We're excited to welcome General Manager Bill Manahan to The Wilderness! A PGA Member since 1990, Bill was born and raised in Rochester, Minnesota. He managed Cloquet Country Club for the last 16 years and started here at The Wilderness in early April. 

A few words from General Manager Bill Manahan

 

Congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on his second green jacket! With another Masters on the books and courses finally starting to open, April is always a month of anticipation for Northern Minnesota golfers! I am extremely happy to be joining the great staff at The Wilderness this upcoming season! It is an honor to be working for the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa and all our friends at Fortune Bay Resort Casino.

 

A huge thank you to my family for supporting me in this endeavor. My wife, Tricia, daughter Madeleine and son Ryan have endured multiple job changes over my many years in the business. I am very lucky to have such an understanding family.

 

Moving forward, The Wilderness staff will continue to build on its reputation as one of the premiere golf resorts in the state and a top casino golf resort in the country! As a staff we take tremendous pride in our guest service and will always make the guest experience our top priority.  

 

We are fortunate this season to once again have the culinary talents of Executive Chef Mitch Kerfeld in The Wilderness Grill. Mitch returned The Wilderness Grill to the stature it enjoyed in the past as “The Best 19th Hole”.  We also welcome Kelsey Kerfeld as our new Food & Beverage Manager, bringing with her years of expertise in the business.  Kelsey is knowledgeable and creative, and we can’t wait see what she comes up with! 

 

The golf course will again be in the safe and knowledgeable hands of Trevor “Trey” Rintala, our superintendent.  Trey, along with Mike Galindo his assistant and his entire crew put The Wilderness back on track last season and will continue to provide a golf course in exceptional condition.  Thank you for all your hard work.

 

The golf staff will be led by Al Gibson and Haley Bogdan.  Al is a valued Wilderness staff member and offers much needed wisdom to the new guy on the block.  Haley is entering her second season and will be taking on additional responsibilities in pursuit of a career in golf.

 

The Wilderness is grateful for our Sales and Marketing Manager Rebekah Tweten and her accommodating nature in dealing with groups and reservations.  It is a special talent to juggle so many bookings and requests.  A huge debt of gratitude to Ross Polley, The Wilderness Controller, for his willingness to take the leadership of The Wilderness over the past few months. Ross, with his eight years of experience in his role, expertly guided the ship with his wit and knowledge. I cannot thank Ross enough for his kindness during this transition.

 

We are excited for the season to come and can’t wait to welcome you back to The Wilderness!  

 

Wilderness General Manager,

 

 

Catching Up with Superintendent Trevor Rintala and his Crew
We are back for another beautiful year here at The Wilderness! The weather has been a rollercoaster the past few weeks, but from what we have seen, the course looks to be in superb condition. Now what we need is some nice, warm rain to replenish our moisture reserves in the root systems and raise the soil temperatures for active growth.

Our staff has been diligently working on repairing the equipment and planning for the upcoming season. People often ask, “What do you do in the winter when the course is closed?” Well, in the fall, we stay outside as long as we can, putting up snow-fence to protect the course from traffic, then clearing hazardous trees and brush, spraying the course with protective chemicals, working on drainage, removing thatch, aerifying, keeping the grounds clear of debris which may clog drainage and winterizing the course.

Once the snow flies, we are indoors repairing equipment, working on projects, doing building maintenance, researching new practices and procedures, ordering and organizing equipment and chemicals, but mostly, we're just praying there’s enough time to finish all the long and daunting tasks that ensure we will be ready for another season. And now it’s nearly here!