Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 11-15-11

     Burrr, now you can really feel the end of the golf season is near, if not already here, so this will be my last Blueberry Notes article of the Season. I would like to thank all of the readers out there, the Review Messenger and the Park Rapids Enterprise for publishing this article and all of the wonderful people out there who are the friends, members and very welcome guests of Blueberry Pines Golf Club. This was our 20^th Anniversary Season and we now begin to look forward to an even better 21^st Season in 2012. We truly relish, nurture and cherish your past, current and future support.

     This 20^th Anniversary Season did finish with one last big hurrah this past Saturday, November 12. And a big hurrah it was with 96 players, from throughout the state of Minnesota, taking advantage of what might be our last nice day of the year.

     Winter Golf Simulator Leagues have generated a lot of interest and excitement which makes us closer to making this become a reality. If this is a go, leagues will be beginning either the last week of November & the first week of December or the following week. We really do need to hear from you now. Sign ups are beginning, and if you are interested in participation, call us today at 564-4653 to sign up or get more information. A new, fun, warm winter activity, join the fun and join a league. If this is a go, things will move very quickly, so don’t miss your opportunity to participate, call us today and let us know of your interest.

     This 20^th Anniversary Season saw the golf course in, quite possibly, the best shape it has ever been in. We also reintroduced the Ice Creek Restaurant and introduced new culinary leader and manager, Craig Korvela. Our food quality and consistency has been fantastic. Please give us a try real soon and discover the difference for yourself. In my opinion our food is as good as it has ever been, and maybe, the best it has ever been. Call today for reservations.

     To finish this 20^th Anniversary Season with a bang, we have a Comedy Show scheduled for New Years Eve, Dec. 31 featuring two very funny co-headliners, Dwight York and Tammy Nerby, plus a very funny Comedian/MC/Host Mary Kelly. Dwight York is a 20 year comedy veteran, he is called the King of One-Liners. He is a regular on the popular national syndicated Bob & Tom Radio Show. Plus he was a finalist in the impressive San Francisco International Comedy competition. Tammy Nerby, also a 20 year comedy veteran, is a Minnesota favorite and treasure! She is a regular on WCCO radio, and she has often worked with comedians such as Louie Anderson and Lewis Black. We will offer a comedy show & buffet option, a show only option, plus show only and dining room options. Plan now to bring in the new year with laughter. For more information or tickets, please call (218)-564-GOLF (4653). Also watch for our ad in this paper with pictures and more information.

     Thank you all for a wonderful season, happy holidays, and we hope to see you all again very soon at Blueberry Pines Golf Club and the Ice Creek Restaurant!

     Tip of the Week: Build your hand strength for a more consistent swing result.

     Generating the most power and the best swing possible becomes easier if your hands have the same amount of strength. Most people that are right-handed, have a right hand that is stronger than their left, and vice versa for lefties. This may also have an effect on whether you are slicing or hooking the golf ball. I great way to build hand strength over the winter, even while you are sitting in an easy chair, are the squeeze balls available at several different sources. If your right hand is stronger than your left, then work your left hand until the strength of your left hand becomes comparable to that of your right. Then play better golf in 2012! Good Luck and Good Golfing! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the PGA teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 11-8-11

     Blueberry Pines Golf Course remains open for play! This upcoming Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day. In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to offer all current and past military free golf with the purchase of a Cart Seat throughout the day on Friday. We humbly thank you for your service to all of us and to our country. The forecast for this upcoming Friday and for the weekend, looks to be pretty decent, mid to upper 40's and sunny. If you are not a veteran, our current November rates will be as follows: 9 holes walking is $15; 9 holes riding is $25; 18 holes walking is $25 and 18 holes riding is $35.

     We would also like to welcome all of the deer hunters to the area. Hopefully your search for the great white, or the 30 point buck, become a reality. After the hunt, join us for 9 or 18 holes of golf, and discover the beauty that is Blueberry Pines Golf Course. Call us today at (218)-564-GOLF (4653).

     You can, sadly, tell our 20^th Anniversary Golf Season is nearing an end. Our ponds are beginning to glaze over with ice and the ground temperatures are dropping. Although, I do not believe, we have not had our Indian Summer yet! Bring on those chinook winds, those blowing cob webs and those unseasonably warm temperatures for all of the diehards out there, who are looking for a few more, late season rounds of golf.

     We have been talking about the possibility of adding one or two golf simulators this winter and here is where we are at. If we can get 32-40 players committed to playing in a weekly league, then the chances of us purchasing the golf simulators, are greatly increased. If we cannot get at least 32-40 people to commit to a weekly league, then the chances of us purchasing the golf simulators, are greatly reduced. Call for more information today, sign up for a league, and help us make this a reality. These golf simulators would add a great recreation source to our area when it’s needed, in the winter. They would also offer an alternative and fun exercise source. Please call today (218)-564-4653. We would like make a decision by Friday, Nov. 18 so that leagues could begin the 1^st or 2^nd week of December.

     Wednesday, Nov. 2^nd Men’s Night event, which was the final Men’s Night of the season, was cancelled due to the chilly weather. We thank all of the guys who join us on Wednesdays and hope to see all of you again next season! This years Men’s Night Year-End Money Leader award, sponsored by D-S Beverages, goes to Tim Bloomquist. Congratulations Bloomers! Help us continue Men’s Night events throughout the winter by signing up for a golf simulator league. Call us at 564-GOLF.

     Thursday, Nov. 3^rd Ladies Night, which was the last Ladies Night event of the season, was also cancelled due to the weather. We would like to thank all the gals who join us on Thursdays and we hope to see you all again next season! This years Ladies Night Year-End Money Leader award, sponsored by D-S Beverages, goes to Bev Hepokoski. Congratulations Bev! Help us continue Ladies Night events throughout the winter by signing up for a golf simulator league. Call us at 564-GOLF.

     Tip of the Week: Improve your core strength to improve your game.

     The off season is a great time to improve your core strength. Stronger abs and stronger legs are vital to creating and maintaining club speed through impact. Check with your doctor to see which exercises would help you create more core strength. Then play better golf in 2012! Good Luck and Good Golfing! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 10-31-11 

     The weather has turned a little scary, almost ghoulish, which is I guess is fitting, because it is Halloween! Actually, on Halloween day, it was quite nice outside for all the trick or treaters and for all the golfers! Blueberry Pines Golf Course will stay open for play this fall, as long as the golf course remains playable and the weather remains tolerable. And again this late season Blueberry Pines Golf Course remains in very good, playable condition. This is also that time of year, when we all know, we need to get outside whenever possible, to help make the long winter season seem a little bit shorter. So when the days are nice, I hope you can take advantage, and I hope we will see you out golfing at Blueberry Pines Golf Course! Call the Blueberry Pines Golf Club Golf Shop today at (218)-564-(GOLF) 4653.

     We have heard from many, which we appreciate, but we still need to hear from more of you. Are you interested in continuing your golf this winter? Do you want to add a little fun and excitement to your winter? Maybe you can! Try something new! We are considering the installation of 2 indoor golf simulators for your winter enjoyment! What we would like to know from you is the following. Are you interested in playing in a winter golf league? What time and day would you like to play? Would you like to have your own league at a certain time or day? Would you be interested in using a golf simulator during the winter? Would you be interested in winter golf instruction? Please call us very soon and let us know your thoughts, interests or disinterest, as this will need to be a fairly quick decision and we would really like to include everyone that has an interest in participation. There are lots of possibilities including Men’s Leagues, Ladies Leagues, Couples Leagues, Personal Group Leagues, Team Leagues and Individual Leagues, and WE ARE STARTING SIGN UP SHEETS NOW! Do not get excluded from winter fun! We are now beginning sign up and developing league structures, we have many ideas, but we would still love to hear yours. Call us today at (218)-564-4653 and let us know how we can make this work better for you.

     Wednesday, Oct. 26^th Men’s Night event was Cross Country on the Front 9 here at Blueberry Pines. Players played five extended length holes as follows: Hole #1 started on the #10 tee and played to the #2 green; Hole #2 started from the #3 tee and played to the #4 green; Hole #3 started on the #5 tee and played to the #6 green; Hole #4 started on the #7 tee and played to the #1 green; and finally Hole #5 started on #8 tee and played hole #9 green. Again this week it was kind of a difficult, but fun track. 1^st Place went to the team of Ken Mackley, Mark Andersen, Pat Foss and Charlie Larson firing a great score of 23. 2^nd Place was the team of Kent Cease, Mike Carr, Russ Weappa and Jim Carlson carding a five hole total of 24. And finishing in 3^rd Place was the team of Tim Bloomquist, Tim Pederson, Curt Marjama and Brady Anderson carding a 25. The longest drive in the fairway on hole #1 went to Jim Carlson, the closest to the pin from off the green on hole #4 went to Jim Carlson and the longest putt made on hole #5 went to Kent Cease. Tim Bloomquist wins the Men’s Night Money Leader title sponsored by D-S Beverages. This week’s event will be the last Men’s Night event of the season, a 3-Man Red Tee Scramble starting at 4:30. Join the boys for the last golfing week of Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Oct. 27^th Ladies Night was cancelled due to the weather. This week’s event will be the last Lady’s Night event of the season, a 3-Lady Scramble, starting at 4:30. Join the gals this Thursday for the last Lady’s Night golf event.

     Tip of the Week: Stay Active and Stay Healthy and Play Golf!

     I cannot tell you enough how important it is to stay active and stay healthy! We are all hearing it every day. Plus I cannot think of a better way to stay active and stay healthy than playing this great game of golf right here at Blueberry Pines Golf Club. If you’re a golfer, I hope you continue to be a golfer and if you’re not a golfer, I think you should be, or at the very least, I think you should strongly consider it. I believe it is a great game and it is also the game of a lifetime. Begin your new life next year by playing this great game of golf! Call us today for 2012 Membership information. Good Luck and Good Golfing! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 10-24-11

     The forecast for this week, looks to be a little, how shall I say it, seasonal this week. Let’s hope for a little Indian Summer coming real soon! Despite the cooler weather, the golf course remains in great shape! Our pine trees are still green and vibrant, plus the golf course is, for the most part, free of leaves. Shorten your winter by getting out and enjoying a little late season golf before the harsh Minnesota winter takes over. Call us today at (218)-564-4653.

     NOTICE, NOTICE - Are you interested in continuing your golf this winter? Do you want to add a little fun and excitement to your winter? Maybe you can! Try something new! We are considering the installation of 2 indoor golf simulators for your winter enjoyment! What we would like to know from you is the following. Are you interested in playing in a winter golf league? What time and day would you like to play? Would you like to have your own league at a certain time or day? Would you be interested in using a golf simulator during the winter? Would you be interested in winter golf instruction? Please call us very soon and let us know your thoughts, interests or disinterest, as this will need to be a fairly quick decision and we would really like to include everyone that has an interest in participation. There are lots of possibilities including Men’s Leagues, Ladies Leagues, Couples Leagues, Personal Group Leagues, Team Leagues and Individual Leagues, and WE ARE STARTING SIGN UP SHEETS NOW! Do not get excluded from winter fun! We are now beginning sign up and developing league structures, we have many ideas, but we would still love to hear yours. Call us today at (218)-564-4653 and let us know how we can make this work better for you.

     Wednesday, Oct. 19^th Men’s Night event was Cross Country on the Back 9 here at Blueberry Pines. Players played five extended length holes as follows: Hole #1 started on the #1 tee and played to the #11 green; Hole #2 started from the #12 tee and played to the #13 green; Hole #3 started on the #14 tee and played to the #15 green; Hole #4 started on the #16 tee and played to the #17 green; and finally Hole #5 started on #18 tee and played to any hole on the Putting Green. Kind of a difficult track! 1^st Place went to the team of Pat Foss, Kent Cease, Andy Williams and Tim Bloomquist firing a great score of 24. Finishing a very close 2^nd Place was the team of Ken Mackley, Mike Carr, Jim Carlson and Lyle Heldt carding a five hole total of 25. Mike Carr swept the flag prizes with his closest to the pin from off the green shot on Hole #1 and by draining the longest putt on hole #4. Tim Bloomquist’s 1^st Place finish all but cements the Men’s Night Money Leader title sponsored by D-S Beverages. This week’s event will be the popular year-end Cross Country, which this week will be played on the Front 9 and next week’s event will be a 3-Man Red Tee Scramble. Men’s Night events will begin at 4:30 pm, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for some Cross Country on Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Oct. 20^th Ladies Night event was a Team Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Bev Hepoksoki, Vera Staus and Barb Schleicher burning up the course while scoring a two under par total of 34. 2^nd Place went to Kim Rasmussen, Janakaye Husby, Brenda Keller and Joy Torvinen scoring a 38. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #4 went to Brenda Keller and the longest putt made on hole #9 also went to Brenda Keller. The Ladies Night Money Leader, sponsored by D-S Beverages, is Bev Hepokoski. This week’s event is a 3-Lady Scramble on the Front 9 and next week’s event is a 3-Lady Scramble on Back 9. The final two Ladies Night events will begin at 4:30 pm. Join the areas best group of gals this Thursday Night for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. Everyone’s is always invited.

     Tip of the Week: Improve your eye line for better putting.

     I have not seen this training aid in a while, but something that I thought helped me improve my putting. It was a device that helped me improve the alignment of my eyes. Basically stated it was similar to a pair of glasses with a straight line painted across the middle of them. I found that my eye line was most often left of the hole and with a small adjustment I began making more putts. If you are having severe putting woes, this may be something you should search out or try? Good Luck and Good Golfing! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 10-17-11

     Our beautiful fall golf weather has left, leaving us to only wait for our blood to thicken up a little, so that the mid 50's and sunny doesn’t feel so chilly. After all, mid 50's and sunny with little wind, is still pretty nice golf weather. The golf course remains in very good, playable condition, we continue to offer great fall golfing rates, and we are also continuing to offer some fantastic membership specials for next season! Things overall are currently really good at Blueberry Pines, year after year the golf course continues to get better, and our food is currently the best it has ever been! Give us a try again real soon, you’ll be glad you did! For tee times or dining reservations call us at (218)-564-GOLF (4653).
 

     NOTICE, NOTICE - Are you interested in continuing your golf this winter? Maybe you can! We are considering the installation of 2 indoor golf simulators for your winter enjoyment! What we would like to know from you is the following. Are you interested in playing in a winter golf league? What time and day would you like to play? Would you like to have your own league at a certain time or day? Would you be interested in using a golf simulator during the winter? Would you be interested in winter golf instruction? Please call us very soon and let us know your thoughts, interests or disinterest, as this will need to be a fairly quick decision and we would really like to include everyone that has an interest in participation. There are lots of possibilities including Men’s Leagues, Ladies Leagues, Couples Leagues, Personal Group Leagues, Team Leagues and Individual Leagues, and WE ARE STARTING SIGN UP SHEETS NOW! Do not get excluded from winter fun!

     This is your last chance for this great fall membership offer! Join Today and become a part of the area’s best golf and dining facility. Blueberry Pines Golf Club is currently offering some Fabulous 2012 Membership offers. New Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and play the balance of this season for FREE! Current Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and receive a FREE Cart Lease for the balance of this season. Plus current Members who have a Cart Lease may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and Receive Five $10 Off Dining Certificates to be used either this season or next season. Receive all these benefits at the 2011 prices and receive early payment benefits of either 10% Off or 3 Free Passes, discounts and free passes valid for either full Single or Couple Memberships only. Become a Member of the Area’s Best Golf Facility, Golf Course and Restaurant! Golf is the Game of a Lifetime! Begin your game today! Please call the golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for more information on these offers, or to customize an offer to fit your Membership type.

     This past Saturday, October 15^th we hosted our final tournament of the season. Blueberry Pines 2-Person 6-6-6 Tough Man Tournament. The format is for the 2-Person teams to compete in Net & Gross Divisions playing a 6 Hole Best Ball, a 6 Hole Scramble and a 6 Hole modified alternate shot, in a winner take all tournament, paying back 1^st Gross and 1^st Net only. 15 teams played in this year’s tournament on a chilly and breezy day, making scoring difficult. Winning 1^st Place Low Gross and defending their title from 2010 was Miles Schacher and Brett Severson, of Hawley, MN, firing a great score of 3-under par 69. Winning 1^st Place Low Net was Kent Cease, of Park Rapids, and Todd Zuerlein, of Red Wing, MN, carding a low net total of 66.4.

     Wednesday, Oct. 12^th Men’s Night event was cancelled due to poor weather. Tim Bloomquist’s remains the Men’s Night Money Leader and Russ Weappa remains in a close 2^nd Place with three more weeks remaining. The Men’s Night Money Leader award is sponsored by D-S Beverages. This week’s event will be the popular year-end Cross Country, which this week will be played on the Back 9 and next week’s event will be Cross Country on the Front 9. Men’s Night events will begin at 4:45 pm, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for some Cross Country on Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Oct. 13^th Ladies Night event was a Team Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Bev Hepoksoki, Dianne Salmela and Karen Weappa scoring a one under par total of 35. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #4 went to Connie Bennett and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Connie Bennett. The Ladies Night Money Leader remains Bev Hepokoski with Shirley Potter in a close 2^nd Place with three weeks remaining. This week’s event is a Cross Country Scramble on the Back 9 and next week’s event is a Cross Country Scramble on the Front 9. This week’s Ladies Night event will begin at 4:45 pm and next week’s event will begin at 4:45 pm also. Join the areas best group of gals this Thursday Night for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. Everyone’s invited.

     Tip of the Week: True up your grip with a Yardstick.

