June 2023
Savor
MEMBER NEWSLETTER
By Pete LaCoursiere, General Manager
From Your GM...
You also may have seen our new "Short Course" markers on each hole recently. This par 64 course measures just over 3,100 yards, and provides another option to those newer to the game. Having it USGA rated allows anyone to post their scores, track their progress by establishing a handicap within the GHIN system. These light blue markers can be found in the center of fairways or at the front of par 3 tee boxes. They have their own scorecards available in the Golf Shop or Bagroom. Please consult with one of your Golf Professionals should you have any questions! You may see us completing some of our spring projects throughout June, which includes the long-awaited Pickle Ball courts! Pickle Ball continues to be a huge hit with more and more players by the day. Our delayed start to spring caused some delays in this project, but progress has been made over the past week and we anticipate an announcement of its opening by mid-June. We will have four newly resurfaced Pickle Ball Courts, and new interior fencing within the courts! As always, reservations can be made through the Club App! Peg Kelly, Dellwood CC's Director of Instruction, will be available for instruction for both tennis AND Pickle Ball! Please contact her directly at pkelly4@comcast.net for lessons!
May was one heck of a month! We went from a cool and wet April to near-record high temperatures with very little rainfall over the last half of May. After a very slow start on the golf course, our rounds have caught up to 2022 numbers after enjoying ideal playing conditions throughout much of May. We continue to receive rave reviews on the conditions of the golf course, a byproduct of a lot of hard work from Eric and his team. I hope you take a few minutes to read Eric's article this month, he did a nice job detailing some of the work they're currently taking on. I recently played golf with a superintendent at another prominent Club within the Metro, and when I explained to him our rough-mowing practices, he was blown away and envious as he replied, "I wish I was allowed to do that!" I was referring to our four rough mows per week at 1 3/4" which has supported our mission of providing very playable conditions and promotes more consistent pace of play. These are two key components that fit well within our Club's vision of providing a course that is challenging for the better player, yet inviting to new players as well. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make this happen - thank you to Eric and his team for their persistent hard work!
I hope that everyone had a fun Memorial Day weekend! I was able to take a long weekend and traveled to Duluth. Going to Gooseberry Falls to hike has been on my bucket list for a long time, and I was finally able to cross that off my list. The weather and scenery were amazing! We have so many fun events to look forward to here at the Club! I always love to help with registration for our golf events and handing out tee prizes. It gets me out of my office and outside to enjoy the beautiful weather and see all of you! Next up, the annual member/member Box Car! You will notice in this month's newsletter that we are highlighting staff members of DCC. These people work so hard for us, some of them year round! We are so thankful for the wonderful staff that makes Dellwood Country Club run smoothly.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
From Michelle's Desk
by Michelle Murray Office / HR Manager Manager
By Mark Richman, 2023 Club President
It is finally summer! The pool is open, Eric has the golf course is in the best shape at the start of the season as we have seen it. Chefs Peter and Michael have rolled out a new menu and Brita and her staff have ramped up to give us the best possible experience we can have not only inside but at our finished outdoor patio. Clayton in the golf shop has many exciting events scheduled. He and the other pros are available if you need help with your golf game. Soon we will have new Pickle Ball courts to add even more venues to use and enjoy. We have a lot to be excited about as we enter the busy summer months. I would continue to encourage everyone to leave all their troubles and stress in the parking lot when you get to the club. Jump on the tee sheet with a new member, grab a cocktail, maybe even the Presidents drink, with someone you haven't seen since last fall. In general take advantage of what we have. Pete and his team are focused on making this our best season to date and look forward to helping you in any way possible. Remember to feel free to reach out to me or any other members on the Advisory Committee with any helpful suggestions... See you at the Club, Richie
by Brita Van Guilder Food & Beverage Director
Emma started about 2 weeks ago and is settling in nicely at our grill bar – you’ll see her at the pool as well this season! Emma is from one of the neighboring suburbs of Lino Lakes, and goes to the U of M, where she studies Business and Finance. One of Emma’s favorite menu items is new to our Spring/Summer menu - the Caprese Salad! This salad comes with Buratta, prosciutto, fresh tomatoes, and a delicious vinaigrette. One fun fact about Emma is that she played golf all four years of high school! Maybe you will see her on the course on Mondays during staff golf. When you see Emma be sure to say hello!
Food & Wine
As we approach the height of summer, we are always looking for ways to improve and offer better service and experiences to all of you! Please reach out if you have ideas, comments, questions, encouraging words, you name it! Looking forward to seeing you all around the club and cheers!
