Northland History: July 1956 - Kathy Cornelius Wins U.S. Women's Open At Northland

Kathy Cornelius joined the LPGA Tour in 1956 and won two events in her rookie season - including the United States Women's Open Championship, which was to be her only major championship. The 2007 event is concluding this weekend at Pine Needles Lodge in North Carolina, another Donald Ross design.

Master Plan Meeting Date/Time Change

The newly announced Master Plan Task Force will hold its organizational meeting on Monday, July 9 at 5:30pm in the clubhouse. Committee chairs met on Thursday to develop some guidelines for the planning process.
There are five committees that will address the future of Northland: Finance, Buildings, Land-Use, Golf Course and By-Laws. If you're interested in serving on one of the committees, please call the Northland office or try to make it to the organizational meeting next Monday.

What's News At Northland?

The hot and humid temperatures of last weekend may have gone away for awhile - they're expected back for the 4th of July - but it didn't stop a few hardy souls from celebrating the opening of the new pool at Northland Country Club late this afternoon. Just past 3pm, the health department completed its inspections and gave approval for the pool opening - moments later, the word was out and the pool was in use.Indoors, staff training continues and preparations continue for the opening of dining for members. Please remember, limited menu service is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 5. Don't forget, three private dining areas are available in addition to this area in the Fireside Lounge. Full service is expected shortly, possibly the weekend of July 14-15. An announcement will be made to all members via email and on this site.
Northland is already hosting outside events in the first floor banquet center. The Duluth Rotary Club packed the facility tonight. Tomorrow night, the Duluth Hall of Fame banquet will be held at Northland, marking the first time in many years the event has been held out of the downtown area. Another full house is expected.
Those Duluthians who attended tonight expressed admiration for the new facility with many inquiring about membership. Some went so far as to add their names to the growing waiting list of people who wish to join Northland. While many in tonight's crowd toured the new facility, please keep in mind that the entire second floor of the clubhouse has been designated for the exclusive use of members-and guests-only.

Invitational Reminder

Here's a friendly reminder that the Pro Shop is preparing to send out materials for the Northland Invitational Golf Tournament. If you have family or friends that you'd like to invite to play in the August 8 - 12 event, please contact the Pro Shop soon. Davina & The Vagabonds are coming back to entertain on Friday, August 10. Don't forget to register yourself if you're interested in playing.

Junior Invitational July 5 - 6

The 2007 Northland Country Club Junior Invitational will be held Thursday - Friday, July 5 - 6. The tournament is open to children 17 years of age and under. There is a $50 entry fee which also entitles the players to lunch each day. Tee times begin at 7:30am. You can call the pro shop at 525.1970 for more information.

Consider Joining The Ross Society

In recent weeks, several members of Northland have taken the opportunity to join the Donald Ross Society. The organization was formed to honor the memory of the pre-eminent Scottish golf course architect and to help preserve his courses. Formed in 1989, the Society has grown to nearly 1,400 members from 43 states and six countries.
If you click here, you'll go to a link on the Society website from where you'll be able to read more and print a membership form.
The Society holds member gatherings each year - wouldn't it be great if Northland could host one of the events?

Pool Will Open Thursday

The new pool at Northland will open tomorrow morning. The new pool contains slightly less water volume than the old one, but has other features that will actually make it more user friendly. Also, the deck around the pool is approximately 50 percent larger which will allow for more seating. And, the cabana has been completely rebuilt and features heated tile floors in the changing rooms and a new snack area. Please remember, the pool is for golf or pool & tennis members only. If you're interested in upgrading your social membership, contact Ann Robertson at the Northland office.

New Board Officers - Master Plan Committees Prepare For Orientation

The Northland Board of Directors held its monthly meeting tonight and have selected Ken Buck as the club's new Vice President and Connie Dinan as Secretary.
Also at the meeting tonight, the board decided to schedule a Monday, July 2 orientation meeting (5:30 pm in the clubhouse) for the committee members who will work in the development of a new master plan for Northland. If you have not volunteered to serve on one of the committees (Land Use, Buildings, Golf Course, Finance or By-Laws), and would like to, please call the office and we'll register you on the committee of your choice.

