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DON HERFORT: THE MAN WHO BUILT GOLF IN MINNESOTA

An aerial view of the 8th hole green at River Oaks.

Whenever you play River Oaks, how often (if ever) do you consider the process that went into developing and designing each hole? You may have questioned the positioning of a specific bunker or the location of a water hazard and noticed it was placed there with intention, but you probably rarely stop to give it a second thought. If you are like me, you may find many aspects of a golf course’s layout to be as unsystematic and random as the trees and brush that grow around them. However, every detail of the course’s design, from the positioning of a tee box to the undulations of the greens and everything in between, were the intention of one man’s vision and dream — Don Herfort.

Who was Don Herfort?

Don Herfort in his signature plaid ASCGA member jacket. Photo was taken from Golf Digest website.

According to the Star Tribune, Don Herfort was born in Green Bay, WI on February 6th, 1925. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1951, earning a degree in Business Administration. After graduation, Herfort accepted a position as an accountant at a large corporation in Saint Paul, MN known as 3M. He would later go on to become the most prolific and creative golf course architect in the history of Minnesota golf.

It was while working for 3M that the Tartan Park Golf Course (a 3M employee course) was in the process of being designed. Herfort watched the process closely and began to develop some strong opinions about the vision of its original designer. 

“Right from the start, I didn’t think the guy they had hired to build the course knew what he was doing,” Herfort said in an October 2008 interview with Minnesota Golfer magazine. “The holes weren’t laid out very well. The drainage was going to be a problem with the layout. It was like the whole thing was wrong.” 

American Society of Golf Course Architects official logo.

Herfort would go on to voice his concerns about the course to 3M’s top executives. Despite having no experience or education in golf course architecture, Herfort was asked by 3M to design and develop its employee golf course. Confidently, Herfort took on the massive undertaking. Tartan Park was a success! It launched his career as an architect, leading Herfort to resign from 3M to establish his architect firm, Don Herfort Inc.

In 1970, Herfort would be elected into the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), becoming the first Minnesota-based professional to pass the rigorous membership process. He would go on to have a successful career spanning for more than four decades!

During his 41-year career (1970-2011), Herfort designed more than 140 courses throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, with projects in the states of Iowa, Michigan, and South Dakota. You may even recognize his work since most of his courses can be found all over Minnesota. Some of Herfort’s notable works include Dellwood Hills, Indian Hills, Como Park, Oak Glen, Pebble Creek, Superior National, and of course River Oaks.

“His large flashed-sand bunkers and undulating greens are still a trademark of his work,” once said Kevin Norby, prodigy and partner of Herfort. 

A view of the green on hole 12 at River Oaks.

According to the ASGCA, the main job of the architect is, “developing programs and facilities that attract and retain new players.” Don Herfort was prolific at this! He appealed to the masses. He wanted golf to be a game for everyone. He wanted it to be fun.

Don Herfort would continue to design courses up until his death on June 27th, 2011. He passed away in his Lakeville home from a heart condition at the age of 86.

By transforming thousands of acres in the upper Midwest Herfort became an artist and left a legacy that stretched across an entire state. Every summer, thousands of people play his courses and yet most are unaware of his achievements. He left his mark on the history of golf in our wonderful state and became the man who built the game for much of Minnesota.

 

Getting Married - River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN LOOKING FOR A WEDDING VENUE

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.

River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

MEETING OUR EXECUTIVE CHEF JAMES WARRINGTON

River Oaks Golf Course and Event Center are excited to introduce you to our Executive Chef James Warrington, (A.K.A. JW). JW has accumulated 32 years of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industry and has been overseeing all of the River Oaks culinary operations for the past three years, including the Eagles Bar & Grill, River Oaks Catering, and all banquet services in our Event Center.

JW grew up in Miami, Florida – a city with gorgeous white sand beaches, art deco, amazing cuisine, and fun vibe. It was in Miami where he was introduced into the restaurant industry at an early age. 

“I started my cooking career at McDonald’s at age 15 working weekend nights,” explained JW. 

At the ripe age of 16, while still in high school, JW started working as a Line Cook at Bojangles Famous Chicken n’ Biscuits, a chain of fast-food restaurants in the Southeastern United States famous for its fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. Within a year JW had been promoted to Kitchen Supervisor. Over the next few years, as JW began to come of age and adjust to life after high school, was when he began to explore the career possibilities and art form of the culinary world. 

The desire to further his culinary skills pushed JW to move to the city of Duluth, MN where he took a job as a Line Cook at the city’s famous Grandma’s Saloon and Grill. It was at Grandma’s where JW met Chef Gary Baregi, who would be his trainer and mentor for years to come. Through the coaching of Gary Baregi, JW eventually moved to the Twin Cities where he became the Kitchen Supervisor of Grandma’s Saloon and Grill in Minneapolis.

