Visit us at our new blog home

We have moved our blog – it’s now closer to our new and improved web site – please visit us there for our latest news:

http://blog.fairhillsresort.com/

Wildflower Invitational, Twilight Appreciation Day and More

Here’s the latest news from Wildflower…

Wildflower Invitational – Sunday, August 22

• 2-person teams
• 9 hole best-ball / 9 hole scramble / flighted 9 hole alternate shot format
• $110 per team entry fee (includes golf, carts, range, lunch and prizes)
• 11:00 a.m. shotgun with lunch after the first 18-holes
• USGA handicaps required
• Contact the pro shop if interested or to sign up your team – 218-439-3357

Mid-Day & Twilight Appreciation Day – Monday, September 6

• Complimentary cart fees for members and one guest
• Tee times can be made starting at 10:00 a.m.
• Each member receives a $5 food & beverage certificate
• 30% – 50% off all merchandise (20% member discount not valid – not valid on golf clubs)
• Contact the pro shop to setup your tee times – 218-439-3357

Upcoming Tournaments

• Tuesday, August 24 – Men’s League Championship – 3:30 p.m. shotgun with steak dinner following
• Sunday, August 29 – Miller’s Baseball Fundraiser (scramble format with plenty of prizes)
• Saturday, September 18 – Rally for the Cure
• Sunday, October 3 – Prairie Masters (Wildflower’s tough-man tournament)

Keski’s Kolumn

• Check out our superintendent’s blog at: http://wildflowergc.blogspot.com

Ladies Wild Weekend & Rally for the Cure

• Sept. 17 – 19 = Ladies Wild Weekend ($269 per person)
• Rate includes: 2 nights lodging, 6 meals, entry fee into the Rally for the Cure tournament, and Sunday golf round
• Saturday, Sept. 18 = Rally for the Cure tournament with a noon shotgun ($60 per person with $25 going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation)
• Call the pro shop to register your team or weekend getaway!

More information for tournaments, lessons, or tee times can be found online (www.wildflowergolfcourse.com) or by calling the pro shop at 218-439-3357.

Hope to see you all soon,
Justin R. Fraase
General Manager
justin@wildflowergolfcourse.com

Cole Hornstein
PGA Golf Professional
chornstein@pga.com

Chris Keskitalo
Course Superintendent
keski@wildflowergolfcourse.com

Doing the Pelican in Norway

Ann Kinney doing the Pelican in front of the Jostedal Glacier near Skei, Norway on June 22, 2010

Fair Hills Resort June 13-19

I know I’m out of order but June flew by so fast I missed it. Enjoy the vacation pictures for June 13 to June 19.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Fair Hills Resort June 13-19, posted with vodpod

Doing the Pelican in Maine

Duffie & Sally doing Pelican in Maine…

Vacation Photos June 26 – July 3, 2010

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Fair HIlls Resort June 26 – July 2, 2010, posted with vodpod

The Waterslide

Next best thing to being there! The question is – can you beat the record!!

Keski’s Kolumn: Mid-Season Maintenance Update

It’s hard to believe it’s mid-summer already. And what a beautiful summer it has been. The weather has been very good for golf, as long as you’ve been able to dodge a rain shower or two. The forecast looks good for the next couple weeks. Hopefully the Fourth of July weekend turns out to be as nice as expected.

The maintenance crew has done very well on our project list so far. Our main project man, Derek Benhardus, has done some fine work on course improvements. If you haven’t had a chance to look at the new black tee box he built on the north side of the house on hole six, take a minute to stop by and take a look. The new tee extended the yardage from 428 to 463 from the black markers, adding 35 yards to the hole. It also brings in the bunker on the left side for the long hitters. It is now a 240-yard carry from the black tee.

Derek has also been doing some work on a nursery green on the hill behind the green on hole eight. A nursery will allow us to plug out any bad spots on the greens, which can be caused by anything from disease to golfer damage. The nursery will be seeded with the same seed (007) we over seed our greens with. We hope to have the green ready by this fall.

We have done a small amount of tree work on the course and still have some work left to do. We limbed a few branches that were hanging over the right side of hole one. We also lost a tree on the right side during a storm earlier this year. On hole 10, we removed five trees on the right side to expose the hillside and improve shot opportunities. Our head golf professional, Cole Hornstein, was so excited to see this project underway he helped remove the five trees. A special thanks to Cole for his help.

The programs that were designed this winter to help keep the greens culturally more healthy are on schedule. Our verti-cut and topdress programs have gone very well. I think two programs have really helped keep the greens at a consistent speed this year. We have been able to roll the greens three to four times a week as well. The rolling seems to have made the greens more firm and healthy. Studies have shown that rolling at least three times a week decreases risk for disease.

Our fairways seem to like the organic fertilizer we use. Immediately after fertilizing they were a little “lush,” but the growth regulator we applied afterward really helped to slow the grass down. We have saved some time and money this year by doing a “zamboni” cut on the fairways. You may have noticed that it looks like half of the grass is lighter and half is darker. The mowers are now running for a shorter amount of time compared to a cross cut. I hope everyone has had a good summer so far and that the rest of it goes just as well. Happy golfing!

Wildflower 2010 Patron Appreciation Day – Sunday, June 20

In conjunction with Fair Hills’ Pelican Lake Open House, our annual Patron Appreciation Day will be Sunday, June 20. Patron Members and their spouses will receive a complimentary brunch at Fair Hills between 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Patrons can also book tee times anytime that Sunday without using their “punches”, as well as invite up to three other people for their round of golf. Brunch reservations can be made by calling the pro shop at 218-439-3357. Upcoming Tournaments Tuesday, June 15 – PING demo day from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Grab a burger and chips for $5! Saturday, June 19 – Joshua Hanson Memorial Golf Tournament with a 1:00 shotgun. Only $180 per team! Register online: www.jhmemorialgolf.com Sunday, June 20 – Patron Appreciation Day with Fair Hills Brunch from 9:00 – 1:00 p.m. Men’s League Every Tuesday until August 24 Both gross & net scoring each week Weekly prizes for flag events and top teams 2-man best ball setup A team must play at least 8 weeks out of the summer to qualify for end of season awards League fee is $20 per person ($40 per team) Special beer pricing at $2 per beer for league participants Ladies League Every Monday until August 9 Both gross & net scoring each week Weekly prizes for flag events and top teams 2-person best ball setup A team must play at least 4 weeks out of the summer to qualify for end of season awards League fee is FREE for 2010! Special beer/Mike’s Lemonade pricing at $2 per beer for league participants Lessons Don’t forget to sign up today for your golf lessons with our pro, Cole Hornstein. It’s a great time to work out the “kinks” in your swing (www.wildflowergolfcourse.com/clinic.htm). More information for tournaments, lessons, or tee times can be found online (www.wildflowergolfcourse.com) or by calling the pro shop at 218-439-3357.

Tuesday Golfing Special

Hasn’t the weather been amazing?! We thought we’d help everyone get in a summer mood by posting our summer golf specials. The featured special this week…

It’s Men’s Day Every Tuesday
½ off green fees & carts = $27.50 per person!

Please contact the Wildflower Golf Course with any questions. (Remember, you don’ t have to be a Fair Hills or Five Lakes guest to golf at Wildflower!)