Happy June! How are we saying that? Anyone else feel like time is flying? Well, as we head into summer and get our pool open, get junior programs underway, and head into tournament and member golf event seasons, I wanted to take a moment and shout out our amazing staff for working hard to get the season started. As mentioned in previous articles, we have around 60% of our returning staff from last year back again this year for more fun! But we do have a few new faces as well!This month I am featuring one of our new bartenders, Emma Larson, as well as our Pool Manager, Josie Ballata! !
Next is Josie, our Pool Manager for the 2023 pool season! Josie started with us as a server last May and has since dominated each task we have given her, always hungry for more. She has spent the last few weeks working hard with us to get the pool ready for all of our members and guests. Josie is from WBL and actually grew up in the same house her dad did- how cool!She has a few years of university under her belt, with a year at U of M Twin Cities and a couple at UW Madison, starting in both business schools then deciding wanting to work to make enough money to continue. In the next year, she will be pursuing a hospitality degree! She hopes to open a restaurant sometime in the next 10 years! Some of her favorite menu items include the French Dip and the Chicken Bruschetta Pasta, second best to her mom’s pesto recipe.A fun fact about her is that she takes a week-long solo road trip camping across the country once a year! Last summer she went through Grand Teton out to the Redwood Forest and back in 12 days! This fall she’ll be heading to be Glacier National Park, bringing her mom along this time! You’ll be sure to see Josie at the pool 5 days a week, so don’t hesitate to say hello and encourage her in this new position for the 2023 season.
Dear Dellwood Members, The Banquets & Events department has been busy! In addition to the member events hosted here on property, we have been keeping busy with Monday golf outings, weddings, business meetings and much more! It’s great to have so many members reach out to host gatherings and events here at the club. We truly enjoy helping to create and execute each event.
by Katie Boyd Director of Banquets & Events
w/ Gunnar Van Guilder Head Bartender
The member events on the calendar for June & July: 6/2/23 - Boxcar member/member golf event– If you know, you know. Great golf, great food, cold beverages, and a good time will be had by all. Rock band “Halfway There” will be performing as well! 6/11/2023 – New member pool party –all new members who joined this year and last are invited!If you hang out at the pool and have been a member for a while, please come introduce yourself to the newest Dellwood pool goers! Food, drinks and pool games will be provided. 6/16/2023 – New Member Open House – A cocktail party with complimentary appetizers and the chance to try some of our famous signature drinks. This will be held in the Fireside room and deck. If you haven’t been up to the fireside deck yet, it has the best view of the course! 6/24/2023 – The Dellwood Luau – If you haven’t heard, it’s a good time with good food and drink. Chefs have an above ground Imu and banana leaves to prepare the best Kalua pork the Midwest has tasted. Of course, the DCC F&B squad has a Mai Tai that will make you want to hula. DATES TBD – Please stay tuned for live music on the patio dates & announcements! Please remember: all event details, and sign-ups are on Foretees. Before you know it, holiday party planning time will be upon us! We are currently putting together holiday dinner packages for the Fireside Room this coming season. Perfect for hosting a family or business gathering around 40 people. Please give the Events department a call (651) 426-4155 or emailKatie@dellwoodcountryclub.comto book your next event! See you around the Club! Katie Boyd
“t’s finally feeling like summer at the club! What could be better after hitting tennis balls, swimming laps in the pool, practicing short game, or walking a round on the course than an ice cold beverage? I’ve got you covered this season. Didn’t have enough mulligans on the golf track? Cool off with a Mulligan’s Island at the bar or outside on the beautiful patio! The Mulligan’s Island is a refreshing and decadent key lime pie cocktail! Perfectly enjoyable in the afternoon, but also makes for a great night cap cocktail! A blend of agave syrup, lime and pineapple juices, coconut rum, vanilla vodka, and Irish cream liqueur create the base of the drink. A float of dark rum puts the cherry on top (not literally, a lime in this case). No pie is complete without a crust, but I’ve got you covered! A cinnamon-sugar and graham cracker rim rounds this one up! The next time you stop by, don’t be afraid to ask for a few Mulligans! Cheers!
From Catering & Events:
In addition to our new manager, Sarah Drayna, there are many staff members whom you may begin to see on a more regular basis now that the club is in “Summer Season” mode. Abriel Hite is someone else we would like to introduce you all to. Abby has worked at Dellwood CC for just over a year. When she is not spending time with her family, she is a Banquet & Events Supervisor, bartender and server. Abby has a strong passion for hospitality and leadership. As members, you will often find her smile serving up drinks. Please be sure to say hi at the next member event!