     Gripping on to a yardstick is a great way to true up your golf grip. Quite simply, you cannot grip a yardstick incorrectly. Grip the yardstick and look at the position of your hand, fingers and knuckles, then grip the golf club using a similar grip. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 10-10-11

     Boy the weather has really been fantastic! Hopefully you have been able to take advantage of this wonderful fall reprieve. Things have really began to slow down, while the golf course remains in really nice shape, which leaves more room for you. Making now one of the best times of the year to get out to enjoy the fall colors while they are peaking, get a little exercise while enjoying this great game of golf. Watch the forecast and make your plans to enjoy fall golf, without the leaves, at Blueberry Pines Golf Course. Our fall rates are the lowest rates of the season. Call us today at (218)-564-4653 to book a tee time. You are always welcome at Blueberry Pines!

     Join Today and become a part of the area’s best golf and dining facility. Blueberry Pines Golf Club is currently offering some Fabulous 2012 Membership offers. New Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and play the balance of this season for FREE! Current Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and receive a FREE Cart Lease for the balance of this season. Plus current Members who have a Cart Lease may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and Receive Five $10 Off Dining Certificates to be used either this season or next season. Receive all these benefits at the 2011 prices and receive early payment benefits of either 10% Off or 3 Free Passes, discounts and free passes valid for either full Single or Couple Memberships only. Become a Member of the Area’s Best Golf Facility, Golf Course and Restaurant! Golf is the Game of a Lifetime! Begin your game today! Please call the golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for more information on these offers, or to customize an offer to fit your Membership type.

Our final tournament of the season, is our 2-Person 6-6-6 Tough Man Tournament coming up this

     Saturday, October 15^th. The format is for the 2-Person teams to compete in Net & Gross Divisions playing a 6 Hole Best Ball, a 6 Hole Scramble and a 6 Hole modified alternate shot. The entry fee is $55.00 per player for non-members and $45.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, prizes and dinner following play. This year-end event is a winner take all event in each division, net & gross. An 11:00 shotgun is planned. Get your golfing partner and sign up today to play in this year-end event.

     Wednesday, Oct. 5^th Men’s Night event was an Individual Red Tee event. 1^st Place, with the low score of the evening, was Jim Wallace firing a one-over par score of 37. 2^nd Place went to Dustin Berttunen carding a two-over par score of 38. 3^rd Place went to Doug Dufty scoring a 39. 1^st Place Low Net went to Mike Carr with a 4-under par low net total of 32. Russ Weappa finished in 2^nd Place Net shooting a net 35. 3^rd Place went to Pat Foss coming in with an even par net 36. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Mark Anderson, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Doug Dufty and the longest putt made on hole #18 went to Dustin Berttunen. Tim Bloomquist’s remains in 1^st Place on the Men’s Night Money Leader list, although Russ Weappa is making it interesting with his 2^nd Place Net finish. The Men’s Night Money Leader award, sponsored by D-S Beverages, will be awarded at the end of October. This week’s event will be a 3-Club event and next week’s event will be the popular year-end Cross Country which will start on the back 9. Men’s Night events will begin at 4:45 pm, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Oct. 6^th Ladies Night event was Individual Low Net. 1^st Place went to Brenda Keller blitzing the field with a great net score of 30. 2^nd Place went to Bev Hepokoski carding a 4-under par net score of 32 and winning a scorecard playoff. 3^rd Place went to Karen Weappa who also carded a 4-under par net 32. 4^th Place went to Vera Staus who scored a net 37. Congratulations go out to both Brenda Keller and to Vera Staus for scoring a birdie two on the par three 14^th hole. Brenda Keller also won the chip-in pot as her birdie tow on the 14^th came with a chip-in. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #14 went to Joy Torvinen and the longest putt made on hole #18 went to Vera Staus. The Ladies Night Money Leader remains Bev Hepokoski with Shirley Potter in a close 2^nd Place. This week’s event is a 3-Club event and next week’s event is Cross Country on the back 9. This week’s Ladies Night event will begin at 4:45 pm and next week’s event will begin at 4:45 pm also. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event.

     Tip of the Week: Play the Ball Down.

     Although there are times when winter rules should be played, for example, when aerification holes are present, or in the case of spotty growth. But for the most part, I believe the golf ball should be played down. What I mean by that is you should not improve your lie, ever. You will become a much better golfer when playing the ball down. It increases your need to hit down on the ball, which is the only way to hit the sweet spot on the golf club. Play better golf by playing the ball down. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 10-3-11

     Wow, what a fantastic forecast this week. Fall is the best time of the year to play golf, we are receiving some of the best fall weather ever and Blueberry Pines Golf Course is the Best Golf Course to play in the fall. The fall colors are at their peak, now is the time to get out and play a little golf and enjoy the beautiful array of fall colors. Remember at Blueberry Pines Golf Club, our pine trees stay green and vibrant, plus shed no leaves, giving us that mid-summer look long into the fall. The golf course remains in fantastic condition. Plus we are now offering great fall rates, so make your plans to enjoy some of these last, great days of 2011, by booking your tee time today! Call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF.

     Become a part of the best golf and dining facility in the area in 2012. We are currently offering some Fabulous 2012 Membership offers. New Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and play the balance of this season for FREE! Current Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and receive a FREE Cart Lease for the balance of this season. Plus current Members who have a Cart Lease may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and Receive Five $10 Off Dining Certificates to be used either this season or next season. Receive all these benefits at the 2011 prices and receive early payment benefits of either 10% Off or 3 Free Passes, discounts and free passes valid for either full Single or Couple Memberships only. Become a Member of the Area’s Best Golf Facility, Golf Course and Restaurant! Golf is the Game of a Lifetime! Begin your game today! Please call the golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for more information on these offers, or to customize an offer to fit your Membership type.

     Our final tournament of the season, is our 2-Person 6-6-6 Tough Man Tournament coming up Saturday, October 15^th. The format is for the 2-Person teams to compete in Net & Gross Divisions playing a 6 Hole Best Ball, a 6 Hole Scramble and a 6 Hole modified alternate shot. The entry fee is $55.00 per player for non-members and $45.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, prizes and dinner following play. This year-end event is a winner take all event in each division, net & gross. An 11:00 shotgun is planned. Get your golfing partner and sign up today to play in this year-end event.

     This past Saturday, October 1^st we hosted our "Blueberry Bog" Tournament, billed as the "The Biggest, Little Tournament in the Cold". Except this year, players played on a beautiful sunny day. Winning 1^st Place in this year’s event was team Makela including Marv Makela of Park Rapids, Roger Makela of Cook, MN, Dave Makela of Belle Plaine, MN, Randy Makela and Carol Makela of St. Michaels, MN scoring the low score of tournament a 15-under par 57. 2^nd Place went to a Staples, MN team including Brad Anderson, Kurt Muesing, Steve Benson, Blaine Quast and Kyra Quast carding a 14-under par 58 and winning a scorecard playoff. 3^rd Place went to a Park Rapids/Menahga team including Andy Williams, Mary Williams, Mark Andersen, Terry Ristinen and Jerry Wisuri firing a 14-under par 58. 4^th Place went to a Staples, MN team including Glen Hasselberg, Becky Hasselberg, Clyde Anderson, Duff Erholtz and Heather Erholtz shooting a 12-under par score of 60.

     Wednesday, Sept. 28^th Men’s Night event was Beat the Pro’s. Mens Nighter’s used their individual net scores versus the low gross best ball score of the pro’s. The pro’s combined for a score of 34. 1^st Place in the event went to Tim Bloomquist beating the pros by 2 shots with a net 32. 2^nd Place went to Doug Dufty who carded a net 33. And there was a 3-way tie for 3^rd Place including Charlie Larson, Mark Schick and Andy Williams all scoring a net 34. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Tim Pederson, who holed out, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Gary Marjama and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Doug Dufty. Tim Bloomquist’s 1^st Place finish all but solidifies the Men’s Night Money Leader award, which will be determined in the next four weeks. This week’s event will be an Individual Red Tee event and next week’s event will be a 3-Club event. Men’s Night will begin at 5:00 pm this Wednesday and will begin at 4:45 pm next Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Sept. 29^th Ladies Night event was Beat the Pro’s. The pro’s used their combined low gross best ball score versus the combined low net scores of the 3-Lady teams. The pro’s had a tough night and the women blew their doors off. The pro’s combined for a score of 39. And the winning teams included Bev Hepokoski, Sandy Porter and Joy Torvinen scoring a net 31; Kim Rasmussen, Janakaye Husby and Karen Weappa carding a net 32; and Connie Wadman, Shirley Potter and Dianne Salmela firing a net 29. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #4 went to Janakaye Husby and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Bev Hepokoski. The Ladies Night Money Leader remains Bev Hepokoski with Shirley Potter in a close 2^nd Place. This week’s event is a High/Low Poker Hand event and next week’s event is a 3-Club event. This week’s Ladies Night event will begin at 4:45 pm and next week’s event will begin at 4:45 pm. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event.

     Tip of the Week: Explode the ball out of the sand.

     To hit an explosion shot out of the sand, you first need to understand the bounce on a golf club. Your sand wedge has the most the highest degree of bounce. Simply stated the bounce is the amount of metal or club below the leading edge of the face. The bounce on the club allows the club to skip through the sand, rather than dig in. Your club should impact the sand approx. 1 to 2 inches behind the golf ball and exit the sand approx. 1 to 2 inches ahead of the ball. You should also open your stance and open the clubface while swinging in an outside to inside club path. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 9-27-11

     Fall colors are beginning to turn, and fall can be the best time of the season to play golf. Play golf at Blueberry Pines plus enjoy the fall colors, take advantage of the last warm days of the year or just get out to enjoy some time with your friends. Remember at Blueberry Pines Golf Club, our pine trees stay green and vibrant, plus shed no leaves, giving us that mid-summer look long into the fall. The golf course remains in fantastic condition. Plus we are now offering great fall rates, so your make plans to enjoy some of the last, great days of 2011 by booking your tee time today!

     2012 will be Blueberry Pines Golf Club’s 21^st Season. Become a part of the best golf and dining facility in the area in 2012. We begin our new Membership Drive Today with some Fabulous 2012 Membership offers. New Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and play the balance of this season for FREE! Current Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and receive a FREE Cart Lease for the balance of this season. Plus current Members who have a Cart Lease may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and Receive Five $10 Off Dining Certificates to be used either this season or next season. Receive all these benefits at the 2011 prices and receive early payment benefits of either 10% Off or 3 Free Passes, discounts and free passes valid for either full Single or Couple Memberships only. Become a Member of the Area’s Best Golf Facility, Golf Course and Restaurant! Golf is the Game of a Lifetime! Begin your game today! Please call the golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for more information on these offers, or to customize an offer to fit your Membership type.

     This Saturday, October 1^st is the "Blueberry Bog", billed as the "The Biggest, Little Tournament in the Cold". The format is a 5-Person Scramble event, in which, each team is required to have at least one women on the team. The Blueberry Bog has traditionally been one of our biggest tournaments of the year. An 11:00 shotgun is planned. The entry fee of $55.00 per player covers your golf, cart, prizes and meal. Teams are required to have a team total handicap index of at least 58.0 and are allowed a maximum of one player with a 6.0 index or less. For all the information or to sign up call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop today at (218)-564-GOLF or (800)-652-4940.

     Our final tournament of the season, is our 2-Person 6-6-6 Tough Man Tournament coming up Saturday, October 15^th. The format is for the 2-Person teams to compete in Net & Gross Divisions playing a 6 Hole Best Ball, a 6 Hole Scramble and a 6 Hole modified alternate shot. The entry fee is $55.00 per player for non-members and $45.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, prizes and dinner following play. This year-end event is a winner take all event in each division, net & gross. An 11:00 shotgun is planned. Get your golfing partner and sign up today to play in this year-end event.

     We proudly hosted an event for JP Structures of Menahga this past Saturday. Congratulations go out to the 1^st Place team of David Kumpula, Billy Mattila, Tony Ylitalo and Randy Ylitalo scoring a 73 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 2^nd Place team of Justin Maninga, Jackie Halonen, Daniel Ylitalo and Stephen Halanen who also carded a team total of 73.

     Wednesday, Sept. 21^st Men’s Night event was a 2-Man Low Net Best Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Russ Weappa and Mike Carr firing a 5-under par net 31. 2^nd Place went to Tim Pederson and Neil Wogsland who teamed up for a net score of 32. The longest putt made on hole #18 went to Neil Wogsland. The Men’s Night Money Leader is Tim Bloomquist with Russ Weappa’s 1^st Place finish sneaking him up ever so quickly. This week’s event will be Beat the Pro and next week’s event will be an Individual Red Tee event. Men’s Night will begin at 5:00 pm this Wednesday and we will try 5:00 pm again next Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Sept. 22^nd Ladies Night event was a 2-Lady Low Net Best Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Janakaye Husby and Karen Weappa carding a net 32. 2^nd Place went to the team of Kim Rasmussen and Denise Ristinen scoring a net score of 33. The Ladies Night Money Leader remains Bev Hepokoski with Shirley Potter in a close 2^nd Place. This week’s event is Beat the Pro and next week’s event is a High/Low Poker Hand event.. This week’s Ladies Night event will begin at 5:00 pm and next week’s event will begin at 4:45 pm. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event.

     Tip of the Week: Get back to basics.

     After a long season, a golfers tendency is to have changed their swing several times. Try to get back to basics, check your grip, your alignment, stance and your ball position. It is a good time to get the game back in tip top shape and ready for a good fall and a great spring. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 9-20-11

     The fall golfing season is upon us and what a great time of year to play golf. Remember at Blueberry Pines Golf Club, our pine trees stay green and vibrant, plus shed no leaves, giving us that mid-summer look long into the fall. The golf course remains in fantastic condition. And the forecast for the latter part of this week looks great and next week’s forecast looks great too! Plus we are now offering great fall rates, so your make plans to enjoy some of the last, great days of 2011 by booking your tee time today!

     2012 will be Blueberry Pines Golf Club’s 21^st Season. Become a part of the best golf and dining facility in the area in 2012. We begin our new Membership Drive Today with some Fabulous 2012 Membership offers. New Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and play the balance of this season for FREE! Current Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and receive a FREE Cart Lease for the balance of this season. Plus current Members who have a Cart Lease may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and Receive Five $10 Off Dining Certificates to be used either this season or next season. Receive all these benefits at the 2011 prices and receive early payment benefits of either 10% Off or 3 Free Passes, discounts and free passes valid for either full Single or Couple Memberships only. Become a Member of the Area’s Best Golf Facility, Golf Course and Restaurant! Golf is the Game of a Lifetime! Begin your game today! Please call the golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for more information on these offers, or to customize an offer to fit your Membership type.

     Congratulations go out to Dale Captain for carding a Hole-in-One this past Monday, Sept. 19. He used his trusty 27 degree hybrid on the par 3, 4^th hole here at Blueberry Pines measuring 150. He made a nice swing and the ball and the chunk of mud stuck to the ball plopped into the hole. Great shot Dale! This was Dale’s third shot of a lifetime, his third Hole-in-One!

     This Saturday, Sept. 24^th we are hosting the Royal Bar 4-Person Scramble Tournament. This is a first time event here at Blueberry Pines. For more information or to sign up for this event, call the Royal Bar in Park Rapids at 218-732-9443. Scrambles are always fun events, so put your team together, have some fun and play golf this Saturday! This is event is open to the public.

     Then, our next upcoming event, scheduled for Saturday, October 1^st is the Blueberry Bog, billed as the "The Biggest, Little Tournament in the Cold". The format is a 5-Person Scramble event, in which, each team is required to have at least one women on the team. The Blueberry Bog has traditionally been one of our biggest tournaments of the year. An 11:00 shotgun is planned. The entry fee of $55.00 per player covers your golf, cart, prizes and meal. Teams are required to have a team total handicap index of at least 58.0 and are allowed a maximum of one player with a 6.0 index or less. For all the information or to sign up call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop today at (218)-564-GOLF or (800)-652-4940.

     This past Saturday, Sept. 17^th we hosted our annual Blueberry Pines Couples Tournament. In the 1^st Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Glen and Dana Hasselberg of Staples, MN carding a 4-under par total of 68. 1^st Place Low Net went to Pete and Linda Bauer of Deerwood, MN scoring a net 66.25. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Jerry Wisuri and Kim Rasmussen of Menahga shooting a net 68.05. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Darryl Larson and Joy Peterson of Starbuck, MN firing a 76. 1^st Place Low Net went to Lyle and Kathy Katzenmeyer of Starbuck, MN scoring a net 65.55. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Joe and Barb Hasselberg of Staples, MN carding a net 67.25. In the 3^rd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Greg and Linda Bookey of Minneapolis, MN shooting an 82. 1^st Place Low Net went to Dalen and Monica Gosseling of Starbuck, MN scoring a net 66.9. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Robert and Vicki Bosl of Starbuck, MN scoring a net 67.9.

     Plus this past Sunday, Sept. 18^th we proudly hosted the 7^th Annual Midway Snurdbird 4-Person Scramble benefitting the Midway Amateur Baseball team. 1^st Place in the Men’s Low Gross Division went to Dustin Berttunen, Marc Olson, Mike Baso and Shane Keranen firing a 14-under par total of 58. 2^nd Place went to the team of Travis Lusti, Brad Niemela, Nate Niemela and Shane Hendrickson scoring a 13-under par total of 59. 3^rd Place went to the team of Jim Day, Craig Korvela, Aaron Moses and Ron Litzau carding 12-under par score of 60. 1^st Place in the Men’s Low Net Division went to the team of Dave Makela, Nate Makela, Skip Makela and Steve Ahrens scoring a net total of 64. 1^st Place in the Women’s Division went to the team of Niki Cuchna, Jenny Lorentz, Jamie Alexander and Theresa Dormanen carding a 2-under par 70. A huge thank you goes out to all of the sponsors and participants who helped to make this years event a success.

