MGC
Monthly Magazine May 2022
Contents GM Update.........................................4-5 Controller........................................... 8-9 Membership....................................11-15 Events...............................................16-19 Food & Beverage.............................20-27 Golf..................................................28-35 Grounds...........................................36-39 Pool..................................................40-43
GENERAL MANAGER
Joseph “JJ” Wagner General Manager jjwagner@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952.525.2526 Dear Members, Is it spring yet? I thought so when I wrote you on April 1st! I do believe we’re there now.... Thank goodness. The opening of the course has been welcomed, but the weather has made it more difficult. Hopefully, we will soon forget this cold opening as the spring and summer turn beautiful! Even though it was chilly, the Easter celebration was successful on all fronts. As members arrived, they were welcomed with the petting zoo, pony rides, face painting and balloon magic. Chef Tyler and Jared G. hosted about 425 for an incredible feast. The prime rib, shrimp, and made-to-order omelets were a few favorites. I also noticed the warm, mini sugar donuts were a huge hit, not only for the children, but the parents as well! The Easter egg hunt was quite extraordinary. About 150 children gathered 1,000 eggs in less than two minutes! Thanks to Nancy for orchestrating the entire day so effortlessly. Thanks to the staff of about 60 that performed beautifully for the members’ incredible experience. As you return to MGC this season, you are sure to see a few new faces and thankfully, a few familiar ones (Craig and Michael at the Bar, Charlie, Paul, Ross, Austin and Dan in golf operations and Magie everywhere).
One new staff member I would like to highlight is our new locker room manager, Stevie Pszanka. He is here to enhance your MGC experience. He will also be assisting the ladies’ locker room in cleaning shoes and ensuring their areas are clean and fully stocked with amenities.
I understand the importance and viability of the Pool. I’m excited about our 2022 season and anticipated successful upgrades with the support and commitment of Tom Whaley (Board Member & Chair of the Facilities Committee), the House Committee, The Finance Committee, and the Board. The Wi-Fi will be improved (as fiber will be installed at the Pool), a new speaker system and Sonos, as well as upgraded umbrellas, and a new Bar system are planned to be ready prior to the Pool opening. I hope to see many members out there on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. All MGC Committees have been very busy, and it’s been a joy working with all of them. The Membership Committee has been especially busy. The demand to join MGC is probably at an all-time high with such excitement about the new course and our current members inviting their friends and colleagues to join. Anna, our Membership Director, is giving tours to many prospective members the past couple of months. It’s truly a special time to be a member of MGC and I’m honored to be part of it. Your staff and I are very excited about the season ahead; Mother’s Day, Wine Dinners, Thirsty Thursdays, JJ’s Lobsterfest, etc. are all going to be fun events for the members to enjoy! Hope to see you soon! Cordially,
Joseph “JJ” Wagner
WHAT’S NEW?
CONTROLLER
Colleen Bakker Controller cbakker@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952-525-2527 MGC Members and TeamI’m excited about the first Golf Season starting and, like all of you, look forward to warmer and sunnier weather! We welcome several new staff members this time of year to provide excellent service to our members. If you haven’t, please update your statement preference to ‘email only’ if that suits your needs. That will save time, paper and postage during the billing cycles. Our fiscal year ended March 31st, so we have our CPA Review soon and have finalized our 2022-2023 Budget. Sincerely, Colleen Bakker
Handicap Billing
The annual handicap charge of $40 will appear on your May billing statement. To insure accurate billing, if golfers from your household will NOT be maintaining a handicap through MGC this year, please contact the office at ar@minneapolisgolfclub.com.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Anna Vanderlinde Membership Director avanderlinde@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952.525.2556
Dear Members, The 2022 golf season has finally arrived. Although the weather has not been cooperating, Opening Day was absolutely gorgeous! I want to thank the many members that have referred their friends, family and co-workers to the Club. Another thank you goes out to those that have helped host prospective members. As mentioned in Andy’s update that was sent out on April 13th, we are nearing our membership cap and the full golf initiation fee is increasing to $30,000 on June 1st. If any of you have friends that are interested in joining MGC, let them know, the time is now. I look forward to seeing more and more of you out at the Club as the weather improves and spring finally arrives. Let’s make it a great season at MGC! Sincerely, Anna Vanderlinde
On behalf of the entire club, we would like to welcome our newest members to MGC
Doug Bennett
Sean Casey
Heather Bennett
Ann Casey
NEW MEMBERS
Kurt Malcore
Tony Meixelsperger
Tiffany Bosse
NEW MEMBERS
Dave Mingo
Mary Mingo
Paul Mortell
Jane Mortell
BOOK CLUB The MGC Book Club meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.. All ladies are welcome to join us! Feel free to email Katie Sisel at kdsisel@gmail.com for information about joining. May 5th at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and discussion: The Guest List by Lucy Foley About the Book: On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
Future Books June 2 - The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers July 7 - The Club by Ellery Lloyd 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
DON’T MISS OUT
• May 8th - Mother’s Day Brunch • May 28th - Pool Opening • June 2nd - Thirsty Thursdays Begin • July 10th - Family Pool Party
More details coming soon. RSVP’s required.
