Several weeks ago, when thousands of Duluthians were enjoying the smooth ice of Lake Superior with daily outings far out into the lake - with some residents skating over to the lake's south shore in Wisconsin - this herd of Elk from northwestern Wisconsin apparently also were enjoying the opportunity to enjoy the ice, only this herd traveled in the other direction and has taken up residency at Northland Country Club. (The photo above - click to expand full screen - was taken by DNR officials on the left side of the 4th hole at NCC, near the creek bed) "We tried to keep this quiet to protect the animals, fully expecting they would return to their feeding and breeding grounds. All we can determine is they must have crossed together late one night, and now have decided to stay" said Department of Natural Resources spokesman Darrell Standard. "We did notice the herd moving north from near the Hayward area, but they traveled so fast over the last two days that they completely caught us off guard." Standard believes the herd got on the ice just off the Moccasin Mike Road in Superior's Itasca neighborhood where Highway 2 turns into a four lane heading east. "We've experienced this kind of migration with large animals in the region before," said Standard. "Moose travel between Isle Royale and the mainland near Grand Marias all the time. But we did not expect this elk herd to come so far north so fast, and we certainly didn't expect them to travel across the ice." DNR officials have been meeting with Northland officials the past few weeks to determine a course of action. "It's obvious we can't allow them to stay in residence, but we're not quite certain what we can do," said Standard. "Elk aren't the most cooperative of animals. Once they feel comfortable, we pretty much have to accept that they might just stay put." Standard pointed out that elk are protected species and that moving them might present unique obstacles. "We're researching our options," said Standard. "I hope to have some solution to this soon, I understand you have a golf season about to open and we need to get this resolved."
Congratulations go out to Ray and Sara Peterson on the birth of Kyle Jeffrey Peterson, born Tuesday, March 27 at 3:10pm. Kyle weighed just over 8 pounds. Ray reports that mom and son are doing great. Ray also reports that sister Cate is excited and looking forward to welcoming her new baby brother home.
Members of the Northland Country Club Board of Directors were given a tour late yesterday of the new clubhouse that's expected to be open in less than three months. Developer Rob Link is shown on the right with Dr. Tim Smith, Ken Buck and Joe Johnson in one of the new private dining rooms on the club's second story. During the 90-minute tour, board members were shown the attention to detail that will be a highlight throughout the new club's interior. Link noted that "the craftsmen working on this project have exhibited incredible skill and talent in making certain that everything is done to perfection. Because of their efforts, this is going to be one incredible building when it's completed." Link noted during the tour that work on the exterior of the building and on the pool area will pick up again as interior elements near completion. "This is going to be a race to the finish," said Link. But, he noted the development group and builders are going to deliver a project that everyone can be proud of and that members are absolutely going to enjoy for many generations.
Northland Country Club is pleased to welcome the following new members: Bill & Michelle Juntunen, Dr. Joseph & Berva Bocklage, Bill & Lurene Burhmann, Jim Gessner, Tina Licari & Steve Foltz, Jim Gustafson & Marlene David, Rod Saline & Nancy Mellin, John & Judy Mendesh, (Updated) Joan & Norton Jamar, and Jennifer Allen & Dr. Michael Stowman. We also note upgrades in membership for Dr. Deb Bryant & Paul Winkleman, and Brian & Monique Focier. As a reminder, there are few opportunities left for persons to take advantage of a clubhouse membership at Northland Country Club. The board of directors has capped membership at 200. With the latest additions, there are fewer than two dozen openings available. Let friends or family members interested in a social membership know that time is running short to join. Also, time is running short for prospective resident golf members to take advantage of the $2400 savings on initiation fees; the $6000 fee expires on June 1; the fee will then return to the $8400 level. And, prospective non-resident golfers are still inquiring about the savings associated with a new membership. Look for our advertisement in the upcoming Minnesota Golfer magazine announcing the offer. For more information on membership, contact Membership Director Ann Robertson at (218) 428.5178 or arobertson@northlandcountryclub.com.
Not long ago, longtime Northland Country Club member Helen Donovan celebrated her 90th birthday. Last night, the board of directors awarded Helen an honorary membership. Helen has been playing regularly in the Tuesday morning 9-hole ladies group. Through various memberships with family, Helen has been a member of Northland for 83 years.
Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh tonight will present the board of directors with his latest review of the golf course conditions. According to Chris, "the overall condition of the turf looks very good. The tees look excellent as well." Earlier this winter there was some concern about severe icing on several fairways, most particularly holes 6 and 13. Chris is pleased to report the fairways seem to have weathered the ice without significant damage. Chris said he has also inspected conditions under the covers of several greens and say they look very good. "Keep your fingers crossed," he said. "At this point I think things look great." Of course, with April just days away, the big question concerns a possible opening date. Chris could have some possible answers when the board meets tonight. Chris has announced that the weekend of April 14-15 is going to be member clean-up weekend, the annual event when members volunteer to assist the turfgrass management staff in cleaning up the course. If you're interested, email Chris at ctritabaugh@northlandcountryclub.com or give him a call at the Northland office - 525.1941. Generally, it's wise if you bring your own rake and gloves. Other equipment to clear brush and debris would also be appreciated.
Developers of the new clubhouse at Northland will give the board of directors its first extensive tour tonight of the new clubhouse prior to the board's monthly meeting. The board tour at 4:30 will proceed the 5:30 meeting. Former board president and developer Rob Link will lead the tour along with Shane Johnson of Johnson Wilson Constructors. It's possible the board will be presented with a project completion date which will allow staff and committee members to finalize plans for grand opening festivities. In this regard, we've posted a new Quick Poll. As the planning continues for the grand opening, we'd like to know how much you'd be willing to pay to attend the opening night party. In coming days, entertainment committee members will be releasing details of some of the initial planning for the event. Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
The results of the most recent Quick Poll indicates support for a golf match featuring women golf members from Northland and Ridgeview country clubs. The event would be similar to the annual men's challenge cup series held each fall. Thanks for participating in the survey.
Golfweek magazine has released its 2007 course ratings. According to the magazine's panel of golfers who rate courses across the country, Northland Country Club is the 86th best classic course in the United States.
During the redesign of the official Northland Country Club website, it's been difficult for new members and those with new email addresses to sign up for email alerts.Here's a link <<<that should assist you in adding your name and email address. If you still experience a problem, we suggest you contact NCC Membership Director Ann Robertson at her contact number listed on the right side of this page, or email Ann at arobertson@northlandcountryclub.com
The members of the design review committee have given their final approval to the interior design elements for the new clubhouse at Northland Country Club; committee members met with developers and interior design specialists last night. The committee will report its recommendations to the board of directors at the March 27 board meeting. Committee members expressed extreme satisfaction with the selection of design elements by the developers and the interior design specialists working on the project. The design committee also reviewed preliminary site drawings for alterations to the parking lot and grounds surrounding the clubhouse. Additional information is expected to be provided at the March 27 meeting.
The time is running short for golfers to take advantage of new membership rates at Northland. Persons interested in joining the club as resident golfers can still take advantage of the $6000 initiation fee; that's a $2400 savings. On June 1, the cost for a resident member will increase to $8400. If you know of someone who has expressed an interest in joining, let them know there's just a limited time left. Northland continues to receive inquiries about the special rate for non-resident golfers. Another advertisement will appear in the April-May statewide edition of the Minnesota Golfer magazine. Finally, there are just a handfull of clubhouse or social memberships available. If you know of anyone thinking of joining, let them know they might face a waiting list unless they sign up soon. Only members of Northland will be allowed to attend the grand opening ceremonies for the new clubhouse. For all information about membership, contact Membership Director Ann Robertson at (218) 428.5178 or at arobertson@northlandcountryclub.com
Here's a turfgrass lesson from our new Superintendent, Chris Tritabaugh:"As a part of my hiring process at Northland Country Club, I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time on the golf course in late September and early October. One of the things I found is a very large thatch layer on the fairways, approaches and tees. This thatch layer is shown in the first picture with a plug taken from #3 fairway. The slides explain what thatch is, where it comes from, and how we are going to go about controlling it. I hope you enjoy this beginning lesson in turfgrass science.Thanks, Chris. To view each slide full screen, just click on each of the images.
Here are the results of last week's survey on the Evans Scholarship program. Thank you for voting and thank you for the comments about the program.This week's survey concerns interest in organizing a competitive golf event featuring women from Northland Country Club versus women golfers from Ridgeview Country Club. The event would be similar to the fall event held among male golfers from both clubs. We'd like to know your thoughts on whether you support such an event for the women. The annual men's event is currently contested over two days, with events scheduled at each of the two Duluth courses. The local club event is similar to the Ryder Cup matches held every two years.
Northland members Gregg & Kimberly Haug and Ken Buehler were out on the course today enjoying what might be their last toboggan runs of the season. Temperatures are expected to be in the 40's or even warmer the rest of this week.