     Wednesday, Sept. 14^th Men’s Night event was a Red, White and Blue Tee Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Tim Pederson, Mark Anderson, Mark Schik and Marnie Porter firing a 5-under par 31. 2^nd Place went to Andy Williams, Pat Foss, Mike Carr and Dave Anderson scoring a 32. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Tim Pederson, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Pat Foss and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Rob Beseman. The Men’s Night Money Leader is Tim Bloomquist with Russ Weappa sneaking up quickly. This week’s event will be a 3-Man Low Net Best Ball and next week’s event will be Beat the Pro’s. Men’s Night will begin at 5:15 this Wednesday and 5:00 next Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Sept. 15^th Ladies Night event was cancelled due to inclement weather. The Ladies Night Money Leader remains Bev Hepokoski with Shirley Potter in a close 2^nd Place. This week’s event is a 4-Person 3-Lady Net Best Ball and next week’s event is Beat the Pro’s. This week’s Ladies Night event will begin at 5:00. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event.

     Tip of the Week: Fall is a Great Time to update Your Equipment.

     We currently have some great deals on all remaining 2011 equipment. The lowest prices of the year! Even getting your clubs re-gripped can help to improve your game. If you would like an honest opinion of the quality or fit of your current set, stop in any time and talk to Jim, Brady and Andrew. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 9-12-11

     Blueberry Pines Golf Club held it’s Club Championship this past weekend. The golf course was in fantastic condition, firm, yet well trimmed, with thick, plush rough, very similar to how the USGA would prepare a golf course for a major competition. These conditions make scoring difficult, yet are meant to bring out the best golfer(s).

     The first 18 holes of play commenced on Saturday, Sept. 10. 2009 Club Champion Ron Litzau jump out to an early first day lead in the men’s division firing a 74. Tim Pederson was also on fire, scoring a 76 after the first day’s play. And 2008 Club Champion Jim Emerson also remained close carding a 77 on Saturday. In the Senior Men’s Division Jay Baarstad jumped out to an early lead shooting an 84. With Jerry Wisuri his nearest competitor scoring an 89. In the Women’s Division Kim Ramsussen gained an early one stroke lead carding a 95 on Saturday. Janakaye Husby jumped off to a commanding lead in the Senior Women’s Division & finished just one stroke behind Kim in the Women’s Division, to be her nearest competitor, after scoring a 96.

     On Sunday the 8 low gross men played 27 holes. Ron Litzau held a 3 stroke lead after the first 18 holes of play carding a 2^nd day total of 77. Jim Emerson remained his nearest competitor after matching Ron’s 77. Things heated up on the last 9 holes of play with Ron bogeying the first two holes compared to pars by Jim Emerson. Then Ron’s par on hole 12 helped regain a two stroke lead. The 13^th hole was a swing point after Ron carded a double bogey compared to Jim’s par making both players tied with 5 holes to play. Both players made par on the 14^th and 15^th holes, then Ron’s par on the 16^th regained him a one stroke lead. Both players made par on the 17^th bring the match to the 18^th and final tee with Ron holding a one shot lead. Both players fumbled a little on the 18^th with Ron’s par and Jim’s bogey giving Ron Litzau a final two stroke lead winning his second Men’s Club Championship with rounds of 74-77-40. Jim Emerson finished in 2^nd Place Low Gross with rounds of 77-77-39. Tim Pederson’s fantastic round on Saturday scoring a net 63 and a good round on Sunday scoring a net 72 gave Tim his first Men’s Net Club Championship. In the Men’s 1^st Flight Russ Weappa prevailed to win 1^st Place Low Gross after holding a one stroke lead on Saturday over Kurt Mortenson, and both players matched scores on Sunday, each carding 86. Kurt Mortenson did hold on to win 1^st Place Low Net with net rounds of 76 and 72 for a total of 148. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Bruce Kinnunen with net rounds of 81 and 78 for a 159. In the Men’s Senior Division Jay Baarstad defended his title to win his 2^nd Senior Men’s Club Championship with rounds of 84 and 86. Ron Husby also repeated winning his 2^nd consecutive Senior Men’s Net Club Championship with net rounds of 73 and 67 for a total of 140. Marnie Porter finished in 2^nd Place Low Net scoring rounds of 77 and 79 totaling a 156.

     In the Women’s Division Janakaye Husby was the story of the second day. Firing her best round ever a 92, following up her good round of 96 on Saturday, which scored Jana a complete sweep of the Women’s and Senior Women’s Club Championship. Winning her first Women’s and Senior Women’s Club Championship. Kim Rasmsussen won her first ever Women’s Net Club Championship scoring net rounds of 73 and 80 for a total of 153. Shirley Potter finished in 1^st Place Low Gross in the Women’s Division. In the Women’s Senior Division Janakaye Husby wins the Championship. 2^nd Place Low Gross went to Karen Weappa with rounds of 111 and 108 for a 219. Winning the Senior Women’s Net Club Championship was former multi Women’s Net Club Champion, Connie Wadman, scoring net rounds of 71 and 81 for a total of 152. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Dianne Salmela scoring net rounds of 83 and 79 for a 162.

     This Saturday, Sept. 17^th is our Annual Blueberry Pines Couples Tournament. The format is to play a 9-Hole Scramble and a 9-Hole Best Ball flighting players by the low players handicap and the team’s total handicap. This has traditionally been a great event. The entry fee of $55.00 per player for Non-Members includes your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Grab your favorite guy or gal and sign up today at (218)-564-GOLF for the 10:00 shotgun start.

     Plus this Sunday, Sept. 18^th we will be hosting the 7^th Annual Midway Snurdbird 4-Person Scramble benefitting the Midway Amateur Baseball team. A 12:00 shotgun start is planned. This is a fun event supporting a great cause, plus a chance to win some cool baseball memorabilia. For more information on participating or contributing to this event call George Baso at (218)-564-4878 or (218)-639-1267 or call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF. Put your team together today!

     Wednesday, Sept. 7^th Men’s Night event was a Flighted Individual Low Gross and Low Net. In the 1^st Flight, Ron Litzau fired a one-under par 35 to win 1^st Place Low Gross. 1^st Place Low Net went to Jim Carlson with a net 33. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Kent Cease with a net 35. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Russ Weappa scoring a 40. 1^st Place Low Net went to Lyle Heldt firing a blistering net 28. 2^nd Place went to Dave Andersen with a great net round of 31. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Jay Baarstad, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Mark Schik and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Pat Foss. This week’s event will be a Red, White and Blue Tee Scramble and next week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Sept. 8^th Ladies Night event was a Red, White and Blue Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Suzanne Steele, Shirley Potter, Joy Torvinen and Connie Bennett firing a 37. 2^nd Place went to Connie Wadman, Joan Redalen, Sandy Porter and Denise Ristinen scoring a 40. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Sandy Porter, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Kim Rasmussen and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Sharon Dailey. This week’s event is a Red, White and Blue Tee Scramble and next week’s event is a 3-Lady Scramble. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night at 5:30 for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event.

     Tip of the Week: Gain Confidence by Playing More Golf.

     Play more golf and gain confidence, it is as easy as that. Get out and play, right now is the best time of the season to do just that. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 9-6-11

     Wow, what a fantastic Labor Day Weekend! Maybe a little cool, but our golf course and restaurant were very busy! It was great to see so many golfers playing Blueberry Pines Golf Course and getting to experience the golf course in the best shape of the season, and all the diners enjoying the new menu and all the delicious new entrees’ at the new Ice Creek Restaurant at Blueberry Pines! Join the crowd, by joining us, as we continue the celebration of Blueberry Pines Golf Club’s 20^th Anniversary.

     2012 will be Blueberry Pines Golf Club’s 21^st Season. We ask you to become a part of the best golf and dining facility in the area as we look forward to the 2012 season. We begin our new Membership Drive Today with some Fabulous 2012 Membership offers. New Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and play the balance of this season for FREE! Current Members may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and receive a FREE Cart Lease for the balance of this season. Plus current Members who have a Cart Lease may purchase their Membership now for 2012 and Receive Five $10 Off Dining Certificates to be used either this season or next season. Receive all these benefits at the 2011 prices and receive early payment benefits of either 10% Off or 3 Free Passes, valid for either full Single or Couple Memberships only. Become a Member of the Area’s Best Golf Facility, Golf Course and Restaurant! Golf is the Game of a Lifetime! Begin your game today! Please call the golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for more information on these offers, or to customize an offer to fit your Membership type.

     This Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10^th and 11^th, Blueberry Pines Golf Club is hosting its Club Championship. We invite all of our Members to participate. There are several different divisions which all include Low Gross and Low Net payback, there are also Senior (60 & over) Flights, in both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions. Plus, depending on the number of players, each Division will be flighted based on Saturday’s scores. Join the fun, comradery and prestige of belonging to a great golf club. Tee times on Saturday will be approximately 10:00 a.m till 12:00 noon. Sunday’s tee times will be between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. This event is closed to members only. The entry fee is $30 per player which includes a meal on Sunday at 3:00.

     We will also be having our annual men’s and ladies shootouts Friday Night, Sept. 9^th preceding the Club Championship starting at 4:45 p.m sharp. Remember the shootouts are limited to the first 10 women and first 20 men. The entry fee is $5 per player. Please sign up by Noon Friday for both the Shootout and the Club Championship by calling the Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Then, our next upcoming event on Saturday, Sept. 17^th is our Annual Blueberry Pines Couples Tournament. The format is to play a 9-Hole Scramble and a 9-Hole Best Ball flighting players by the low players handicap and the team’s total handicap. This has traditionally been a great event. The entry fee of $55.00 per player for Non-Members includes your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Grab your favorite guy or gal and sign up today at (218)-564-GOLF for the 10:00 shotgun start.

     Also upcoming on Sunday, Sept. 18^th we will be hosting the 7^th Annual Midway Snurdbird 4-Person Scramble benefitting the Midway Amateur Baseball team. A 12:00 shotgun start is planned. This is a fun event supporting a great cause, plus a chance to win some cool baseball memorabilia. For more information on participating or contributing to this event call George Baso at (218)-564-4878 or (218)-639-1267 or call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF. Put your team together today!

     Wednesday, Aug. 31^st Men’s Night event was a 3-Man Shambles, using the best 2 scores of the 3. 1^st Place went to the team of Mark "King of the Road" Anderson, Austin "Tin Cup" Pulju and Tim "Money Leader" Bloomquist firing a great score of 76. 2^nd Place went to Kurt Mortenson, Ron Husby and Jeff Lund carding a 79 and winning a scorecard playoff. 3^rd Place went to the team of Bruce Kinnunen, Ken Shepersky and Jason Shepersky finishing with a score a 79. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Tim Pederson, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Kurt "the Stick" Mortenson and the longest putt on hole #18 went to Jake Shepersky. This week’s event will be Individual Low Gross and Low Net and next week’s event will be a Red, White and Blue Tee Scramble. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Sept. 1^st Ladies Night event was Individual Low Net. In the 1^st Flight, 1^st Place went to Bev Hepokoski firing a great net score of 32. 2^nd Place went to Janakaye Husby carding a 2-under par net 34. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place went to Dianne Salmela scoring a net 40. 2^nd Place went to Karen Weappa winning a scorecard playoff with a net score of 42. Congratulations go out to Bev Hepoksoki for scoring a birdie 3 on the 13^th hole. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Deb Gens and the longest putt on hole #18 went to Connie Bennett. This week’s event is a Red, White and Blue Tee Scramble and next week’s event is a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball event. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night at 5:30 for Ladies Night, just call to sign up by 3:00 the day of the event.

     Tip of the Week: Get more Distance by Creating a Bigger Swing Arc.

     Create more distance by creating a bigger swing arc. Create a bigger swing arc by keeping the golf club traveling around your body and as far away from your body as possible, creating a bigger swing circle. Keep your left, or front, arm as straight as possible going back and as straight as possible through impact. Also create a bigger swing arc by using less wrist action keeping the clubhead as far away from your body as you begin you backswing. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 8-29-11

     I am looking forward to a fabulous Labor Day Weekend! Let’s hope the forecast brings some beautiful room temperature golf. Make your plans early to play Blueberry Pines Golf Course this weekend with your friends and family and help us Celebrate our 20^th Anniversary Season. Call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) to book your tee time today! Plus check us out on the internet at blueberrypinesgolf.com

     I know, I’ve been saying it all year, but it’s true, our golf course is in quite possibly, the best shape ever! Our greens are rolling fantastic, and right now is the best time of the season to play! Make plans, play hooky, or schedule yourself a little time off to take advantage and enjoy the last, best days of summer.

     Blueberry Pines Golf Club is hosting its Club Championship Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10^th and 11^th. We invite all of our Members to participate. There are several different divisions which all include Low Gross and Low Net payback, there are also Senior (60 & over) Flights, in both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions. Plus, depending on the number of players, each Division will be flighted based on Saturday’s scores. Join the fun, comradery and prestige of belonging to a great golf club. Tee times on Saturday will be approximately 10:00 a.m till 12:00 noon. Sunday’s tee times will be between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. This event is closed to members only. The entry fee is $30 per player which includes a meal on Sunday at 3:00.

     We will also be having our annual men’s and ladies shootouts Friday Night, Sept. 9^th preceding the Club Championship starting at 4:45 p.m sharp. Remember the shootouts are limited to the first 10 women and first 20 men. The entry fee is $5 per player. Please sign up by Noon Friday for both the Shootout and the Club Championship by calling the Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Then, our next upcoming event on Saturday, Sept. 17^th is our Annual Blueberry Pines Couples Tournament. The format is to play a 9-Hole Scramble and a 9-Hole Best Ball flighting players by the low players handicap and the team’s total handicap. This has traditionally been a great event. The entry fee of $55.00 per player for Non-Members includes your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Grab your favorite guy or gal and sign up today at (218)-564-GOLF for the 10:00 shotgun start.

Also upcoming on Sunday, Sept. 18^th we will be hosting the 7^th Annual Midway Snurdbird 4-Person Scramble benefitting the Midway Amateur Baseball team. A 12:00 shotgun start is planned. This is a fun event supporting a great cause, plus a chance to win some cool baseball memorabilia. For more information on participating or contributing to this event call George Baso at (218)-564-4878 or (218)-639-1267 or call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF. Put your team together today!

     Wednesday, Aug. 24^th Men’s Night event was a 4-Man 2-Net Better Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Ron Litzau, Tony Roy, Mike Carr and Eric Heldt scoring a 13-under total of 59. 2^nd Place went to Brady Anderson, Mark Anderson, Tim Bloomquist and Lyle Heldt winning a scorecard playoff with a score of 60. 3^rd Place went to the team of Gary Marjama, Bruce Kinnunen, Pat Foss and Ken Shepersky also scoring a 60. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Ron Husby, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8, nearly a Hole-in-One, went to none other than Marnie Porter and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Pat Foss. This week’s event will be a 4-Man Shambles, counting the low 2 of 4 scores and next week’s event will be Individual Low Gross and Low Net. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Aug. 25^th Ladies Night event was a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Barb Thomason and Kim Marjama scoring a team total of 29. 2^nd Place went to Bev Hepokoski and Shirley Potter scoring a 32 and winning a scorecard playoff. 3^rd Place went to Shirley Potter, who was double picked, and Dee Smith teaming up for a net 32. 4^th Place went to the team of Amy Andersen and Kim Rasmussen carding a net total of 33. Congratulations go out to Connie Wadman for chipping in on the 5^th hole. And congratulations to Deb Gens for making a birdie on the 3^rd Hole. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Cathy Reich, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Connie Bennett and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Sandy Porter. This week’s event is Individual Low Gross and Low Net and next week’s event is a Red, White and Blue Tee Scramble. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night at 5:30 for Ladies Night.

     Tip of the Week: Set your back knee like a sprinter’s.

     Coil correctly around your right leg on your backswing, do not loose your knee flex. When the right leg straightens on the backswing, invariably it moves forward, rather than toward the target on the downswing. Visualize your right knee staying in the same strongly flexed and springy condition at the completion of the backswing as that of a sprinter getting ready to push off into a 100 meter dash. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 8-23-11

     The forecast is calling for some perfect golf weather this week! Blueberry Pines Golf Course is in, quite possibly, the best shape ever! So, like our motto says, we’ll provide the beauty and challenge, you bring the game! This is the best time of the year to play golf and the extended Labor Day Weekend is almost upon us. So make plans today to bring your game to Blueberry Pines by calling us at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) for your tee time. Check us out online to find out more information about Blueberry Pines Golf Club or our Ice Creek Restaurant at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     Wow, what a fantastic weekend! The Outdoor Entertainment event of the Season, the Memorial Tournament, lived up to its billing. 22 teams of 4 participated in the tournament, the Hog Roast was delicious and the band "PAST DUE" was Terrific! If you missed this year’s event, you must put Friday, August 17, 2012 on you schedule today. We could not do this event without the help of the following sponsors: 1^st National Bank of Menahga & Sebeka; JC Electric; Citizen’s National Bank; Wolf & Simon Real Estate; Pederson & Pederson, PA; the Review Messenger; North Star Orthodontics; and Anderson Homes, please patronize these great businesses. 1^st Place Gross in this year’s event went to Dan & Adeline Perrine of Fargo, Charlie Larson of Ottertail and Dick Olson of Grand Forks scoring a 14-under 58. 2^nd Place Gross went to a Park Rapids team including Jim Wallace, Mark Schik, Steve Johnson and Kyle Johnson carding a 59. 1^st Place Net went to a Fergus Falls, MN team including Terry Motz, Nate Schell, Travis Hunter and Travis Spilde scoring a net 65 and winning a scorecard playoff. 2^nd Place Net went to a Menahga/Park Rapids team including Tim Bloomquist, Larry Haas, Ken Mackley and Andy Williams finishing with a 65.

