Oxbow Country Club Newsletter | February 2017
IN THIS ISSUE...
- HOURS OF OPERATION -
General Manager Message………………………………..Page 2
Administrative Office Hours Monday - Friday
Upcoming Events……………….………………………Page 3 & 4
Restaurant Dining Hours*
Food & Beverage update………………………………..…Page 5
Thursdays & Fridays Saturdays Sundays
Golf Shop News………………………………………………...Page 6 News From The Fairway/New Accountant..……...Page 7
Join us for
9 AM - 5 PM
4 PM - 9 PM 11 AM - 9 PM 11 AM - 8 PM
Reservations are strongly encouraged. Call 701.588.4666 to make your reservation!
Welcome, New Members!
SUNDAY BRUNCH Every Sunday 11 AM—2 PM
Ryan & Krista French Jax (1)
Order selections from a specialty plated brunch menu. Sip on $10 Bottomless Mimosas or an Ultimate Bloody Mary to complete the dining experience! FOLLOW YOUR CLUB ON:
40 Clubhouse Drive Oxbow, ND 58047 | 701.588.4666 | oxbowcc.com
SEDI HALVORSON GENERAL MANAGER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DAVE CAMPBELL - PRESIDENT BRITTON MATTSON SECRETARY/TREASURER CHRIS CHAMP
DJ RIEGER
SCOTT DIFFERDING
RANDY SCHNEIBEL
KEVIN HARRISON
BILL SHORT
MIKE PODOLAK
MANAGEMENT STAFF SEDI HALVORSON GENERAL MANAGER SEDI@OXBOWCC.COM JAKE HUGHES ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER JAKE@OXBOWCC.COM
JOHN DAHL, PGA HEAD GOLF PRO JDGOLF@OXBOWCC.COM SCOTT MOTSCHENBACHER EXECUTIVE CHEF CHEF@OXBOWCC.COM ALISON MOLONY DIR. MEMBER ENGAGEMENT & EVENTS ALISON@OXBOWCC.COM
KYLE CHRISTENSEN, CPA ACCOUNTANT ACCOUNTING@OXBOWCC.COM DAVID WOOD SUPERINTENDENT DAVIDW@OXBOWCC.COM ERIC WENAAS, PGA 1ST ASSISTANT GOLF PRO ERIC@OXBOWCC.COM STEPHANIE SORENSON FOOD & BEVERAGE SUPERVISOR STEPHANIE@OXBOWCC.COM
It’s hard to believe February is here, and we are probably around two months from teeing it up again. Hopefully many of you have been able to get out of the northern weather and enjoy some trips down south or out west. A quick reminder for those of you who travel: If you are looking to play some courses and need help getting on, always feel free to call or email Eric in the Golf Shop to see if we can assist. Many times, private clubs in other locations will allow you to play their course with a quick call from our Golf Shop. We love being able to help our members enjoy golfing experiences in other locations during the winter months! It has been great to see so many of you enjoying the Club over the winter, whether it be for set social activities and events, or just to enjoy a great meal at the club. We have many great events on deck for February, so please check out more details in this newsletter. We will continue to add new events as well to provide you with numerous opportunities to enjoy your Club. Your team here at Oxbow is busy preparing for the upcoming season. I know it can seem like a long time between when the course closes and opening day, but it goes by very fast for us. There is a large amount of planning that goes into each season so that you and your family gets the most out of your Oxbow membership. Please watch your email in the coming weeks, as we work to complete the calendar for the season. We are truly excited for our first season at your new clubhouse! In staffing news, we are excited to welcome two new members to the Oxbow team. Kyle Christensen, CPA, has taken on the role of accountant here at Oxbow. Kyle will be in charge of all accounting functions for the Club. We are thrilled to have someone with Kyle’s experience join our team, and know that he will do a great job in his new role. We also welcome new mechanic Bryce Fenske to our team. You will read more about each of them later in the newsletter. We are thrilled to have them both at Oxbow! Lastly, next week I will be headed to the annual Club Managers Association of America conference in Orlando. I am truly excited to learn and get new ideas on how to improve your Club! Although a trip to Orlando may sound like a vacation, this five day conference is jam-packed with educational and idea sessions to help all club managers return with great ways to improve all aspects of your Club. Thank you for all of your support in making our Club better and better each day. We are excited to be gearing up for the 2017 season. I look forward to seeing you at YOUR club. Sedi 2
Upcoming Events Saturday, February 25th
-deuces wild– Friday, February 3rd
-Kids’ night7 PM Games | Activities Viewing Of The Movie “Storks” Reservations: alison@oxbowcc.com Enjoy dinner in the restaurant while your children have a fun Kids’ Night in the ballroom!
