Is This Best Picture Of '09?

Have you taken a picture yet this year to enter in the Northland Best Photo Contest? The photo above was taken by Pat Henry during this past weekend's Member-Guest event. It shows guest Scott Dennis walking towards the 13th green with his caddie during the Friday practice round.
This year's photo contest will run through the end of the season. You've still got half the year to submit a photo you think best depicts life at Northland - either on the golf course or even during one of the many social events. Submit your entries to Membership Director Ann Robertson. Once we receive all entries, we'll post them on the blog to allow readers to vote for their favorite.
====
We did receive one additional piece of "art" over the weekend. This illustration of PGA Pro Joe O'Connor was presented to him during the weekend activities by Northland member Bill Lanctot and his guest Ed Speck who obviously appreciated Joe's delivery of a drink order to the men's sauna. Certainly it's not a part of the job description, but it's obvious Joe's willingness to serve was appreciated. You can click the image to see a larger version.

Master Plan Architect Visits Northland

Golf Architect Ron Prichard, recently hired to complete a Master Plan for the golf course, has made his first site visit to Northland. Prior to his visit, Mr. Prichard had been working to complete a base map from a combination of contour maps and aerial photography. With base map in hand Mr. Prichard spent two days walking the course. Most of his time on the course during this first visit was spent adding detail to the base map and taking notes, which will eventually form the basis of his master plan.
Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh has written about the Prichard visit and the meeting with the newly formed Restoration Committee. Read the entire story here>

Tennis Courts Closed For Re-Surfacing

The tennis courts at Northland are being re-surfaced and will be closed until July 3. Several large cracks had opened on the surface. The repairs should provide many years of good play.
When the courts do re-open, please mark your calendars for another of the popular Kids' Tennis, Pizza and Pool nights on July 8. The fun starts with games and drills at the tennis center at 5:00 (there will be prizes). This will be followed by pizza and refreshments before everyone heads off to the pool for a cool-down from 6:15 to 7:00.
Please call the tennis center (310.6132) and leave a message for either Wells Patten or Lee Kruger if you intend to participate.
Additional sessions will be held July 22 and August 5.

Sarah LeClair One Test Away From PGA

Sarah Lelair, Northland's assistant golf pro, is just one test away from membership in the Professional Golf Association (PGA) following her successful completion of the difficult Player Ability Test recently.
Sarah has one more exam to complete this fall in Florida before receiving the coveted membership. Congratulations, Sarah...and good luck with that final exam.

Women's Golf Clinic - Two Sessions

PGA Teaching Professional Kathy Swanson is back at Northland today for two clinics for women golfers...the first session began this morning at 8:30. Swanson is being assisted by Northland Assistant Sarah LeClair.
Because of the popularity of this clinic, Swanson is also hosting an evening session. The late session is two hours long, beginning at 5:00, which gives more opportunity for women members who either work or have other obligations during the day.
You can click here to read more about Swanson and watch an interview with her about the difference between teaching men and women.

Northland - Three Different Courses For Member-Guest Tourney

Northland Country Club proved to be up to any challenge for the past three days during the playing of the annual Member-Guest Tournament; Friday's temperatures soared near 90 with light winds, Saturday featured some light rain and some mild breezes....today, a different story with blustery conditions featuring winds in excess of 40 miles per hour at times and even some misty rain for the final hole; some competitors claimed they were hitting 4-irons from 125 yards for much of the day. Following 45 holes of play, the 11 different flight winners were divided into two divisions for the "Shootout". Many of the 9-hole matches were decided on the final shot - four of the matches being determined by 1/2 point. At the conclusion of play - a new championship team was crowned from among the 66 teams that began play.

Included were Jeff & Craig Dahl, John Hyduke & Larry Valentini, Bob Seitz & Wayne Hibbard, Mark & Steve Licari, Bill Juntunen & Pat O'Connor and Bob Ryan & Scott Dennis (front).
The final pairings included John LeNeau & Scott Trongard, Frank Holappa & Jim Gels, Chris & John Smuk, Mike Acheson & Ken Johnson, and defending champions Judd Medak & Kent Davyduke.