     Then on Saturday, August 20^th we proudly hosted the Menahga Gateway Lion’s Club 4-Person Scramble. Two fun events in two days! We thank all the participants and great sponsors who helped to make this event a great success again this season. The Menahga Gateway Lions Club and all they do for our community alone is enough to support and participate is this event. This year’s tournament winners winning 1^st Place Gross was the team of Mike Baso, Travis Lusti, Dusin Berttunen and Brad Niemela after scoring an 8-under par total of 64. 1^st Place in the Net Division went to the team of Ken Shepersky, Brian Hotakainen, Jason Shepersky and Tony Meech scoring a net 63.

     Blueberry Pines Golf Club is hosting our Club Championship Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 10^th and 11^th. We invite all our Members to participate. There are several different divisions which all include Low Gross and Low Net payback, there are also Senior (60 & over) Flights, in both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions. Plus, depending on the number of players, each Division will be flighted based on Saturday’s scores. Join the fun, comradery and prestige of belonging to a great golf club. Tee times on Saturday will be approximately 10:00 a.m till 12:00 noon. Sunday’s tee times will be between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. This event is closed to members only. The entry fee is $30 per player which includes a meal on Sunday at 3:00. We will also be having our annual men’s and ladies shootouts Friday Night, Sept. 9^th preceding the Club Championship starting at 4:45 p.m sharp. Remember the shootouts are limited to the first 10 women and first 20 men. The entry fee is $5 per player. Please sign up by Noon Friday for both the Shootout and the Club Championship by calling the Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Wednesday, Aug. 17^th Men’s Night event was a a Flighted Individual Low Gross and Low Net. In the 1^st Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Ron Litzau firing a one over par 37. 2^nd Place Gross went to Jay Baarstad who carded a 39. 1^st Place Low Net went to Kurt Mortenson bettering his handicap by one for a 35. 2^nd Place Net went to Kent Cease with an even par net 36. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Ken Mackley firing a 39. 2^nd Place Gross went to Justin Kinnunen scoring a 43. 1^st Place Low Net went to Tim Bloomquist firing a net 33 and winning a scorecard playoff over 2^nd Place Net winner Neil Wogsland who also carded a 33. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Craig Korvela, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Kurt Mortenson, nice par, and the longest putt on hole #18 went to Andy Williams. This week’s event will be a 4-Man 2-Net Better Ball and next week’s event will be a 4-Man Shambles, counting the low 2 of 4 scores. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Aug. 18^th Ladies Night event was a Par 3 Derby plus we hosted a Rally for the Cure event, closest to the pin on hole #17. In the Par 3 Derby, in which all nine holes on our back 9 were converted to par 3's. 1^st Place Low Gross went to Bev Hepokoski with a great score of 31. 2^nd Place Gross, just one shot back, was Mary Williams shooting a 32. 1^st Place Lw Net went to Shirley Potter carding a 27 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 2^nd Place Net winner Vera Staus, who we welcome back, after Vera also scored a 27. Congrats go out to Carol Frisby for chipping in on the 14^th hole. And there was a birdie barage with Mary Williams getting a birdie on hole #10, Shirley Potter birdied hole #12, Vera Staus birdied hole #16 and Bev Hepokoski birdied hole #16 and hole #17. Winning the golf bag for the Rally for the Cure event, with an almost Hole-in-One was Bev Hepoksoki, great shot! Flag winner’s were as follows; hole #10 went to Karen Weappa; hole #11 went to Connie Bennett; hole #12 went to Janakaye Husby; hole #13 went to Connie Bennett; hole #14 went to Connie Bennett; hole #15 went to Connie Wadman; hole #16 went to Vera Staus; hole #17 went to Bev Hepoksoki; and hole #18 went to Mary Williams. This week’s event is a 2-Perosn Blind Partenr Low Net Best Ball event and next week’s event is an Individual Low Net event. Join the areas best group of gals each Thursday Night at 5:30 for Ladies Night.

     Tip of the Week: How backspin affects your shots.

     A shot with more backspin, simply stated, flies straighter, provided there is no wind affect. Players hit their higher lofted clubs straighter because they have more backspin. Lower lofted clubs are harder to hit because they have less backspin and more side spin effects. Creating more backspin on your lower lofted clubs could help you improve your game. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 8-15-11

     Here it comes the "Outdoor Entertainment Event of the Season" the Memorial 4-Person Scramble this Friday, August 19. The festivities begin with a 4-Person Scramble Golf Tournament shotgun starting at 1:30. Plus an Outdoor Hog Roast and Picnic starting at 6:00 pm. Then for your Listening and Dancing Enjoyment the Fargo-Moorhead band "PAST DUE" performs Live on Stage Outdoors on our Driving Range from 7:00 to 11:00 pm! Kick up your heels or just sit back and listen to music from the 50's through today. These guys are good! Join the fun by getting your golfing team together for a day of golf, food and fun or if your not a golfer plan on joining us for dinner and the band or at the very least, stop and enjoy the great sound of "PAST DUE" Live Outdoors on Stage! For more information, check out our ad in today’s Newspaper or call us at Blueberry Pines at (218)-564-4653.

     For more information about Blueberry Pines Golf Club or the Ice Creek Restaurant, or to book tee times, give us a call at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     Again, this Friday, August 19 is our "Outdoor Event of the Season", the Memorial Tournament! "The Memorial" is a 4-Person Scramble Tournament scheduled for a 1:30 pm shotgun start. This tournament is played in loving memory of "Everyone’s Best Friend" Tom Strathman and Blueberry Pines’ "#1 Starter" Al Potter. Spend this day in grand remembrance of that "Someone Special" in your life. A grand event schedule is planned. The entry fee of $60.00 per player includes it all, your golf, cart, prizes, Hog Roast and a wrist band, for entry into "Past Due", a band billed as "Entertainment Worth the Wait". Past Due will play from 7:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. If you would like to participate, but cannot play in the golf tournament, stop and check out the outdoor entertainment event of the season for a $5.00 per person cover charge or you can do the dinner & band entry for $15. A portion of each entry will go towards College CD’s for Tom’s Grandchildren plus towards the Parks Rapids Memorial Scholarship fund, originally set up by Al in Park Rapids. Get your team together today for a day remembering Tom Strathman and Al Potter. Call (218)-564-GOLF to sign up.

     After Golfing and Dancing the Night away on Friday, keep your team together and play in the Menahga Gateway Lion’s Club 4-Person Scramble on Saturday, August 20^th. Two fun events in two days! This has traditionally been a great event supporting a great organization. Give your support to an organization that truly supports our entire community and a majority of its projects and progress. The tournament will start with a 12:00 noon shotgun. A 4-Person Scramble is always a fun format! The entry fee of $60 per player includes your golf, cart, prizes and lunch during play. There will be hole prizes galore + door prizes and good times had by all. Join the fun and support the Menahga Gateway Lions Club and all they do for our community and all of us by signing up your team today. Call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     This past Saturday, August 13^th Blueberry Pines proudly hosted the 10^th Annual Sons of Norway "Norsk Open" 4-Person Scramble. This event is supported by the Sons of Norway, and played in loving memory of Ken Underwood and Ken Erickson, two former golf loyalists, enthusiasts and supporters. Originally inspired by the insight of Don Schieck and carried on today by Frank Forsberg. A great turn out this year and another great event the Ken’s would be proud of. The emphasis this day is Fun! Winning this year’s 9-Hole Division was a 3-Person team including Rod Westrum, Paul Dove and Frank Forsberg scoring a 40. 1^st Place Gross in the 18-Hole Division went to Mike Caspers, Greg Caspers, Chad Kraft and Darin Dvorak firing a 14-under par score of 58. 1^st Place Net in the 18-Hole Division went to Chad Avikainen, Orlan Thorbeck, Erik Forsberg and Dennis Platz scoring a 6-under par score of 66.

     Wednesday, Aug. 10^th Men’s Night event was a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Total event. 1^st Place went to the team of Andy Williams and Jim Carlson teaming up to score a net 68 and winning a scorecard playoff. 2^nd Place went to the team of Russ Weappa and Jay Baarstad who combined for a net 68. 3^rd Place went to Dave Andersen and Marnie Porter pairing up to card a net 69. 4^th Place went to Jeff Lund and Kurt Mortenson who teamed up to fire a net 70. Thanks for dinner Jim! Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Todd Sanquist, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Pat Foss and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Mike Carr. This week’s event will be a Flighted Individual Low Net and Low Gross and next week’s event will be a 4-Man 2-Net Better Ball. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Aug. 11^th Ladies Night event was a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Amy Andersen, Carol Frisby, Marsha Weyland and Shirley Potter who teamed up to fire a 10-under par net total of 62. 2^nd Place went to the team of Mary Williams, JoAnn Zerwekh, Dianne Salmela and Sandy Porter shooting a 2-ball net team total of 63. Congratulations go out to Mary Williams for winning the chip-in pot with a chip-in on hole #7. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Joy Torvinen, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Mary Williams and the longest putt made on Hole #9 went to Connie Wadman. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby and a Special Rally for the Cure Event. This year’s Rally for the Cure will be a closest to the pin from the tee event on hole #17 during the Par 3 Derby on Thursday, August 18^th. Support the "Rally for the Cure" this Thursday, August 18^th at Blueberry Pines. Call Jim at (218)-564-4653 for more information. Next week’s Ladies Night event will be a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball.

     Tip of the Week: Try Spot Putting on Short Putts.

     There are two types of spot putting that I have tried. The first involves picking a mark on the green a few inches ahead of the ball on the line you intend to start your putt on. The second method is to pick a spot a few inches short of the hole to roll the ball over. I invite you to try both techniques and consider using the one that works the best for you. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 8-9-11

     Aaaahhh, that hot, sultry weather has finally left us for a while! The perfect Minnesota Golf weather has returned this week and just in time for you to play a little golf at Blueberry Pines Golf Course. Our golf course is spectacular right now! And we hope you can make it out to play very soon! Our schedule is heating up as well. Coming up this Saturday, August 13 is the Sons of Norway "Norsk Open" 4-Person Scramble, then our own little Blueberry Fest "The Memorial" 4-Person Scramble is upcoming Friday, August 19 complete with "Live Outdoor Entertainment" from "PAST DUE", then we have the Lions Club 4-Person Scramble scheduled for Saturday, August 20. Get your Friends, Teams and Golf Games together to participate in all of these great events. For more information about Blueberry Pines Golf Club or the Ice Creek Restaurant, or to book tee times, give us a call at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     Join Ole and Lena in the 10^th Annual Sons of Norway "Norsk Open" 4-Person Scramble. Scheduled for a 9:30 Shotgun Saturday, August 13. All kidding aside, this tournament has traditionally been a very good event, supported by the Sons of Norway, and played in loving memory of Ken Underwood and Ken Erickson, two former golf loyalists, enthusiasts and supporters. And originally inspired by the insight of Don Schieck. Whether you’re an avid golfer or a duffer, join us for a day of golf, dining, competition and social gathering as we remember the Kens. All players are invited to participate. An entry fee of $60 will cover your golf, cart, tee gift, prizes and a meal following play. The only emphasis required to play in this event is on having fun and enjoying your day out on the links. So, put your team together today and sign up by calling Frank Forsberg at (218)-732-7175 or you can also call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Upcoming a week from Friday, is our "Outdoor Event of the Season", the Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19. "The Memorial" is a 4-Person Scramble Tournament scheduled for a 1:30 pm shotgun start. This tournament will be played in memory of "Everyone’s Best Friend" Tom Strathman and Blueberry Pines’ "#1 Starter" Al Potter. A grand event schedule, both Tom & Al would be proud of, is planned. This event has it all, 18 Holes of Golf with Cart, followed by a Hog Roast on our driving range, followed by your prize presentation and then Blueberry Pines proudly presents a Fargo-Moorhead band "Past Due" performing "Live" on our Driving Range for your listening and dancing enjoyment. The entry fee of $60.00 per player includes it all, your golf, cart, prizes, Hog Roast and a wrist band, for entry into "Past Due", a band billed as "Entertainment Worth the Wait". Past Due will play from 7:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. If you would like to participate, but cannot play in the golf tournament, stop and check out the outdoor entertainment event of the season for a $5.00 per person cover charge or you can do the dinner & band entry for $15. A portion of each entry will go towards College CD’s for Tom’s Grandchildren plus towards the Parks Rapids Memorial Scholarship fund, originally set up by Al in Park Rapids. Get your team together today for a day remembering Tom Strathman and Al Potter. Call (218)-564-GOLF to sign up.

     Also upcoming on Saturday, August 20^th is the Menahga Gateway Lion’s Club 4-Person Scramble. The tournament will start with a 12:00 noon shotgun. This is a fun format benefitting for a great organization. The entry fee of $60 per player includes your golf, cart, prizes and lunch during play. There will be hole prizes galore + door prizes and good times had by all. Join the fun, support the Menahga Gateway Lions Club and all they do for our community by signing up your team today. Call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Wednesday, Aug. 3^rd Men’s Night event was a 2-Man Low Gross Best Ball. 1^st Place, and Bragging Rights for the Night, went to the team of Mark Anderson and Mark Schik firing a 37. 2^nd Place went to Tim Pederson and Mike Simon who teamed up for a score of 38. 3^rd Place went to Pat Foss and Dale Captain who combined for a total of 38. 4^th Place went to Ron Litzau and Dave Andersen carding a 39. Thanks for chow Dave! Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Neil Wogsland, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Andy Williams and the longest putt on hole #18 went to Ron Husby. This week’s event will be a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Total and next week’s event will be a Flighted Individual Low Gross and Low Net. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, Aug. 4^th Ladies Night event was 3-Lady Shambles. 1^st Place went to the team of Connie Wadman, Sandy Porter and Barb Thomason teaming up for a score of 40. 2^nd Place went to the team of Renee Brauer, Dianne Salmela and Dee Smith shooting a team total of 42. Two birdies also went out, Barb Thomason birdied the 14^th hole and Sandy Porter birdied the 17^th hole. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Sandy Porter, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Sandy Porter and the longest putt made on Hole #18 went to Connie Wadman. This week’s event will be a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball event counting the best 2 of 4 scores and next week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby. The Par 3 Derby will also be our Rally for a Cure Night. This year’s Rally for the Cure will be a closest to the pin event on hole #17 during the Par 3 Derby on Thursday, August 18^th. Put the Rally for the Cure date on your calendar to make sure you can make it!

     Tip of the Week: Diagnose Your Swing with Divots and Ball Flights.

     One of the hardest things about the golf swing is our inability to see ourselves in action. The direction of your divot is a clear indicator of you are doing with the club, and even more of an indicator is the ball flight. That is also why we all need to take a lesson from time to time. Watch your divots and watch your ball flight to help yourself determine your swing flaws. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 8-1-11

     We are now in the Peak of Summer and Blueberry Pines Golf Course is also in the best Peak Condition of the Season! It was another very busy week here at Blueberry Pines and we hope that you can join us soon as we continue the celebration of our 20^th Anniversary so you can see what is new at Blueberry Pines. For more information about Blueberry Pines Golf Club or the Ice Creek Restaurant, or to book tee times, give us a call at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     Join Ole and Lena in the 10^th Annual Sons of Norway "Norsk Open" 4-Person Scramble. Scheduled for a 9:30 Shotgun Saturday, August 13. All kidding aside, this tournament has traditionally been a very good event, supported by the Sons of Norway, and played in loving memory of Ken Underwood and Ken Erickson, two former golf loyalists, enthusiasts and supporters. And originally inspired by the insight of Don Schieck. Whether you’re an avid golfer or a duffer, join us for a day of golf, dining, competition and social gathering as we remember the Kens. All players are invited to participate. An entry fee of $60 will cover your golf, cart, tee gift, prizes and a meal following play. The only emphasis required to play in this event is on having fun and enjoying your day out on the links. So, put your team together today and sign up by calling Frank Forsberg at (218)-732-7175 or you can also call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Also coming up soon, is our "Outdoor Event of the Season", the Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19. "The Memorial" is a 4-Person Scramble Tournament scheduled for a 1:30 pm shotgun start. This tournament will be played in memory of "Everyone’s Best Friend" Tom Strathman and Blueberry Pines’ "#1 Starter" Al Potter. A grand event schedule, both Tom & Al would be proud of, is planned. This event has it all, 18 Holes of Golf with Cart, followed by a Hog Roast on our driving range, followed by your prize presentation and then Blueberry Pines proudly presents a Fargo-Moorhead band "Past Due" performing "Live" on our Driving Range for your listening and dancing enjoyment. The entry fee of $60.00 per player includes it all, your golf, cart, prizes, Hog Roast and a wrist band, for entry into "Past Due", a band billed as "Entertainment Worth the Wait". Past Due will play from 7:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. If you would like to participate, but cannot play in the golf tournament, stop and check out the outdoor entertainment event of the season for a $5.00 per person cover charge or you can do the dinner & band entry for $15. A portion of each entry will go towards College CD’s for Tom’s Grandchildren plus towards the Parks Rapids Memorial Scholarship fund, originally set up by Al in Park Rapids. Get your team together today for a day remembering Tom Strathman and Al Potter. Call (218)-564-GOLF to sign up.