Sunday, February 5th
-SUPER BOWL-
dueling pianos 8 PM $50/Person Reservations: alison@oxbowcc.com
5:30 pm kICKOFF $20 Bottomless Beer With Oxbow Beer Glass (while supplies last) Betting Board | Game Day Food Specials Whether you’re rooting for the Patriots or the Falcons, your club is the perfect spot to catch the big game on Super Bowl Sunday!
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND—you don’t want to miss this wild duo! Dave and Ted from Deuces Wild have performed together over fourteen years and are the most sought after Dueling Piano act in the country! Join your fellow Oxbow members for a night of laughter and quality entertainment!
Tuesday, February 14th
-Valentine’s DAY DINNER*RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED FROM 5:30 PM—8 PM Four—Course Specialty Dinner | $100/Couple | Reservations: jake@oxbowcc.com
-MENU~COURSE ONE (CHOOSE ONE TO SHARE)
~COURSE TWO ~COURSE THREE ~COURSE FOUR (CHOOSE ONE FOR EACH GUEST) (CHOOSE ONE FOR EACH GUEST) (CHOOSE ONE TO SHARE)
Lobster risotto
Grilled pear salad with tangerine Lobster stuffed chicken breast vinaigrette, arugula, and with arugula and parmesan parmesan risotto and beurre blanc
Pan-seared scallops with pistachio dust and sweet potato Herb and mustard-crusted lamb chop with grilled polenta
Carrot and ginger bisque
Beef Wellington with bourbon Wilted spinach salad tossed with peppercorn demi glace and asparagus lemon juice and manchego Butter poached seabass with whipped potatoes and asparagus
Chocolate porter cake with chocolate ganache Strawberry and whipped cream napoleon with burnt sugar and candied orange peel Pate a Choux stuffed with crème anglaise and dipped in chocolate
Wild mushroom and spinach ravioli with a gorgonzola Alfredo *The Kids’ Menu will also be available that evening. Option to place order for a single.
3
Upcoming Events
(continued)
Alison Molony Director of Member Engagement & Events THIS MONTH’S FEATURED EVENT: DUELING PIANOS—We welcome Dave & Ted from Deuces Wild back to Oxbow on Saturday, February 25th. This zany duo puts on a great show and is sure to provide an evening of quality entertainment at your club. Gather a group of friends and make sure to make your reservation with me in advance. As with all of our events, guests are more than welcome to attend with a member! OXBOW BLACK TIE GALA FOR CHARITY—Mark your calendars NOW for Oxbow’s first formal black tie event on Saturday, April 29th. We are proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities to raise money for their new house that will be built in West Fargo. The Black Tie Gala will include a phenomenal dinner, live music, dancing, and silent/live auctions. Start thinking ahead about any auction items that you or your business is able to donate. Check your mailboxes for a very important mailing coming to you in February that contains more information on tickets and how to make donations. I am looking forward to seeing the membership all “gussied up”!
-save the dateMarch 3—Kids’ Night March 9—Sip-N-Grip March 14—Pasta Cooking Class March 17—19—Mini Golf Weekend March 26—Murals & Mimosas Painting Party
April 1—Princess Ball Daddy Daughter Dance April 7—Kids’ Night April 12—Annual Meeting April 15—Easter Egg Hunt April 16—Grand Easter Buffet April 19—Spring Ladies’ Night Out April 29—Oxbow Black Tie Gala For Charity
SUMMER CALENDAR—Though it’s only the beginning of February, we are already thinking ahead to sunshine and warmer days. Preparation for this season is in full swing! We are working hard to put the finishing touches on our summer calendar and are eager to share important dates with you in the coming weeks. We know that everyone’s summer schedule fills up quickly and I want to be sure you include Oxbow in your plans! Scheduled Oxbow events can be found on the member side of oxbowcc.com as well as the Clubster app. WEDDINGS AT OXBOW—2017 will be a very busy wedding year at the club, but we DO still have some great dates available. Most of our wedding bookings come from word of mouth, so please encourage anyone you know who is looking for a beautiful, unique wedding venue to give me a call! CLUBSTER APP—As a reminder, we invite you to download the Clubster App on your mobile device. This is a great tool to get important club updates, as well as check out the member calendar of events. Think of it as Facebook specifically for Oxbow Country Club members!
