The Roses become new owners AT THE VINTAGE IN STAPLES
West of Brainerd there’s an old course getting new owners. Ernie and Katie Rose bought The Vintage Golf Club in Staples and its 270 acres with 18-holes of championship golf. “We just really BY CONRAD love the people up ENGSTROM there and the area,” Sports Writer Ernie Rose said. “We kind of fell in love with it a year or so ago when we bought a place up there. It just kind of reminded me of growing up in Australia and there was good access to the golf course. That’s what I want for the people there, to be able to have a fun, nice experience when they go out to the course and to have a welcoming experience. I know the course has a lot of history and tradition and I want to get back to that to get the course in the 18 | 2021 Brainerd Lakes Area GOLF GUIDE
best shape we can.” Ernie Rose was familiar with the Vintage only slightly before purchasing it. He says he still hasn’t played a round of golf there yet. “I have a golf academy in the cities that helps high school kids go on to play college golf, so I was aware of how good the high school team was up in StaplesMotley,” he said. “So I heard of the course and it was kind of random that we bought our property so close to the golf course and when I found it was up for sale I thought it would be a good fit to try and give back to the community a little bit.” Ernie Rose owns and is a golf instructor at his own golf academy in Eden Prairie. Prior to that, he worked at Windsong Farms Golf Club in Maple Plain. He plans to spend Memorial Day to Labor Day at a property he owns in Motley. “It’ll be fun to connect with everyone in the community and get the course in
the best shape we can,” he said. As well as having his own golf academy, Rose served as the University of Minnesota golf coach from 20072009. “We had some good years there,” he said. “We had some good teams on the men’s side and the women’s team got really good as well.” He also played competitively on the Australian Tour from 2001-2009. Rose hopes to bring his experience on tour and as a college coach at The Vintage. The Vintage is getting a new pro to take some responsibility off of long-time Vintage pro Bill Israelson. Rose said Israelson has been a good man to have around to learn about the course he just bought. “Bill is just a fun guy to be around,” Rose said. “He is so upbeat. Bill kind of told me that when he was my age he started to get involved with the course and that it was a fun career for him. It’s fun to have him around and his
