MGC
Monthly Magazine July 2022
Contents GM Update............................................4-5 A Historical Tour of MGC...................6-7 What’s New.........................................8-16 June Photos.......................................17-25 General Information........................27-29
GENERAL MANAGER
Joseph “JJ” Wagner General Manager jjwagner@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952.525.2526 Dear Members, At press time I am working my first Chapman Member-Member. What a fantastic event! 124 players strong with both women and men. The competition is fierce, the weather is perfect so far, the golf course is in pristine condition, the food and service have been great, and the golf staff is once again doing an excellent job. It is wonderful seeing everyone enjoying their course and Club to the fullest!! I understand that many members are thirsty when making the turn, but having trouble getting a beverage in a timely manner. To help remedy the situation, the House Committee and I have installed a cooler at the Starter’s Shack with beer, pop, wine, etc. so no need to run to the Grill and hold up play and then find out the Grill is busy - grab your drink of choice and continue to #10 tee. One important piece of information… these beverages are NOT FREE. Please write down what you have taken on the clipboard at the cooler. If this system is abused, unfortunately, we will have to eliminate this convenient member benefit. Thanks everyone for your cooperation.
Communication with our membership is very important and in today’s world, people like to receive it in different ways. I touched on this subject last month and I would like to add that we are reviewing the best way to streamline our emails, improve our website, app, and monthly newsletter, while insuring we deliver important information to you. Stay tuned! I have recently received feedback on some service issues at the Pool, Grill, and Grill Patio. Jared, Director of Food & Beverage, TJ, Restaurant Manager, and their staff are aware of these and have committed to improving. Many new staff arrived and had never been in a Club environment which is part of our challenge. However, they are learning and are wonderful people. Additional training and following our standards of service will be paramount. Please continue to fill out the Comment Cards for any constructive feedback regarding your time at the Club. To that end, constructive feedback is very important to myself, the Board, and all committee members. Beginning this month, I will also be sending a weekly “pulse survey” to review how we are doing with F&B, golf, golf course, and pool. We will randomly select 15 – 20 members who frequented the Club the prior week for their input. This survey will be brief and easy to complete. On a personal note, Connie and I have moved into our home in Plymouth which is 10 minutes from our grandsons in Maple Grove and 15 minutes from MGC! See you at the Club,
Joseph “JJ” Wagner
A Historical Tour of MGC
We are pleased to launch the first installment of A History Tour of MGC beginning with this month’s edition of our newsletter. We will share insights and anecdotes covering our Course, Membership, Clubhouse and Championships pulling from multiple published resources, including Rick Schefchik’s History of MGC, as well as notes from our archives dating back to our beginning. This month we will start with the architects and the course from Mr. Schefchik’s publication. Please click on the below link to view (Please note this link is a mini flipbook): https://issuu.com/mgclub/docs/rj_flip?fr=sNzdmODQ3NDkxMTk In addition to this issue’s story on the architects, we are also pleased to provide this excellent visual collection of maps and aerial views of MGC from the 1930’s to 2015. It will start with the simple design of Willie Park Jr.’s original layout and Donald Ross’s initial design discovered in the Ross Tuft’s Library. This design has many of Ross’s characteristic features including “fore bunkers” which were placed at the beginning of some fairways to catch errant tee shots as well as provide dramatic visuals to the start of a hole like what you will find with the new bunker on 18.
A note on Ross’s work. From 1916 to 1930, he and his team are credited with the design and construction of 265 new courses and 46 redesigns. History shows that when Ross was retained for reworking a golf course of an architect he was regarded as bright and skilled, he showed admirable restraint and respect for the original work, as was the case with Willie Park Jr. here at MGC. To view this aerial history click on the below link: https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:cb829959-10aa-42f0-a382-33b349716c84
WHAT’S NEW?
EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH
Carol Willmsen - Accountant Carol has been on the MGC Team for 5 years. She grew up on a farm in Arlington, MN. Carol always wanted to be a city girl, but now realizes the farm was a great place to be! Everyone should experience feeding baby calves, getting pecked by chickens when gathering eggs and working in the field! Carol attended Arlington-Green Isle High School and Southwest State University in Marshall, MN. Carol enjoys the people she works with, the variety of work that she does and the beautiful scenery she can experience when she needs to get away from her desk. FUN FACT: Carol attended Tiny Tim’s wedding
Ross Winters - Assistant Golf Professional Ross is in his 3rd season at MGC. He is from a very small town called Good Thunder (population 500) in southern Minnesota. Ross attended Rochester Community & Technical College in Rochester, MN where he played on the golf team. While attending college, Ross received associate degrees in Sports Management & Golf Course Management. Ross loves working at the Club because of the great atmosphere that starts with our outstanding membership. Also getting the chance to work alongside Dan Simpson and the rest of the Golf Professionals throughout the years here at MGC has been a pleasure.
