August 2023
Savor
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
The middle of the summer has ended at Dellwood and what a great month we've had. The women's Solheim Cup was a huge success. Congratulations to Team Blue, which consisted of Allison Dirksen, Jenny Lange, Katie Gonzalez, roberta Ginter, Nansee Greeley, Brienna Schuette, Kristina Pratt, Carolynn Lund, Leah Frantzen, Roxanne Nelson, Sara Han, Karen Krebsbach, Sheena Prescott, Patty Callahan, Sue Ryan, Patricia Lydon & Alexa Holm. Also, the Black and Gold invitational ended without getting rained out, and Eric Hayne and his partner were able to outlast David Lage and his partner in an extra hole playoff. Both events were able to showcase how far our Club has come. Demand for both events has grown and I would encourage everyone to try to join in on all the events that we have to offer for the remainder of the summer. Outside of the activities on the course and courts, we have started our "Live Music Series". The first of which was sold out and extremely well received. Make sure you try to make at least one of these outings. This will let us all finish out the summer on a great note! See you at the club, Richie
By Mark Richman, 2023 Club President
FROM THE PRESIDENT
One last reminder 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.
The fireworks that kicked off this past month continued well past the 4th. July was packed full of golf, music, events and our B&G Member-Guest Tournament. Our team here put their heads down and worked extremely hard to ensure that each and every event was a success! The extra work put in by all is attributed directly to our Membership - your display of genuine appreciation is the reason why everyone is beyond willing to give their all, day in, and day out. It's a winning recipe that gives us all pride in our Membership and employment at Dellwood Country Club. Beyond pride, it's a recipe that should give us all confidence that DCC continues to thrive and further establish itself as a prominent Twin Cities Club now and for years to come. As we've shared earlier this year, our diverse Membership is made up of over 50 (Golf) Members that have been at the Club for 25 years or more. As remarkable as that number is, we still have over 1/3 that have joined within the last two years. As we continue to introduce new Members to our Club, it's important that we realize what sets our Club apart. I have personally had numerous conversations, just this summer, with families that were leaving another private Club to join Dellwood. Reasons can certainly vary, however it's easy to spot that a majority reference our Club being "more accommodating to families," or "well thought out events," and of course "the great pool and lazy river complex." I also think many would agree our course conditions continue to improve year over year. We are extremely fortunate to have such a solid foundation when it comes to Turfgrass Management crew, with Superintendent Eric Peterson at the helm, Assistant Jeff Bohler, and Mechanic Jon Domning. These three, along with their team, are responsible for these wonderful course conditions we've all been enjoying this past year, despite the many challenges they have had to overcome. If you see them on the course, I hope you're able to say hello!
By Pete LaCoursiere, General Manager
From Your GM...
We have a lot to look forward to in August and beyond this year. Peg continues to push and promote Pickle Ball mixers and introductory events. Clayton and his staff have gotten creative with existing events to promote more participation in events (see his article referencing the "Ladies Play with the Pro's" event on Aug 17). Katie and Brita and their teams have worked well together in pushing more fun events for our Members (Summer Concert Series and Divin' Dogs!). Chef's Michael and Peter are constantly pushing the limits to offer our Members and Guests the best dining experience possible. You'll see much of this through photos and videos taken by DCC Staff Member Isabelle, who has been able to take her marketing knowledge and apply it towards the Club's social media channels to better communicate with you all. Despite annual maintenance practices coming up (Green Aerification 8/21-23 and Fairway Aerification/Sanding 9/5-7), there is a lot of prime weather left for all things outdoors! We hope to see you all out taking advantage of everything offered here at the Club! If you are not yet following DCC on Instagram (@dellwoodcountryclub) or Facebook (@ Dellwood Country Club), please do! This is a convenient and interactive way to stay current with what's going on at the Club, as well as to get a glimpse of new menu items or specials like these Finally, you may notice we have a new two-color exterior paint scheme, which has been recently completed at the Cart Barn and Pool House. Work will continue to progress with the Clubhouse next before making these updates to the Tennis House and Depot. Cheers! -Pete
From Catering & Events:
Hello Dellwoodians! It’s been great to see all of your smiling faces enjoying yourself around the club, and at the different member events hosted in July. We have had fun creating great memories for members attending such events as the Black & Gold Invitational, live music on the patio, and many member golf gatherings. I have included some photos for you to take a look at. Thank you all for showing up! When it comes to the member events, the entire Dellwood CC team contributes. I have the pleasure of working with all departments and Dellwood CC crew on many of the details that contribute to the planning and execution of each event. In addition, I also have the opportunity to focus on some of the details I personally find very exciting including: decorations, ambiance, and entertainment. When all of the fine details come together with great service, execution and amazing food at an event, it creates a feeling of enjoyment and satisfaction that keeps me tethered to the hospitality industry. So again, I say thank you all for showing up! And, thank you members for inviting your friends and being proud to show off our club, our Dellwood CC community. In addition to the many member events and weddings hosted throughout the summer, Dellwood CC has also been a popular place to host Monday Golf Outings! For those of you whom may not have heard, when the clubhouse is closed on Monday’s, there is opportunity to for groups, non-profits or other organizations to host a golf tournament. Many organizations use the tournament as one of their main fundraisers. There are just a few Mondays still available in the 2024 Golf season. Please email me for more details if interested! The DCC Events and Banquets team loves helping to create, and host amazing gatherings. We are actively booking the 2023, 2024 & 2025 calendars for weddings, holiday parties, galas, all-day business meetings and more! 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
by Katie Boyd Director of Banquets & Events
From the Pro
The 11th Annual Black & Gold Member Guest took place July 19th-22nd and what a great event it was! First, I want to thank all the staff for the time they put into this event and the attention to detail to make it a special event for all the players. We had 66 teams compete this year and a lot of great golf and fun times were had. The final two teams of David Lage and Mike Dolan battled it out with eventual Champions Eric Hayne and Dan Feely. Eric and Dan made a very easy par on the 1st playoff hole to win the event. Congrats to Eric Hayne and Dan Feely on winning the 2023 Black & Gold! Women’s Play with the Pro Event We have a new event that was recently put on the schedule for August 17th. You will be paired up with a golf staff member or Dellwood Staff Member for a fun 9-hole event. The cost for this event is $40 which includes a grill-out event after golf. The field is limited so sign up quickly!