In the Shootout, each of the divisions eliminated one team on holes 1 - 3, with each team playing in an alternate shot format. The defending champions exited on the second hole.
As hard as the wind blew all day, it seemed to pick up as the remaining teams continued play on the 15th tee. The team of Ryan-Dennis moved on with Bob Ryan (at right) sinking an 8-footer for birdie. The team continued its solid play with another birdie on 16. But on 17, they were unable to get up and down for par and were eliminated.
The teams of Huduke-Valentini and LeNeau-Trongard were left to play the 18th. Hyduke hit one of his longest drives of the day, leaving his partner with just 143 yards to the pin on 18. Valentini (at right) hit a 6-iron into the wind just 18 feet above and to the right of the hole. The pair of LeNeau-Trongard was above the hole with their third shot and were unable to get up and down. Hyduke cleaned up a one-foot putt for the win.

Scott Trongard & John LeNeau - Second Place

Larry Valentini & John Hyduke - 2009 Champions

As we said earlier, the golf course proved to be up to any challenge for the three days of the tournament. Many of the players who have competed in this event and other competitions for many years remarked they have never seen the golf course play better - or tougher.
All competitors had high praise for the professional staff, the turf management staff and the food & beverage staff who combined to make this a memorable event for all participants.
======
For those who were at the course this weekend, there was one other notable change from previous years. The scoring trailer used in the past is gone, having been replaced by a permanent structure mounted on the clubhouse facing the golf course. Northland thanks Scott Anderson for his hard work in completing this project in just a few hours. It's a great improvement and we thank Scott for his work.

"SmartSticks" And "WhiteCups"

Have you noticed any change to the top of the flag sticks at Northland? Take a closer look and you'll see that the course now features "SmartSticks" - laser pins featuring the latest technology from Laser Link Golf.
Golfers equipped with laser technology can now get the exact distance to the flag - unlike GPS systems which only provide the distance to the front, middle or center of the green. If accuracy is important to you, you'll appreciate this change to the new "SmartSticks".

Northland has made one other change that golfers have begun to notice on selected play dates - the use of "white cups". Unlike the traditional look, turf staff have now begun to paint the top portion of the cup to provide a greater visual clue to hole placement while putting. It's uncertain yet whether this will become a daily feature. As always, your input is appreciated. Tell us what you think.

Poa "Mails It In"

Did you read Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh's explanation about why some of the greens at Northland look as if they're suffering from stress? It turns out we're benefiting from yet another turf management success - removing or limiting the growth of poa annua on the golf course.
Here's just a portion of what Chris has written.

If I were going to personify bentgrass and Poa annua I would refer to Poa as a quitter. When the going gets tough Poa quits. Too dry, too cold, too much ice and Poa mails it in. You can throw anything at bentgrass and it just keeps coming back for more. Dry conditions, bring it on, traffic, more please, cold, ice, no problem.
Read the entire story here>

Heat Will Continue - How About Some Pool Time?

We'll just show you this photo and ask whether you think the Northland pool might not be the perfect place to escape from this current heatwave. More temperatures in the 80's with high humidity are forecast for much of the week. Remember, Northland offers a unique pool and patio food menu - not to mention full beverage service.
If dinner is in your plans, please request a reservation for one of the tables on the decks or verandas and enjoy the view.

Defending Champions Return For Member-Guest

The 2009 Northland Member-Guest Tournament has become such a popular event that the entire field of 66 teams was filled within 11 days - a waiting list of close to 20 additional teams signed up only to be disappointed that the entry limit had already been reached.
The two-man teams will compete for the coveted trophy to be awarded late Sunday afternoon. Among the participants will be defending champions Judd Medak-Kent Davyduke (in photo at right) who won last year's event on the second extra hole of an exciting playoff against the team of David Letourneau-Tom Conroy. (Click here to read the story of the 2008 finish).

The Member-Guest begins with a Friday practice round followed by 27 holes of golf on Saturday and 18 holes of competition on Sunday. Each team will play five 9-hole matches before the final 11 flight winners are determined. These 11 teams will be separated into two divisions and compete in a final shoot-out, with one team being eliminated from each of two divisions on holes 1 through 3, with each of the teams playing an alternate shot format. Play continues on hole 15 and concludes when there's a winner from the final two teams.
Northland members are invited to watch the shoot-out on Sunday afternoon. the play-off generally begins at about 2:30pm.

Record Crowds At Fabulous Friday - Are You Following Us On Facebook

A record crowd of just under 200 members and guests attended Friday night's homage to the London Inn - that iconic drive-inn that is now a part of Duluth history. Prior to the event, we also saw a record number of golfers participate in the member-guest pre-party golf outing.
What's the next Fabulous Friday planned for July - stay tuned for details.
===
Have you become a fan of Northland on Facebook yet? In addition to postings here on the blog, we update members whenever there's news in the making - and it's a great way to stay in touch with other fans.
Just click the Facebook link on the right hand side of the page to follow our updates - sign-up is easy if you're not already part of the world's largest social media network.
===
Finally, it's after 6pm and it's still 83 degrees. If you're looking for a late night dinner on one of the Northland decks - it's busy, but there are some tables still available.