Many Northland members keep up-to-date on activities and events at the club by receiving periodic emails. Those members who have registered their email addresses received the following communication today from Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh.
With spring just around the corner I want to take some time to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about what is going to happen on the golf course this season. As some of you may know I came to Northland from Town & Country Club in St. Paul. I spent the past five seasons at Town & Country as Assistant Golf Course Superintendent, before that I spent one season at St. Cloud Country Club. I grew up and went to high school in Albany, Minnesota where my dad was the School Superintendent. My college education took place at the University of Minnesota, where I received a degree in Turfgrass Management. My wife Lindsay is a Duluth native, who graduated from East High School in 2000. As you might guess she is very happy to have moved home. We have a lot of exciting improvements planned for the golf course this summer. Some of the changes you will notice right away, like course accessories and attention to detail. Part of playing golf at a private club is the idea that every detail is going to be taken care on a daily basis. You can expect this to be a part of your "new" Northland golfing experience. Other improvements at Northland will be happening over a period of time. Many of these improvements, such as turf and playing conditions of greens, tees, fairways, and bunkers will improve at different rates over a period of time. Not to say you will not notice immediate changes, but be aware, implementing new programs to improve turf and playing conditions will take time. One of the first orders of business in the spring will be to get 16 green back into play. Because I have not had a chance to see the green since it has been covered, it is difficult for me to say what kind of a time frame we can expect for getting the green back into play. I can tell you that for a couple of seasons you can expect the 16th to be aerified on a more frequent basis than the other greens. All of this will be done to make sure the playing conditions on 16 will be consistent with the rest of the greens. Another area I feel quite strongly about is my communication with you the golfing members. In addition to emails like this one the new website will include an area in which I will be able to post course updates and information on a regular basis. I welcome you to email with questions or comments you might have, now or during the season. I will do my best to respond to those comments in one way or another. It is an honor for me to be the Golf Course Superintendent at Northland Country Club. I look forward to helping Northland not just live up to but exceed its current state and national status. I look forward to hearing from and getting the chance to meet all of you in the coming weeks and months.
If you haven't registered your email address with the Northland office, call 525.1941 to start receiving updates and event notices. When our new website is completed, you'll also be able to add a new address or change your current listing.
The Northlandia is being mailed this week containing the schedule of events that have been set for the season; there will, undoubtedly, be more events added as the season goes along. The listing below is just a partial listing.UPDATE: Junior Golf begins on June 13. The Junior Club Championship will be held August 1-2. Check the Northlandia for a complete listing. The new Northland website is in the process of being re-designed. A complete events schedule with frequent updates will be available on the home page.
There's been a change in the dates for the Northland Job Fair. If you're interested in a job at Northland, or know of someone who is, the employment sessions will be held May 1 - 2. There are two sessions, from 9 - 11am and from 1 - 3pm. The job fair is tentatively scheduled to be held at the Duluth Congregational Church, located adjacient to the country club at 3833 East Superior Street. Club Manager Gary Schneider indicates that close to 80 individuals may be employed for the summer season. You can call the Northland office at 525.1941 for additional information.
In the last few months, traffic to this site has increased. When the site first began in September, daily views averaged just over 100; traffic now exceeds 300 page views most weekdays with an occasional day over 400. Weekend traffic is much less. Since that opening day, the site has allowed anonymous comments. At first there were few comments. Reader comments increased with the introduction of more stories and wider publicity about the blog's existence. For the most part those comments were respectful. Occasionally, the comments were disrespectful. Beginning today, all readers wishing to comment will need to become a registered user, a simple process that will not prevent your comments. This decision is based on many conversations with board members and general membership. For persons unfamilar with blog site security, there is another layer of security that can be added to prevent all comments unless approved in advance. We'll continue to publish stories of interest and trust you'll find the updates about the country club positive and constructive. Your continued comments are welcome.
If you're getting ready for a Spring golf trip - or an extended Spring getaway - consider using the "Plan Your Trip" feature on Weather Underground. You'll see the link on the weather site on the right side of this page. Once you click on "Plan Your Trip" a new page will appear. When you get there, click on "Try Another City". Then, enter the city and state you're traveling to, the dates you'll be there, click submit and you'll see historial weather data for that city - some have weather data dating back to 1977. The site offers data on temperatures, daily precipitation that might be expected, cloud cover, wind and humidity. Enjoy the trip.
