We are pleased to unveil new maps for Fair Hills and Five Lakes. We know you’re going to love ‘em!

No, we didn’t take these pictures last week! But we thought you’d enjoy seeing why the lake is so high. We had to put these down huge sand bags before the ice went out as else there would be waves the water would be in the Pine Room when the wind would blow from the south.

We are excited to welcome Cole Hornstein as the new Wildflower Golf Pro. Here’s a little bit of info on Cole…

I was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota and have always enjoyed sports and the outdoors. I was a member of the 2002 Fargo South State Championship Golf Team and played one year for Concordia College. I then went on to Ferris State University in Michigan where I graduated with a Professional Golf Management/Marketing degree.

I have been fortunate to work all over the country including, Promontory The Ranch Club in Park City, Utah, The Faldo Golf Institute in Orlando, Florida, Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Michigan, GolfTEC (the largest instruction company in the world) in Fresno, California, and was the Assistant Golf Professional at the Classic at Maddens Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota.

I have a passion for instruction and passed the Faldo Golf Institute teaching certification, along with graduating from GolfTEC University. I recently worked for Head Golf Professional, Chris Foley, at Maddens Resort where I gained experience by assisting him in his golf schools. I am looking forward to the opportunities presented to me by Wildflower and am excited for the ability to instruct students of all ages and abilities.

We’re getting ready for you. Greyson and Mesut are cleaning the pool.

Look what they found…

Steve & Tyler are floating the dock somewhere.

It’s always fun to see a pelican on Pelican Lake. Some folks like to have our early morning coffee outo n the deck before the breakfast bell rings to keep an eye out.

Well for those folks we have good news – they’re here!

We’re just days away from the fishing opener. We’re excited – but we know where to find folks who are even more excited – My Fishing Pals.

My Fishing Pals is a fun site for all of your fishing addicts. They’ve got a countdown to the opener on the homepage. For years they’ve had online fishing forms. Recently they added two fun features: Find a Fishing partner and a blog. The blog works a lot like our blog – the find a part is a calendar where you can post and find future fishing trips.

Check ‘em out – if you’re a fishing fanatic try it out before you head up to visit us or if you’re heading to Lake Five. Maybe you’ll find some new fishing friends.

The course will be open to walking only, no carts will be allowed until further notice. For more information please call 888-PLAY-WILD (888-752-9945).

In lieu of our rent a cart and green fees are a $7 donation, green fees will be just $12 ($7 still taken out as a donation), until carts are allowed.

NEW for 2009:

• Men’s League! Every Tuesday from May 12 until Aug. 25. See details at www.wildflowergolfcourse.com/men.htm
• Ladies League! Certain Mondays from June 8 to Aug. 10. See details at www.wildflowergolfcourse.com/ladies.htm

Promotions for 2009 (www.wildflowergolfcourse.com/calendar.htm):

• Monday Senior Day: ½ off green fees & carts and a coupon for ½ rates later the same week (coupon valid Tues – Fri of the same week)
• Monday Ladies Day: ½ off green fees & carts all day
• Tuesday Men’s Day: ½ off green fees & carts all day
• Wednesday Junior Day: anytime after 4:00 – $5 for 9-holes per junior, carts not included.
• 2 for 1 Thursdays: foursomes receive ½ off green fees & carts – ALL DAY. Tee times must be made in advance and the offer is only valid for foursomes
• Friday Couples Night: couples golf anytime after 5:00 for $30 (9-holes & cart), couples receive a free beverage each and free appetizers will be available
• Sunday Family Night: anytime after 4:00 – $20 for 9 or 18 holes and cart(s). Good for at least one adult and one junior (up to two adults or 3 juniors). Plus $5 for any additional juniors

Spring Business / Media Golf Tournament
Friday, May 15 – shotgun at 1:00 p.m.
Tournament format is a 4-person scramble, shotgun start featuring prizes for closet to the pin, longest drive and more. Entry fee, per teams of four, is $200 for businesses and $120 for media members. Entry fee includes 18-holes of golf with cart, lunch and then dinner after the tournament. Proceeds will benefit local area food shelters. For more information please contact justin@wildflowergolfcourse.com or anna@fairhillsresort.com.

Wildflower Open
Sunday, May 17 – shotgun at 10:00 a.m.
Two man best ball with handicap & net divisions with a shotgun start.
Hope to see you all this weekend!
Justin R. Fraase
General Manager
888-752-9945
justin@wildflowergolfcourse.com

Here’s another story from Niki Pappas, a guest who has been visiting Fair Hills for more than 10 years! Thanks to Niki for taking the time to talk to us and sending a fantastic picture!

