All Best Wishes For '07

....A White New Year? Well, Maybe Not Yet

Just when it appears Mother Nature might mean it, and we'll be able to anticipate taking out the skis, the forecast changes with temperatures near 40 on tap for next week. As of this writing, close to two inches of snow have fallen on the upper elevations of Northland Country Club.
As we've reported earlier, those anticipating using the groomed cross-country trails at NCC may have to wait longer. Ground temperatures are still relatively warm and today's snow may very well disappear next week; Thursday's high could top 40. Without additional snow and colder temperatures, use of the grooming equipment is unwarranted.
It was reported today that officials with the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon that's run through Northland each January are considering the possibility of delaying the race because there's so little snow on much of the North Shore trail.
There have been no discussions about using the Pro Shop for viewing the race this season, if it's held later in January. Do you think we should open the pro shop? Would you be likely to come down to view the dogs as they run through?

New Survey - Internet Browser

This week's survey is not golf related. We're interested in how you access this site. Some browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, AOL, etc) offer different views; occasionally thinks don't always appear in the same location. So, take a moment and let us know by recording your vote in this week's Quick Poll.

New Search Features Added - UPDATE

We've added a new search feature to the site. Google (on the right side of the page) will allow you to search the Internet.
We hope to add yet another search feature just for this site as soon as we reconfigure the template. This added feature will allow you to search just this site using keywords to find stories that have previously been posted.
UPDATE: We understand that occasionally the new search feature is available at the top of this site - but not always. The Blogger NavBar will allow you to search previous stories by entering one or two keywords. Add the keyword in the space provided and click "Search Blog". If it's working, you'll see all stories containing those key words. This NavBar isn't always there - a source of frustration for many Blogger users - there's an entire help section in Blogger just on this issue. But, that's probably more than you wanted to know.

Crews Start Pouring First Floor - Warm Weather Allows For More Work On Course

Now that the frost has worked its way out of the ground inside the clubhouse, crews are busy preparing the soil for the new floor, portions of which were poured late last week (in the photo, the new floor has been covered with a plastic layer).
Additional plumbing crews are also completing their work, which should be finalized by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, additional crews with Johnson Wilson Constructors are already at work on the second floor, starting to put the building's roof in place. This portion of the project is expected to be completed within two weeks.
Out on the golf course, Assistant Superintendent Tracy Pearson and Irrigation Technician Rob Tripp continue to clear and burn trees and brush from selected areas. Now that the work near the 14th green/15th fairway has been mostly completed, they have again turned their attention to the area left of the 6th fairway. As weather allows, additional dead trees throughout the golf course will be removed. Tripp is back on the job after missing one week following knee surgery.

Still Some Golf - And, Plenty Of Dogs

The continued lack of snow on the golf course has prompted some members to pull a 6 or 7 iron from their stored golf clubs and participate in a modified round of golf at Northland.
For the most part, the relatively few members who are extending the season have taken to using the rough from which to play and are avoiding the covered greens. Assistant Superintendent Tracy Pearson indicated today that the warm weather this winter may mean much healthier greens in the Spring. The warm weather has stimulated root growth. However, he says some ground cover in the form of snow would be helpful once - if - the colder weather of January and February arrive.
With the lack of snow, the golf course is still a popular spot for dog walkers who live near Northland. Not all of them decide to mix the walk with a few extended season swings. In a two hour period this afternoon, close to 20 people and 12 dogs were spotted on the course, enjoying temperatures which hit the mid 30s.

Coming Soon - Leadership Evaluations

In the next few weeks, a randomly selected group of Northland Country Club members will be receiving Leadership Evaluation Surveys developed by the Personnel Committee chaired by Ken Buck. Two sets of surveys will be distributed to members. Members will be asked to use a ranking system in some areas on the form and will also be given an opportunity to offer more extensive comments. While these forms can be completed and returned anonymously, members can choose to include their name on the form.

Merry Christmas From NCC

Vacation Poll Results

Here are the results of last week's poll on vacations. Of those who participated, 70% said they would take a break from winter (when it gets here) and plan to play golf at least once while away.