BOOK CLUB The MGC Book Club meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. for dinner & discussion. All ladies are welcome to join us! Feel free to email Katie Sisel at kdsisel@gmail.com for information about joining. July 7th at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and discussion: The Club by Ellery Lloyd About the Book: Everyone’s Dying to Join . . . The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media. The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade. But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island. As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list. Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.
Future Books August 4 - We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride September 1 - The Seven Husbands of Evely Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid October 6 - Carolina Moonset by Matt Goldman
Upcoming Club Fit Days 7/7 TaylorMade 8/4 PING
July Events 7/6 Women’s 18 Hole Mixer 7/7 Women’s 9 Hole Mixer 7/10 Adult Junior Event 7/13 Women’s 18 Hole Guest Day 7/13 Men’s League 2 Man Event 7/23-7/24 Men’s & Women’s Club Championship
MGC Around the World in 18 Holes
Bon Voyage Join us on a fun filled ad v e n t u r e ! A light breakfast will be served in the Sky Club. Y o u an d y o u r g u e s t s w i l l e x p e r i e nc e a t r i p o f a l i f e t i m e as you travel through 18 holes of golf. Once your trip is completed, we will meet on the 19th hole for l u n c h, aw a r d s , an d p r i z e s . Minneapolis Golf Club 2001 Flag Avenue South St. Louis Park, MN 55426
18 Hole Ladies Guest Day Wednesday, July 13th Best 2 of 4 Net Best Ball 7:30 Breakfast & Registration 8:30 Shotgun Start Lunch & Prizes Field Events & Door Prizes
Hello MGC Members, Sending out a quick note to update everyone on why you will see a red MGC Flag on #18 green going forward throughout this year’s golf season. “Why is there a red flag on No. 18 today?” I have received this question a few times this golf season and I wanted to share further. You have and you will see a red flag on No. 18 at times over the coming months in honor of Mack Motzko, our bag room employee who needlessly passed away last summer as a passenger in a drunk driving accident. Why the 18th hole? Mack’s hockey number was 18. He wore number 18 when he played at St. Cloud Cathedral and Minnetonka, so we felt this was a fitting tribute. Why a red flag? Mack was a dedicated Tiger Woods fan. He always wore his red shirt and black pants on Sundays regardless of if Tiger was playing in a tournament or not. Every Sunday was the same. At Mack’s celebration of life last summer in St. Cloud, there was a cardboard cutout of Tiger and hundreds of people wore their Sunday red golf shirts in support of his love for Tiger. When will the red flag be in play? We will put out the red flag on No. 18 on the 18th of each month. On a personal note, I was fortunate to get to know Mack. He was hockey teammates at Minnetonka and good friends with my son, Joe. He was a special young man who was fun to be around and who was well liked by his bag room co-workers. It isn’t a surprise that our bag room team wanted to wear red shirts this year in support of our dear friend, Mack. Thank you, Dan Simpson
Congratulations to MGC’s, Ava Hanneman! The freshman shot an even par, 72, to earn medalist honors at the Metro West Conference meet at Braemar Golf Course on May 23rd.
Holes-In-One
Ricardo Fernandez Hole 16
Jon Aho Hole 6
Preston Miller Hole 4
Nick Davis Hole 4
Ladies 9 Hole Guest Day
Ladies Social Scramble
Kid’s Baking Class
Minneapolis Golf Club Mission The Mission of Minneapolis Golf Club is to maintain our legacy of good stewardship, provide an exceptional golf club experience, grow the membership, and continually enhance our reputation. Our Vision The Vision of Minneapolis Golf Club is to be one of the premier private golf clubs in the Upper Midwest. MGC offers an exceptional golf experience on our classic Park/Ross course with welcoming members in a relaxed family friendly atmosphere. Core Values - MGC is committed to: Continuous improvement of facilities, amenities and programming Delivering an elite golf experience A strong social environment and welcoming atmosphere for member families and guests Accessibility to golf and leisure facilities Being an employer of choice Superior service standards A diverse, equitable and inclusive culture Transparency in communication and governance
Hours of Operation Dining Hours Tuesday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday & Sunday: 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Golf Shop Hours Tuesday - Sunday: Open one hour before the first tee time to 7 p.m.
Pool Hours Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend - Labor Day Tuesday - Sunday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Weather Permitting
2022 Board of Directors Andy Bauer - President Jocelyn Anderson - Vice President Jeff Callinan - Secretary Rick Ellingson - Treasurer Tracey Donesky - Board Member Jon Fitzgerald - Board Member Troy Jensen - Board Member Dan Maholias - Board Member John Morioka - Board Member Tom Whaley - Board Member
MGC Management Team Joseph “JJ” Wagner - General Manager Dan Simpson - Head Golf Professional Jared Keller - Golf Course Superintendent Jared Grubor - Food & Beverage Director Tyler Hanlon - Executive Chef Nancy Johnson - Director of Catering & Events Anna Vanderlinde - Membership Director Colleen Bakker - Controller Travis Rudolph - Head of Maintenance
MINNEAPOLIS GOLF CLUB 2001 Flag Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55426 www.minneapolisgolfclub.com