Through many years of a lot of hard work, traveling, sweat, and dedication JW worked his way from Kitchen Supervisor to Sous Chef to Executive Chef to Corporate Culinary Trainer before finally becoming the General Manager. It was as General Manager that JW helped open 9 new Grandma’s locations including opening Bellisio’s Italian Restaurant in Duluth. 

In 2005, following 12 awesome years with the company, JW left Grandma’s and moved to Ohio after meeting his future wife. Despite his departure from Grandma’s JW continued further his career in the restaurant industry working for well-known establishments such as The Winking Lizard Restaurant and TavernCladdagh Irish Pub, and West Point Market

Over the next decade, JW continued to cook and eventually married his wife and together they had a son. Ten years after leaving, JW and his family moved back to Minnesota in 2015 to be closer to family. It was back in the land of ten thousand lakes when JW stubbled on River Oaks Golf Course and Event Center. They were hiring and looking for someone with extensive cooking experience to turn them around. JW applied and was hired immediately.

“They were only serving hotdogs, chips, and brats,” JW remembers from his first day on the job. “Now, we have our Friday night Signature Fish Fry’s, a full menu with ½ pound black Angus burgers, pasta, steaks, salads, and overstuffed sandwiches.”

JW remembers three years ago, River Oaks wasn’t on a lot of people’s radar, but now it’s where a lot of locals come in to eat. JW feels blessed to be a part of River Oaks and the City of Cottage Grove community. 

When JW isn’t cooking food or managing kitchens, he is probably furthering his education and expanding his knowledge. JW received an Associate of Science degree in Graphic Design and Animation in 2004, a degree in Nutrition and Wellness in 2013 and was Certified as a Digital Marketing Professional in 2019

Snow at River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF GAME THIS WINTER

It can be difficult working on your golf game when you live in a northern state like Minnesota! If you live in the Twin Cities metro area, you are lucky to get six months of solid golf play before the long Minnesota winter shuts down like the white lid of a box. Even though most Minnesotians are acclimated to the cold weather, nobody wants to golf in a foot of snow with a windchill of – 20 degrees. Whatever the reason, it’s during the winter months that we need to find creative ways to keep improving our game. I mean, we’re not gonna stop golfing just because of a little cold weather, are we?

Here are 5 ways for you to improve your golf game this winter. 

1. Chip and Putt at Home

Chipping and putting is an easy thing that everyone can do to work on their golf game from home (provided that you have space and carpet). You can keep it as simple as putting into a coffee mug at the end of your hallway or you can invest a little money into some indoor equipment.

They make indoor putting mats and cups with automatic ball-return that are relatively inexpensive. If you are looking to improve your short game from home, consider purchasing a chipping net. If you plan on chipping inside, I would suggest using practice balls! These practice balls feel, spin, and react like a real golf ball but are much softer and have less distance. They can be used indoors and won’t damage drywall, furniture or other property. 

2. Find an Indoor Driving Range

Practicing your drives at home proves to be a little more challenging than chipping and putting. Of course, hitting into a net from short distances allows you to get a feel for your swing, but finding the indoor space to swing a driver (the longest club in your bag) can be difficult. 

However, there are heated indoor driving ranges you can go to that will allow you to take a full swing at a real ball and watch it fly off the tee! The Midwest Golf Dome is a local favorite for the Twin Cities area with 33 stalls and indoor chipping and putting green.

Topgolf in Brooklyn Center is also a place you can go in the winter months to practice your swing. Even though it technically isn’t an indoor range, Topgolf has over 100 climate-controlled hitting bays that will allow you to comfortably work on your swing in a T-Shirt, even in the dead of winter. 

3. Play Golf on a Simulator

Golf simulating technology has really come a long way over the last decade! Early golf simulators felt more like playing an archaic video game with many bugs and glitches that didn’t really allow you to gauge your actual state of play, but now there are simulators that make it feel like you are playing an actual round of golf. Simulators give you the chance to play at famous courses like Pebble Beach or TPC Sawgrass, giving you a pretty realistic score in the process.

If you are looking to try out one of these state-of-the-art simulators, indoor golf and entertainment facilities have begun to pop up in recent years. X-Golf and Birdi Golf are two new businesses that have opened up the city of Woodbury that are as realistic and accurate as simulated golf can be. Both offer golf events, leagues, and lessons that will allow you to play golf all year round! 

4. Watch Golf Tips and Tricks on TV or Youtube

This is a rather simple suggestion, but taking some time to listen to professionals can be very beneficial. Watching the Golf Channel can often reveal some informative tips. There are also hundreds of Youtube channels dedicated to teaching you tips, tricks, and techniques that you can watch from the comfort of your own home!

Content can range from how to fix your slice to different grips for holding your putter. Some of the more popular Youtube channels include Me and My GolfAskGolfGuru, and Buzza Golf. Whether you decide to take their advice or not, just listening to others’ opinions and techniques can further your knowledge of the game. 