Sunday, May 8th
FOOD & BEVERAGE
F&B DIRECTOR
Jared Grubor Food & Beverage Director jgrubor@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952.525.2533
Dear Members, It was great seeing so many of you at the Easter Brunch! It turned out to be a successful, energetic event full of family fun. It was refreshing to see many familiar faces enjoying the food and planned activities. With the golf season now starting, we are excited to offer a new food menu as well as new drinks at the 6th Tee. We’re also working with a local company based out of Minneapolis, called We Are Nuts, which produces fresh nuts prepared in several assorted varieties. This would be a wonderful snack to take along the golf course with you as the container fits perfectly inside of a cup holder.
The reservation system is now updated with our summer hours so now you are able to make reservations six days per week. The Food & Beverage Team encourage you to use this system, especially for larger groups, in order to reduce wait times. I would like to thank you for your feedback regarding the comment cards, as it has been especially helpful. As always, you are welcome to continue filling out comment cards located at the Grill Bar and the Grill’s parking lot entrance so that we can best serve you. The cards can be turned into your server or into the payment box at the Grill entrance. If you have any comments to discuss in more detail regarding food and beverage, feel free to reach out to me directly. I would be more than happy to welcome any feedback you have regarding how to make our Club a better place. Lastly, for the security of MGC property, the MGC Management Team has recently installed one video camera in the Grill behind the Bar (Audio is not recorded). Sincerely, Jared Grubor
EXECUTIVE CHEF
Tyler Hanlon Executive Chef chef@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952.525.2542
Hello MGC Members! The golf season is finally here! My kitchen staff and I are super excited to start seeing an up-tick in traffic around the Club and we hope you are, too! The inclement weather has postponed our course opening date long enough! This will be my first, entire, peak season, so I am looking forward to spending the warm summer with you all and bringing our culinary A-game in all aspects of food and beverage this year. We are kicking off the golf season with a revised menu at the 6th tee shack. I am very interested to hear feedback from each of you as far as: which new items are enjoyable, which items should make a comeback, and any other suggestions you may have for the offerings we have. My focus is simple, handheld, energizing food items that will keep you going through all 18
beautiful holes! Please email me or fill out one of our comment cards and let us know what you think should change, or stay the same in the Grill and out at the 6th tee! In other news, we are starting to brainstorm for a small menu change for the Grill! I am planning to add a few more choices on both the lunch and dinner menu. I hope I can bring forward some refreshing summer flavors that will be not only very tasty, but also give off a nice summer vibe. We are also getting very close to pool season! Myself, along with my culinary team, have designed a menu that I am super happy with, and I can NOT wait to showcase it to you all! From delicious tuna poke crisps to teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps; this menu will be the perfect variety for our warm, sunny pool deck! Lastly, be sure to make your reservation for lunch or dinner in the Grill so we can guarantee you a table and showcase our new weekend features! This year, every two weeks, we will be running at least one feature menu item all day long! I have put my lovely pastry chef to work, and she has produced some incredible new desserts that we are excited to serve as specials and gather as much feedback as possible. We are also working on some other seasonal and delicious salads, sandwiches, entrees and appetizers. Please come check us out and taste some of mine and my team’s culinary excitement! Looking forward to seeing you all soon! Sincerely, Chef Tyler Hanlon
Starting June 2nd
GOLF
Upcoming Club Fit Days Callaway 5/3 Taylor Made 5/26
New Men’s Apparel Nike Greyson Johnnie O Travis Mathew Peter Millar
New Women’s Apparel Peter Millar Nike Greyson
May Events Women’s 18 Hole Mixer 5/4 Women’s 9 Hole Mixer 5/5 MGC Opening Event 5/6 Men’s League Opener 5/11 May Pairs Event 5/27