"London Inn Revival" Celebrity Guests

The Fabulous Friday "London Inn Revival" party will feature a couple of celebrities from the famed drive-in that was once the "hot spot" for Duluth teen-agers - and a few thousand others when it was open.
Party organizers have invited some of the former owners and cooks who prepared the famous char-cheese burgers and world famous onion rings to attend the event tomorrow night.
This party has generated great response from Northland members and a large crowd is expected. Have you called the office to confirm your reservation?
Scroll down the page to see additional details and watch a video from 1970.

New Way To Track Scoring

Sports Illustrated has developed a new system to manage your golf game and stay in contact with friends away from the course. The new system comes with unique scoring and statistical tools designed to improve your game.
You will need a Facebook account to experience this application. You can begin the sign-up process here if you are not a current member of the social networking site.

NCC Coyote "Family"

Many Northland members have seen the coyote that has taken up residence on the golf course - there have been frequent reports that a second coyote has also been spotted. Now, we know that there were two, because a new litter of four pups has been seen in the last couple of days.
Although the male and female have generally kept their distance from people on the golf course - despite not appearing to be afraid - with the arrival of the pups it might be wise to maintain a safe distance so as not to appear to be threatening the pups.

Demo Day Extravaganza Today

This morning's weather looks a little iffy, but the Demo Day Extravaganza is still scheduled to begin at Noon - representatives of the leading golf equipment companies will have their displays set up and Northland members have the opportunity to try to newest and latest in golf gear.
This year's event also features the Ping custom fitting van - what a great opportunity to learn what combination works best for you.
The event continues until 7pm tonight, plenty of time for men's league members to take advantage of this opportunity.

New Pool Rules

A new pool policy takes effect today.
At 1:30pm and again at 4:30pm, the pool must be cleared for 15 minutes. This new policy will mean a safer pool for Northland members.
====
The first Kids' Pool Day Camp is being held today (weather dependent) from 1:30 to 4:30. This camp is available for swim proficient children between 5 and 10 years of age. The cost for the camp is just $12 for the session and a healthy snack.
Northland will have an additional lifeguard on site for supervision.
Please call Membership Director Ann Robertson to reserve a spot for your children - or to learn more about Pool & Tennis Membership at Northland.

Love For The Game

We offer the ESPN video above for those of you who may not have already seen it or are not familiar with the story of DJ Gregory. Click the image above to watch this story.

Thursday Is Demo Day At Northland

PGA Pro Joe O'Connor has put together another great Demo Day Extravaganza for Northland members, with representatives of the leading golf equipment companies coming to the club on Thursday of this week.
From Noon until 7pm, members will be able to try out the latest in clubs and be fitted for new equipment.
New this year, the Ping fitting van will be on site.
This event is open to all members interesting in testing the latest designs.

Course Closed Until 2PM

Northland is closed for golf until 2:00pm today. The Minnesota PGA Junior Tour is holding an event today. The young players enjoyed a practice round on Sunday afternoon - many of them playing the course with their parents.
It's events such as this that assist our efforts to increase recognition for Northland as one of the premier golf venues in the state.

Sunday Is Family Day At Northland

There's a new opportunity for Northland families to get together on the golf course, and at the clubhouse after playing a quick nine - or just a few holes. Sunday Family Golf is designed to allow parents and their children to enjoy a casual afternoon of activity when the golf course has traditionally been a little more wide open.
The golf begins at 3:00 and will be followed at 5:00 with special menu features that are likely to appeal to the younger palette. This Sunday, the culinary staff has developed a few special pizza options.
Please check with the golf shop for tee time availabilities and enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Northland.
=====
We're re-posting the new Sunday menu features below as a reminder of the dining options that are available this golf season.

How Thick Is That Rough Going To Get?

Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh has taken a moment in a video to explain the new rough that's being developed between some of the lower fairways. In this video, he concentrates on the rough between #2 and #16.
Are you following course updates that Chris provides? On his blog, Chris gives you several options to follow his progress reports. Sign up is quick and easy.

