Meet Norm & Jasen

The St. Cloud Country Club offers much more than just great golf. We also have a first class kitchen, with first class cooks. Head Chef Norm Maish and Assistant Chef Jasen Merkel, among others, make the dining experience at our club delicious and exceptional. We put Norm and Jasen under the spotlight, asking them a series of questions about themselves. Here is what they said:

Norm Maish

Head Chef

How did you get started in cooking?

I have always loved to cook. I have cooked in various restaurants in St. Cloud area. 10 years ago when my Mom passed, I went back to school for a culinary degree, in order to support my sister. Ever since I have had a passion for cooking.

What do you like most about working at the Country Club?

The people, everyone is so welcoming and inviting. The staff, and the members as well, everyone is really nice here.

What’s your favorite dish to make at the Country Club?

Stuffed chicken with the cherry brandy sauce.

What’s your favorite Country Club dish to eat?

The Reuben.

Hobbies outside of cooking? What do you do in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my two daughters. I enjoy watching them play their sports. I also like to fish and hunt.

If you could be any food in the world, what would you be?

Tiramisu.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life?

Crab cakes.

What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Knowing that the customer is satisfied with the food that they are getting, as well as seeing their reactions when tasting the food I cooked for them.

How do you like your steak?

Medium rare.

How do you like your eggs?

Over medium.

Cooking disaster story?

It was the St. Cloud State President inaugural, I was cooking for the event, and I had some student helpers. I accidentally forgot about one student working in the freezer for 3 hours. Luckily there were a few ovens nearby, so we could heat her back up.

First meal you have ever cooked?

Sausage and eggs.

Gordon Ramsay or Rachael Ray?

Gordon Ramsay.

Cooks choice: If you had to recommend one meal at the country club, what meal would that be?

The prime rib.

Jasen Merkel

Assistant Chef

How did you get started in cooking?

I started as an accountant major, got a basic job as a dishwasher, and decided to change my major to culinary arts.

What do you like most about working at the country club?

The member oriented culture. I get to know each member on a personal level. It is great to see the same customers each week and get to know their personalities.

What’s your favorite dish to make at the Country Club?

Seafood, salmon.

What’s your favorite Country Club dish to eat?

Bang Bang shrimp tacos.

Hobbies outside of cooking? What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy training my two dogs, hunting, fishing, and traveling. I also enjoy trying different breweries with my wife.

If you could be any food in the world, what would you be?

A sauce, because sauce is versatile, it can pair with different kinds of food, and is universal. If I had to be a specific kind of sauce I would be a spicy sauce.

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life?

Shrimp.

What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Pleasing the members.

How do you like your steak?

Medium rare.

How do you like your eggs?

Over easy.

Cooking disaster story/worst nightmare?

Getting ready for Mother's Day brunch and having ¾ of your staff call in sick.

First meal you have ever cooked?

Honey cashew chicken.

Gordon Ramsey or Rachael Ray?

Gordon Ramsay.

Cooks choice: If you had to recommend one meal at the country club, what meal would that be?

Bacon wrapped scallops.

Now that you know more about Norm and Jasen, make sure to stop in next season to try some of their dishes! Many are unaware that our restaurant is open to the public during the season, and we often host many fun events and dining specials in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. To learn more about our restaurant and event services, visit our website.

Host your Event at the St. Cloud Country Club

Planning a large event can seem daunting at first. You have to find a venue, find a caterer, find decorations, invite everyone, set up, clean up, and hope you get to relax a little bit throughout the party. At St. Cloud Country Club, we aim to help you plan a stress-free event that you can enjoy.

Our clubhouse is a premier venue choice; it overlooks the Mississippi River and has amazing views of the golf course winding throughout the property. We strive to create an environment that is stress-free and fun for everyone.

Our clubhouse is able to accommodate events with up to 200 people in attendance. Our Professional Event Coordinators work to assure that all events are organized to your standards and requests. Whether you are looking to hold a work meeting for 10, a birthday party for 50, a corporate event for 100 or a wedding of 200, our Professional Event Coordinators can ensure you and your group have a stress-free event.

With any event reservation, we take the time to walk through our menu so that you can decide on the best meal options. Our on-site Expert Culinary Team is known for their 5-star meals and their positive attitudes. There is no minimum for food and beverages allowing us to work together and customize a menu to fit your needs.

We are one of the leading full-service venues in the St. Cloud area and a leader in best room rental value for Central Minnesota. The best part is you don’t need to be a member of the St. Cloud Country Club to reserve and event with us! Over the past two years, we have been awarded Vendor of Distinction from the Central Minnesota Wedding Association, and we have been one of Central Minnesota’s Premier Wedding Reception venues of choice for decades.

Looking to reserve your event with the St. Cloud Country Club? Visit our website stcloudcountryclub.com for more information, or give us a call at 320-253-1331.