By Clayton Johnson, Head Golf Professional
by Michael Lopata Chef de Cuisine
From the Kitchen
Summer is here and we are in full swing! Culinary has been out and about this month trying our best to get you all a variety of food in a variety of ways. Without question, our biggest event of the year, the Black and Gold Invitational, put us through the meat grinder. On the back end, we dealt with power outages and severe weather, but our staff was laser focused on not letting any of that show itself during any of our buffets or the Gala Dinner Friday night at the pool. To all of you who shared your appreciation and kind words to me, please know that those words went to the hardworking men and women in the kitchens who came in early, stayed late, rolled with the punches, and continued to surpass expectations and deliver in such impressive ways. On behalf of everyone in our little culinary corner of the Club, please accept my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you who played, ate, and shared the weekend with us. While we take our annual 51-week break in between now and 2024 Black and Gold, we are still keeping things lively and fresh in culinary. We have started to showcase a special menu in the grill that goes live every Tuesday night. It is our hope that by getting this out early in the week, it will allow for members to plan their weeks and weekends around any specials that might catch your eye and not have any fear of missing out if you don’t catch a special on a particular night. Lastly, I’d like to talk a little about one of our cooks who has been here for a couple years now. Rudy “Big Red” Ketchum works down in the grill and has really shown himself to be a dependable, hard-working member of the team. To see where Rudy was when I started to where he is now is a testament to his willingness to learn, ask questions, and jump on new stations in the kitchen. If you had any Sweet Corn Risotto at the Pool Gala Dinner for Black and Gold and enjoyed it, thank Rudy, as that was his creation. Personally, Rudy just bought a house and we could not be happier for him. Thank you for all your hard work, Rudy! It is absolutely not going unnoticed and we are a better Club because of employees like you! Cheers, everyone – Michael
Anyone else feel like the summer is flying by? Pretty soon the bees will take over the pool, letting us know it’s almost time to go back to school (didn’t intend to rhyme there but it works). July was a fun month around the Club, and it’s always one we look forward to because it’s the month we host our annual Black & Gold Invitational Tournament. This consisted of 4 days, 132 players, 10 meals, 72+ holes of golfs, and so much excitement and buzz from both the players and the staff (not to mention 81,301 steps walked). This event is like the Superbowl to us! We get to showcase things we don’t do on a regular basis and put our months of planning finally on display. I wanted to thank all the players and guests, along with their families, for supporting us in this event and making it exciting year after year. This was my 8th Invitational and I think the best one yet. Thank you to everyone who high fived us, kept our spirits up on tired days, and cheered us on as we put on the best for you! Words of affirmation go along way around here so I just wanted to say THANK YOU. Congratulations again to Eric Hayne and Dan Feely for taking home the win after many shootout holes! Also a couple of shout outs to our Chefs, Peter and Michael, for making some of the best food I think we all have ever seen. The creativity never lacks with these two and it’s a pleasure to have you both on our team! Another shout out to Katie, our Director of Banquets and Events for having the décor and florals nailed! Your creativity shined! Our amazing florist, Bonnie of Unreal Arrangements in WBL, brought our vision to life of floating centerpieces in the pool! She even tested them in her hot tub, making sure they’d work. We are so grateful for her partnership in many member events this year. If you’re looking for a local florist, be sure to check her out. As we look forward toward August, we have some fun events down the pipeline. Lady golfers, August 10th is Spouse Caddie Night!Make your husband/SO carry your bag for you! We will have a fun vendor joining us on the course for this one so stay tuned. August 12th is our 21+ Adult Pool Party, complete with a DJ and Jello tasters (yes Jello shots)!! Relive your rave days, come in your best neon, and party in the pool! Sign ups for this can be found on the Foretees App.