     This past Friday, July 29, we proudly hosted the Panther Hockey Golf Benefit. This event benefits the Park Rapids Amateur Hockey Association Youth Teams and the Panther’s Boys and Girls Varsity Hockey Programs. Thank you to all the great sponsors, valuable participants and wonderful volunteers who helped make this year’s event another very fun day! Winning 1^st Place in the tournament was the team of Ian Johnson, Scott Johnson, Walt Harrison and John Kirby with a Peoria Score of 63. Overall low score went to the team of Chris Knapp, Chris Hennum, Tyler Lehrke and Nick Wittenburg scoring a 58. Winning the long putt contests were Roger Stewart and Joe Brumbaugh, winning the long drive contests were Kevin Lund and Levi Erickson and winning the closest to the pins was Chis Hennum and Levi Erickson.

     This past Saturday, July 30 we proudly hosted the "Finn Classic". We would like to thank all the 124 Finlanders who participated in this year’s tournament. This is definitely one of Blueberry Pines’ best events of the season. This year’s bragging rights go to the team of Brian Ylitalo, Mark Sturos, Dave Leppa and Phil Maki scoring the day’s overall low score of 57.

     Wednesday, July 27^th Men’s Night event was Individual Low Gross and Low Net. Players were flighted into two divisions. In the 1^st Flight, 1st Place Low Gross went to Brady Anderson firing a 37. 1^st Place Low Net went to Ron Litzau scoring a net 35. 2^nd Place went to Jim Carlson carding a net 37 after a scorecard playoff. 3^rd Place Low Net went to Matt Porter shooting a 37. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Ken Mackley scoring a 41. 1^st Place Low Net went to Russ Weappa firing a net 30. 2^nd Place went to Austin Pulju scoring a net 31. 3^rd Place Low Net went to Tim Bloomquist scoring a net 33, while continuing to hold on to the Men’s Night Money Leader top spot. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Ken Mackley, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Eric Heldt and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Doug Sorenson. This week’s event will be a 2-Man Low Gross Best Ball and next week’s event will be a 4-Man Shambles, counting the best 2 of the 4 scores. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night.

     Thursday, July 28^th Ladies Night event was Individual Low Gross and Low Net. Players were divided into three flights. In the 1^st Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Brooke Porter carding a 43. 1^st Place Low Net went to Penny Voss firing a great net score of 30. 2^nd Place Net went to Suzanne Steele carding a 37. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Shirley Potter scoring a 45. 1^st Place Low Net went to Sandy Porter shooting a 34. 2^nd Place Net went to Cathy Reich carding a net 35. In the 3^rd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Dianne Salmela shooting a 55. 1^st Place Low Net went to Marsha Weyland with a 35. 3^rd Place Net went to Barb Thomason scoring a 37. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Sandy Porter, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Brooke Porter and the longest putt made on Hole #9 went to Bev Hepokoski. This week’s event will be a 4-Lady Shambles counting the best 2 of 4 scores and next week’s event will be a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball event.

     Tip of the Week: Lighten grip pressure to cure a slice.

     This tip is especially good for seniors, but applies to everyone. Too tight of a grip, particularly with the right hand, prevents a complete release of the clubhead through impact, which will leave your face open through the ball. Overly tight grip pressure also can promote an over the top action at the start of your downswing. Lighten your grip pressure and hit better shots. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 7-25-11

     Things have been extremely busy here at Blueberry Pines, which has been great to see! Our grounds crew here at Blueberry Pines has the Golf Course in possibly the best shape ever. I cannot say enough about how well our greens have been rolling. And remember, you all are always welcome at Blueberry Pines! We are celebrating our 20^th Anniversary this Season and many of the changes being made this season have been very noticeable. We have re-introduced the Ice Creek Restaurant at Blueberry Pines, introduced the areas most unique menu, and have improved the atmosphere throughout the facility. Our best kept secret here at Blueberry Pines is our Outdoor Deck. The warm summer weather makes it a great spot to dine or enjoy a cold beverage after your round. Plus we are now utilizing fresh vegetables, herbs and spices from our on site gardens. I would like to invite you to check us out very soon! For more information about Blueberry Pines Golf Club or the Ice Creek Restaurant, or to book tee times, give us a call at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     This Friday, July 29 we are hosting the Panther Hockey Golf Benefit. This event benefits the Park Rapids Amateur Hockey Association Youth Teams and the Panther’s Boys and Girls Varsity Hockey Programs. The event is slated to begin with a shotgun start at 1:00. The tournament will be a 4-Person Scramble, which is always a fun format, and the event benefits our area’s youth hockey players. There will also be some great on course contests and four Hole-in-One prizes including a chance to win a new Ford Fusion sponsored by Park Rapids Ford. This is an open event welcoming golfers of every skill level. Membership in, or having children in, the Park Rapids Hockey Association is NOT required to play. Anyone can participate. For sponsorship information or for more information in this event, please contact Clayton Hoyt at (218)-255-0773, Kevin Lund at (218)-556-7100, or Jed Nordin at (218)-237-6020. Visit the PRAHA website at prhockey.com for updates on the event. You can also call us at Blueberry Pines at (218)-564-4653.

     Also coming up soon, is our "Outdoor Event of the Season", the Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19. "The Memorial" is a 4-Person Scramble Tournament scheduled for a 1:30 pm shotgun start. This tournament will be played in memory of "Everyone’s Best Friend" Tom Strathman and Blueberry Pines’ "#1 Starter" Al Potter. A grand event schedule, both Tom & Al would be proud of, is planned. This event has it all, 18 Holes of Golf with Cart, followed by a Hog Roast on our driving range, followed by your prize presentation and then Blueberry Pines proudly presents a Fargo-Moorhead band "Past Due" performing "Live" on our Driving Range for your listening and dancing enjoyment. The entry fee of $60.00 per player includes it all, your golf, cart, prizes, Hog Roast and a wrist band, for entry into "Past Due", a band billed as "Entertainment Worth the Wait". Past Due will play from 7:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. If you would like to participate, but cannot play in the golf tournament, stop and check out the outdoor entertainment event of the season for a $5.00 per person cover charge or you can do the dinner & band entry for $15. A portion of each entry will go towards College CD’s for Tom’s Grandchildren plus towards the Parks Rapids Memorial Scholarship fund, originally set up by Al in Park Rapids. Get your team together today for a day remembering Tom Strathman and Al Potter. Call (218)-564-GOLF to sign up.

     Wednesday, July 20^th Men’s Night event was a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball.1st Place went to Russ Weappa and Mark Schik who combined for a great net score of 28. 2^nd Place went to the team of Andy Williams and Pat Foss pairing up for a total of 31 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 3^rd Place team of Gary Marjama and Ken Mackley who also card the net score of 31. Tim Bloomquist remains firmly on top of the Men’s Night Money Leader list. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Ron Litzau, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Russ Weappa and the longest putt on hole #18 went to Bruce Kinnunen. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby & Scramble and next week’s event will be a 4-Man Shambles, counting the best 2 of the 4 scores. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome. We offer a reduced priced green and cart fee, plus a chance to win on both Men’s and Ladies Nights.

     Thursday, July 21^st Ladies Night event was a 4-Lady Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Deb Gens, JoAnn Zerwekh, Lois Captain and Connie Wadman teaming up to fire a 34. 2^nd Place went to the team of Amy Andersen, Connie Hammer, Jana Kaye Husby and Shirley Potter carding an even par 36. 3^rd Place went to Bonnie Beilke, Karen Weappa, Connie Bennett and Mary Williams scoring a 37. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Karen Weappa, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Dee Smith and the longest putt made on Hole #18 went to Kim Rasmussen. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby and next week’s event will be a 4-Lady Shambles counting the best 2 of 4 scores.

     Tip of the Week: Look to your feet to plug power leakage.

     Foot action may not seem like much of a contributor to good golf compared to all the bigger, bolder, more intriguing motions going on up above. But, for a real insight to its importance, see how much power you can pour into a shot while keeping your feet absolutely still. If you are not using your feet properly you will be headed for serious power leakage. Make your feet leaders rather than followers. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

 Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 7-19-11

     The heat is on, which you know, can make your golf ball fly a little further! Although the air has also been a little thick as well, which should begin tapering off this week, bringing back some more perfect golf weather! So take advantage of the extra ball flight this week by booking your tee times today, simply call our golf shop at (218)-564-GOLF (4653). Our best discounts are available on our website, just sign up for our specials and discounts at blueberrypinesgolf.com. 2011 is Blueberry Pines Golf Club’s 20^th Anniversary, our golf course is immaculate, and we hope to see you all golfing Blueberry Pines very soon!

     Our next upcoming tournament is our Summer Senior/Pre-Senior Tournament scheduled for Monday, July 25. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. Flights will be determined by age and handicap. The age divisions are 50-59, 60-69, and 70 & over. The entry fee is $60.00 per player for non-members and $50.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, dinner and prizes. We will have an optional (gross and net) giant skins game. The format is individual stroke play (play your own ball throughout each hole). This is typically a great event,.which includes a little competition, some great golf and some great food with a lunch served following play, plus a chance to win. Sign up today! To sign up or for more information please call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (800)-652-4940 or (218)-564-4653.

     Coming up soon, is our "Event of the Season", the Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19. "The Memorial" is a 4-Person Scramble Tournament scheduled for a 1:30 pm shotgun start. This tournament will be played in memory of "Everyone’s Best Friend" Tom Strathman and Blueberry Pines’ "#1 Starter" Al Potter. A grand event schedule, both Tom & Al would be proud of, is planned. This event has it all, 18 Holes of Golf with Cart, followed by a Hog Roast on our driving range, followed by your prize presentation and then Blueberry Pines proudly presents a Fargo-Moorhead band "Past Due" performing "Live" on our Driving Range for your listening and dancing enjoyment. The entry fee of $60.00 per player includes it all, your golf, cart, prizes, Hog Roast and a wrist band, for entry into "Past Due", a band billed as "Entertainment Worth the Wait". Past Due will play from 7:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. If you would like to participate, but cannot play in the golf tournament, stop and check out the outdoor entertainment event of the season for a $5.00 per person cover charge or you can do the dinner & band entry for $15. A portion of each entry will go towards College CD’s for Tom’s Grandchildren plus towards a scholarship fund originally set up by Al in Park Rapids. Get your team together today for a day remembering Tom Strathman and Al Potter. Call (218)-564-GOLF to sign up.

     Wednesday, July 13^th Men’s Night event was Individual Low Gross and Low Net. The players were divided into two separate flights. In the 1^st Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Brady Anderson firing a 35. 2^nd Place Low Gross went to Kurt Mortenson scoring a 41. 1^st Place Low Net went to Todd Sandquist with a net total of 33. In the 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Pat Foss, who’s been red hot, firing a 42. 2^nd Place went to Terry Ristinen who carded a great score of 44. 1^st Place Low Net went to Austin Pulju carding a net score of 32. Tim Bloomquist remains on top of the Men’s Night Money Leader list. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Jeff Reish, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Andy Williams and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Don Salmela. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby & Scramble and next week’s event will be a 4-Man Shambles, counting the best 2 of the 4 scores. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome. We offer a reduced priced green and cart fee, plus a chance to win on both Men’s and Ladies Nights.

     Thursday, July 14^th Ladies Night event was Low Putts. 1^st Place went to Dianne Salmela with 17 putts and winning the tie-breaker. 2^nd Place went to Connie Bennett who also finished with 17 putts. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #4 went to Karen Weappa and the longest putt made on Hole #9 went to Connie Bennett. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby and next week’s event will be a 4-Lady Shambles counting the best 2 of 4 scores.

     Tip of the Week: Understand the Release of the Club.

     The better your release, the more powerfully and accurately you will strike the golf ball. So what exactly is the release? Stated as simply as possible, it is, a free, full and fast swinging of the clubhead through the golf ball by the hands, wrists and arms at the appropriate time during the downswing. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 7-10-11

     All the complaining we did about the weather this Spring seems to be paying off! It has been absolutely fantastic the past couple weeks! I hope you all have been able to take advantage. Plus right now is the perfect time to play golf at Blueberry Pines! The golf course is in superb shape and the flowers are in full bloom! From top to bottom, we are really good right now, and we invite you to experience Blueberry Pines for yourself. Book your tee times today by calling us today at (218)-564-GOLF (4653). You can find the best specials for golf on our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com.=

     Our next upcoming tournament is our Summer Senior/Pre-Senior Tournament scheduled for Monday, July 25. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. Flights will be determined by age and handicap. The age divisions are 50-59, 60-69, and 70 & over. The entry fee is $60.00 per player for non-members and $50.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, dinner and prizes. We will have an optional (gross and net) giant skins game. The format is individual stroke play (play your own ball throughout each hole). This is typically a great event,.which includes a little competition, some great golf and some great food with a lunch served following play, plus a chance to win. Sign up today! To sign up or for more information please call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (800)-652-4940 or (218)-564-4653.

     Coming up soon, our "Event of the Season", the Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 19. "The Memorial" is a 4-Person Scramble Tournament schedule for a 1:30 pm shotgun start. This tournament will be played in memory of "Everyone’s Best Friend" Tom Strathman and Blueberry Pines’ "#1 Starter" Al Potter. A grand event schedule, both Tom & Al would be proud of, is planned. This event has it all, 18 Holes of Golf with Cart, followed by a Hog Roast on our driving range, followed by your prize presentation and then Blueberry Pines proudly presents a Fargo-Moorhead band "Past Due" performing "Live" on our Driving Range for your listening and dancing enjoyment. The entry fee of $60.00 per player includes it all, your golf, cart, prizes, Hog Roast and a wrist band, for entry into "Past Due", a band billed as "Entertainment Worth the Wait". Past Due will play from 7:00 p.m. till 11:00 p.m. If you would like to participate, but cannot play in the golf tournament, stop and check out the outdoor entertainment event of the season for a $5.00 per person cover charge or you can do the dinner & band entry for $15. A portion of each entry will go towards College CD’s for Tom’s Grandchildren plus towards a scholarship fund originally set up by Al in Park Rapids. Get your team together today for a day remembering Tom Strathman and Al Potter. Call (218)-564-GOLF to sign up.

     Wednesday, July 6^th Men’s Night event was a 4-Man 2-Net Better Ball event. 1^st Place went to the team of Dave Andersen, Kent Cease, Mike Carr and Steve Susich firing an 18-under par score of 54. 2^nd Place went to Russ Weappa, Doug Dufty, Mark Schik and Lynn Seward scoring a team total of 58. Tim Bloomquist has been hard to overcome on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Kent Cease, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Mark Schik and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Dave Andersen. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby & Scramble and next week’s event will be 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome. We offer a reduced priced green and cart fee, plus a chance to win on both Men’s and Ladies Nights.

     Thursday, July 7^th Ladies Night event was a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball. 1^st Place went to the 5-person team of Deb Gens, Connie Bennett, Dee Smith, Joy Torvinen and Judy Love scoring a 13-under par 59. 2^nd Place went to the team of Mary Williams, Carol Frisby, Sharon Dailey and Dianne Salmela after also scoring a 59. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Sandy Porter, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Suzanne Steele and the longest putt made on Hole #9 went to Connie Wadman. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby and next week’s event will be a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball.

     Tip of the Week: See Putting Distances in Increments.

     Because the speed of the ball’s roll always determines how much it will break, judging putting distance, that is the force of the stroke required, is always the top priority in reading greens, especially with longer putts. Contour, turf conditions and weather all must enter into the computation, as well as a factor often neglected by amateurs, that is, the direction of the grain. Bentgrass tends to grow toward the direction of drainage. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 7-4-11

     Summer weather and summer activities have really taken off this week! The 4^th of July Weekend was fantastic with golfers galore! And, as we look forward to this upcoming weekend, we welcome all those in town for the Mid-Summer Celebration in Menahga and we invite you to join us in the Celebration of our 20^th Anniversary Season here at Blueberry Pines Golf Club! Things have really been incredibly good here at Blueberry Pines in 2011 and we invite you and your friends and family to share some of these good times with us very soon. The weather looks to be perfect for golf all week and our golf course is in impeccable shape. Book your tee times today by calling us today at (218)-564-GOLF (4653). You can also look us up online at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     So, if your in our area, stop by and check out our beautiful log clubhouse, our 18 Hole Championship Golf Course, complete with 5 sets of tees, for players of all abilities. Then play golf, and while your out, view our attractions, including our Mute Trumpeter Swans, our spring fed streams and experience our nature, it is, what makes Northern Minnesota and Blueberry Pines so wonderful! Plus remember to always, stop and smell the flowers, as we have some of the most beautiful flower gardens scattered throughout our golf course!

     A 2-Man Best Ball Tournament is scheduled for this Sunday, July 10. The tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 11:00. We offer a Handicap Flight and a Championship Flight. The Handicap Flight will play from the White Tees and use Gross and Net Scores. The Championship Flight will play from the Blue Tees and use Gross Scores only. Players with a 5.0 handicap index or less plus players that are 18 years of age or younger must play in the Championship Flight. Players in the Handicap Flight must have a current USGA Handicap. The entry fee is $60 per player and will include your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Call your golfing partner and put your team together today! To sign up or for more information, please the call our golf shop at (218)-564-4653.

