Putt Like the Pros

Golf season is finally in (excuse the pun) full swing again in Minnesota. If you haven't been practicing in the off-season, chances are your game is a little rusty. Check out some of our putting tips to take your short game to the next level:

Take Address

Stand so that your eyes are over the ball. Stand in a position that is comfortable for you and ensures correct posture. Your body should maintain a consistent motion with your elbows held to your sides.

Be Flexible

Don’t play with a stiff body, flex your knees and keep your shoulders relaxed. Not only will this make your putt closer to perfection, but it will also keep you more relaxed while on the green. If you have a hard time relaxing your body during your putt, try moving further or closer to the ball and practice putting.

Left, Right, and Center

If you found that you need to move away from the ball, but yet still can’t sink the putt, step sideways. Try moving to your left or right and find your pendulum swing sweet spot. You will only make a perfect putt consistently when you learn to hit the ball dead square.

Take the shot

Remember to relax and keep a slow and controlled movement. Don’t worry about rushing through the putt. If you feel uncomfortable taking your time, don’t – we’ve all started somewhere. In no time, you will be putting like a pro and swinging low scoring games.

One of the best things you can do to improve your game is simple… practice! Get out on the green and take a few shots. For tee times, location, online specials and more, visit our website at Blueberrypinesgolf.com.

Celebrating Our Silver Anniversary at Blueberry Pines

This season marks Blueberry Pines’ 25th Silver Anniversary! We are so grateful for everyone who has supported us over the years and are extremely excited to celebrate our 25th year with all of you. The start of a new season brings new beginnings and updates to our facilities. As you may or may not know, we have been working very hard over the winter months updating our banquet, dining, and lounge areas. Let’s take a look at some of the updates that have been made:

We have added new stairs and an updated railing to the loft in the dining area. Now guests will be able to easily access and enjoy the loft during dinners/functions.

Near the entrance, we have expanded the host area and the kitchen into the dining area. We also moved the snack bar and expanded the kitchen in its place.

We have also made updates to our dining and banquet areas along with updates to our buffet. On the golf course side, we have new carts, and our pro shop is stocked full with new golf equipment!

We look forward to sharing all of these exciting updates with you! The golf course and range have officially opened and we are putting the finishing touches on the dining and lounge areas, which are officially opening April 6th (Lounge) and April 15th (Dining area). We will, however, be opening our dining area for our Easter Brunch on Sunday, March 27th, though the updates to our banquet and dining facilities will not be complete. There will be 3 distinct seating times at 10:30 AM, 12:15 PM, and 1:45 PM. We hope to see you there!

Top 10 Meals to Eat at Blueberry Pines

Blueberry Pines Golf, Dining, and Event Center has a lot to offer to the public. Not only do we provide world class golf, we also provide an exceptional dining experience. Here are the top 10 meals you should order when dining at Blueberry Pines:

#1 Prime Rib – A delicious hand-carved 12oz cut seasoned to perfection and served with Au Jus.

#2 Grilled Butcher Hanger Steak – An 8oz. USDA choice beef hanger steak sliced and served on a mushroom demi-glaze.

#3 Smothered Pork Tenderloin – Tender sliced roast pork tenderloin smothered in sauteed onions, mushrooms, and demi-glaze.

#4 Canadian Walleye – Hand breaded or broiled, choice of 1 filet or two, served with our own tartar sauce and lemon.

#5 Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops – 4 large sea scallops wrapped in bacon, broiled and served atop garlic aioli.

#6 Thai Shrimp Wrap – Tender shrimp wrapped in a bed of garden greatness and our Thai sweet chili sauce in a flour tortilla with peanut spread.

#7 Ain't That A Peach Pizza – A creation like no other - shrimp, sliced peaches and jalapeno with Thai sweet chili sauce on a flatbread crust.

#8 The Pines Burger – Hand-pattied Black Angus burger topped with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and deep fried jalapenos on a toasted bun.

