July 2023
Savor
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
By Mark Richman, 2023 Club President
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Lastly, I must remind you all of an amazing tradition here at Dellwood known as our Employee Scholarship Program. This program is made available to all Dellwood employees who have worked at least 100 hours this season, and are either actively enrolled in school or have tuition they are paying off. All contributions made by Members are voluntary, and every employee that submits their application along with their essay receives a Scholarship from the Club, in the form of a payment made directly from the Club to their University to be applied directly towards their tuition balance. Please consider contributing towards this great cause. Our staff works very hard to provide the incredible environment we all enjoy, and this contribution adds a lot of value to their job and strongly supports retaining our staff for the following season. Contributions can be made conveniently through a form by clicking HERE.
We made it thru the first real month of summer. The weather has been fantastic, the course is running fast (ok but pretty fast!). We started with the Box Car and just had our inaugural Luau. Next month we can look forward to our annual Black and Gold Invitational, and our staff should have everything in as good of shape as we have ever seen. A few housekeeping things to go over. With the continued use of the course, please remember to replace your divots with the sand the great bag room folks provide for us and fix your ball marks on the green. Let's continue to keep our course in the best shape possible. Pace of play has been fantastic this year. Our pro staff continues to keep the course moving, which makes our rounds even more enjoyable. Also, don't forget to jump on some tee times with members you don't know. That can only make our Club better. If you have any suggestions, issues or need anything at all, please reach out to me, anyone on the Advisory Committee or Pete and his team. We are here to help.
By Pete LaCoursiere, General Manager
From Your GM...
We are officially in full gear at Dellwood! Eric has the golf course in great condition for all of our golfers, whether they are looking to enjoy a casual day on the links or are playing competitevly in one of our Club events. We continue to see great participation in our golf events carried out by Clayton and his team, and continue to hear rave reviews by those receiving golf instruction by Cory (btw Cory I need a lesson!). Josie and Lindsay have the Pool + Lazy River well-managed, taking great care of our Cabana Parties and showing up to Swim Meets around town with the most organized and prepared Swim Club team in the Metro! Peg is having a blast entertaining and instructing our Pickle Ball players on our four new Pickle Ball courts. Katie and Sarah continue to blow everyone away with their execution of events, ranging from special occassion 6-person dinners to large corporate events and weddings in the ballroom. Brita, along with her managers James & Herman, are staying busy with their team as we're seeing our bar and grill turn out its highest volume as far back as we can find for the Club's history. Our cocktail program has taken off with Gunnar "Mixing it Up" with something new on a regular basis - - make sure to check out his column this month! Chef's Peter & Michael are putting together something new all the time to keep everyone's attention on what's coming out of the kitchen next - from grill outs and Luau's to new Weekly Specials. As I jump from one area to the next, both in this paragraph and physically on a day-to-day basis, Michelle keeps all things buttoned up on the backend to ensure every Member and their guests enjoy our Club to its fullest. It's a great time to be a part of Dellwood!
You may notice over the course of the next month or so some updated looks of our main buildings: Clubhouse, Pool House, Cart Barn and Tennis House. We have landed on a new two-tone color paint scheme for our exteriors. We thank you in advance for your patience as we continue to enhance our Club one improvement at a time! We have plenty in store over the next month or so as we roll out our new DCC Summer Concert Series. To best serve all those in attendance, we will be requesting reservations in advance. These live music events will take place on the patio (weather permitting) where we will be able to accommodate 100+ by providing additional seating as/if needed. As always these reservations can be made in the App - look for the specific tab named "DCC Summer Concert Series" where you will see the performer and date that you'll select and complete the quick reservation form. Our 2nd annual Dellwood CC x River Valley Charities Pro-Am is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug 2. Dellwood CC established a partnership with River Valley Charities in 2022 for this tournament, supporting our local WBL Area Food Shelf. This unique event allows for both men and women to register as a single or in a group of 3, to be paired with a local PGA Club Professional and their guest, to play in a 3 Net of 5 format. Limited spots remain! Please register through the Events tab in the Foretees Golf App, or simply sign up in the Golf Shop. Cost is $225 for Members, and $250 for guests. Registration includes light appetizers prior to play, dinner to follow, along with a tee gift and payouts. All proceeds benefit River Valley Charities and the White Bear Lake Area Food Shelf. Interested in sponsoring a hole? Only a few remain! Cost is $500 and is tax deductible. Please contact Clayton Johnson or Dellwood Member and RVC Board Member Ron Linneman. Thank you all for your commitment to Dellwood, and hope to see you all enjoying the Club this month!