A Benefit To Consider

A great deal of planning by a great many friends has gone into an event that will be held at Northland tonight (Friday). It's a fund raising event for Kimberly Alaspa, a Northland member who is battling breast cancer.
You can read more about this here> (If this isn't working, search Facebook for Kimberly Alaspa)
Thanks to the very generous contribution of friends and businesses, there's a very wide variety of items that will be auctioned off to raise money for Kimberly's medical bills.
A minimum contribution of $15 is requested (and that includes dinner). See the link above for complete event and auction details.

Northland - Early GolfWorld Rankings

The June 15 issue of GolfWorld magazine has issued some early results from this year's ongoing Readers' Choice Awards - Northland Country Club's clubhouse/locker facilities are currently ranked 6th among all private golf clubs in the United States.
Have you taken the time to participate in this year's rankings? Here's the link where you can add your votes.
Remember, last year Northland was ranked 15th best private club overall, based on voting in the contest's 13 categories. The food at Northland was ranked second nationally.
Voting continues until July 31.

"Meet The Pros" Tennis Event

You can add one more item to the busy Thursday schedule at Northland - tonight's Meet The Pros" event starting at 5:00 at the Northland tennis facility.
NCC tennis pros Wells Patten and Lee Kruger will be available to discuss the 2009 adult and youth tennis programs.
The event starts at 5:00 and continues with a 6:00 pizza social.
The tennis program offers group and private lessons. And, if you're in the market for new equipment, you can test rackets tonight from Babolot, Head and Dunlap.
Please call the tennis center at 310.6132 to let them know you're planning on attending. There's free T-shirts for the first 30 members.
If you're a prospective member and want to learn more about pool/tennis memberships, please contact Membership Director Ann Robertson.

Time To Schedule Season-Long Matches

The pairings for the season-long matches at Northland have been completed. The pro shop and locker facilities all have pairing sheets available for the Men's Individual, Men's Four Ball and Couples events.
The pro shop is requesting that all first round matches be completed by June 29. Once your match has been completed, please report the results to the golf shop.

Father's Day Sale In Golf Shop

The golf shop at Northland has a great selection of items for Father's Day - and a special offer to make the day even better.
You'll find specials on virtually every item in the shop, from clothes to clubs to range finders. For a limited time, if you purchase any two clothing items, you'll receive a FREE shirt or a pair of shorts.
As always, the pro shop offers complimentary gift wrapping. Stop in today to look over the great new merchandise. If you can't decide what to get, gift certificates are also available.

Irrigation Break Video Available

Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh has posted a video on his blog that he made on Tuesday morning when turf staff members discovered the large water main break on the second fairway.
You can watch the video here>

Flag Pole Problem Solved

Earlier attempts to repair the flag pole at Northland and give it a fresh coat of paint may have failed - but, the problem is being solved today. As the photo on the right shows, the piece of equipment brought in from the Twin Cities has the capability to complete the job.
Over the past winter, heavy winds destroyed the pulley and cable system that operated the flags. When an attempt was made to repair the system - and to paint the pole with a fresh coat of white paint - crews discovered the available lifts in Duluth were not capable of scaling the pole's 98 foot height.
The heavy lift on site today can scale heights of 125 feet. The pole will receive a new coat of paint today and the American and Northland flags should be in place by this afternoon.

You Can Play Bethpage Black Before The U.S. Open - Unlimited Free Play

We've all heard the stories about how difficult it is to get on the Bethpage Black golf course, site of this year's U.S. Open. Many of those fortunate to play camp out in their cars overnight just to get one of the coveted tee times.
The U.S. Open, in association with World Golf Tour, has created a virtual opportunity for all of us to play the golf course as it will be set up for this year's championship.
The virtual course was designed using proprietary technology, utilizing aircraft laser and GPS scans, helicopter aerials and ground photos to create an incredibly realistic golf experience....over 100,000 digital images were combined to create the virtual game.
By signing on to the link we're providing, you can play unlimited rounds. Register to play the course and learn more about exciting contest details here>

At The Club This Afternoon & Evening

This is a busy afternoon and evening at Northland.
Activity began at 4:00 with the Informal Women's Golf group....please contact the po shop for additional tee times, or use the ForeTees system on the blog.
At 5:00, it's Wednesday Night Happy Hour. Enjoy specials on food and beverages until 7:30 tonight.
At 6:00, it's the Ladies Golf Rules Seminar. You can receive more information through the pro shop.

What Happened On #2?