#9 Chinese Chicken Salad – Tender and juicy chicken breast tossed with romaine, purple cabbage, cucumber, sliced almonds, crispy chow mein noodles, mandarin oranges and a light sesame dressing.

#10 Fettuccine Alfredo – Fettuccine noodles tossed in our hand-crafted made from scratch Alfredo sauce one order at a time.

We want to hear from you! What meals do you think we should add in 2016? Visit our Facebook page and leave a comment with a dish you would like to see on our menu. In the meantime, stop into Blueberry Pines for our New Year’s Dinner! We hope to see you soon!

Learning the Lingo of the Links

Have you ever been out golfing with someone and found yourself struggling to decipher the things they are saying? You may be encountering a fluent speaker of the “Language of Golf”. The terminology can get funky, but to clear a few things up, here are 7 golf-slang words that you may have heard around the course:

Mulligan
A golfer’s BEST FRIEND! It is technically a “do-over” and is not in the official rules, but it just becomes a natural part of the game when golfing casually with friends. Hit in the water? Mulligan. Hit it in that bush next to the tee box? Mulligan. Hit a house out of bounds? Mulligan…

“Nice Putt Alice!”
If you’ve ever contemplated launching your putter into the pond, you have probably heard this one before. The saying actually comes from the 1963 Ryder Cup, when Peter Alliss terribly missed a 3 foot putt and someone from the gallery yelled the now legendary line, “NICE PUTT ALLISS”.

Shank

Hitting a shank, or having the shanks is a term associated with hitting a
very bad shot or hitting several bad shots. A shank is a shot that is struck by the hosel of the club, and not the clubface, producing a shot that goes to the right for a right handed player. Be warned, however; some of the more superstitious golfers consider it very bad luck to even hear the word around the course.

Slice
Sometimes called a banana ball, hitting a slice is when you strike your ball, it starts out on a trajectory left of your goal, but spins far right of the target area (opposite directions if you are left-handed). If you ever hear someone say they hit a “fade”, that is a shot that slightly curves to the right, making it less drastic than a slice. A slice is a more harsh error.

Hook
A hook is the opposite of a slice- starting its trajectory right of your goal and curving far left (again, opposite directions if you are left handed). Rarely used intentionally, hooking your ball usually indicates an error in your swing, but is sometimes used to get out of a tight space or to curve your shot around obstacles. A hook with a smaller curve is called a draw, and is much more commonly used.

“Time to Put On the Sunblock”
You’d never go to the beach without your sunblock, right? Well, if you’re having one of those days where you find yourself in the sand and hitting it in every bunker on the course, then you better have your “sunscreen lotion” handy!

A Danny Devito
You hit an incredible approach shot and you confidently head up to the green for a short-medium length birdie putt! You grab the putter, read the green, line up the putt, and pray it goes in. Right when you make contact you know you made a huge mistake… You completely misread the putt and your second putt is now farther away. You just encountered a mean 5 footer, “A Danny Devito”.


When a sport has an avid following, there are bound to be a few terms thrown around that are only understood by the die-hard fans of the game, and golf is a prime example. Brush up on a few of these golf terms to be prepared for the lingo of the links on your next golf outing at Blueberry Pines.

The Etiquette of Golf

Spring has arrived, and golf season is quickly approaching. If you are interested in playing golf, you may want to know these seven basic etiquette rules before you take on your first 18 holes.

1. Repair the Green and Bunkers
On the green make sure to repair your ball mark, in the bunker make sure you rake the bunker when finished. If you see other marks on the green or notice that the bunker hasn’t been raked, it’s common courtesy to tidy up those areas as well. Leaving these areas unmaintained can be a nuisance to others.

2. Keep Quiet
One of the best things about golf is that it’s a social game, but you should always show consideration for the other golfers around you. Losing your temper or laughing loudly could disturb other golfers’ focus, so make sure you are quiet during another golfer’s swing.