From the Pro
Dellwood Country Club had an unbelievable season during this year’s City League. There are 24 clubs that play during the 6-week period and the team consists of 3 players from each club playing each week. We had a proud finish of 4th place in the gross division this year. The team was represented by team captains Justine Hawkinson, Olivia Herrick, Hannah Cass, Sue Ryan, Paula Chesley, and Mary Cox. Great Playing Ladies! Olivia Herrick added another trophy to her trophy case during this year’s City League. She took home the Susie Ringer and Pat Cooper Trophy as the lowest-scoring average this year. With a 72 in her final round at Wayzata CC, she finished the year with a scoring average of 74.6. Great Playing Olivia! After a thrilling finish last year in the Men’s Boxcar with Steve Sanborn and Ken Kasprisin winning, this year did not disappoint with great golf being played over 36 holes. Mike Wieczorek and Ryan Everhart battled it out on the final 9 holes against Scott Johnson and Nate Lucius. Ryan Everhart had a great 2 putt on the final hole to secure a net birdie and a 1-shot win. They had a two-day total of 22 under. Congrats Ryan and Mike! A lot of exciting and great golf was played in this year’s Women’s Boxcar. Thank you to all the ladies that played and I hope you enjoyed this year’s Women’s Boxcar. The team of Lisa Kaler and Molly Olson had a phenomenal start to their round starting off 6 under through 4 holes and it was fun to see them lighting it up that quick into the round. The eventual winners Mary Dinndorf and Kate Gonzalez played some steady golf all 18 holes and finished with a round of 13 under 59 to win the event by 2 over Brenda Sweeney and Jackie Eastman. Congrats to Mary and Kate!
From Michelle's Desk
by Michelle Murray Office / HR Manager Manager
By Clayton Johnson, Head Golf Professional
This picture of these two little friends was taken by Ainsley Amiot on Hole #10. She dubbed it "Frog's Giving Piggy Back Rides". What do you think? Please feel free to send me your fun photos from the course and Club!
Even despite the weather for the DCC Luau, we brought the brightness inside for this year's event! I'm sure most of you have seen the beautiful floral arrangements throughout the Club, and they are spectacular! Between the flowers, marquee lights, and amazing food displays, the team here at DCC did not disappoint! I would like to remind everyone that the member portal on the DCC website is a great tool for you to update personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, and places of employment. You can also upload a picture of yourself or your family, which is an even greater tool for our staff to make sure they are choosing the correct member when billing or even to just familiarize themselves with the current members at the Club. You are always welcome to email me any time with any changes as well. Have a happy and safe 4th of July!
Kristina has been working at Dellwood Country Club for the past 3 seasons in the cart barn and she will genuinely say that she has one of the best jobs. She loves being able to see the interworkings of the Club and help ensure each member enjoys their round. The community at Dellwood is something special and she is so thankful to play a role in helping maintain it. This fall Kristina will be attending the University of Minnesota to pursue journalism, and plans to return to the Club next summer after she completes her freshman year. Thank you Kristina!
by Brita Van Guilder Food & Beverage Director
w/ Gunnar Van Guilder Head Bartender
Food & Wine
Isabelle is currently attending the University of Minnesota, studying Marketing. She currently assists with running the @gopherchicks account on Instagram for the U – and will now be assisting DCC with its social media accounts and content. A fun fact about Isabelle is that she has played volleyball for over 10 years and her favorite DCC Menu item is the chicken wings! Be sure to chat her up next time you grab a drink at the grill or pool bar!