     Our next upcoming tournament is our Summer Senior/Pre-Senior Tournament scheduled for Monday, July 25. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. Flights will be determined by age and handicap. The age divisions are 50-59, 60-69, and 70 & over. The entry fee is $60.00 per player for non-members and $50.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, dinner and prizes. We will have an optional (gross and net) giant skins game. The format is individual stroke play (play your own ball throughout each hole). This is typically a great event,.which includes a little competition, some great golf and some great food with a lunch served following play, plus a chance to win. Sign up today! To sign up or for more information please call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (800)-652-4940 or (218)-564-4653.

     Wednesday, June 29^th Men’s Night event was Chicago Quota System. Dale Captain blitzed the field scoring 13 points over his quota for 1^st Place while firing an actual score of 34, finishing at 2-under par, great score Dale! 2^nd Place went to Lyle Heldt, who also played well, scoring 8 points over his quota. 3^rd Place went to Pat Foss who scored 7 points over his quota. 4^th Place went to Tim Bloomquist who also scored 7 points over his quota. 5^th Place went to Russ Weappa scoring 6 more points than his quota. Tim Bloomquist remains the leader on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be a 4-Man 2-Net Better Ball event and next week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby & Scramble. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome. We offer a reduced priced green and cart fee, plus a chance to win on both Men’s and Ladies Nights.

     Thursday, June 30^th Ladies Night event was a 4-Lady Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Suzanne Steele, Penny Voss, Renee Brauer and Connie Hammer who teamed up for a 1-under par 35. 2^nd Place went to the team of Bev Hepoksoki, Shirley Potter, Cathy Reich and JoAnn Zerwekh who finished with an even par score of 36. Congratulations to Connie Bennett for a chip-in and Suzanne Steele for making a birdie for her team with her own ball. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Barb Thomason, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Renee Brauer and the longest putt made on Hole #9 went to Cathy Reich. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball event and next week’s event will be a Par 3 Derby.

     Tip of the Week: Extend your arms fully toward the target.

     The golf swing is easiest for me when I get my hands fully underneath the shaft of my club at the top of my backswing. And I hit the ball the farthest and straightest when I fully extend my arms during the swing toward the target. Get more distance and accuracy with better extension towards the target. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 6-27-11

     Warmer, drier weather looks to be in the forecast this week and just in time for the 4^th of July Weekend. We welcome you all to our area and invite you all to join us in our celebration of Blueberry Pines Golf Club’s 20^th Anniversary Season. The golf course is fantastic right now and our restaurant is fantastic right now as well. But please, do not take my word on it, you have to give us a try for yourself and you will see what I mean. To book tee times, please call us today at (218)-564-GOLF (4653). Or you can also look us up online at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     Our next upcoming event is our 2-Man Best Ball Tournament. Scheduled for Sunday, July 10, with a shotgun start at 11:00. We offer a Handicap Flight and a Championship Flight. The Handicap Flight will play from the White Tees and use Gross and Net Scores. The Championship Flight will play from the Blue Tees and use Gross Scores only. Players with a 6.0 handicap index or less plus players that are 18 years of age or younger must play in the Championship Flight. Players in the Handicap Flight must have a current USGA Handicap. The entry fee is $60 per player and will include your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Call your golfing partner and put your team together today! To sign up or for more information, please the call our golf shop at (218)-564-4653.

     This past Friday, June 24 we proudly hosted the 2^nd Annual UNC Warrior Wrestling 4-Person Scramble, benefitting the UNC Warrior Wrestling Program. Over 100 players participated in this great event on an absolutely beautiful day. There were prizes galore thanks to all of you wonderful sponsors and contributors and thanks to the great overall organization of the event. Winning the golf tournament itself, finishing in 1^st Place was the Kraus-Anderson Construction team including Nate Hendrickson, Bob Fitzgerald, Dave Mogga and Steve Trudeau firing a 14-under par score of 58. 2^nd Place went to the H & L Construction team including Rod Huttunen, Tom Komppa, Curt Cannon and Steve Pauley finishing just one stroke back with a 13-under par score of 59. The true winner of this event is UNC Warrior Wrestling because of all of your support, thanks again!

     Wednesday, June 22^nd Men’s Night event was cancelled due to the rain. Tim Bloomquist remains the leader on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be Chicago Quota System and next week’s event will be a 4-Man 2-Net Better Ball event. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome. We offer a reduced priced green and cart fee, plus a chance to win on both Men’s and Ladies Nights.

     Thursday, June 23^rd Ladies Night event was Chicago Quota System. 1^st Place went to Bev Hepoksoki who finished with 7 points and won a scorecard playoff over the 2^nd Place winner Penny Voss who also finished with 7 points. 3^rd Place went to Connie Wadman who finished with 6 points and won a scorecard playoff over the 4^th Place finisher Lois Captain who also scored 6 points. 5^th Place went to Shirley Potter who scored 5 points. 6^th Place went to Amy Andersen with 4 points and also winning a scorecard playoff over the 7^th Place winner who was Kim Rasmussen who also scored 4 points. Amy Andersen chipped in last week on hole #11. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Marsha Weyland and the longest putt made on Hole #18 went to Connie Wadman. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball and next week’s event will be a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball event.

     Tip of the Week: Handle the doglegs with your head.

     Sharp doglegs often invite you to shorten the overall yardage by cutting the corner. Never hesitate to accept this invitation when you are swinging confidently, the carry is well within your capabilities and as long as the penalty for missing is not too severe. Even when caution prevails, you should at least try to pick up some extra yardage by shaping your shot to follow the fairway’s contour. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 6-21-11

     This week marks the beginning of Summer, Finally! Bring it on! I think we are all a little more than ready. And right now is the perfect timing, as our golf course is in fabulous shape, the flowers are blooming and the birds are singing. We invite you all to experience the beauty of our golf course and of our area by calling us today at (218)-564-GOLF (4653). Whether it’s 18 Holes of Golf, a casual beverage on our deck, or Dining in our Ice Creek Restaurant, we always welcome you all and we always look forward to your visit. Find out more about Blueberry Pines Golf Club and the new Ice Creek Restaurant on our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. Our website has all the information you need including our rates, our new menu, pictures, daily calendar of events, our tournament schedule, information on weddings or banquets plus much, much more including our new grounds blog. Plus you can join us on Facebook and you can even view these and past blueberry notes articles. Check out our website today at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     This Friday, June 24 is the UNC Warrior Wrestling, 4-Person Scramble, benefitting the UNC Warrior Wrestling Program. The event will start with a shotgun start at 1:00, with registration from 11:30 to 12:30.. The entry fee is only $60 per player and includes your golf, cart, prizes and a meal. Participants may call the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653, Nate Hendrickson at (218)-837-5789 or Tara Weaver (218)-366-1600. This was a great event last year and is looking to be a very fun event again, with proceeds supporting the UNC Warrior Wrestling program, so get your team together and sign up today!

     Also upcoming is our 2-Person Best Ball Tournament. Scheduled for Sunday, July 10, with a shotgun start at 11:00. We offer a Handicap Flight and a Championship Flight. The Handicap Flight will play from the White or Red Tees and use Gross and Net Scores. The Championship Flight will play from the Blue Tees and use Gross Scores only. Players with a 6.0 handicap index or less plus players that are 18 years of age or younger must play in the Championship Flight. Players in the Handicap Flight must have a current USGA Handicap. The entry fee is $60 per player and will include your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Call your golfing partner and put your team together today! To sign up or for more information, please the call our golf shop at (218)-564-4653.

     This Monday, June 20^th we hosted our 2011 Ladies Invitational. 64 players made up the 2 Divisions and 5 Flights. In the Regular Division 1^st Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross and the overall low score of the event went to LeAnn Townsend of Fargo, ND firing an 82. 2^nd Place low gross went to JoEllen Reeck of Staples, MN carding an 87. 1^st Place Low Net went to Barb Johnson of Fargo, ND scoring a net 68. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Gloria Polman of Perham, MN with a 69. 3^rd Place went to Jolene Miller of Perham, MN scoring a net 71. In the Regular Division 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Shirley Potter of Park Rapids firing a 98. 2^nd Place low gross went to Maxine Moe of Grand Rapids, MN shooting a 99. 1^st Place Low Net went to Barb Hasselberg of Staples, MN scoring a 73. 2^nd Place net went to Joni Bertel of Fargo, ND scoring a net 74. In the Senior Division, 60 & over, 1^st Flight 1^st Place Low Gross went to Bonnie Kern of Ottertail, MN scoring an 88. 2^nd Place gross went to Joan Richardson of Grand Rapids, MN carding also carding an 88. 1^st Place Low Net went to Bev Hepokoski of Menahga scoring an even par net 72. 2^nd Place Net went to Patty Anderson of Fargo, ND shooting a net 73. In the Senior Division 2^nd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Penny Voss of Park Rapids, MN scoring a 97. 2^nd Place Gross went to Kay Ekberg of Walker carding a 102. 1^st Place Low Net went to Carol Frisby of Park Rapids firing a net 72. 2^nd Place Net went to Judy Love of Park Rapdis, MN shooting a net 75. In the Senior Division 3^rd Flight, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Sandy Porter of Park Rapids firing an even 100. 2^nd Place Gross went to Beverly McCallister of Ottertail, MN shooting a 106. 1^st Place Low Net went to Connie Hammer of Park Rapids scoring a net 73. 2^nd Place Net went to Sharon Keister of Pequot Lakes, MN carding a net 74.

     Wednesday, June 15^th Men’s Night event was Peoria System Handicap. 1^st Place went to Justin Kinnunen scoring a net 24. 2^nd Place went to Russ Weappa carding a net 25. 3^rd Place went to Dave Andersen scoring a net 26 and 4^th Place went to Mike Simon who carded a net 30. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Lynn Seward, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Kent Cease and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Russ Weappa. Tim Bloomquist remains the leader on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball and next week’s event will be Chicago Quota System. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome.

     Thursday, June 16^th Ladies Night event was Peoria System Handicap. 1^st Place went to Barb Schleicher firing a net 29. 2^nd Place went to Karen Weappa carding a net 33. 3^rd Place went to Sandy Porter scoring a 36 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 4^th Place winner who was Connie Hammer who also carded a 36. 5^th Place went to Joy Torvinen shooting a net 37. 6^th Place went to Connie Wadman scoring a net 38. Three players chipped in last week including Connie Wadman, Karen Weappa and Lois Captain. Plus Karen Weappa scored a birdie on Hole #7. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Lois Captain, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Bev Hepokoski and the longest putt made on Hole #9 went to Dianne Salmela. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be Chicago Quota System and next week’s event will be a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball.

     Tip of the Week: Roll the ball for more consistent chipping.

     Rolling the ball at a consistent speed is a great aid to chipping it close to the hole every time. Consistency of roll depends for me on swinging at a uniform tempo, accommodating the distance variations by the degree of loft I select. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 6-14-11

     Our biggest 20^th Anniversary announcement to date is the introduction of new culinary leader Craig Korvela. Craig is originally from New York Mills, MN. He comes to Blueberry Pines from Applebee’s in Fargo, ND. Craig brings 20 years of restaurant experience in all areas, including management, ownership, cooking, serving, food service sales and much more to Blueberry Pines’ new Ice Creek Restaurant. We debuted the first half of his new menu last week and will debut the 2^nd half of his menu next week. To see his entire new menu, go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. We welcome Craig aboard and invite you to try all his new menu creations soon! With the upcoming Father’s Day weekend, remember to spend a little time with Dad, and I can not think of a better place to spend time with Dad than right here golfing and/or dining at Blueberry Pines Golf Club!

     I am sorry to inform you that we were broken in to, robbed, early Monday morning, June 13 sometime between 4:15 am and 5:30 am. If you are a passerby early Monday mornings and happened to have seen anything, please call the Wadena County Sheriff’s Department. We did get some security footage of the thief, which the local police are currently analyzing. They did get away with our safe, which we believe they dumped in the ditch along highway 71 briefly and then returned shortly later to retrieve. Again, if you happened to have seen anything, please notify the local authorities.

     Coming up this Monday, June 20^th is our 2011 Ladies Invitational. This event has gotten bigger and better each season. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. The entry fee is $60 for non-members and $50 for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, lunch and prizes galore. The tournament format is individual stroke play with regular and senior (60+) divisions. We will payback both gross and net prizes per flight plus we offer a giant gross & net skins game. This years theme is Mar"Tee"Ni it High and Let it Fly! Join the gals in this fun ladies event for a day of fun, festivities, competition and social gathering. Sign up today by calling the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF or (800)-652-4940.

     Monday, June 13 we held our Spring Senior/Pre-Senior Tournament for ages 50 and over. The age divisions were 50-59 and 60 & over. In the 50-59 Division, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Bill Freeman of Morris, MN carding a 6 over par total of 78. 1^st Place Low Net went to Bruce Lund of Staples, MN scoring a net 71. In the 60 & over Division, 1^st Place Low Gross went to Buzzy Christensen of Grand Rapids, MN firing a 4 over par 76. 2^nd Place Low Gross went to Bill Hughes also of Grand Rapids, MN shooting a 77. 3^rd Place Low Gross went to Glen Hasselberg of Staples, MN carding an 80. 1^st Place Low Net went to Preston Luman of Staples, MN scoring a net 68. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Tom Dawson of Bemidji, MN shooting a net 70. Winning 3^rd Place Net, was the only local player in the winner circle, Dale Captain of Menahga firing a low net score of 70.

     Wednesday, June 8^th Men’s Night event was Individual Low Gross and Low Net. 1^st Place Low Gross went to Brady Anderson carding a 1-under par 35. 2^nd Place Low Gross went to Jim Carlson shooting a 37. 3^rd Place Low Gross went to Ron Litzau scoring a 40. 1^st Place Low Net went to Tim Bloomquist who blistered the field with a net score of 32. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Russ Weappa scoring a 2-under par net 34. 3^rd Place Low Net went to Todd Sanquist who also carded a net 34. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Tim Bloomquist, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Todd Sanquist and the longest putt made on hole #18 went to Mark Anderson. Tim Bloomquist remains the leader on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be Peoria System Handicap plus Low Gross and next week’s event will be a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, the general public always welcome.

     Thursday, June 9^th Ladies Night event was Individual Low Gross and Low Net. 1^st Place Low Gross went to Sue Fisher firing a 45 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 2^nd Place winner Mary Williams who also carded a 45. 3^rd Place Low Gross went to Bev Hepoksoki shooting a 49. 1^st Place Low net went to Sandy "On a Roll" Porter scoring a 2-under par net 34. 2^nd Place Low Net went to Penny Voss who also scored a net 34. 3^rd Place Low Net went to Barb Schleicher after scoring an even par net 36. Helen Keezer chipped in on Hole #16 and Mary Williams scored a birdie on the 11^th Hole. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Connie Hammer, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Sue Fisher and the longest putt mad on Hole #18 went to Karen Weappa. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be Peoria System Handicap and next week’s event will be Chicago Quota System.

     Tip of the Week: Play more consistent with a controlled fade.

     Some of the most consistent players in the game hit a little fade. The advantages of this shape are extra height on the ball and softer landings on the green, especially with the medium and long irons. Pre-program your fade at address. Your body alignment should be a little to the left of your target for an out to in swing path. Your clubface should be aimed a little to the right of your target, to set up the slightly oblique hit that produces a touch of left to right sidespin. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your golf game, call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 6-5-11

     The skies were blue and the sunshine was prominent for the 10^th Annual St. Joseph’s Golf Benefit for Hospice and the St. Joseph’s Hospice Scholarship Fund. The biggest and grandest event of our season, was simply that, spectacular! Such great sponsors, participants and volunteers, who all come together for a day of fun, sunshine, camaraderie and golf, with the ultimate goal of raising money for a very worthy cause. This year’s $5,000 winner of the Helicopter Ball Drop was Jim "Pine Point Lucky" Talbot. The winning teams in this year’s event were as follows. 1^st Place Overall went to the Cease Funeral Home team including Kent Cease, Dave Otterness, Andy Williams and Mark Andersen firing the overall low score of the event a 17-under par 55. 1^st Place in the Men’s Division went to the Rory Palm team including Rory Palm, Don Dearstyne, Dick Bradow and Roger Stewart scoring a 65. 1^st Place in the Mixed Division went to team DJJS including Dan Christenson, John Phillips, Jim Lingor and Sandy Larson carding a 65. 1^st Place in the Women’s Division went to the Kathie Kavolak team including Glenda Johnson, Barb Thomason, Kathy Reich and Patty Davis shooting a 69. Thanks again to all those contributing, participating and volunteering for this great event which kicks-off our season in First Class Fashion!

     Coming up this next Saturday, June 11 is a Ping Golf Equipment Demo Day on our Driving Range from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Test all the latest and greatest equipment in the industry, plus some of the best selling equipment in the game. The new K-15 Woods and Irons have been receiving rave reviews and disappearing from the shelves early this 2011 season. This is your chance to test drive the equipment that best fits your game by the foremost golf fitters in the game of golf today, Ping Golf Equipment.