3. Dress to Impress
Sweat pants and T-shirts may be acceptable for other recreational activities, but when golfing, it is common courtesy to dress appropriately. Female golfers should consider wearing longer shorts and a nice shirt. Men should consider wearing a collared shirt and dress pants or shorts. Guys no tank tops or muscle shirts please.

 4. Step Away from Your Cell Phone
There are three main reasons you should put down your cell phone while playing golf: First you may lose your focus- when continuity is interrupted it could affect the result of your game. Secondly, cell phones interrupt other golfers. When you are using your cell phone, your voice level tends to be higher than usual. Lastly, Cell phones slow down play for both you and others around you.

5. Early is On Time, and On Time is Late!
It is important to be early for your tee-time. Then keeping up with the group ahead keeps the pace of your golf game up to par. If the group behind you starts to catch up, let them jump ahead of your group and play through. If it is busy golf course, letting groups through may not be an option if there are solid groups behind the group behind you, this slows the entire golf course down 8 minutes per group let through. Play ready golf and play with undue delay.

6. Stay Inbounds!
Typically white stakes or lines mark the boundary line on a golf course. If you hit the ball out of bounds, the penalty is a stroke-plus-distance, meaning you add one stroke to your score and count all hits. Constantly hitting the ball out of bounds can cause your group to slow down! If you can, check out the course overview before you take on 18 holes.

 7. Golf Cart Driving
No one likes to see a reckless golf cart driver on the course. Taking sharp turns or parking to close to the green can ruin the grass. To help keep the grass well maintained, utilize the cart path as much as possible. If you absolutely have to drive on the grass, make sure you are steering clear of greens and tee boxes and do not drive too close to water hazards, mounds or bunkers.

Now that you know theses 7 etiquette rules, take the day off and head to the course! Check out our membership options membership options or standard rates, and make a plan for the upcoming golf season!

5 Tips to Remember When Choosing Golf Clubs

 
With golf season and summer right around the corner hopefully you are thinking about taking up the game of golf. If you are, you’re probably thinking about which clubs to purchase. If you are a beginner, golf clubs can be expensive, so it is very important to know a little something about the clubs you put in your golf bag before you purchase them. Here are five tips that can help you on your search for the right clubs:

1. When choosing a driver it is important to remember that shorter may be better than longer. Most manufactures today are producing drivers for experienced players that are too long for beginners. With a shorter club you have a better chance of hitting the ball squarely. Also, if you tend to miss the “sweet spot” on your current driver frequently, you should get a driver with a maximum forgiveness rating (many golf club manufacturers provide this information).

2. Consider using your 3-wood as a driver. If you get more distance with your 3-wood off the tee, making this simple change could help you drop a few strokes off of your game.

3. When it comes to choosing the right golf clubs for you, grip size and type, shaft length and type, plus the lie angle of the club-head can all be very important. Golfers come in all shapes and sizes with their own unique swinging techniques. Having a set that is the right fit for your swing will make it easier for you to learn and improve your game.

4. To find the golf clubs that best fit your golfing style your best bet may be getting fitted for golf clubs right here at Blueberry Pines Golf Course. This is a great way to test out which clubs work for you and which ones don’t. For instance, if your club is too long, light, or heavy for your golf swing type, it will limit your ability to properly hit the ball squarely at impact. Having a golf set that is completely wrong for you when you're trying to learn can make it much more difficult or even impossible to get any better.

5. If you struggle with long irons, which most players do, you should consider trying a hybrid. Hybrids can be an easier-to-hit alternative to long irons. Hybrid clubs have a more forgiving club face, and lower center of gravity which gives it easier “swingablilty.”

Now that you are on the right track to finding the right clubs, it’s time to put them to use! Blueberry Pines is a great golf course for any level of golfer. Check out our memberships options here.

If you have any questions call (218) 564-4653 or email bbpgolf@wcta.net

Blueberry Pines Golf Course Ground Conditions

With the golf season finally underway, one may be wondering about the conditions of our golf course after the winter. The answer is simple-  very well!