Christmas Break For Construction Crews

The construction site around the new clubhouse at Northland Country Club was a busy scene today. Early this morning, the LLC partners participating in the financing of the new facility received their first on-site tour, including an opportunity to view the facility and view from the second floor.
Throughout the day, additional construction materials were arriving. Insulation has now been delivered as has some of the interior walls. Also on site now are some the large heating/cooling and ventilation systems that will be installed on the roof.
Also today, more windows were put in place, including those on the first floor of the banquet center overlooking the pool and additional windows in what will be office space on the first floor adjacient to the new kitchen.
When crews return next week, they'll complete the process of getting the second floor enclosed and the roof system in place.

Blog Traffic Passes 10,000

OK, it's not something we really need to celebrate, but overnight the number of page views since this blog began on September 11 passed 10,000.
We'd like to thank you for keeping up to date on new clubhouse construction and golf course projects, activities in which our members are engaging in the off-season, and participating in our weekly quick polls.
Someday, we'll have snow and announce the course is open for cross-country skiing. As of this morning, the forecast calls for a light dusting on Christmas Eve.

Work Inside New Clubhouse Progresses

With the unseasonably warm weather, construction crews continue to make significant progress outdoors and inside on the new clubhouse at Northland Country Club. The photo on the right was taken just inside of what will be the new main entrance to the clubhouse; the crew members are standing in front of what will be the exit from the banquet center to the outdoor patio overlooking the golf course. Overhead is the opening from which the grand staircase will be placed. Crews will continue the installation of new windows in the next few days. Heating of the interior is at a point where virtually all the ground frost has been eliminated. Because of this progress, the main floor on the first level could possibly be put in place next week.
Outdoors, crews finished putting the wall sections of the second floor in place yesterday. Shortly, work will begin on the installation of roof trusses.

What's happening on the golf course? Crews are still working on tree clearing efforts. Each day the golf course is visited by dozens of members and neighbors who use the grounds for a daily dog walk or exercise for themselves. We've even seen a couple of guys out with golf clubs the last few days, taking advantage of the warm weather. They were being careful to play only from the rough, staying clear of the greens. The photo on the left was taken from the blue tees at #10 late in the afternoon when the trees cast quite a long shadow.

First Window In Place On New Clubhouse

Yet another miny milestone has been noted in the construction of the new clubhouse at Northland Country Club; the first window has been put in place. As seen on the right, the window is on the first floor in an area that will contain some of the new office space. The entire first floor of the new building has now been wrapped and the interior is being heated in preparation for the new flooring.

This afternoon, walls for the second story were being put in place; this portion of the construction will be completed tomorrow. Trusses for the new roof will also start being raised into place before the end of the month and more windows should be added on an almost daily basis.

Late last week, crews poured the concrete for the new outdoor decks on the pool side and golf course sides of the clubhouse.

Acceptance For Internet Reservation System

Here are the results of this past week's Northland Quick Poll - 65% of members taking the survey indicated they would likely use an Internet or web-based tee time reservation system if one were offered as part of the pro-shop service this coming season.

As you can see, we've added a new Northland Quick Poll this week. It's not as important an issue as some we're asked about in the past few weeks, but we're still interested in how you intend to spend part of the winter, and if golf is included in any travel plans.

Santa Arrives On Car Northland

With steam whistles blowing and train bells ringing, Santa Claus arrived at the Historic Union Depot in Duluth this morning aboard the luxurious Car Northland in time for Northland Country Club's annual Breakfast With Santa event. Santa is shown above with Elf Melana and Elf Kylie. (Remember, if you click on any image, you can view the photos full screen)

Over 70 Northland members and children or grandchildren were at this morning's event, including Adolph Ojard, shown here with grandchildren Emma and Mason Weller who were visiting from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Adolph said grandson Mason is wild about trains and was excited at the large collection of historic trains and memorabilia in the museum.

Marcia and Gary Doty are shown on the right with their granchildren, Maggie and Kennedy Johnson. While much of the activity this morning was held in the rail museum, all exhibits in the historic depot were also open, including the nearby Duluth Children's Museum.

But, the highlight of this morning's activitities was the opportunity for the children to sit on Santa's lap and tell him about their wishes for Christmas. Santa is shown here talking with Elizabeth and Benjamin Emmel, whose parents are Mark and Heather Emmel.

Clubhouse Manager Gary Schneider and Executive Chef Mike Scheuller prepared the food for this morning's event. Gary and Mike have been busy catering this holiday season, as many members have taken advantage of their culinary services. If you're still thinking of having a party, remember that Gary and Mike will prepare all the food - at no cost - if you provide the ingredients.