     Starting this Wednesday, June 8. Get ready for Blueberry Pines Summer Youth Golf Program. Junior Golf Program information is available in our Proshop, plus in the Menahga & Sebeka Community Ed flyer, plus at the Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Our summer youth golf program will be broken up into three divisions. For all programs this season, lessons will be on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 8, 10, 15 & 17, with the Little Linker Division, ages 6-9, starting at 8:00 finishing at 9:00 a.m., the Youth Medalist Division, ages 10-13, starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at 10:00 and the Advanced Youth Junior Tour, ages 14-17, starting at 10:15 a.m. and finishing at 11:15 a.m. For all programs this season, league play tournaments will also be held on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 22, 24, 29 & July 1 with the Little Linker Division, ages 6-9, starting at 8:00 finishing at 9:00 a.m., the Youth Medalist Division, ages 10-13, starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at 10:15 and the Advanced Youth Junior Tour, ages 14-17, starting at 10:30 a.m. and finishing at around 1:00 p.m. The cost of $60.00 per person includes 4 lesson dates, 4 league play dates and a year-end banquet scheduled for Tuesday, July 28^th. Start the game of a lifetime by registering today.

     Upcoming this Monday, June 13 is our Senior/Pre-Senior Tournament for ages 50 and over. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. Flights will be determined by age and handicap. The age divisions are 50-59, 60-69, and 70 & over. The entry fee is $60.00 per player for non-members and $50.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, dinner and prizes. We will have an optional (gross and net) giant skins game. The format is individual stroke play (play your own ball throughout each hole). This is typically a great event and the cost is the same as a regular green fee, plus you receive lunch and a chance to win some great prizes. To sign up or for more information please call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (800)-652-4940 or (218)-564-4653.

     Our 2011 Ladies Invitational is scheduled for Monday, June 20^th. This event has gotten bigger and better each season. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. The entry fee is $60 for non-members and $50 for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, lunch and prizes galore. The tournament format is individual stroke play with regular and senior (60+) divisions. We will payback both gross and net prizes per flight plus we offer a giant gross & net skins game. This years theme is Mar"Tee"Ni it up and Let it Fly! Join the gals in this fun ladies event for a day of fun, festivities, competition and social gathering. Sign up today by calling the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (218)-564-GOLF or (800)-652-4940.

     Wednesday, June 1^st Men’s Night event was Individual Low Net. 1^st Place went to Pat Foss blistering the field with an outstanding net score of 28. 2^nd Place went to Lyle Heldt scoring a 5-under par net 31. 3^rd Place went to Doug Dufty after carding a net 33. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #14 went to Doug Dufty and closest to the pin on hole #17 went to sharp shooting Neil Wogsland. Tim Bloomquist remains the leader on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be Individual Low Gross and Low Net and next week’s event will be Peoria System Handicap plus Low Gross. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, general public always welcome.

     Thursday, June 2^nd Ladies Night event was a 3-Lady Purple Ball event. 1^st Place went to the team of Shirley Potter, Brenda Keller and Karen Weappa carding a very good score of 46. 2^nd Place went to the team of Vera Staus, Connie Wadman and Sandy Porter scoring a 49. Congratulations go out to a great gal, Vera Staus, for her recent Retirement! Closest to the pin on hole #14 went to Karen Weappa and closest to the pin on hole #17 went to Joy Torvinen. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be Individual Low Gross and Low Net and next week’s event will be Peoria System Handicap.

     Tip of the Week: Judging Distance on Approach Shots.

     Track your approach shots by pacing off the distance and writing it down. The practice of knowing your exact distance and what you need to do to carry out that shot will help you score better. Here at Blueberry Pines you have the Luxury of GPS on the carts, so you should know your exact distance for each and every shot. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 5-30-11

     I hope everyone experienced a little sunshine this past Memorial Weekend! The sun is shining bright all this season on Blueberry Pines Golf Club and the Ice Creek Restaurant. Coming soon our biggest 20^th Anniversary announcement to date. For now, I can say, our very anticipated "new" Ice Creek Menu is now out and its debut has been receiving great reception. Join us as we celebrate great golf and dining all season long! Call us at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) or look us up online at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     New for our 20^th Anniversary Season is something that I think will be cool and exciting, a Golf Ball Fitting Day, put on by Bridgestone Golf, on Sunday, June 5 from 11 am to 4 pm. This is a great opportunity for you to determine the best golf ball for your game. Plus the following weekend Sat., June 11 we have a Ping Golf Club Demo Day, were you can try all the Hot, New K-15 Golf Equipment, put on by Ping Golf from 11 am to 2 pm. Join the fun and excitement and try something new during this 20^th Anniversary Season at Blueberry Pines Golf Club.

     Get ready for Blueberry Pines Summer Youth Golf Program. Flyers for our summer youth program are out and available at the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop. Junior Golf Tour information will also be available in the Menahga & Sebeka Community Ed flyers plus at the Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Our summer youth golf program will be broken up into three divisions. For all programs this season, lessons will be on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 8, 10, 15 & 17, with the Little Linker Division, ages 6-9, starting at 8:00 finishing at 9:00 a.m., the Youth Medalist Division, ages 10-13, starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at 10:00 and the Advanced Youth Junior Tour, ages 14-17, starting at 10:15 a.m. and finishing at 11:15 a.m. For all programs this season, league play tournaments will also be held on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 22, 24, 29 & July 1 with the Little Linker Division, ages 6-9, starting at 8:00 finishing at 9:00 a.m., the Youth Medalist Division, ages 10-13, starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at 10:15 and the Advanced Youth Junior Tour, ages 14-17, starting at 10:30 a.m. and finishing at around 1:00 p.m. The cost of $60.00 per person includes 4 lesson dates, 4 league play dates and a year-end banquet scheduled for Tuesday, July 28^th. Start the game of a lifetime by registering today.

     Our next upcoming event is our Senior/Pre-Senior Tournament for ages 50 and over, scheduled for Monday, June 13. A 9:00 shotgun is planned. Flights will be determined by age and handicap. The age divisions are 50-59, 60-69, and 70 & over. The entry fee is $60.00 per player for non-members and $50.00 per player for members. The entry fee includes your golf, cart, dinner and prizes. We will have an optional (gross and net) giant skins game. The format is individual stroke play (play your own ball throughout each hole). This is typically a great event and the cost is the same as a regular green fee, plus you receive lunch and a chance to win some great prizes. To sign up or for more information please call Blueberry Pines Golf Shop at (800)-652-4940 or (218)-564-4653.

     Wednesday, May 25^th Men’s Night event was a 3-Man Low Gross plus Low Net Ball event. 1^st Place went to the team of Kurt Mortenson, Bruce "Chip In" Kinnunen and Tim Bloomquist scoring a 10-under par team total of 62. 2^nd Place went to Ron Litzau, Pat Foss and Marnie Porter finishing just one shot back with a 63. 3^rd Place went to Doug Dufty, Terry Ristinen and Mike Simon firing an 84. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 was Tim Pederson, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #17 went to Doug Dufty and the longest putt made on hole #18 went to Mike Simon. Tim Bloomquist, with another 1^st place finish, remains in the early season leader on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Total and next week’s event will be 4-Man Shambles using the best 2 of the 4 scores. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, general public always welcome.

     Thursday, May 26^th Ladies Night event was a 4-Lady 2-Net Better Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Penny Voss, Connie Bennett, Karen Weappa and Vera Staus carding a 12-under par team total of 60. 2^nd Place went to the team of Kim Rasmussen, Carol Frisby and team 62, winning a scorecard playoff over the 3^rd Place team of Amy Andersen, Janakaye Husby, Lois Captain and Brenda Keller also carding a 62. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #10 went to Bev Hepokoski, closest to the pin on hole #17 went to Connie Bennett and the longest putt made on hole #18 went to Carol Frisby. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 3-Lady Purple Ball event and next week’s event will be a 4-Lady Shambles using the best 2 scores of the 4-some.

     Tip of the Week: Waltz your way to better footwork.

     Match your footwork to a slow waltz tempo-one, two, three, one, two, three-and it should help improve your swing tempo. On the practice tee, narrow your stance and play some shots exaggerating the rocking motion of your feet. Begin with leisurely chip-shot swings, timing your foot motion to the dance tempo. Swing without a club at first if that promotes smoother movement or better rythem. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 5-24-11

     I hope everyone is excited about the upcoming Memorial Weekend! We at Blueberry Pines are ready, eager and very excited! Our Golf Course is in fantastic condition, we are celebrating our 20^th Anniversary this season and we are also very excited about the re-introduction of the Ice Creek Restaurant! Make some time to visit us at Blueberry Pines while you celebrate your Memorial Weekend! Call us at (218)-564-GOLF (4653) or look us up online at blueberrypinesgolf.com.

     Here it comes, make your plans today to attend the Grandest Event of the Golf Season! The 10^th Annual Golf Benefit for St. Joseph’s Hospice & St. Joseph’s Scholarship Fund. Scheduled for this
Wednesday, June 1^st. The format is a 4-Person Scramble. A 12:30 shotgun start is planned. There will be on course prizes and events galore, a club throwing contest, Hole-in-One prizes, a band playing in the background, homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches concluding with a Helicopter Golf Ball Drop at 5:30, which some lucky entrant will win $5,000.00 CASH, wow what more could there be. Get your Ball Drop tickets today, they are available at the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop for $10.00 each, not bad for a chance to win $5,000.00 CASH if your ball ends up closest to the hole. Plus, there are only a couple of openings left, so get your entry in today. For more information, to sign up, or to contribute to this very special event please call Judy or Lindsey at the St. Joseph’s Communication and Development office at (218)-237-5711.

     Get ready for Blueberry Pines Summer Youth Golf Program. Flyers for our summer youth program are out and available at the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop. Junior Golf Tour information will also be available in the Menahga & Sebeka Community Ed flyers plus at the Park Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Our summer youth golf program will be broken up into three divisions. For all programs this season, lessons will be on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 8, 10, 15 & 17, with the Little Linker Division, ages 6-9, starting at 8:00 finishing at 9:00 a.m., the Youth Medalist Division, ages 10-13, starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at 10:00 and the Advanced Youth Junior Tour, ages 14-17, starting at 10:15 a.m. and finishing at 11:15 a.m. For all programs this season, league play tournaments will also be held on Wednesdays and Fridays, June 22, 24, 29 & July 1 with the Little Linker Division, ages 6-9, starting at 8:00 finishing at 9:00 a.m., the Youth Medalist Division, ages 10-13, starting at 9:00 a.m. and finishing at 10:15 and the Advanced Youth Junior Tour, ages 14-17, starting at 10:30 a.m. and finishing at around 1:00 p.m. The cost of $60.00 per person includes 4 lesson dates, 4 league play dates and a year-end banquet scheduled for Tuesday, July 28^th. Start the game of a lifetime by registering today.

     This past weekend we hosted our first tournament of the season, the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble. This tournament is always a fun event which benefits local youth. 1^st Place went to a 3-Man team scoring the low score of the tournament a 13 under par 59. A huge thank you goes out to all the participants for supporting this event! Plus a huge thank you goes out to all the sponsors who help to make this a great event!

     Wednesday, May 18^th Men’s Night event was Individual Low Gross and Low Net. 1^st Place Low Gross went to Andy Williams carding a 38 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 2^nd Place winner Kent Cease who also fired a 38. 3^rd Place Low Gross went to Doug Dufty scoring a 39. 4^th Place went to Mark Schik scoring a 40. 1^st Place Low Net went to Lyle Heldt carding a blistering 28. 2^nd Place Net went to Tim Bloomquist with a 33. 3^rd Place went to Neil Wogsland netting a 34 and winning a scorecard playoff. 4^th Place went to Austin Pulju with a net 34 and 5^th Place went to Don Salmela who also scored a net 34. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 was Mark Anderson, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Mark Anderson and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Andy Williams. Tim Bloomquist remains in the early season lead on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be 4-Man Low Gross + Low Net Ball and next week’s event will be 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Total. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, general public always welcome.

     Thursday, May 19^th Ladies Night event was a 2-Person Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball. 1^st Place went to Carol Frisby and Connie Hammer fring a net team total of 28. 2^nd Place went to the team of Joy Torvinen and Mary Williams carding a net 29. 3^rd Place went to Brenda Keller and Penny Voss scoring a net 30 and winning a scorecard playoff over the 4^th Place team of Lois Captain and Sandy Porter who also scored a net 30. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Connie Bennett, closest to the pin on hole #8 went to Vera Staus and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Joy Torvinen. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 3-Lady Purple Ball event and next week’s event will be a 4-Person 2-Net Better Ball.

    
     Tip of the Week: Hole More Putts.

     Good putting demands squareness of blade and stroke. That is, the putterhead swinging directly along the target line as it moves back and through the ball, with its face looking directly down that line. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 5-16-11

     Here comes summer and here comes Blueberry Pines’ 20^th Anniversary Season. Summer, Spring or at least sunshine seems to finally be coming our way and we here at Blueberry Pines are fired up and ready for a fantastic 2011 Season! Upcoming events include the Dollars for Scholars Tournament on Sat., May 21, Memorial Weekend, the 10^th Annual Golf Benefit for St. Joseph’s Hospice and Scholarship Fund on Wed., June 1. Then we have something new and exciting, a Golf Ball Fitting Day, put on by Bridgestone Golf, on Sunday, June 5 from 11 am to 4 pm. The following weekend Sat., June 11 we have a Ping Golf Club Demo Day, were you can try all the Hot, New K-15 Golf Equipment, put on by Ping Golf from 11 am to 2 pm. Join the fun, excitement and sunshine during the 20^th Anniversary Season at Blueberry Pines Golf Club.

     Our current Spring rates through Thursday, May 26 are as follows: 9 holes walking is $20; 9 holes riding is $30; 18 holes walking is $30; and 18 holes riding is $45. Take advantage of these great Spring rates while they last by booking your tee time today at (218)-564-(GOLF)4653.

     On Blueberry Pines 20^th Anniversary, it is fitting that Blueberry Pines first tournament of the season, is what, always, used to be our first tournament of the season, the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, May 21. An 11:00 am Shotgun Start is planned. Join the fun this year, as this tournament, is always a fun event which benefits local youth. So start putting your team together, and put the date for the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble on your calendar today. If you are not a golfer or cannot attend, please consider contributing to this great event. The entry fee of $60.00 includes your golf, cart, prizes, fun on-course events, including a $10,000 Hole-in-One plus every golfer receives a Gift Bag for their participation. This is a fun format and a great cause. For more information or to sign up, please call Michelle at (218)-732-5099 or (218)-564-4141 or send her an email at

     Community Ed Golf Lessons start next Tuesday, May 24. If you are interested in starting the game of a lifetime, looking to get outside and get some exercise, looking to improve your current golf game, or just looking to get outside and have fun with friends call our Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653 to sign up for our 1^st Group Golf Lesson Series of the season. This program is fun and informative at a very reasonable price. The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at either 5:30 or 6:30 and last about 50 minutes. You will receive six lessons for the cost of $60. The groups will meet twice a week for 3 weeks at your choice of start times, either 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm. Make this your year to play golf, get in shape or simply enjoy the company of family and friends.

     Here it comes, make your plans today to attend the Biggest and Grandest Golf Event of the Season! The 10^th Annual Golf Benefit for St. Joseph’s Hospice & St. Joseph’s Scholarship Fund which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1^st. The format is a 4-Person Scramble. A 12:30 shotgun start is planned. There will be on course prizes and events galore, a club throwing contest, Hole-in-One prizes, a band playing in the background, homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches concluding with a Helicopter Golf Ball Drop at 5:30, which some lucky entrant will win $5,000.00 CASH, wow what more could there be. Get your Ball Drop tickets today, they are available at the Blueberry Pines Golf Shop for $10.00 each, not bad for a chance to win $5,000.00 CASH if your ball ends up closest to the hole. Plus, the tournament is filling quickly, so get your entry in today. For more information, to sign up, or to contribute to this very special event please call Judy or Lindsey at the St. Joseph’s Communication and Development office at (218)-237-5711.

     Wednesday, May 11^th Men’s Night event was a 4-Man Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Jim Wallace, Russ Weappa, John Mason and Kent Cease firing a 6-under 30. Winning a 4-way scorecard playoff for 2^nd Place was Doug Dufty, Mike Simon, Neil Wogsland and Dale Captain scoring a 32. Finishing in 3^rd Place was the team of Ron Litzau, Dave Andersen, Pat Foss and Terry Ristinen also scoring a 32. Closest to the pin from off the green went to Jim Wallace, closest to the pin from the tee on hole #8 went to Tim Pederson and the longest putt on hole #9 went to Russ Weappa. Tim Bloomquist remains in the early season lead on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. This week’s event will be Individual Low Gross and Low Net and next week’s event will be a 4-Man Low Gross + Low Net Ball. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, general public always welcome.

     Thursday, May 12^th Ladies Night event was Individual Low Net. 1^st Place went to Janakaye Husby winning a scorecard playoff after firing a net 35. 2^nd Place went to Bev Hepokoski, who also scored a net 35. 3^rd Place went to Joy Torvinen carding an even par net 36. 4^th Place went to Mary Williams finishing with a net 41. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 went to Mary Williams and the longest putt made on hole #9 went to Joy Torvinen. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 3-Lady Purple Ball event and next week’s event will be a 4-Person 2-Net Better Ball.

     Tip of the Week: Hit the Ball Long.

     A big swing arc and a full body turn on your backswing is important to hitting it long. Another key to hitting it long is to create torque in your backswing, whereby your upper body winds against your lower body to create a coil that unloads on your downswing. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 5-10-11

     Hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend! We seem to be in a delayed Spring mode. And we want to make that a bonus for you by extending our Spring golfing rates through May 26. Our current Spring rates are as follows: 9 holes walking is $20; 9 holes riding is $30; 18 holes walking is $30; and 18 holes riding is $45. Take advantage of these great Spring rates by booking your tee time today at (218)-564-(GOLF)4653.