What an incredible June! We’ve had a great month with the pool going strong, Box Car Member-Member Event, and lots of new member events, such as our New Member Pool Party and New Member Open House. I want to thank everyone who came and played in our Box Car event, the first weekend of June. This weekend was such a fun event for our team and we loved making the food and service special for everyone who played. These events are highlights of my career for sure, and I remember them for years to come. As we continue into July, I am introducing more of our summer season staff! This month I am focusing on two of our brand-new employees that started in May, Claire W. and Isabelle P.
Happy 4th of July! I hope you all have been enjoying the summer so far this season at DCC! It has been great to see a lot of new faces around the club, and of course the familiar faces as well! This month in “Mixing it Up with Gunnar”, I am going to be highlighting one of my favorite cocktails on the seasonal cocktail menu: The Albatross! Are you or someone you know having a hard time getting a double eagle while out on the golf course? Worry no more! We are serving up Albatrosses behind the bar! This whiskey-based cocktail takes your palette soaring to new heights! Equal parts of lemon juice, Knob Creek bourbon, Aperol, and Amaro Nonino (a floral orange liqueur) lend their flavors to craft a balanced and surprisingly refreshing cocktail! Don’t miss out, and be sure to try one this summer at the club! Cheers, Gunnar
Mixing it Up
Claire is from North St. Paul and currently attends UW-Madison (Go Badgers!) studying Interior Architecture! She started working here just over a month ago and has been slaying it at the pool as a Busser/Food Runner. Her favorite menu item is currently the Coconut Shrimp – I mean how could they not be!? A fun fact about Claire is that in her free time she loves to read books as well as sing. Be sure to say hello to Claire if you see her at the pool or running food up the long stairway!.
This month we would like introduce DCC staff member Kim Davidson, one of our amazing Banquet Supervisors. Kim has incredible work ethic, a natural ability to lead, and an obvious love for hospitality. Kim is also a mother of three, a teacher to many during the school year, and a golfer all summer long.
June has come and gone, and I think we have made some great Dellwood Country Club memories already this summer. A huge thank you to all members that have attended our new member events, golf events, luau, and more! It is a great feeling to see you all enjoying the events that we help to create and execute. We’d also like to thank those members that have entrusted the DCC team to be apart of their wedding celebrations. We have had two member weddings already this year, and more to member weddings to celebrate before the years end! Our team is very excited to announce Dellwood Country Club Live Music on the Patio – Summer 2023 Acoustic Series! A different show each date! Member’s, please make a reservation on the Foretees app for live music evenings, if possible. A reservation will assure that you have a table waiting! Information regarding each artist and dates will be available on Foretees as well as Saturday, August 12th is the first 21+ pool party at the DCC pool. Please visit the Foretees app for information and to register. There will be great food, DJ and more fun!! Please spread the news: The DCC Events and Banquets team loves helping to create and host amazing gatherings. We are actively booking 2024 & 2025 weddings! For information or to set-up a tour, please visit our web-site or call the Events department (651) 426-4155. We cannot wait to help create amazing memories for you and/or your loved one’s! See you around the Club! Katie Boyd
June flew by in what feels like a matter of minutes, and we sure enjoyed every single opportunity to get out in the sun and cook for all of you during an extremely fun and busy month at the Club. Our annual Boxcar Tournament was highlighted by absolutely beautiful weather and some great golf! Congratulations to both the men’s and women’s winning teams and thank you to all of the Members for coming out for what is always such a fun weekend.While weather forced us to modify our layout for the Boxcar Dinner Friday night, you all took it in stride and hung out with us upstairs in the Ballroom, and we cannot thank you enough for your flexibility and willingness to adapt with us during a very fluid couple hours.We wanted to be outside just like you, but this will make Black and Gold even more fun this year! We just had our 2nd annual Couple’s Luau last weekend, and as I said last year, this is a little bit of a homecoming for a lot of us here at Dellwood. Katie and James both lived on Oahu, our Sous Chef Randy spent time on the Big Island, and I lived on Oahu and worked there for