Monday - September 11, 2006 - A Look Back

We meant to put these photos up yesterday - 287 days ago, at just past 6pm on September 11, 2006, Warren Askeland, the longest serving Northland member, climbed into a piece of heavy machinery and began the process of tearing down the historic clubhouse at Northland Country Club. Were you there when that machine's claw took the first bite out of the structure?

New One-Day Blog Record - Automatic E-Mail Alerts Available - Meeting Space Available

We set a new one-day traffic record yesterday - 610 unique hits with traffic from 21 states and 8 countries. If you're new to the site and reading about family or friends - or see a photo that you're in - you can email that story by clicking the little envelope below each story, or capture the photo by clicking it to expand the image and then save it with a right mouse click.

Concerning email, Membership Director Ann Robertson continues to receive requests from members wanting to be added to the automatic email alerts/notices. You can start receiving these updates by calling Ann at (218) 428.5178 or simply email Ann at arobertson@northlandcountryclub.com

It's another busy day at Northland. Ladies golf begins in just a few minutes with both 18 hole and 9 hole groups playing. At Noon, the Tuesday version of Walt's League gets underway. Call Walt or the Pro Shop before 11am if you're playing. At 5pm, the board of directors will hold its monthly meeting at the clubhouse. And then, at 6:30, Ann Robertson and the senior staff will hold a New Member Orientation.

One more note: private dining areas at the new clubhouse are now available for business meetings. If you have a group looking for a meeting space for 10, 20 or 40, call the office at 525.1941 and reserve the space today.

Possible Pool Opening Wednesday

Delays in shipping have slightly postponed the opening of the new pool at Northland Country Club. While we've now passed all state and local inspections, and have all computerized chemical treatments scheduled and programmed, we're still waiting for a new vacuum system. It is expected to arrive on Tuesday. Once it arrives and has been tested, the pool will open for the season - club manager Gary Schneider expects that to happen on Wednesday. A welcome relief from the recent heat and humidity that has been present the last few days. As of this posting, it was 88 degrees at the Ordean weather station across the street from the club. Add in the humidity and the real feel was 96. The forecast for this week calls for daytime highs in the mid to high 70s. The forecast for next week (including the 4th of July) calls for highs near 90. The pool will be a very popular spot.

More Pics From Member-Guest

Here are just a few more photos of this past weekend's activities at Northland. We're also including a photo of former Duluth resident and past Northland Club Champion Larry Wilson who was making his first visit to the city and club in 26 years. Larry was a guest of Howard Klatzky and was able to get in two rounds of golf.

Time To Catch Up On Some News

With all the excitement of the past few days - including the opening of the new clubhouse and the Member-Guest weekend - there are some other news items that we've neglected. For instance, we didn't note the official awarding of our Certificate of Occupancy at 2:30pm on Thursday. Developer Rob Link is shown offering a toast on the new course-side second floor veranda. Just over nine months after demolition of the clubhouse began, Northland has a new multi-million dollar facility that is the envy of the entire region.

A NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION will be held at Northland Tuesday night at 6:30pm. New members are invited to come business casual and enjoy light refreshments while hearing about all the great things Northland has to offer its members. A tour of the new building will be included.

PLAY YOUR WAY TO PINEHURST - On Saturday, July 7th Northland will be having a local qualifying event for the PGA McGladrey Team Championship. This three-person team event will be playing one best ball net of three. You must have a valid USGA handicap to compete. The winning team from the local qualifier event will move on to represent Northland at the Section Championship, where Pro Joe O'Connor will join the team. The winning team from the Section Championship advances to the National Championship, September 10-12, 2007, at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. We need seven teams of three to have a local qualifier so register as soon as possible! To register your three-person team please go to www.pga.com/teamchampionship and follow the directions on that page. If you are having a problem finding a team, let the pro shop know and they can assist you. When you register please also let the Golf Shop know so we can keep track of who will be playing. Call the pro shop for more details.