 

The greens are still in the thawing stage, but the frost is just about gone. We have been busily watering the greens with a tank to add some much-needed moisture into the topsoil, which is very dry from lack of precipitation during the winter. We will continue to do this until we can turn on the irrigation system, which will hopefully be in just a couple of weeks. This lack of water also means that we cannot yet mow the greens yet. We will be mowing them as soon as the weather permits. The lack of snow this winter helped our course to quickly get ready for golfers to start hitting the links. Thanks to our lack of snow and our sandy, dry soil, the golf course was able to open this year on the earliest opening date in Blueberry Pines history! (March 13, 2015)

As for the rest of our course, it came through the winter exceptionally well, considering it was exposed to the elements through most of it. Despite our mild winter, our grounds crew is and will be continually cleaning up. We are still unfortunately seeing the after effects of the fire two years ago, due to the fact that bark beetles have moved into some of the damaged trees. We had to remove some of these trees, and are keeping up with cutting down other dead trees. However, that should not compromise the beauty of the course. It remains to be seen how our mild winter and lack of snowfall will affect the trees.

We are looking forward to another wonderful season, and hope to see you out here golfing all summer long!

Join us for our Valentine's Day Sweetheart Dinner

Treat yourself to a special evening at Blueberry Pines Golf, Dining and Event Center this Valentine’s Day. We are featuring our Sweetheart Dinner for Two as well as Single Entrées..

We will do our best treat you like royalty from the time you walk in our doors to the time you return home. Our goal is to make this Valentine’s a joyous experience for you and your special someone.

 

The Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Menu will include:

Appetizers

• Crab Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp with Beurre Blanc Sauce - $11.95
• Seafood Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Caps with Lemon and Garlic Butter Cream - $10.95
• Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip Bread Bowl Served with Garlic Naan Triangles - $8.95

Single Entrées

All single entrees listed below include Soup & Salad Bar with choice of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Wild Rice Pilaf or Baked Potato.

• Grilled 12oz. Certified Angus New York Steak - $21.95
• Hand Carved Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus - $21.95
• Airline Breast of Chicken with Pesto, Bacon Fettuccine Alfredo - $18.95
• Breaded or Broiled Canadian Walleye (Two Fillets) - $21.95

Sweetheart Dinner for Two

All Dinner for Two entrées listed below include Soup & Salad Bar with choice of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Wild Rice Pilaf or Baked Potato.

• Roast Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus and Garlic Lime Shrimp Skewers for Two - $50.00
• Seafood Trio for Two - $55.00
• Hand Breaded Fish Filet, Shrimp Skewer and Bacon Wrapped Scallops
• Roast Beef Tenderloin Béarnaise for Two - $54.00
• Sliced Roast Beef Tenderloin Béarnaise and Broiled Lobster Tails for Two - $59.00

Homemade Desserts

• Chocolate Velvet Finale - $14.95
• Chocolate Truffles, Chocolate Petit Fours, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Red Velvet Heart Cake with Champagne for Two
• New York Style Cheese Cake - $5.95
• Lemon Blueberry Tart - $5.95
• Chocolate Kahlua Cake - $5.95

 

Also joining us this Valentine's Day at Blueberry Pines is the excellent Don Holmen, performing live with soft, relaxing, fun music. Between the mix of delicious food and great music we are sure your night will be filled with wonderful memories. Seats fill up fast! Please reserve your table today: 218-564-4653.

Your Best Choice for your Big Day

 The question has been popped, the date has been set, but now what? Where do you
start?  You should start by giving Blueberry Pines Event Manager & Executive Chef,
Kyle Wheatley a call.  From our picture perfect fairways, all the way to our delicious
event menus, Blueberry Pines can be the perfect fit for your big day.