4
FOOD & BEVERAGE UPDATE SCOTT MOTSCHENBACHER Executive chef Hello, Oxbow! February is going to be a really fun month! Starting soon, the restaurant menu will have a few changes. It won’t be completely different, but I have taken member feedback to tweak a few things. Expect a few more entrée items to choose from! Also, I came up with a special Valentine’s Day menu that I am very excited about. I tried to keep it light, yet satisfying. We are ironing out the details for our first EVER Cooking Class, which will be held on Tuesday, March 14th. This class will be all about pasta! I have noticed that the members have enjoyed the fresh pasta dishes we come up with every week, and now you can learn to make it at home. This will be a small class with a maximum amount of ten people to ensure that I can give everyone the one-on-one time they need to be a successful pasta cook! Keeping with that theme, I have decided to showcase my fresh pasta dough recipe this month.
PASTA DOUGH RECIPE Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup semolina flour 1 tsp salt 2 eggs 1 egg yolk
Procedure: In a food processor, add eggs and salt. Start the processing and slowly add flour. It will form a large ball. Remove and begin kneading. You will need additional flour to coat the surface you’re working on. If the dough seems a little wet, add more flour to your table top. You’ll need to knead the dough for at least ten minutes. This helps to stretch the gluten in the dough, giving you a much firmer noodle. After you finish, wrap your dough and let rest for at least an hour. After this, it’s time to roll it out! If you have a pasta roller, you’re in good shape. If you don’t have a pasta roller, you’re going to get into good shape-especially your upper body. You will need a rolling pin or a wooden dowel. Start rolling until the dough is about the thickness of ten pieces of paper stacked up. From here, you can cut the noodle into any shape you would like. After you have cut your noodles, it’s time to cook them. Start with a pot of salted boiling water. If you are not going to eat the pasta right away, you will need an ice bath. Fresh pasta cooks in about a third of the time as your typical dried noodle. Once the pasta has cooked, place your noodles into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove the noodles from the ice bath, place them into a container, and drizzle olive oil over them so they do not stick together. Make up your favorite sauce and enjoy!
Jake hughes ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER Super Bowl Sunday is almost upon us! Whether you support the Patriots or the Falcons, we have a great cocktail recipe for you to make in support of your team! -Falcon Punch
-New Englander
1oz Vodka 2oz Peach Schnapps 4oz Lemonade Splash of grenadine
1 ½ oz Vanilla Vodka ½ oz Blue Curacao Topped off with Sprite *Garnish with lemons and blueberries that have been shaken with sugar and ice!*
- WEEKLY DINING SPECIALS THURSDAYS
FRIDAYS
SATURDAYS
SUNDAYS
HAPPY HOUR 4 PM - 6 PM
HAPPY HOUR 4 PM - 6 PM
POT O’ GOLD DRAWING @ 8 PM
HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY
$2 OFF TAPS & GLASSES OF WINE
$2 OFF TAPS & GLASSES OF WINE
1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE ALL NIGHT
$2 OFF TAPS & GLASSES OF WINE
PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT FOR FOOD & BEVERAGE CREDIT. INCREASES $25 EVERY WEEK. MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN.