Northland Country Club announces the addition of two new staff members: Jennifer Kolenda is our new Events Coordinator. Jennifer is from Duluth, and has had a long standing relationship with Northland in the past as a key person on our service staff. Jennifer is looking forward to working with our members in planning weddings, business meetings and special events. She is excited to continue Northland's reputation as a premier venue for hosting a variety of functions. John David Martin is the new Sous Chef. John is from Manhattan, New York, and has worked closely with many recognizable chefs including Norman Van Aken and Charlier Trotter. John is excited to be part of Northland and looks forward to working with Executive Chef Mike Schueller to continue making Northland the best place to dine in Duluth.
We've posted the results of the latest online poll indicating mixed opinions about requiring members to post their scores following each round played at Northland Country Club, Our new Quick Poll, posted on the right side of the page, concerns the Evans Scholarship program and the contribution made each year by NCC members. Before we get to the question, here's a letter to Northland members we'd like to share with you.
As Lead Director of the Minnesota Evans Scholar Program, I recently chaired the Evans Scholarship Selection meeting where one of your caddies, Andrew Ahlfield received the scholarship. It is always very gratifying to see deserving young men and women receive this scholarship but I have a special spot in my heart for the caddies of Northland Country Club. You see, I too, was a Northland caddie who received this unbelievable opportunity. To see Andrew up in front of the interview panel brought back many memories for me; back to when I caddied at Northland and subsequently received the Evans Scholarship. It's been 30 years since I last caddied at NCC, but I remember my time there like it happened yesterday. What I remember most of all are all of the wonderful people of Northland; too many to mention here, that very directly influenced my life and the direction it has taken. Oh, of course I also remember the trek up #2 and # 3 and the feeling of relief to just getting to the 4th Tee, but what I really reflect on now is Northland's rich history of commitment to the caddie tradition in golf and the development of young people. For many years Northland was second to none in terms of caddie programs and commitment to the Evans Scholarship. Over the years, Northland has sent 26 young men and women caddies to the University of Minnesota and onto successful careers; the sixth highest amount in the State! Those 26 Alums are now doctors and lawyers and Vice Presidents, and significant contributors to the good of society. In writing this letter, and in anticipation of the upcoming golf season, I'm hopeful that the caddie tradition, the support of the Evans Scholar program, and the commitment to developing young people can return to it's historical level at Northland. On behalf of the 26 Evans Scholar Alums from Northland as well as the over 500 Evans Scholar Alums State-wide, thank you so much for all that you have done over the years and thank for all that you will do in the years ahead. If there's anything I can do personally to help in the cause, please don't hesitate to ask. I will stay in close contact with Kevin Treacy about your efforts, As I mentioned at the start, I have a very special place in my heart for Northland and its caddies and will do anything to help!
All the best to you all, John Mendesh
Each year, Northland members contribute $25 each to support the Evans Program. Although the member is charged for the service, it is voluntary; if members desire, they can request that they not be charged for the program. Our Quick Poll question this week: Should the monetary level of support for the Evans Scholarship program be increased? If so, how much do you think members should be billed for their contribution? Perhaps you think the member support for the program should be discontinued. We'd like to know your opinion.
UPDATED: The map above is a representation of the cross-country ski trails that have been traditionally groomed at Northland. Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh has also added a new 1/2 freestyle loop this year on the 9th hole. Chris put in fresh trails throughout the course today, so the map above might not be totally accurate. The entire course is also open for snowshoers. The photo on the right taken this afternoon shows use by both groups. Quite a few people were out on the course enjoying the bright blue skies this afternoon. Click on the map above to expand it to full screen.
We recently announced (see the February 21 story below) that Andrew Ahlfield, a Northland caddie from Duluth, had been awarded the prestigious Evans Scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota. Andrew is pictured here with John Mendesh, former Northland caddie and pro shop employee. Andrew joins two other Northland caddies at the University; Ben Johnson and Tom Lilliberg are completing their education. For more on the current announcement and some additional information about the Evans Program, we're posting the news release that has just been sent out from the Western Golf Association (click image to expand full screen).Each year, Northland members contribute to the Evans Program. Dr. Kevin Treacy is serving as the local volunteer. You can learn more about how to further support the program from Dr. Treacy or from this web site.
Several weeks ago, when thousands of Duluthians were enjoying the smooth ice of Lake Superior with daily outings far out into the lake - with some residents skating over to the lake's south shore in Wisconsin - this herd of Elk from northwestern Wisconsin apparently also were enjoying the opportunity to enjoy the ice, only this herd traveled in the other direction and has taken up residency at Northland Country Club. (The photo above - click to expand full screen - was taken by DNR officials on the left side of the 4th hole at NCC, near the creek bed)