Lund-Klass 2007 Champions

2007 Member-Guest champions Dan Klass and Kent Lund accept their crystal trophies from Northland Tournament Director Joe Jeannette and Pro Joe O'Connor just moments after the pair won the event Shoot-Out of flight winners. With the second floor clubhouse verandas packed with spectators, Klass and Lund beat Kraig Karakas and guest Chris Zuber, following a great shot into the 18th by Klass from nearly 200 yards out of the fairway bunker to the green, some 40 feet below the hole. Lund putted the ball to within two feet to seal the victory.
Defending champions Jim Abelsen and Tom Stone were eliminated just moments earlier on the 17th hole. Abelsen is shown here on #3 as part of a chip-off to continue play. While others in the Shoot-Out turned their backs to avoid seeing the line, his shot finished just feet from the hole and he and Stone moved on the competition.
One of the more interested spectators during the afternoon Shoot-Out was Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh, shown here just off the 17th green with Jeannette. All of this weekend's players had high praise for the conditions of the golf course and the efforts of the grounds crew to prepare it for the first big tournament of the season.
Separately, the 2007 Member Guest Putting Champion is Jim Sher. Sher qualified on Saturday with a 5-hole score 18, 2-under par. Sher posted a 1-over 21 during the finals, beating Jeannette and Brian Liberty by a single stroke.
Northland thanks all of the weekend's competitors and congratulates the new champions.
We also want to take a moment to acknowledge the members of the clubhouse staff under the direction of Gary Schneider for performing so admirably during this first event in the new clubhouse. Time and again over this past weekend, we heard from guests about just how special Northland is - the stunning new clubhouse, the condition of the golf course, and the friendliness of the staff. Several remarked that our facility outshines any of the private clubs in the Twin Cities metro area; one guest who belongs to a private club in the cities and plays golf throughout the state said he considers Northland to be the finest facility in Minnesota.

Abelsen-Stone Open Championship Defense

Jim Abelsen and Tom Stone teed off just before 8:30 this morning in defense of their 2006 Member-Guest Championship; a full field of 66 teams began play at 7am this morning. Play today will be 27 holes with 18 more on Sunday. The Sunday shootout of flight winners will begin at approximately 2pm.

Member-Guest Opening Night - Scottish Bagpipes Set A New Northland Tradition

7:45pm...after a day when every available tee time was taken and Northland members and their guests were preparing to enjoy their banquet, the sound of traditional Scottish bagpipes were heard coming from the golf course. As the crowd rushed to the verandas and patios, the lone bagpiper made his way across the stone bridge to the 18th green where he circled the green to officially open the start of the Member-Guest weekend at Northland Country Club.
Northland Tournament Chairman Joe Jeannette is seen here with piper Charles Bouschor after his exhilerating performance led to a standing ovation from the crowd of over 150 who lined the decks and outdoor verandas of the new clubhouse. This event opener has established a new standard at NCC, embracing the Donald Ross heritage that is unique to so few clubs in the United States.
Tonight's event was the first major undertaking for the staff who has been training for weeks - and in many cases for the past nine months - for the opportunity to once again entertain members and guests at Northland.
We collected dozens of photos tonight for the archive of Northland. As the sun set in the west, we were also able to capture the end of the piping. Just click on the image or arrow below to see the finale.

It's Open - WOW!!!

Just past 7am this morning, the photo finish - as developer Rob Link had described the hectic final days of construction - was a little more than 7 hours away, Our day at NCC began with the paving crews putting the new pavement in place for the parking lot. At 2:30, the occupancy permits were turned over and the celebrating began.
The longest day of the year turned out to be a meaningful day at Northland. Pro Joe O'Connor had put together one of the largest demo days in club history - coinciding with men's league - and the club representatives from the five major manufacturers all said they have never seen such excitement and enthusiasm.
Following the league play, members got their first look at the new multi-million dollar clubhouse that was built in just nine months - unheard of in the construction trade and worthy of a celebration as was evidenced by the fellowship in the clubhouse tonight with frequent toasts to developer Rob Link, members of the LLC and construction crew members for their excellent work.
Despite working without much rest the past few weeks, once again the staff at NCC performed up to the standard we've come to expect. The crew was able to supply food and beverages tonight despite moving into the facility just a few hours earlier. Thanks to Sous Chef John David Martin, Membership Director Ann Robertson, Executive Chef Mike Schueller, Clubhouse Manager Gary Schneider and Food/Beverage Manager Josh Stotts for an incredible achievement.
These few photos can't do the new facility justice - it absolutely must be seen to be believed. We've collected quite a few photos in the past few days - look for more of them during the facility's grand opening which will be announced shortly.