just under two years.While we weren’t out there at 3am getting the Pig in the smoker like a traditional Luau, we knew it would make for a fun evening if we got it out there early enough for you all to smell while you were playing. Also, a huge thank you to the members who came out to eat even though they didn’t golf. While these Couple’s events are always focused and set up around golf, we love the opportunity to open up these events to all Members! With the abundance of School Banquets this month, I’d be remiss if I didn’t shine the spotlight on a member of our culinary team, Ryan Kanewischer. Ryan has been at Dellwood for 20 years, and while he does his best to stay completely out of the public eye (he’d tell you the same thing if you ever saw him, which you won’t) he is so instrumental in our ability to pull off everything from 500 potstickers to go on a Saturday morning to a 300-person wedding.There is nothing Ryan hasn’t seen in his 20+ years here, and we are so fortunate to have him still here with us after all these years. As we move into July, I wanted to make sure and let everyone know that we will in fact be open Monday and Tuesday of July 4thWeek.While we will be closing early on the 4th, we will be running a 4th of July Backyard cookout Special all week that will also be available to take out if you find yourself in need of some food for your get together!As always, we are here for you, so please reach out to me directly at michael@dellwoodcountryclub.com or the chef@dellwoodcountryclub.com email which is our umbrella email for all things culinary if you’d like to order some to go food or platters for the 4th. Have a great July, everyone!
by Katie Boyd Director of Banquets & Events
by Michael Lopata Chef de Cuisine
From Catering & Events:
From the Kitchen
by Peg Kelly Director of Instruction - Tennis & Pickle Ball
By Eric Peterson, Superintendent
This past winter we removed a number of trees and had the stumps removed earlier this summer. To follow up, we cleaned them up and filled the holes with composted soil we had on the property, before eventually hyrdo seeding these areas. Hydro seeding is a fantastic option for turf establishment. The seed absorbs water which is essential for germination and the mulch helps to retain much needed moisture, which in this case resulted in germination within three days. On June 20th we had a demo done to our practice green. The machine we were using was one that uses water to inject sand into the green. We are constantly looking at ways to improve both the health and the playability of our greens. We were looking at the machine not only to improve the greens health by injecting sand but also looking to see how long it would take for recovery from the process. Injecting sand helps to create shafts of sand that not only penetrate through the thatch but break through the layer of where our topdressing sand meets the native soil our greens were built with. The soil profile taken here shows the increased depth of sand injection (red) versus standard plug and fill aerification (black). This will increase root depth, in turn supporting a stronger, more durable plant on the surface. The ultimate goal is to improve drainage, allow for air exchange, and reduce compaction. In turn this will make the greens healthier but also allow the greens to be firmer during hot, humid weather. So far the healing time has been fantastic and we will continue to monitor the health of the the green.
It was a fantastic 1st 3 weeks at the courts, Junior programs were in full swing with over 100 participants. The adult program continues to strive as well, with over 50 players doing weekly drills . If you have be any interest in learning more about how to get involved, either for yoursle or the kids, please reach out to me directly at 651-246-1662 or pkelly4@comcast.net. I would be happy to go over some options with you. Junior Programs: Session 2 begins July 10th and goes 3 weeks on Mon days and Wednesdays, ending June 26th. There I still a few openings and you can sign up for that on the app under Junior programming. Session 3 July 31st through Aug 16th. If the timing doesn't work to do the junior sessions we are also available to set up some semi-private or group lessons. Contact me if that is better option for you. Adult Tennis: Beginner to 3.0 Mon and Wed 9:30-10:30 and 10:30-11:30. Friday's 10:30-11:30 3.5 and above Tues 12:00-1:30 and Thursday 11:00-12:30 As of now, sign up for the adult drills is done directly through Peg via text or email. Hoping to have sign up on the app by mid month. Enjoy the holiday week and if you interested in pickleball or some tennis lessons I would love to hear from you!
From the Courts
From the Course
DELLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB 29 EAST HWY 96 DELLWOOD, MN 55110 651.426.3218 CLUBHOUSE 651.426.4733 GOLF SHOP