Blueberry Pines offers beautiful landscape that can provide a gorgeous backdrop for
photography.  Our greenery and picturesque fairways create a rich texture and colors
that will make your wedding pictures come to life.  Our setting is great for cocktails and
pre-wedding snacks, as well as providing the kids a place to exhaust some energy
before the ceremony.  Worried about parking?  Don’t be!  Our parking area is spacious
and provides close walking distance to our event center.

Our gorgeous three story clubhouse provides exclusivity.  Our banquet facility can seat
up to 300 of your family and friends comfortably, guaranteeing the bride and groom a
party full of people they love. If you are considering an outdoor wedding, Blueberry
Pines offers a beautiful outdoor Gazebo and outdoor seating area.

Blueberry Pines offers five different event menus that offer everything from a backyard
BBQ to Chef Carved Prime Rib.  Our catering staff always does their best to insure a
worry free experience and would be happy to provide answers to any questions that you
may have.

If you choose to have your wedding at Blueberry Pines, we will do everything we can to
ensure it is a joyous occasion.  We are also happy to help with any additional banquet
needs, such as a Groom’s Dinner.  We have a complete set of services to help make
your event a success and planners to assist you to ensure everything goes smoothly.
For more information and a customized quote, please be sure to use our request form.

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Golf

Beloved by people of all ages and personalities, golf is a constantly exciting game. It provides many benefits to your health, your athletic ability, and your social group. Whether you are looking to start playing for the first time or looking to return to the game, below are ten good reasons why you should play the game of golf.

1. Improve Your Physical Health
While Mark Twain call golf “a good walk spoiled,” regularly playing golf can benefit your health in many ways. Brisk walking provides light cardiovascular exercise and excellent circulation for your body. Golf helps to lower the risk of injury and aching bones, and in return will revitalize muscular flexibility. Also, carrying your own equipment—a weight-bearing exercise—will help improve your bone health and increase your metabolism.

2. Improve Your Mental Health
Golf is a therapeutic and stress-relieving sport that requires concentration. A temporary reprieve from the hectic schedule of life will improve your mental health significantly, allowing you to center and refocus after. The social aspect of golf and sharing a common interest with others can increase self-esteem and happiness while lifting depression and improving your outlook on life.

3. It is a Brain Exercise
No matter the outcome, you are sure to employ a number of strategies in your game that will exercise different areas of your brain. Problem-solving through the use of geometry and spatial reasoning to strategize your aim will provide a great workout for the left hemisphere of your brain, while the visualization techniques you use to imagine your swing will exercise the right hemisphere of your brain. This creative workout will stimulate the tracking functions in your brain as well.

4. Sharpen Your Focus and Coordination
By concentrating on your swing and imagining where the aim of your ball will travel, you are training your brain to focus on a target. Playing golf repeatedly will train you to focus on tasks and control your thought processing. Golf exercises your coordination as well, as you utilize precision strokes and balance to play.

5. Surround Yourself with Nature
Golfing gives you the opportunity to breathe in fresh air. With hundreds of beautiful golf courses around the country, it is not hard to embrace nature’s beautiful and winding views of oceans, forests, mountains, and more. Being on the course will help you soak up some extra sunrays. The Vitamin D provided by the sun will help increase your energy levels, improve your attitude, generate healthy cell growth, and aid in your calcium absorption. Plus, all the added health benefits will help you sleep soundly.

6. A Challenge for Every Athlete
No matter how competitive you are in sports, every different game of golf presents a new challenge -- a new personal best to beat or a new terrain to conquer. Golf is an excellent game for those who seek competition, and it is among only a handful of sports that has tournaments readily available for non-professional athletes around the world.

7. Learn Etiquette and Good Social Habits

Because there are no referees in the game, unspoken etiquette rules are how players govern both themselves and fellow competitors. Etiquette rules prove useful on and off the course. It allows you to practice personal responsibility and self-regulate your temper. It emphasizes respect and consideration for your peers and for the space in which you play.

