability. Once the brush has been cleared on 16, crews will begin a major brush clearing project - weather permitting - between the 6th and 7th fairways. Again, this effort will improve air circulation and, hopefully, lead to improved turf conditions.
Also today, the crew was spreading a thin weather mat on the practice range to protect the turf from ice damage. The greens on the range were covered last week with the heavier excelsior mats.
This late work will show dividends in the Spring and we should all be pleased we were able to keep so many crews members on the job to complete these projects.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Choice Will Not Be Easy

The Superintendent Search Committee met with six incredibly talented candidates for the position over the weekend; each presented a very strong case for selecting them. Unfortunately, we can only choose one. We have a luxury of selecting from some of the best individuals practicing their trade in the country.
This was an incredible educational experience for the selection committee who learned a great deal about agronomy, biology, thatch, clay, turfgrass species and turf management practices. While those issues are important, the candidates also possess management skills that complement their scientific knowledge. Each would be a wonderful addition to the Northland professional staff.
A final selection is expected before the end of this week. A formal announcement and introduction will occur shortly thereafter. The new superintendent is expected to be on the job in the first week of January.

Time To Find The Skis - Snow Blankets NCC

Close to three inches of new snow blanket the upper reaches of Northland this morning. The scene on the right looks back up the 14th fairway. It will still be awhile before crews groom the cross-country ski trails, but that doesn't mean you can't go out and break your own trail. More and more members are taking advantage of the groomed trails for skiing and many members also enjoy snow-shoeing on the course. While there's not been a formal discussion about this, don't you think we should consider an organized activity to get together. A ski party? Sliding party for families? I'll mention it to the Entertainment Committee and we'll see whether Food and Beverage can come up with something.

By the way, here's what the 14th fairway looked like at 2:00 in the afternoon just one month ago.
Hmmmm. Both pretty peaceful.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Search Committee Interviews Candidates This Weekend In Duluth

The Superintendent Search Committee will interview six candidates for the position in Duluth this weekend; three of the finalists will be interviewed on Saturday and three on Sunday. Each of the finalists was previously interviewed by telephone. The committee is prepared to offer each applicant up to 90 minutes for the face-to-face interview.
This is an excellent group of candidates, each with a wealth of experience and education.
Committee members have talked with representatives of the clubs at which the applicants currently work and have received very favorable reviews.
We've been asked to let you know that committee members include: NCC President Jim Abelsen, Green Committee Chair Dr. Tim Smith, Karen Andresen, Ken Buck, Duke Skorich, Ray Peterson and PGA Professional Joe O'Connor.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

UPDATE: New Quick Poll - Website Advertising

We have resolved an error in code that prevented some of you from voting. The new poll has been re-posted on the right.

Here's an opportunity for you to voice your opinion about advertising on this blog site or the Northland Country Club site - once the
main site has been redesigned.
Do you support or oppose advertising on either site? Should any advertising be restricted to Northland members only? Should there be a separate section for the advertising, rather than have the advertising appear visible once the web page is loaded?
We'd like your opinion and comments. There has not been any discussion of this advertising issue and there may not be - this is just a question to see what the members who read this site feel about the issue.

Latest Research Results

Members In The News

Northland's Rob Link is featured in the current issue of the Duluthian published by the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce.
In a series of articles on business development, Link is featured in a story entitled "Exceptions to the Rule" which notes that people who cringe at the thought of long range planning can subscribe to the ideologies of the Rob Link School of Business. Link comments that "maybe my way doesn't work for everything. But I learned everythin
g in the real business world. I never look back, but I can see it works for me."

The magazine also contains an article on the new expansion at member Howie Krenzen's auto dealership on Haines Road. The new 30,000 square foot facility is being built for the Honda line of vehicles. The expansion will create 12 new jobs and add an additional 200 parking spots.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Interest In Election Results?