Longest Day Of Year A Busy One

	Rise	Solar Noon	Set
Actual Time	5:13 AM CDT	1:10 PM CDT	9:06 PM CDT
Civil Twilight	4:34 AM CDT		9:45 PM CDT
Nautical Twilight	3:40 AM CDT		10:40 PM CDT
Astronomical Twilight	2:19 AM CDT		12:00 AM CDT
Altitude	-0.8°	66.6°	-0.8°
Azimuth	53.4°	180.0°	306.6°
Hour Angle of the Sun	119.0°	119.0°	-119.0°
Mean Anomaly of the Sun	166.17°	166.50°	166.83°
Obliquity	23.44°	23.44°	23.44°
Right Ascension of the Sun	89.66°	90.00°	90.34°
Sun Declination	23.44°	23.44°	23.44°
Moon	12:24 PM CDT		12:39 AM CDT
Length Of Visible Light:	17h 11m
Length of Day	15h 52m Tomorrow will be 0m 3s shorter.

Here's the astronomical chart for today - tomorrow will be 3 seconds shorter.

It's a busy day at NCC. At 7am, crews are expected on site to blacktop the driveway and parking lot; at Noon, the club is expected to receive its Certificate of Occupancy (see preview photos below); at 1:30, men tee-off in their Thursday league play; at 3:00, the practice range will be busy with representatives on hand from five club manufacturers (story below).
If the occupancy permit is granted, members can begin transferring clothes, shoes, etc., to their lockers.

Opening Hours Away!!

Sous Chef John David Martin and Executive Chef Mike Schueller were in the fabulous new kitchen in the clubhouse tonight preparing the menu for this weekend's Member-Guest event, and planning for events scheduled for the week ahead. The clubhouse will be open for the 7pm Friday dinner for this weekend's event.
The difference between the women's new locker facility on the second floor and the previous environment can't be quantified. Have you called the office (525.1941) to reserve a locker?
Locker room attendant Mike Sertich - back from college for another year of wonderful service to members - was putting in long hours today putting name plates on both the men's and women's lockers that have been reserved for the season.
Well, this is a first for the blog site - a view of the bathroom in the men's locker facility...we've used some discretion here by not showing urinals, showers and sauna. Did we mention the women's facility also has wonderful new tiled showers?You are going to notice some name changes at Northland Country Club - but not this one. When this sign goes up tomorrow, the new Donald Ross Room will be representative of that icing on the cake that exists just outside its windows.No single room will create more enthusiasm than this room - empty tonight, but think forward just 48 hours and imagine what this room newly named for J.R. "Rob" Link - will be like when it's filled with members and their guests? Those who have toured are often left speechless....if you think that's an exaggeration, wait until your first visit.We showed you the view of the new pool area from the member's floor a few days ago - what we didn't show you was this view from the member's only veranda.
There are few golf courses anywhere that can match that view, design and condition - we've recently been rated the 86th best classical course in America - and have a spectacular new clubhouse. With a new clubhouse just hours away from opening, can you think of anyone who wouldn't want to be a member of our club?
Thank you to everyone who has been working near 24 hour days recently - including Clubhouse Manager Gary Schneider - to make this opening possible.
Even late tonight crews were out cleaning the pavement around the facility getting the property ready for paving crews that will begin laying the new parking pavement at 7am Thursday.
Check this site soon for an announcement about when you can begin using the new clubhouse and for a schedule of tours for members in the days ahead.
We sense there's a great deal of excitement about this impending opening...in recent days web traffic has been consistently higher than normal. Have you tried to find a parking place in the last day or two?
We're hours away from a new era at Northland Country Club. The excitement is building as we anticipate our first opportunity to enjoy a new clubhouse, a new pool and cabana, our tennis facilities and a sensational golf course, - wow!! How lucky are we?