     The weather made this happen, but it is probably very fitting. That on Blueberry Pines 20^th Anniversary, Blueberry Pines first tournament of the season, is what, always, used to be our first tournament of the season, the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, May 21. An 11:00 am Shotgun Start is planned. Join the fun this year, as this tournament, is always a fun event which benefits local youth. So start putting your team together, and put the date for the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble on your calendar today. If you are not a golfer or cannot attend, please consider contributing to this great event. The entry fee of $60.00 includes your golf, cart, prizes, fun on-course events, including a $10,000 Hole-in-One plus every golfer receives a Gift Bag for their participation. This is a fun format and a great cause. For more information or to sign up, please call Michelle at (218)-732-5099 or (218)-564-4141 or send her an email at

     If you are interested in starting the game of a lifetime, looking to get outside and get some exercise or just looking to improve your current golf game, call our Golf Shop at (218)-564-4653 to sign up for our 1^st Group Golf Lesson Series of the season. Our Community Ed Group Golf Lesson Program is scheduled to start on Tuesday, May 24. This program is fun and informative at a very reasonable price. The classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at either 5:30 or 6:30 and last about 50 minutes. You will receive six lessons for the cost of $60. The groups will meet twice a week for 3 weeks at your choice of start times, either 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm. Make this your year to play golf with your friends.

     Make your plans today for the Grandest and Biggest event of the season! The 10^th Annual Golf Benefit for St. Joseph’s Hospice & St. Joseph’s Scholarship Fund which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1^st. The format is a 4-Person Scramble. A 12:30 shotgun start is planned. On course prizes and events galore including a Helicopter Ball Drop at 5:30, for which we have tickets available at the Golf Shop for $10.00 each. Win $5,000.00 CASH if your ball ends up closest to the hole. The tournament is filling quickly, so get your entry in today. For more information, to sign up, or to contribute to this very special event please call Judy or Lindsey at the St. Joseph’s Communication and Development office at (218)-237-5711.

This past week was Play Golf Minnesota Week, which included various fun events that took place throughout the week. On Wednesday, May 4 the event throughout the day was a closest to the pin event which benefitted the Special Olympics. Winning the closest to the pin award for the day was Wayne Cole, who also won a Minnesota Twins baseball cap. Congratulations Wayne and thanks to all those who participated in helping to raise money for a great cause.

     Wednesday, May 4^th Men’s Night event was a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball. 1^st Place went to Andy Williams and Jim Carlson firing a 5-under par 31. 2^nd Place went to Tim Bloomquist and Ron Litzau finishing with a 4-under par 34. 3^rd Place went to Don Salmela and Tim Pederson who carded a 2-under par 34. Tim Bloomquist 2^nd Place finish increases his early season lead on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. Closest to the pin from off the green on hole #1 was "Doc" Dave Andersen and the longest putt on hole #9 was drained by Russ Weappa. This week’s event will be a 4-Man Scramble and next week’s event will be Individual Low Gross and Low Net. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, everyone is always welcome.

     Thursday, May 5^th Ladies Night event was a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball. 1^st Place went to the team of Bev Hepokoski and Brenda Keller who blistered the course for a 9-under par score of 27. 2^nd Place went to Kim Rasmussen and Joy Torvinen scoring a 4-under par 32. 3^rd Place went to Barb Schleicher and Shirley Potter finishing with a 2-under par net 34. Bev Hepokoski won the closest to the pins on hole #4 and hole #8. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 4-Person Scramble and next week’s event will be a 3-Lady Purple Ball event.

     Tip of the Week: Choose motion over mechanics.

     It’s all too easy for golfers looking to improve their swing mechanics to lose sight of the single most important factor, swinging the clubhead. You must swing the club freely through the ball. Fluid motion allows you to deliver the clubhead accurately and at a high rate of speed. This kind of motion can only come from relaxed muscles. Beware of anything mechanical that restricts your muscles. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call Jim Carlson, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at

Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

 Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 5-2-11

     Is it safe to put away those winter coats, stocking caps and gloves? I say YES, YES, YES, after all, April showers bring May flowers. Bring it on, I think we are all ready for some sunshine, green grass and flowers blooming! Let’s all hope that the time has finally come for Mother Nature to overtake Old Man Winter, who has been hanging around way too long! And this blessing would be just in time for the upcoming Mother’s Day Weekend! Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there! Make your plans to bring your Mom out to Blueberry Pines Golf Club, for a little golfing, or for a little brunch to celebrate Mother’s Day!

     Let’s play Golf Minnesota! Join Blueberry Pines Golf Club in celebrating its 20^th Anniversary this week while we celebrate Play Golf Minnesota Week! We are joining the celebration this year with some great specials and promotions offered all this week Monday, May 2 and through Sunday, May 8. Each day has its own special promotion as follows: Monday is Collegiate Day wear your favorite collegiate team colors and receive 18 Holes w/cart for just $40; Tuesday is Senior Day ages 62 and above may play 18 Holes of golf w/cart for $40; Wednesday is Charity Wednesday and there will be a closest to the pin from the tee off one of our par 3 holes throughout the day, a chance to win and also benefit a great cause with proceeds going to the Special Olympics; Thursday is "Wine and Women’s Day" play 18 Holes of Golf with Cart for $40 and receive a Complimentary Glass of Wine in our Lounge or Dining Room after your round; Friday is Free Lesson Day throughout the day we will be offering Free 10 minutes lessons, by appointment only please; Saturday is Free Golf Club Fitting Day get fit for free anytime Friday with an appointment; and Sunday is Family Day allowing kids to play Free with any paid accompanying Adult. Also check out Play Golf Minnesota online!

     The weather made this happen, but it is probably very fitting. That on Blueberry Pines 20^th Anniversary, Blueberry Pines first tournament of the season, is what, always, used to be our first tournament of the season, the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, May 16. A 11:00 am Shotgun Start is planned. Join the fun this year, as this tournament, is always a fun event which benefits local youth. So start putting your team together, and put the date for the Dollars for Scholars 4-Person Scramble on your calendar today. If you are not a golfer or cannot attend, please consider contributing to this great event. The entry fee of $60.00 includes your golf, cart, prizes, fun on-course events and a Gift Bag for every golfer. This is a fun format and a great cause. For more information or to sign up, please call Michelle at (218)-732-5099 or (218)-564-5099 or send her an email at

     Wednesday, April 27^th Men’s Night event was Low Putts plus Individual Low Gross and Low Net. Three players finished in a 3-way tie for 1^st Place Low Putts all finishing with 15 putts each including Russ Weappa, Tim Bloomquist and Mark Anderson. 1^st Place low gross went to Andy Williams firing a score of 39. 1^st Place low net went to Russ Weappa finishing with a net 37. Tim Bloomquist has the early season lead on the Men’s Night Money Leader list. Closest to the pin from the tee on hole #14 went to Mark Anderson and the closest to the pin on hole #17 went to Andy Williams. This week’s event will be a 2-Man Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball and next week’s event will be 4-Man Scramble. Men’s Night events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys this week for Men’s Night, everyone is always welcome.

     Ladies Night first event of the season was this last Thursday, April 28^th. The event was a 3-Person Scramble. 1^st Place went to Bev Hepokoski, Connie Wadman and Brenda Keller firing the low score of 38. Just one shot back in 2^nd Place was Kim Rasmussen, Marsha Weyland and Shirley Potter carding a 3-over par score of 39. Closest to the pin on hole #14 was Vera Staus and closest to the pin on hole #17 was Brenda Keller. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the Ladies each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. This week’s event will be a 2-Lady Blind Partner Low Net Best Ball and next week’s event is a 4-Person Scramble.

     Tip of the Week: Four ways to fix your slice.

     Four ways to fix your slice are as follows: 1. Tilt your spine angle away from the target. (A good spine angle sets the tone for the entire swing) 2. Relax your right elbow. (Softening your right arm at address encourages a shallower swing plane) 3. Turn your back to the target. (Solid set up makes it easier to create power) 4. Rotate arms earlier in the downswing. (Timing of your forearm rotation is more important than magnitude) Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call myself, Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional. Blueberry Pines phone number

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 4-18-11

     Golf Course Open for Season! Golf Course Closed for the return of Winter? Please do not despair, the Golf Course will Re-Open for Season by Thursday of this week at the latest, for what we hope is the "Everlasting" return of Spring and Summer. Current forecasts point to this weekend for a warming trend, just in time for Easter Weekend! We wish you all out there a wonderful Holiday Weekend! And we hope to see you all, visiting us at Blueberry Pines, this weekend or very, very soon!

     The golf course has come through the winter in great shape and moisture is generally good for us, so this little but of snow coverage will soon be a thing of the past. The grass growth should explode this next warm up, allowing us to return to grooming the golf course back into good golfing conditions. Learn more about our golf course and our maintenance practices by checking our new grounds blog located on the home page of our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. Also, become our friend on Facebook for some great Facebook only specials and promotions, also located on the home page of our website or just search for Blueberry Pines Golf Club.

     Our plans are to try some new and fun things this season. A new Couples Night, plus a new, just for fun, Saturday Gross and Net Individual Skins Game and a new Sunday A-B-C-D draw for partner 4-Person Scramble, both teeing off between 12 noon and 2 pm every Saturday and Sunday. More details to come. Plus we are very excited about the Re-Introduction of the Ice Creek Restaurant, which is also coming up very soon!

     We had some teams that wanted to play in our first scheduled tournament of the season, this past Sunday, April 17 but the return of winter and the snowcover on the golf course did not allow for play. Make this your year, to play or start the game of a lifetime. We have many Membership options available including: Single, Couple, age 31-39, age 23-30, age 19-22 and age 18 & under, plus Twilight options. Plus we have wonderful instruction programs to help you learn the great game of golf. Call us for more information at (218)-564-GOLF or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. Call us to work out a custom plan to fit your needs.

     Wednesday, April 13^th Men’s Night event was a 3-Man Scramble. 1^st Place went to the team of Andy Williams, Ron Litzau, Dan Miller and Tim Bloomquist who fired a year-opening score of 32. 2^nd Place went to Tim Pederson, Jim Carlson, Pat Foss and Mike Novack finishing one stroke back with a 33. Closest to the pin on Hole #14 went to Charlie Larson and closest to the pin on hole #17 went to Dan Miller. This week’s event will be Guess Your Score and next week’s event will be Low Putts plus Low Gross and Low Net. Events begin at 5:30 every Wednesday, sign up by 3:00 the day of the event and join the boys one night each week for Men’s Night.

The ladies did not get quite as nice of night as the guys did this week, so we hope this week

     Thursday, April 21^st will mark the start of Ladies Night. The beginning of the year event will remain a 3-Lady Scramble starting at 5:30. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the area’s best and nicest group of golfing gals each and every Thursday Night at 5:30 at Blueberry Pines. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. Different events are played each week, some skilled and some not so skilled, which allows everyone a chance to participate and a chance to win. Next week’s event will be Low Putts plus Low Gross and Low Net.

     Tip of the Week: Early season golf.

     Last week we talked about beginning your year with a perfect grip, a perfect stance and perfect alignment. Again, I know it sounds difficult, but remember, perfect practice makes for perfect golf. When practicing, practice, lay clubs down to make sure your alignment is good and to check your ball position(s). Then, you can begin to create "Your" perfect swing. Most of us have very different body types and body shapes, so everyone swings the golf club a little bit different from the next person. Although many things in each person’s golf swing remain the same. Good balance and good rhythm might be your next goals, or a good swing path. If you need more help to get your perfect year started, call one of the teaching pro’s on staff here at Blueberry Pines. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call myself or Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional.

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 4-11-11

     Blueberry Pines Golf Course opened for the season Saturday, April 9. 180 golfers from throughout the state of Minnesota, as well as some from North Dakota, all where looking to enjoy the first taste of summer, and the long-awaited Golf Opening Date. Golf opening week and Master’s weekend, it just doesn’t get much better than that for a golfer.

     The golf course is firming up quite nicely and seems to have come through winter and this past weekend in fantastic shape. Learn more about our golf course and our maintenance practices by checking our new grounds blog located on the home page of our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. Also, join us, as we join the Facebook craze, become our friend on Facebook for some great Facebook only specials and promotions, also located on the home page of our website or just search for Blueberry Pines Golf Club.

     Look for some new and fun things this season. A new and fresh Couples Night, plus a new, just for fun, Saturday Gross and Net Individual Skins Game and a new Sunday A-B-C-D draw for partner 4-Person Scramble, both teeing off between 12 noon and 2 pm every Saturday and Sunday. More details to come. Plus we are very excited about the Re-Introduction of the Ice Creek Restaurant, which is also coming up very soon!

     Believe it or not, this Sunday, April 17 we have our first tournament of the season. A 4-Person Scramble shotgun starting at 11:00 am. There will be two divisions a Championship Flight and a Handicap Flight. The Championship Flight will tee off from the Blue Tees and will compete with gross scores only. The Handicap Flight will tee off from the White Tees for Men and the Red Tees for Women and will compete using both gross scores and net scores, with each team receiving 20% of their teams total handicap. The entry fee of $60 includes your golf, cart, prizes and a meal following play. Please call the golf shop at 564-4653 for more information or to sign up. Join the fun, begin the season with a little competition with friends while playing in a fun and forgiven best shot scramble format!

     Make this your year, to play or start the game of a lifetime. We have many Membership options available including: Single, Couple, age 31-39, age 23-30, age 19-22 and age 18 & under, plus Twilight options. Plus we have wonderful instruction programs to help you learn the great game of golf. Call us for more information at (218)-564-GOLF or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. Call us to work out a custom plan to fit your needs.

     Wednesday, April 13^th Men’s Night event will be a 3-Man Scramble. Next week’s event will be Guess Your Score. Everyone, is always, invited and welcome to participate in Men’s Night. We play 9 holes, starting with a shotgun start at 5:30 each and every Wednesday. We offer a reduced priced green fee of $12 to participate, a reduced cart fee of $8 and a prize fee of $8, plus we also offer an optional reduced priced meal following golf. We only ask that you call us and sign up to play by 3:00 the day of the event. Take one night out of your week in 2011, join the boys, and have some fun for a couple hours every Wednesday Night!

     Thursday, April 14^th Ladies Night event will be a 3-Lady Scramble. Ladies Night is open for anyone to play, we invite you all out there to join the area’s best group of golfing gals each and every Thursday Night at 5:30. Please sign up by 3:00 the day of the event. Different events are played each week, some skilled and some not so skilled, allowing everyone a chance to participate and a chance to win. Cost for non-members is $12 for golf, $8 to ride, $5 for a prize fund and $9 for an optional meal following golf.

     Tip of the Week: Early season golf.

     Begin your year with a perfect grip, a perfect stance and perfect alignment! Sound difficult, maybe and maybe not. Perfect practice makes for perfect golf. When practicing, lay clubs down to make sure your alignment is good and to check your ball position(s). Check out your stance and posture in a mirror or picture window. If you need more help to start your perfect year, call one of the teaching pro’s on staff here at Blueberry Pines. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great 2011 Season! If you need help with your game call myself or Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional.

Blueberry Notes by Jim Carlson - 4-5-11
 

     Our greens are currently open and seem to have come through the winter in great shape. Jeff and his crew will be working feverishly to help clear any and all possible snow, plus to help the melt by moving snow and breaking up ice. You will have to check out our website for updates at blueberrypinesgolf.com, plus with our new Grounds Blog, you will be able to stay in touch with the daily goings on, out on the golf course.

     I am extremely happy and excited to be in such a wonderful area, at such a beautiful golf club, surrounded by such great communities. Plus this year is especially exciting because 2011 marks our 20^th Anniversary at Blueberry Pines Golf Club. All of us at Blueberry Pines are excited to begin this upcoming season! We ask that you join us in the Celebration! Our plan is to bring you great golf, delicious food, fun new events, and we hope special memories throughout this upcoming 20^th Anniversary Year!

     Make this your year, to play or start the game of a lifetime. We have many Membership options available including: Single, Couple, age 31-39, age 23-30, age 19-22 and age 18 & under, plus Twilight options. Plus we have wonderful instruction programs to help you learn the great game of golf. Call us for more information at (218)-564-GOLF or go to our website at blueberrypinesgolf.com. Call us to work out a custom plan to fit your needs.

     We are hopeful this Wednesday, April 6^th will mark the last night of our Men’s Downstairs Winter Putting League. We thank all the participants from throughout this past winter. If you have not experienced our downstairs putting league, come on out tonight at 6:00 and join the fun. Everyone is invited to participate. Myself, Brady and Andrew issue a challenge for you to come out and try to beat the pro’s this week. Or just come out to try the downstairs putting track. We hope to start a golfing Men’s Night event next week Wednesday, April 13^th. Look for more details in next week’s Blueberry Notes.

     Come on out on tomorrow night, Thursday, April 7^th to join the area’s best group of gals for the final night of the Ladies Downstairs Putting League. Everyone is invited to participate with a starting time of 6 pm. If you have not had a chance to play on our downstairs putting track, now is your last chance. We hope to be outdoors next Thursday to begin our Ladies Night golf season. Most everyone can putt, it is a great activity and everyone is invited to join the fun not only this week, but every week!

     Tip of the Week: Hand placement or grip while putting.

     When gripping your putter, the most important thing is that the palm of each hand is facing the palm of the other hand. If you hands are not directly facing each other it will affect your putting. Simply put your hands together, then try to duplicate as best you can when gripping your putter. Good Luck, Good Golfing and have a Great Year! If you need help with your game call myself or Brady Anderson or Andrew Martinson, the teaching professional on staff here at Blueberry Pines or call your local PGA Professional.