5
Golf shop news While there may not be too many tee times these days, the Golf Shop has been keeping busy preparing for this very exciting 2017 season. The process of developing this year’s Golf Shop staff has already begun. Eric is always happy to welcome any recommendations you have for staff members. There’s only one requirement—they must love golf! Establishing accounts for the new member-owned Golf Shop has begun. We want our members to know that just because we don’t have something in stock doesn’t mean we can’t order it for you. We will download the new 2017 catalogs for easy viewing and be able to share these digitally with the membership along with offering the traditional printed hard copies in your new shop. If you see it elsewhere, please consider supporting your club and placing that special order with the Golf Shop. Another objective during January was the continued set-up of the new Golf Shop and bag room. To start, a very gracious THANK YOU goes out to Mr. Rick Zook for bringing a new life to two large nesting tables and a mirror which were brought over from the former Pro Shop. Rick sanded and restained the pieces of furniture so they tie in better with the aesthetics of the new Golf Shop. Previously, they were a light oak color. You can find a photo of his work to the right. This past month, Oxbow received the official course ratings from the North Dakota Golf Association. This year, we will have a par 68 golf course. The great news is that everyone’s scoring average is going down! Lots of due diligence goes into the “challenge level” data which we received. Each hole goes through a thorough process of total yardage, fairway width, hazard quantity, prevailing winds, depth of bunkers, etc., etc. All the information is compiled and we get a course rating & slope. Slope is an indicator of challenge for the average golfer. Numbers typically range from 110 to 140, higher being more challenging. Course rating is the scoring average a scratch golfer should shoot. Last year, this number was 71.0 from the gold tees for our par 72 course. In 2017, it is 67.7 for a par 68, or 0.7 strokes more “difficult” in relation to par. For slope, the gold tees will go from a 129 to a 123, so slightly easier for the average golfer due to more par 3s. An effective date to launch the new ratings within the central USGA system has been established for February 15th, although the posting score season doesn’t begin until April 1st in North Dakota. Eric took the last week in January to attend the “Golf Business Major of the Year”, the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando. While there, he met with a variety of vendors including clothing, clubs, scorecard design, launch monitors and simulators, internship programs, the USGA, US Kids Golf, grips, and even an electric golf skateboard! He also took in some education seminars including increasing tournament revenue and how the club industry is evolving. He was very thankful for the opportunity to get out of the ND weather for a few days.
CATCHING UP WITH JOHN DAHL For 12 years, Oxbow Head Golf Pro John Dahl has been traveling to Arizona to escape the North Dakota winters, but his teaching certainly does not stop! John actively instructs all winter long at the prestigious Quintero Golf Club in Peoria, Arizona, right outside of Phoenix. Even if you can’t arrange a lesson face-to-face, you can follow John on Facebook and check out his instructional videos —they’re a perfect way to help keep up your golf game during the winter season! As always, John is looking forward to getting back to Oxbow this spring when the course opens. (We hope that happens sooner rather than later!) If you’re traveling to Arizona for a winter getaway, make sure to reach out to John. He loves to connect with Oxbow members all year long. You can contact him at jdgolf@oxbowcc.com or 701.371.9568.
NEWS FROM THE FAIRWAY David wood Superintendent We are excited to announce the start of our new Maintenance Mechanic, Bryce Fenske. Bryce and his wife, Monica, and two children have recently relocated to Fargo from Cooperstown, ND. For the past 5 years, he has worked for Right-A-Way Applicators as an Auto Body Technician/ Mechanic. Bryce and his wife are originally from the FargoMoorhead area and are happy to be closer to family. At the January Board meeting, I presented a proposal to close the golf course on Monday mornings until noon for maintenance activities. The Board voted and approved the proposal. The reason behind this is to allow the Grounds Department Bryan Fenske, several hours to accomplish activities such as topdressing, aerification, fertilizing, New Maintenance Mechanic and pesticide applications without interrupting a member’s round of golf. The opening of the new golf holes has required different mowing and maintenance practices, especially considering the size of the new property. Closing the course on Monday mornings will help keep our activities as efficient as possible. See you on the course, David Wood
Meet oxbow’s new accountant! Kyle Christensen, cpa Accountant Hello! My name is Kyle Christensen, and I am the new accountant at Oxbow Country Club. I grew up in Bottineau, ND and moved to Fargo for college. I got my accounting degree from NDSU in 2013, and received my CPA license in 2015. I spent the last three and a half years working as a Medicare auditor at Noridian Healthcare Solutions. In my free time, I enjoy reading, going running, and playing golf. I’m excited to be working at Oxbow and look forward to meeting you all! Kyle is ready to accept questions about your statement, as well as take payments for your account. Please contact him at 701.598.1112 or accounting@oxbowcc.com.