8. A Game for Everybody
Simply put, anybody can play golf, regardless of age, gender or previous athletic ability. It’s a sport that can bond generations, heal disagreements and spark friendships regardless of whether you are a novice or a master of the game. A perfect union of socializing and exercising, it’s not hard to understand why people consider golf to be a life-long sport.

9. Network Your Way Through the Course

The nature of golf provides a relaxed atmosphere where you can socialize with peers and where you can easily make innumerable contacts. A round of golf can shed light on the integrity, personality, and habits of a playing partner. Being proficient at golf may help you make business deals and provide great opportunities for your professional life and personal connections.

10. New Trends

While the game itself can be traced back to 15th century Scotland, new trends always emerge in golf that keeps it relevant today. These trends address broadening the game further for a younger, more diverse group of people, and accommodating a generation where instant gratification trumps the rewarding game of golf.

These top ten reasons are only the tip of the iceberg for why golf is such a great sport to play. To discover why you should golf, visit Blueberry Pines Golf, Dining & Event Center located in beautiful Northern Minnesota near Park Rapids and Menahga, Minnesota. This beautiful championship 18-hole golf course features ‘towering trees, rolling hills, and a spring-fed streams’ plus offers individual golf outings as well as golf events and tournaments throughout out the year. Don’t wait to figure out why golf is the game for you!

Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Golf

 

There is nothing better than a great round of golf with your friends. Golf is a sport for life, and we believe it is important to instill your passion for golf to your children. The bonding experience you receive while teaching your kids to golf is irreplaceable and something they will remember for a lifetime. We would like to share a few of our tips on how to get your kids excited to learn the game of golf:

Make it Fun

When it comes to teaching children a new skill, kids want to have fun. If you focus too much on the mechanics of the game rather than the amazing feeling when they finally hit the ball or beat you in a game, they will lose interest quickly. Don’t forget to celebrate the little things.

Start Slow

Golf is a hard sport to master. Before you hand them a club, be sure to explain to them the reasons you love to golf, teach them the importance of golf etiquette and let them set goals for themselves.

Finding an Instructor

Not everyone is a great teacher, and that is okay. Many courses offer private or group lessons to children, as well as camps that not only teach the kids how to golf, but also the patience, focus and correct form it takes to take their golf game to the next level.

Finding the Right Equipment

Using a club that is too long or too heavy will hinder a kid’s ability to learn correct form. A new player will already have enough trouble learning technique without having to deal with improper equipment. A popular trend with adults teaching their children the game is taking their old set of clubs and having them cut down to fit the needs of their children. This ensures the children are properly suited to handle their golf equipment.

Where to Play

It is very important to think about other golfers when you choose a course or time to practice. Try late in the evening or at a time when it’s not crowded. If your kid wants to chase after the ball or rake every bunker, you don’t want to have to worry about a group waiting behind you.

Be Patient - Practice Makes Better, Not Perfect

It takes a lot of time, effort and patience to master the game of golf- even the pros aren’t perfect. Celebrating achievements and praising improvements will motivate them to be an even better player. Remember, not every young golfer is going to be the next Tiger Woods or Rory McIlory.

Show Them Instead of Tell Them

For most, visual learning will get you a lot farther than just telling them what to do. While you are teaching them, don’t get discouraged if they can’t perfect their grip or if they only hit the ball once every ten times. Let them try a few different clubs and mimic your stance.

Make it a Game

Spend time on the putting green. Have putting contests. Putting is one of the easier mechanics for a child to learn. As they become better at putting, they will be encouraged to develop the rest of their game.

Set Goals

Setting goals with rewards is a great way to encourage your kids to focus and improve their golf game. Once they complete their goal, give them a break and treat them to soda and a treat in the club house. There is no better feeling than accomplishing a new skill on the course.

Here at Blueberry Pines, we know young golfers are the future of the sport and we believe in them- golf is a passion, not a sport. When you become an experienced golfer, the course becomes a whole new world. We hope to see you and your children enjoying our course very soon!