For those of you who like this sort of stuff - here's a great website(click here) to track all election results in Minnesota...by precinct if you'd like. It is incredibly thorough.
Here's a website for Duluth only.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Holappa Chicken Urges Members To Vote

Frank & Diane's chicken was out at the polls early this morning and wants to urge all members to vote today; if you're not registered you can do so at the polls. Here's a voter information link (click here) for Minnesota explaining what information you need to bring with you to register. Here's a similar link for Wisconsin voting.
A spot check of several precincts in Duluth at 9:30 this morning indicated a fairly heavy voter turnout, including one chicken. Polls close tonight at 8:00.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Experiencing Blog Problems?

Some of you have mentioned that the appearance of the blog has changed, and that the Northland Quick Poll no longer is visible at the top right of the page. If this has happened with you, you'll find the survey and other material at the bottom of the page - scroll down until you get to the information. We can't explain why this might have happened - try refreshing your browser several times...it might help.

Tree Cleaning Begins

Now that the ground's crew has completed covering all greens and collection areas, they have turned their attention to the areas on the golf course that will be thinned of underbrush. The first area to be attacked is on the left side of #15 fairway (photo on the right). Crews have removed most of the brush and small trees that have grown over the drainage canal the entire length of the hole from below the tee to near #16 blue tee. Small pines along the cart path have been saved. Plans do call for restoring the ditch to improve drainage on the 15th fairway.
Once crews have completed the work on 15, they'll remove the buckthorn from #16 starting at about the 200 yard mark and continuing to the creek and along the cart path towards the green.
Later this week, crews are expected to begin work on the area between #6 - #7 fairways. If weather permits, much of the brush and smaller trees will be removed, exposing the pines that have been forced to compete for light. This work will allow for greater air circulation through the area.

Tree Removal Survey

You'll notice a new Northland Quick Poll on the right side of the screen addressing the Green Committee study of current tree placement on the golf course. See the story below (Thursday, Nov. 2) with photos of the golf course in 1960.

The following comment was posted recently in response to that story:
This is the commentary on tree managment from the Donald Ross Society website:

"Tree Management: Because of tree plantings and overgrowth, many Ross courses have been dramatically overdone with vegetation. Therefore, trees and shrubs must constantly be evaluated for removal. It all depends on the type of tree, its structure, and its relationship to critical golf course features. Ultimately, tree management is the process of evaluating how various species interact with their surroundings in the following contexts:
1. Strategy: How do trees affect the strategic playability of golf holes?
2. Conditioning: How do trees affect surrounding turf quality in terms of allowing for light, air movement and proper drying?
3. Aesthetic Landscaping: How are trees situated to enhance or screen potential perspectives and views?
4. Safety: How are trees positioned to protect golfers from errant shots?
5. Health: How are the trees themselves doing in terms of disease, growth patterns and overall structure?"

So.....what do you think? Take the poll and also take a moment to add your comments.

Satisfaction With Current Dress Policy

Here are the results of the most recent Northland Quick Poll.

Now, That's Quite A 3

If you missed this, Karen Andresen recently commented on a previous story about the 1946 WGA Championship at Northland.

In the photo with Frank Stranahan is my dad, Glen Weld, who played him in a match during the tournament. So the story goes, Dad was on #11 in 2 and Stranahan had driven into the lake so was shooting three. FS holed the shot from across the lake for a three, Dad missed the putt and lost the hole with a birdie!
Karen Andresen

Thanks, Karen, for sharing the story.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Sunday Golf Outing

There are plans being made today by local golfers (some Northland, some Ridgeview) to play golf Sunday at Bulrush in Rush City at around 10:30am. (Take the Rush City exit off I-35)
If you're interested, you might consider calling Gary Johnson today at 628.0221...you can also try him Saturday at 310.1069 if you're interested, but we suggest you try to make arrangements today so tee times can be reserved.
This is part of the group that travels each Spring and Fall to Twin Cities area courses. Part of the group played last week and had very favorable reviews of the Par 72, 6,872 yard layout.
Temperatures Sunday are predicted to be in the mid 50's.