by Brita Van Guilder Food & Beverage Director
Food & Wine
by Peg Kelly Director of Instruction - Tennis & Pickle Ball
By Eric Peterson, Superintendent
I often get asked what fertilizer I use on the golf course. This can be a difficult answer to come up with or at least difficult to give a short answer. We treat each area of the golf course differently and it is ever changing. In response to a home lawn, it is best to have a soil test done and have the U of M Extension service give you a recommendation. It is important to do soil testing on a golf course as well, especially in problem areas. You need base line levels of minerals to have a healthy functioning soil for turf growth. When deciding what to apply on the golf course we look at what we are looking to achieve in that particular area. For instance, our rough has vastly different needs than our greens. The rough in our greens surrounds has different needs than the rough along our fairways. Our greens have different requirements than our tees. We have greens, tees and fairways that have different requirements amongst themselves. Other variables that come into play include the soil type, turf type, weather patterns, and the best way to apply. In our fairways we typically apply about .1# of Nitrogen in the form of Urea. We do this every two-weeks throughout the growing season with our fungicides and growth regulators. In fairways we look to apply only enough fertilizer to allow the turf to recover from divots and cart traffic. Most of our fairways are grown on peat soil and don’t have high fertilizer requirements. We apply it through a sprayer because we are spoon feeding (small amount) and it fits nicely with our two-week spray program. This last week we left the Nitrogen out of the spray as the weather was extremely favorable for a disease outbreak. A number of turf diseases love succulent (fertilized) turf. There are times when our fairways (#s 8,9,18 and parts of a few others) that are on heavier soils need a granular fertilizer to keep up. Our tees are treated in a similar fashion but receive .15# of Nitrogen every two weeks throughout the growing season. In addition to that they receive .5#Nitrogen along with some Potassium in a granular form in the spring. We will also make one or two other applications to the Par 3 tees to help with recover from divots. Greens primarily spoon feeding using liquid fertilizer at .13# of Nitrogen every two weeks. The week of B & G we did not apply any Nitrogen. The greens were healthy and we didn’t want any excess growth to challenge controlling green speed. This coming month we will apply a granular fertilizer to aid in recovery when we aerify greens. There are times when we have winter damage and we may apply a granular fertilizer in the spring to the greens. There are also times when we make granular applications to just our sand-based greens (chipping, 17 & 18). This happens because sand does not hold on to fertilizer. It moves through the sand (leaches) and is soon unavailable to the plant. You can tell when they go off color and are struggling that this has taken place. So, as you can see there are no simple answers when it comes to fertilizing on a golf course. In course maintenance you have to marry the concepts of playability, aesthetics, plant health and recovery. When you add in the complexities of weather and the fact that golf is played on a living, every changing playing surface you have to be mindful of being flexible. Our goal is to try to keep this living, every changing playing surface as consistent (playing wise) and healthy (plant wise) as possible.
It has been an incredible first two sessions of Junior Tennis! Lots of learning, fun and camaraderie. We started session 3 Monday, July 31st ,and go through Wednesday, August 16th. There might still be few openings depending on age group. Contact Peg with any inquiries. Fall Junior Tennis is a 4 week session on Mondays and Wednesdays running September 11th through October 4th. Ages 12-14 3:00-4:00 $165 Ages 9-11. 4:15-5:15 $165 Ages 6-8. 5:15-6:00 $155 Sign up through Junior Programs on the Club App. Adult Tennis: Drills 2.5-3.0 - Mon and Wed 9:30 and 10:30 and Friday's 10:30-11:30 3.5 and above - Tuesday 12:00-1:30 Please note the schedule will be adjusted Aug 21st and then once again after Labor Day. Pickle Ball Updates: Beginner to Advanced Beginners Clinics: Thursdays , Aug 2nd, Aug 9th, Aug 16th 12pm-1pm We will have available paddles if needed and you can sign up directly with Peg . Cost is $25 MIXER PICKLE BALL OPEN/ CLINIC: Monday Aug 7th and Aug 14th from 5:30-7:00,. Contact Peg to reserve a spot. Space will be limited. Cost is $10.00 WOMEN'S OPEN -no sign up needed. Tuesday evenings beginning Aug 1st from 5:30-7:30. Show up anytime in that time frame. Meet some new pickleballers and have some fun! Even though it seems like summer is slowly coming to an end, there is still a good 2 1/2 months to either try a new sport, or improve your skills. With that said there are lessons available for both private group or family lessons for both tennis and pickleball. Please reach out to me directly if I can help you with getting more involved.
From Racquets to Paddles
From the Course
DELLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB 29 EAST HWY 96 DELLWOOD, MN 55110 651.426.3218 CLUBHOUSE 651.426.4733 GOLF SHOP