Mixing it Up
By Eric Peterson, Superintendent
From the Pro
Women’s 18 Hole and 9 Hole Opener We had a very exciting and close 18 Hole Women’s Opener on May 9th. The format for the event was best 1 of 3 on Par 4’s and 5’s and 2 of 3 on Par 3’s with Stableford Points. We had 3 teams that were within 3 points of each other. The winning team with 51 total points was Roxy Nelson, Beth Pilacinski, and Sue Ryan. Great playing and congrats on the win! The 9 Hole Opener was just as exciting as the 18-hole opener with 4 teams separated by one shot. The format was a 4-person step-aside scramble. The winning team with a score of 2 over was Alicia McHugh, Leah Frantzen, Nora Michaelson, and Joleyn Hanson. Congrats Ladies and Thank You for playing. Men’s Opener We had the largest Men’s Opener since I have been working at Dellwood. The field consisted of 108 players and wow was there some great golf being played. Joe Ritchie, Max Birkinbine, Kevan Hanson, and Zach Smith cruised to a 3-shot win over Dan McKnight, Brian Gilde, Eric Hayne, and Rob Huebsch. Great playing by the winning team and congrats on Winning the Opener. Dellwood Country Club Pro-Am The Dellwood Pro-Am is August 2ndand if you have not signed up and would like to play, please go onto the Foretees App and get signed up. This is a great opportunity to play with some local golf professionals from around the area. The contributions from the Pro-Am go directly to River Valley Charities. This is a great opportunity to help raise money for the charity and help kids around the area.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Campbell Sulej has been working here at Dellwood CC for the last 3 years. We have been fortunate enough to have Campbell’s Sister Megan also work in the bag room for the last 5 years. Campbell is a senior at White Bear Lake Highschool and will be attending Minnesota State Mankato in the fall. She is planning on studying social work and psychology. She has always enjoyed her time here at Dellwood. Campbell is the type of kid that always has a smile on her face and enjoys talking with members before or after their round. Thanks, Campbell for all the hard work..
One of the more significant changes that we implemented this last month was taking the height we cut our rough at down to 1 ¾” (first cut of rough is cut 1 ¼”). This was done in an effort to make it easier to hit out of our rough and keep play moving. We are mowing our entire rough on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. One of the other changes we are implementing is mowing a few passes around each fairway on Sundays to help keep rough playable for our families. We will continue to do this as long as we have grass growing at a rapid rate. Once we get into the extremely dry weather or cool weather in the fall we will back off. We are trying to balance consistent rough playability with having rough that thins out. As always weather conditions have a huge impact on what we can do. Wet, hot weather always poses the biggest challenge to keep conditions and thus playability consistent. As temperatures have been on the rise our crew has been settling into a normal mowing schedule. We continue to work on projects but most of our focus is on getting everyone (new and old) settled into mowing schedules and improving our consistency. Green speeds have been improving as we are figuring out our new greens mowers and have been lowering the height in addition to doing some light topdressing. So far, our new staff members have been doing a good job learning what their responsibilities are and being flexible to changes that come up. One curveball that we have been thrown this last couple of weeks is the rapid rise in temperatures and the extremely dry conditions. Dry conditions are great for golf playability but can have a big impact on plants.Not only is it necessary to keep the turf watered but we have a number of new trees and other plant material to keep our eye on.In a typical year we aren’t usually faced with this challenge until later in June or even July.With the last two year being so droughty it makes one wonder if we are headed for another.
From the Course
By Clayton Johnson, Head Golf Professional
by Peg Kelly Director of Instruction - Tennis & Pickle Ball
From the Kitchen
From the Courts
Hello All! Wonderful to be back in MN, seeing you and looking forward to a fabulous summer at Dellwood. The Junior tennis program begins June 12th with a 3 week session. There are still a few openings in all of the classes with the exception of the Pee Wees. Session 2 will begin July 10th, and Session 3 begins Aug 31st. Those sessions are starting to fill as well , so if interested sign up soon. Adult Tennis Drills begin week of June 12th Beginner to Intermediate: Mon,Wed,Friday. 10:30-11:30. (20.00) Level 3.5 and above: Tuesday 12:00-1:30 Thursday 9:30-11 (30.00) As of now sign up is directly with Peg via text or email (text preferred) 651-246-1662 or pkelly4@comcast.net Minimum of 4 participants 48 hours prior Also offering both Tennis and Pickleball lessons, private or set up your own small group. New Pickleball courts will hopefully completed soon, but in the meantime if you want it to get started on Pickleball we could certainly do some basics on a tennis court especially for the beginner level, which would also include going over rules, scoring, etc. Please reach out if I can be of any help in either of these areas. Look forward to seeing you on the courts!
by Michael Lopata Chef de Cuisine
reservation Window Opens April 10!
DELLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB 29 EAST HWY 96 DELLWOOD, MN 55110 651.426.3218 CLUBHOUSE 651.426.4733 GOLF SHOP