Construction Starts On Second Floor

Crews with Johnson Wilson Constructors begin putting the walls of the second story of the new clubhouse at Northland Country Club in place today. The walls were all pre-built and arrive at the construction site numbered to ease the building process. With continued unseasonbly warm weather, it's possible the second floor walls will be put in place before the end of the week.

Out on the golf course, members of the grounds crew are also taking advantage of the weather, completing the tree clearing projects. Just a week ago the crews were battling temperatures in the single digits and wind chills in the -25 degree range. Temperatures on the course approached the mid 40's today and there were just a few traces of snow left in the areas receiving little sun.
The 10-day forecast calls for daytime highs in the high 20's to low 30's with just a few possibilities of precipitation; not good news for those members wanting to try out new skis or snowshoes.

New Quick Poll - Online Tee Times

Our newest Quick Poll concerns the possibility of adding an online tee time reservation system to Northland Country Club. The online tee time reservation system was the inspiration of a golf professional who saw a need in the industry that was not currently being met. The goal was to develop a system that simplified the tee time process, but in a way that was also affordable, reliable, flexible, fast, and easy to use and maintain. Many members have used such a system either in this region or at other clubs at their second homes or during vacations. Do you think we should offer such a system at Northland? If we did, how likely would you to be use it? Take our poll and let us know what else you might think by using our "comment" section beneath this story.

Overwhelming: Smoke Free Clubhouse

The results of the latest NCC Quick Poll leave little doubt there is strong support for making the new facility a smoke-free clubhouse; 88% of the respondents favor the proposal with just 3% opposing the change in policy. A few of the respondents preferred that any smoking be limited to the locker room areas for both men and women. There has been no discussion or decision by the board of directors about changing the club smoking policy.

Breakfast With Santa - Still Some Room

As of this morning, almost 100 NCC members and children are expected to attend this weekend's Breakfast With Santa event to be held at the Historic Union Depot in downtown Duluth.
The Saturday (Dec 16) event begins at 9am in the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, located at track level in the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center.
Families attending the event will also be able to tour the building's other exhibits and will receive free entry to the Duluth Children's Museum. If you haven't made your reservation yet, call the Northland office at 525.1941.

First Floor Enclosed On New Clubhouse

Progress continues on the new clubhouse at Northland Country Club as crews have now fully enclosed the first floor.
With the first floor enclosed, the heating system is now being installed in what will be the kitchen and banquet center. Once this work is completed, crews will be able to lay the new floor.
Meanwhile, Johnson Wilson Constructors expect the walls for the second floor will arrive later this week which should allow the company to have the entire building fully enclosed by the end of the year or first week of January.
In addition to the building work, concrete is expected to be poured as early as tomorrow for the outdoor patios.

"Easy On The Green" About To End

As we approach the end of 2006, the "Easy on the Green" Membership Campaign is coming to a close. Since the campaign began in March, we've added 55 new golf, 5 pool/tennis, and 31 new clubhouse members - for a grand total of 91 new members.
We'd like to thank you for your continued referrals. Not only does a healthy membership trend keep monthly dues stable, it allows the Board of Directors to begin to raise initiation fees again and set membership limits in the clubhouse category.
Our increased membership base, coupled with an unprecedented high rate of member retention this fall, puts us in a great position for the 2007 golf season. With our new clubhouse and pool constuction underway, the word continues to spread that Northland Country Club is the place to be.
This is a great opportunity to tell your friends and family about joining as a Resident or Corporate golf member at 50% OFF ($4200 vs $8400). This offer will expire January 31, 2007 and will not be advertised to the general public. Beginning February 1, 2007, the resident and corporate golf initiation fee will be $6000.
From now until January 31, we are thanking principal sponsors of a new golf member with a 2007 season Fabulous Friday Event Pass. This pass allows complimentary entry (for two) to all four summer events - including the Seafood Extravaganza in August. To receive credit, a sponsor must sign the new member's application form.
To refer a prospect, or to receive further details about this offer, call Membership Recruitment and Retention Director Ann Robertson at (218) 428.5178. Ann can also supply exciting membership offers for those propsects who may be eligible for Non Resident status. If you'd prefer, you can email Ann at arobertson@northlandcountryclub.com

New Quick Poll - Smoke Free Clubhouse

Here's an opportunity for you to give us your opinion about a smoke-free environment for the new clubhouse. What do you think? Should the entire building be smoke-free, including the members-only floor? Perhaps just the first floor banquet area. Should smoking be allowed in the locker room areas? Take the quick poll. As always, we welcome any additional comments you have in the "Comments" area just below each story.