Superintendent Chris Tritabaugh has provided a detailed description on his blog site of the water line break on the second fairway...for those of you who have been on the course, you noted a fairly large area had been disturbed, between the fairway bunker and the green. Large sections of turf had to be removed to facilitate the repair.
You can see pictures of the work progress - and soon a video - on Chris' blog. Click here>

The "London Inn Revival" - Fabulous Friday Honors Former Duluth Icon - We Have The Original Ring Recipe...And A YouTube Favorite

If you're from Duluth - and, of a certain age - the odds are you spent many a day or evening at the London Inn, that great drive-in icon once located on London Road known for its Char/Cheese & Rings special. Northland Country Club will honor its memory on June 19 with the next Fabulous Friday celebration. And, we have the original onion ring recipe thanks to Huck Andresen. If you click here, you can print out your personal copy of this once closely held secret recipe.
The Fabulous Friday will get underway with a 5pm shotgun start for golfers. Guests are welcome...if your guest stays for dinner, the golf is free. The night will feature music from the '60's....but the stars of the evening will be the burgers, fries, malts and, of course...the Onion Rings. All of this for just $12.99. The social hour starts at 6:30. As always, the office would appreciate your early reservation.
====
Content Warning!!!
We offer one more look back at the London Inn in a video from its hey-days...a day when a camera person decided it would be fun to film patrons offering their personal salute. Some of you may find the content objectionable...but it has become a local YouTube favorite. Turn up the speaker volume.

UPDATE Ladies Clinic CANCELLED

UPDATE - Today's Clinic is Cancelled. We expect it will be re-scheduled for a better weather day.

======

Kathy Swanson is coming back to Northland to conduct a golf clinic for ladies - with an added bonus....this year, Kathy will be available for two sessions.
The first session begins at 8:00am on Monday, June 8 with breakfast for all participants. Those attending the morning session will also have lunch, during which Kathy will also be available for additional questions. This will be followed by more instruction in the afternoon.
The second session will be from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
Both sessions will cover short game techniques, the full swing and will also have some on course instruction.
Northland Assistant PGA Pro Sarah LeClair will assist in each of the classes.
Please contact the golf shop at Northland for additional details and to register for one of the two sessions.

Aerification Complete - Now, For Some Moisture

Superintendent Chris Tritabaaugh has written about the completion of Spring fairway aerification. Here's the beginning of his recent blog posting:

I am very happy to report that the aeration of the fairways is complete. The final two fairways #2 & #16 were solid-tined this morning and all of the fairways were mowed this morning. During the course of the week there were a couple of questions I was asked about the process and I would like to comment on those questions.
Read the rest of the story here>

Coyote Will Attack - Should We Ask DNR For Assistance?

Northland members are advised that the coyote that seems to have a liking for all things Northland should be considered a threat to their pets - today we received notice that a member's dog was attacked on the golf course. Although coyote's are wary of humans, they will attack small pets - even those that may be leashed near your home.
As the grounds crew has noted, this coyote has made a habit of taking tee markers and cart signs. Now, some members are reporting the coyote has begun taking their golf balls from the fairways.
As humorous as some might consider some of the coyote's actions, there is some concern that the club should request DNR assistance before any more serious event occurs. What do you think we should do, if anything? We'd welcome your comments and suggestions. We've also posted a poll on the right hand side of the page for you to participate in. Let us know your thoughts.

Ken Buck New President; New Board Members Elected At Annual Meeting

Ken Buck, founder and Principal of Ken Buck Consulting, is the new President of Northland Country Club. Buck is also an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin - Superior. Buck takes over club leadership from Cameron Fryer, who completed his two-year term as club president at last night's annual membership meeting.
Four new members of the Board of Directors were elected to three-year terms at last night's annual meeting, including: Marti Buscaglia, Tom Cartier, Bill Juntunen and Dan Markham. The new directors join fellow board members Scott Anderson, Frank Mertz, Sandra Nelson, Ray Peterson, Duke Skorich and David Whittaker.

Annual Membership Meeting Tuesday

The Annual Membership Meeting of Northland Country Club will be held Tuesday night, June 2, beginning at 5:30pm in the club's first floor ballroom.
President Cameron Fryer will present his final President's Report and members will also receive a review from committee chairs. In addition, Steven Licari of Licari, Larson & Co. Ltd., will present members with the results of the club's financial audit.
This will be the final meeting for three members of the Board of Directors. The Nominating Committee has proposed Tom Cartier, Bill Juntunen and Dan Markham as new directors for three-year terms. In addition, Marti Buscaglia is on the ballot for a full three-year term.
If you're planning on attending the meeting, please contact the office so staff can plan for seating and food requirements.