Women’s Golf at MGC It’s not too late to join the women’s leagues this summer! You may have missed the opening week, but you can still join in. The 9 hole league plays Thursday mornings or evenings and the 18 hole league plays Wednesday mornings. The fee for the 9 hole league is $65 and play begins with the Mixer May 5th and continues every Thursday until mid September. Mixers are the first Thursday of each month and are an 8:30 a.m. shot-gun with assigned foursomes by the pro shop. Social time begins at 7:45 a.m. with coffee and treats. Regular Thursday play consists of 3-4 tee times in the morning and the evening. The fee for the 18 hole league is $75 and play begins with the Mixer May 4th and continues every Wednesday until mid September. New this year, members can play on Saturday (you will need to make your own tee time and play with another league member). Mixers are the first Wednesday of each month and are an 8:30 a.m. shotgun with assigned foursomes by the pro shop. Social time begins at 7:45 a.m. with coffee and treats. Regular Wednesday play consists of 6 tee times in the morning. You can sign up on the Events Tab at Foretees, as well as sign up for the Leagues, Monthly Mixers, Guest Days, Charity Days, and many more golf events. You can also call the Pro Shop at 952.544.0021. Questions? 9 hole league contact lynda.shaheen@gmail.com, 18 hole contact 1keri.jones@gmail.com. We understand that everyone is busy in the Minnesota summers so we know that it is unlikely that you can make every week. Play when you can!
9 Hole League May 5 - May Mixer June 2 - June Mixer July 7 - July Mixer August 4 - August Mixer September 1 - September Mixer
18 Hole League May 4 - May Mixer June 1 - June Mixer July 6 - July Mixer August 3 - August Mixer September 7 - September Mixer
Joint Events June 9 -9 Hole Guest Day July 13 - 18 Hole Guest Day August 18 - Charity Day October 11 - Ladies’ Glow Ball
BOOK YOUR 2022/2023 OUTSIDE GOLF TOURNAMENT TODAY! Contact Nancy Johnson at nancyj@minneapolisgolfclub.com
GROUNDS
COURSE SUPERINTENDENT
Jared Keller Golf Course Superintendent jkeller@minneapolisgolfclub.com 952.525.2520 MGC Members A month ago when I was writing this newsletter, it was 60 degrees and sunny and an early golf course opening seemed imminent. Snow had melted off, frost was quickly coming out of the ground, and the turf was starting to wake up from its winter slumber. We then settled into a cooling pattern, to put it nicely, and here we are a month later unable to escape the cool, wet weather. April has been a month we probably won’t soon forget, but wish we could. So what does this mean for the golf course? As mentioned in previous communications, turf health looks great as we emerge from winter. With the cooler temperatures however, the course is going to be very slow to wake up. The soil temperatures we target are 55 degrees. This is the point in which growth resumes, color begins to restore, and we start to adjust our maintenance practices to facilitate more green speed. When the turf is still dormant with limited recovery potential, our mowing heights are increased and our number one tool for green speed, growth regulators, are taken out of play. Last year, that sustained 55 degree mark was reached in early April. This year, it’s looking to be closer to the second week of May based on the long-term forecast.
(Pic taken April 5th last year with above average soil)
Due to our late start, we will forego our May aerification on greens and tees. They will instead only receive a light sand topdressing and our focus will shift to deep tining fairways that didn’t get done last season. We will still be using the scheduled course closure dates of May 16th and 17th for this process. When we reopen the golf course on the 18th the disruption will be minimal. Lastly, we have a new member of our full time grounds staff this year. Jeffery Simmers was hired as our Assistant Superintendent. Jeffery is a graduate of the University of Minnesota turfgrass program and has worked at Hazeltine and Oak Ridge. Please welcome him to our team when you see him out on the course. I hope you’ve enjoyed your first week back out on the course!
Best Regards, Jared Keller
POOL
MAY PHOTOS APRIL PHOTOS
EASTER
Cocktails & Collections
OPENING DAY
MINNEAPOLIS GOLF CLUB 2001 Flag Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55426 www.minneapolisgolfclub.com