Posts

SO YOU WANT TO GOLF? FIVE REASONS TO TAKE UP GOLF

/in , /by

1.) Golf is a great way to meet new people and make new friends.

Golf is a great way to meet new people and make new friends.

There is no way I would be able to put a number on how many friends and interesting people I have met through the game of golf. Working for a golf course or joining a weekly league are great and easy ways to meet other like-minded individuals who love the sport. Your friend might invite an acquaintance to fill a foursome, or the golf club might pair up your twosome with another twosome, or you might have to bring a potential new client on a business golf outing. No matter what the case may be, the truth about golf is that it tends to bring strangers together. You are with them for at least four hours during your round, and four hours is a decent amount of time to get to know someone, just enough time to start the round as strangers and leave as friends. 

2.) Golf is an individual sport as much as a competitive one. 

Golf is a great way to get together and compete with each other in a little friendly competition. However, a unique aspect of golf is that it is a sport that can be played by yourself. You do not need a team or even an opponent to play the game. You are the opponent. You are competing against yourself. There is something beautiful about being able to go out on the golf course by yourself and be able to play without any distractions. Whether you are playing with other people or not, the game can still be individual because, in the end, you are not trying to beat your opponents. You are trying to beat your own personal best. 

3.) Golf is a sport anyone can play.

Father Daughter - River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

Golf is a sport anyone can play.

Golf is not a sport that requires a tremendous amount of athletic ability. Golf is a sport for people of all shapes, colors, sizes, sexes, and ages. That is what is unique about golf. It is a sport anyone can play. It is a game where retired and out of shape men and women with bad backs and arthritis can get together and compete on the same field as the young kids with power and athletic prowess. You do not have to be in great shape or have a terrible amount of skill to hit a decent golf shot or make a long putt. Sometimes you need a little luck and a desire to play. 

4.) Golf is a great excuse to get yourself outside.

Golf is a great excuse to get outside in nature and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. It is also an awesome way to get a sense of nature and the natural landscape of the area. Something is amazing about the way a golf course transforms the natural land around it into something beautiful. If you like to walk when you golf, then golf is almost like a hike through a beautiful park and can be great exercise. The average golf course is around 4 miles in length, and walkers can expect to add over 7500 steps to their daily total, burning up to 300 calories. Even golfers who use carts still get to enjoy the sun rays on a bright day. And the sunshine is good for you!

5.) Golf can teach you life lessons.

Father Daughter - River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

Golf can teach you life lessons.

If you want to be a great golfer, there are many things you need to learn and to be taught. However, another interesting thing about golf is the number of different life lessons this sport can teach you. Just learning to play the game can teach you about sports etiquette and sportsmanship. It can teach you how to stay focused and think outside the box when it comes to problem-solving. It can also teach you the value of honesty and patience that is just as helpful off the course as it is on the course. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or a veteran golfer, golf always has something new to teach you. 

CORONA & THE GOLFING SEASON: WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?

/in , , /by

The City of Cottage Grove is doing its part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and unfortunately, that means closing River Oaks until March 29th. It is such a shame that right when it seems that the Twin Cities is at the cusp of what seems like an early golf season we find our selves amid a national health emergency. Most public places are being avoided at all costs, events are being canceled, kids are out of school and people are working from home. It is a rather strange time . . . but what will all this mean for the golf season?

Well, the PGA has closed down in response to the coronavirus and some golf clubs around the nation are following suit. It is even questionable if there will be a Masters this year. 

Who knows what this national emergency will look like in two weeks? It could get better or worse, but either way, it doesn’t look like the virus is going away anytime soon. Even when we can all come out of quarantine (whenever that may be) we will still have to practice our social distancing. 

The truth is golf is a very low-risk scenario when it comes to spreading the virus, but that doesn’t mean that golf goes without any risk. When River Oaks does officially open up it’s the course for the season it will be good to implement these social distancing practices on the golf course.

Tips for golfing with the coronavirus:

  1. Golf can be a solitary sport, try golfing alone.
  2. If you are golfing with others, avoid the 18th green handshakes.
  3. Store a bottle of hand sanitizer in your golf bag.
  4. Wipe down your club handles and golf bag with alcohol wipes.
  5. Avoid picking up random golf balls you find on the course.
  6. Wipe down seat, steering wheels, handles, and cup holders if you take a cart or perhaps consider walking.
  7. Leave the cellphone in the car.
  8. Consider washing or sanitizing your golf glove before and after your round.

Following these simple tips will further help prevent the spread of COVID-19 once our golf season starts. The golf season will come. Everyone at River Oaks is anticipating and preparing for the day that we can finally open the course, but the health and safety of our customers mean a lot to us and we will work to continue to provide a safe environment and serve the needs of our customers as best as we can.

Getting Married - River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING FOR A WEDDING VENUE

/in , /by

December is the most popular time of the year for couples to get engaged! It is that exciting time of year full of love and magic that brings couples and families together. For all of those who got engaged this holiday season, it is time to start planning! Choosing a venue might be the biggest and most expensive decision you make during the planning process. It is important to know exactly what you are looking for and exactly what each venue offers. Here are some things to consider.

SPACE & CAPACITY

This is priority number one. Make sure to do a take tally of your guest list and see if the venue has the space to accommodate. You not only need the space to accommodate your guests, but you will have to fill the room with tables, chairs, space for the band or DJ, and room for your guests to dance and mingle. It is a good idea to ask the venue if they have visuals of what the room looks like fully set up for a wedding of your size. 

PRIVACY

This isn’t always the most important aspect of a venue, but it is something to consider. Public places such as a park or beach are often fun, beautiful and inexpensive, but yield little privacy from strangers and patrons. Golf courses, hotels, and banquet halls can offer a little bit more seclusion, but can still be disrupted by other guests, patrons, employees, and customers. A private farm or estate would offer the most amount of privacy. 

PRESENTATION & VIEW

Remember that the backdrop of the venue will influence the wedding and how your guests will remember it. What will be the first thing your guests see when they arrive? What will the room look like when they sit down for dinner? What impact will the decor, furniture, and architecture have on the memory of your wedding? These are all things to consider about how you want your wedding to look.

PLAN B

If you decide to hold your ceremony outside, look for venues that offer back up plan in case the weather isn’t ideal. Ask the wedding coordinator if there’s an indoor space you can use should the rain wash you out. If they don’t offer indoor space, check and see if there’s an option to set up an outdoor tent at the very least.

PARKING

It is also important that the venue has a lot of open places to park! Whether it is a paved lot, driveway, open field or empty street make sure it is a legal and safe place to park. Safe is also a big factor for guests such as children, elderly, and handicapped that may be attending your wedding. 

OUR VENUE

Our venue can accommodate up to 225 guests in our event center with plenty of space for everything you will need. River Oaks offers to our brides & grooms so many amenities coupled with a beautiful, spacious, and elegant venue. Your guests can lounge in our private banquet rooms, grab a drink at the bar, bust a move on the dance floor or mingle outside on our patio while they take in the sweeping views of the golf course with the Mississippi River Valley in the background. These picturesque views are great for your cherished wedding photos as well. There is also plenty of parking for your guests in our wide-open parking lot for everyone to join!

If you have recently got engaged are looking for somewhere to hold your wedding, consider having it here at River Oaks! We would love to help you, and your significant other, start the rest of your lives together. Contact us at (651)438-2121 for questions about our venue.