I was introduced to Fair Hills because my parents had a lake cottage on Pelican Lake, on Goslee Beach just a 1/2 mile away or so. We lived in Fargo and so I spent lots of time at friends’ and our own lake cottages in the summertime. When I grew up and had kids of my own, my parents actually suggested that we try staying at Fair Hills — their cottage was very nice for adults & teens but not kid-friendly — it was on a steep hill with no beach and they weren’t the type to have water toys / boats / etc. So that started a pattern of my own little family’s coming every summer with my parents (and often brother if he was in town) coming over to play tennis (we’re a big tennis family), sail, see some of the shows, and have some meals together.

So in those early years when we’d come, we’d spend most of our time at the playground and on the beach with Alex and Zach. We came virtually every year starting in about 1997, and there were milestones — like the first time the boys were allowed to walk back to the playground by themselves after dinner. Now they’re 16 and 13 and of course they roam all over and enjoy pool, ping-pong, tennis, waterskiing, the morning walks, and of course swimming in the lake & playing with the kayaks and other water toys. For me as a mom of little boys Fair Hills was such a treat because everything was taken care of. It was a restful and relaxing way to vacation and also like going home for me. One of the most important things for me from the beginning was the walks with Barb. I’d get up early and have that time to myself to get good exercise, talk with other adults, and prepare myself for another day with my kids! As mentioned, often my parents were around and my brother too, so that was also a treat.

After I divorced my kids’ dad, the three of us still wanted to come to Fair Hills — I think we missed one year but no more than that. It’s a real tradition for the boys and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to talk them out of it. I hope they will continue to come when they’re older, married, have kids, etc. Unfortunately my parents don’t have the lake cottage anymore, but as mentioned, my brother has become our “4th” and we have a great time.

We’ve been talking with folks about how they found Fair Hills, what they like about it and what brings ‘em back year after year.

We started with Larry Schultz who was so generous with his time and his permission to share his notes. We had hoped to add a photo – but after weeks of searching, we still couldn’t find a picture. (If you can help us out, please let us know!

Notes from Larry…

Here’s why it’s so easy for a single parent to really, really enjoy himself and his children at Fair Hills. First, the organized activities are great and hugely popular with the kids. That 90 minutes in the morning and afternoon when the kids are in very good hands having tons of fun allows the parent to relax, nap, swim, read, whatever he wants to. And guilt – free since he’s not ignoring his children.

There’s still plenty of family time, so to speak, even with the kids’ morning and afternoon scheduled activities. I’m sure the kids actually prefer those organized activities to parent time.

Secondly, three meals a day, meals served to you at your table, assures the parent does not have to cook. And that the children (and parent too of course) are extremely well fed.

Third, the informality of the resort. It’s informal regarding dress and routine. Yet kids don’t run wild. At the resort the kids seem surprisingly well-behaved or at least very much aware that they are in a group setting that may require some self-control perhaps not exhibited while at home. The kids are so well looked after that they are not wanting in any for attention – either by their parent or resort staff. So that tends to greatly reduce melt-downs.

Fourth, the resort really goes to bed early. I love how quiet it gets around 10 PM. Oftentimes I lay in bed reading for an hour or so thereafter. And the silence (at least where we are) is broken only by the waves lapping on to the beach. Or the only other thing I hear at that hour is the retired dentist from suburban Chicago (Dr. Pawlowski) who is next door, coming back from fishing and showing his lovely wife the evening’s catch … if any. It is precious beyond words to hear how excited Dr. Pawlowski is if he caught some fish, especially a walleye or two.

Fifth, and this is the big one, the key: the resort seems to really revolve around kids. Kids having fun. Kids being well taken care of. Kids being kids at the lake. Very well taken care of. And that allows the parent(s) to then in turn do what they want to do entirely guilt-free.

I forgot to mention all the free lessons that are available to the kids daily. And most of those lessons are also available at no cost to parent. Those lessons play a huge role in not only occupying the kids’ time but in giving them something to be very proud of. It’s builds the kids’ self-esteem that in turns makes the kid happier; easier for the parent to handle. I mean in a way, a very fun and effective way, the resort is really taking care of the kids for the parent. AND THE KIDS LOVE IT. The resort makes it so much fun for the kids to join the organized activities and/or to take lessons that the kids on their own seem to plan their own days. I mean how much easier can the resort make it for the single parent? Those ringing bells at 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM signal fun to the kids and guilt-free free time for the parent.

The only real daily worries the single parent has is whether the kid brushed her teeth and does the kid have enough sunscreen on. And to try not to let the screen door slam. The parent in the next cabin or room might be napping!

Tied into the resort going to bed at 10 I think is the absence of a bar. I hope they never ever add a bar. It will change the resort for the worse.

Forgot one thing. The evening activities are fun and parent and child can do together. It puts parent and child back together in a fun (wholesome) way. So the routine has gone full-circle by bringing kid and parent back together. They both end each day having had tons of fun separately and together.

Doesn’t get any better than that.

Sometimes nature takes care of the best April Fool’s jokes…