Quick Poll Results - Support For Restoration

We've closed the most recent Northland Quick Poll on possible course restoration. The results posted above indicate a majority of the members taking the survey support efforts to restore the golf course closer to the original Donald Ross design.

New Superintendent Joins In Tree Clearing

Although his first official day on the job isn't until January 2, newly hired Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh has joined with Assistant Superintendent Tracy Pearson, irrigation technician Rob Tripp and ground crew member Ben Kimmes the past two days in completing the tree clearing project along the 14th fairway. (The view on the right was taken earlier this afternoon looking up towards the 14th green and fairway from near the cart path that runs along the 15th fairway.) You can see that much of the heavy underbrush has already been removed, exposing a few nice maple, birch and pine trees along the way. The clearing will improve wind circulation through the area, not to mention the views of Lake Superior. Burning of the brush will continue for a few more days. The past few days have given Chris and Tracy an opportunity to talk about the golf course and next season's work. One project that is expected to be tackled early is an effort to rechannel the drainage ditch that runs alongside the cart path on #15. Years of neglect have diminished the effectiveness of the ditch in capturing water from the hillside, allowing it to run across holes 15 and 3, making for some wet conditions during Spring runoff and heavy rains.

NWGA Holiday Luncheon

The annual Northland Women's Golf Association Holiday Luncheon is being held this afternoon at the Kitchi Gammi Club. Over 90 women were present as the luncheon got underway at 12:15, which makes the event one of the largest holiday luncheons ever held. NWGA leadership had determined this year's charity would be the Toys For Tots program; an accounting of donations will be available later this afternoon. NCC President Jim Abelsen was at the event to provide an update on the progress of the new clubhouse. Abelsen was able to report that construction is very close to the originally established timetable and that events are already being scheduled. The clubhouse (two views are provided here) is still expected to have a mid-June grand opening.
Here are some additional photos taken as the event was getting underway. Don't forget, you can view any image full screen by clicking on the photo. Pictured immediately below are Sandy Nelson and NWGA President Leslie Gramstrup. Shown above are Martha Byrnes, Diane Holappa, Louise Lurye, Judy Ledingham and Chris Holappa.
Shown below are Tracy Link, Marti Buscaglia, Linda Nervick and Kathy Marinac.Linda and Karen Jeannette are shown here just after arriving at the luncheon.

Northland would like to thank all the members who planned and attended today's event, including many new members, the guests who also participated in donations to the Toys For Tots campaign, and to the staff at the Kitchi Gammi Club for their assistance.

Shopping Complete, Holappa Chicken Returns Home For The Holidays

For those of you who have been following the exploits of Frank & Diane Holappa's wandering chicken, here's an update.
The chicken recently completed her Christmas shopping - she's seen here (top photo) picking up a few last minute items from one of her favorite stores. Word is she was interested in a fashion belt for an upcoming social event.

Knowing that Frank & Diane were about to return from their Thanksgiving break, the chicken picked up a couple of small Christmas trees to welcome the couple home.

Ms. Chicken wants to thank NCC members who had followed her exploits and were concerned enough to inquire about her whereabouts. She's home safe and sound, and was rumored to be ordering a Sammy's Pizza for dinner.

Construction - Course Update, Ski Season May Be Just Days Away

Crews with Johnson Wilson Constructors continue to make great progress on the new clubhouse. In the past few days, the first floor walls have been put in place and crews are completing the process of installing the first floor ceiling, as seen in the photo taken earlier today. The current timetable indicates that the entire building will be fully enclosed by the end of the year or the first week of January.
Out on the golf course, the grounds crew continues its tree cleanup efforts. Work has been completed on the area between the 6th and 7th fairways and crews are now addressing the area to the left side of the 14th fairway, from about the 150 yard mark to the corner near the 15th tee. Considerable clearing will be done in this area, continuing the efforts of last fall.
Finally, Assistant Superintendent Tracy Pearson reports that cross country trail grooming on the golf course will begin as soon as the snow that has fallen - and any new snow in the next few days - compacts just a bit more. The crew does a great job in keeping the trail conditions in excellent condition. Snow-shoers are also welcome on the course and are asked not to damage the cross country tracks.