5. Take a Trip Down South for a Golf Weekend

This option might be a little out of your price range because traveling and golf aren’t cheap, but southern states like Florida, Arizona, and Nevada are popular destinations for year-round golf. Depending on what destination you pick and what weekend you decide to go, one can find some deals on airfare.

However, lugging your clubs through the airport can be a major hassle. Sure you can rent clubs at the golf course, but you don’t often get the choice of what kind of clubs you get to use. Yet thanks to new technology and business ventures there are ways to get around this. Websites like Ship Sticks will allow you to easily ship your own golf clubs to your destination for a reasonable price. Or the website Club Hub will let you rent the clubs of your choice and have them waiting for you at your hotel when you arrive. Traveling for golf has never been easier!

Don’t let the cold weather and snow deter you from working on your game.

Santa Brunch - River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

WHAT IS SANTA BRUNCH?

For those that have not heard yet, Santa Claus will be coming to town early again this year! River Oaks wrote to the Jolly Red Man asking if he could take some time from his busy schedule to come out to our community and join us for brunch this December 8th. And would you believe it? He said yes!

This December 8th River Oaks would like to extend an invite to you and your family to join us and Santa at our Event Center for a wonderfully delicious breakfast buffet. Not only will there be breakfast, but there will be gifts, games, s’ mores and decoration. You can even catch a ride on our horse-drawn sleigh and even have the opportunity to meet and get your picture taken with the Jolly Red Man.

Believe it or not, it’s no surprise that Santa accepted our invite because O’l Kris Kringle has been joining us for brunch every December since the opening of the River Oaks Club House in 2000. That’s almost 20 years in a row that Santa has accepted our invitation to brunch and we always make sure to serve some of his favorite foods.

There will be a buffet line full of the hearty breakfast classics that Santa loves so much. We will be serving an assortment of food including fresh fruit, french toast, and danishes followed by bacon, scrambled eggs, sausage links, and breakfast potatoes.

After brunch, everyone will have the opportunity to meet Santa. You will get the chance to introduce yourself, sit on his lap, get your photo taken with Santa, and of course let him know what it is you want for Christmas. You can even ask Santa that question you have always been wanting to ask him!

After you spend some time with Santa, make sure you wander outside to hear the sleighbells jingling and catch a ride on our horse-drawn sleigh. Santa won’t be the one taking you for a ride, but we will take you on a beautiful stroll through the snow around our driving range.

The cool wind brushing up against your cheeks from the sleigh ride might chill your bones, but don’t worry! After the sleigh ride, come warm up around the bonfire and roast your very own s’ mores. Sinking your teeth into a toasty golden roasted marshmallow is one of the quickest and sure-fire ways to warm you up. There will also be some gift-giving! Every child will walk out with a small gift courtesy of us.

River Oaks extends its invite to those of all ages because Santa Brunch is an event full of wonderful holiday fun for the entire family. More importantly, make this holiday season special for the kids. Bring your sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, or your grandsons and granddaughters and make their holiday magical by giving them the chance to give Santa their Christmas wish.

We hope to see you this December 8th from 8 am to 1 pm at River Oaks! Call us at (651)438-2121 (ext. #2) to learn more about Santa Brunch or to make your reservation today!

River Oaks Golf Course - Cottage Grove

THANKS FOR GIVING US AN AWESOME SEASON!

Seeing that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, River Oaks would like to give thanks for the wonderful season we’ve had this year. We could not be more grateful for the weather, all the changes that have been made to the course, our marvelous staff, and everyone that had a chance to make it out to the Oaks.

We are pleased with all the improvements that have been made to the course this year. The addition of our new state of the art golf carts with GPS, Blutooth, and USB charging ports have been a real upgrade to the game and the River Oaks experience. Throughout the season, our grounds crew has gone through the process of removing several dozen trees around the course to open up the fairways and speed up the pace of play. The inclusion of our regulation size bocce ball courts has also garnered a lot of attention, so much so that we plan on adding two more next season.

Also, we are beholden with our River Oaks family that has helped make our course and event center what it is. All of our departments have put in so much work this season to make the River Oaks experience fun and easy. We are grateful for all of your diligence, self-motivation, and dedication to our customers and our mission. Thank you for all you do!

Most of all we would like to say thank you to you the customers! Without you, River Oaks would certainly not exist. We just want to say thank you for giving us your time, your feedback, and your patronage. Support from long-time customers like you helps our course grow and evolve and continue to make improvements. We are committed to providing you with great service and want to invite you to celebrate a great year with us. As a token of our appreciation, we will be hosting Customer Appreciation Night on November 7.

If you would like to give thanks, please feel free to join us on November 22nd for Friendsgiving! Grab those you’re thankful for and come to River Oaks for a family-style Thanksgiving dinner. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors closer together this season for some great food and great conversation. Enjoy the Thanksgiving party without all the setup and clean up!