Swimming at the Country Club

When you hear about the St. Cloud Country Club, what do you think? Do you think about a championship golf course along the Mississippi River, or about the delicious entrees at the restaurant? Maybe you think about the beautiful facilities for weddings and banquets. Well, with the weather finally cooperating with us, it’s time to start think about the POOL!

It’s FREE To Members

You read that right, if you are a member at the Country Club, swimming in the pool is free! Nothing is better than golfing 18-holes in hot, sunny weather and being able to go to the pool afterwards and refresh!

Everything is Better Outside

It’s 80 degrees, not a cloud in the sky… and you're swimming indoors? Don’t waste the weather! The Country Club offers the only outdoor swimming pool in the area. We allow you to soak up some rays, while staying cool and comfortable.

Improving Your Game

Don’t enjoy going to the gym? Swimming is the answer. Your core and body posture are very crucial in your ball striking and overall golf game and swimming in the pool can strengthen you physically in many aspects! Pool workouts will help you significantly, but just swimming around is beneficial!

Family

Swimming combines family togetherness, outdoor activity, and having fun! A great way to spend time with your family this summer is to take everyone to the pool. For the smaller members of your family, swimming lessons are available during the summer for your children, whether they are new to swimming, or looking to learn some new skills.

When you think of the St. Cloud Country Club, we hope you think of it as more than just an 18-hole championship golf course. The pool is ready and open for the summer- from 10am-7pm everyday! For news and events at the Country Club pool, visit our website. This summer, come relax and get your swim on at the St. Cloud Country Club!

Why More Women Should Golf

A game for competitive athletes, a game for casual players, a game for all ages- golf is an incredibly versatile sport that many individuals have enjoyed and from which many have benefitted from. It is an especially interesting and empowering sport for women to play. Below are five reasons why women can benefit from playing golf:

 

Body, Mind and Fitness

Golf is an excellent sport that helps you to get fit and stay healthy, and by walking around the course and swinging the club for a few hours, you can burn around 1500 calories per game. Often touted as a lifelong sport, playing a round of golf on a regular basis will help you to maintain healthy body fitness and get your muscles working and toned. Additionally, as an endurance sport, it allows you to focus on building your strength, flexibility, and stamina- skills you can use on and off the green.

Professional and Social Networking

Golf is often considered an exceptionally social game, making it the perfect activity in which you can build and foster professional relationships. Many top executives and big businesses consider golf as an important tool in professional advancement and development. Women can level the field in the office as well as on the green by strengthening relationships with colleagues, peers, and clients through the hours of socialization and conversation that come with playing a round of golf. Socially, the handicapping scoring system makes it easy for players of all ability, competitive style, or age to play with friends and family.

Stimulate Your Brain

As you concentrate on taking more precise aims and tweaking the fine details of your game, you are developing your fine motors skills and hand eye coordination. Golf is a sport that uses all your senses and makes you hone in on certain skills and details in order to better your game. Creativity, problem-solving, visualization, and strategic thinking are just some of the skills that improve as you continually play golf. The tactics you employ to improve your golf game better can be applied on and off the field and will lead to more confidence in your game and a greater sense of self-esteem and worth.

Travel and Explore

People often play golf to network, to exercise their competitive natures, and to relax. Getting away from the office and away from the electronics that seemingly clutter our lives will improve your health and outlook on life. The stress relief that golfing provides can do a world of wonder for your physical, mental, and emotional health. Playing on beautiful, sunny courses will give you a healthy dose of Vitamin D, which helps improve sleep and circulation, increases natural protection against diseases, and generally enhance your mood. Additionally, you can find beautifully-kept golf courses not only around the country, but around the world. Take advantage of this fact and travel around the world to visit as many courses as you can.

Golf is a Game for Men—And Women

Traditionally, golf has been a game populated by male players. However, the game is looking to evolve and become more inclusive of all golfers. Golf analysts are focusing on making courses more female-friendly by adding cleaner amenities and offering a wider range of golf merchandise and apparel for women. They are also focusing on parsing the attitudes that people hold in regards to how men and women play golf differently, how golf is marketed to women, and how women are treated as equals.

 

The growth of women’s leagues and women-centric golf networks have successfully increased in recent years. While much can develop with the attitudes towards gender and golf, female golf players supporting each other helps to make excellent strives in the game of golf.

Golf is a fantastic lifetime sport that allows for women to enjoy the benefits of physical fitness, professional and social networking, brain stimulation, traveling, and the development of the game itself. Don’t wait a second longer- visit our website to see how golf can change and vastly improve your life.

We Are Hiring for the 2015 Golf Season

If you are looking for full-time or part-time summer employment, the St. Cloud Country Club is looking for experienced individuals to join their team.

St. Cloud Country Club is an enjoyable and enriching place to work. We are looking for quality individuals to help make the club a better place for our members and a more enjoyable place to work. We offer competitive wages - a benefits plan to those who qualify - and room to grow. Apply today to join the prestigious team that makes the St. Cloud Country Club work.

See below for available positions and requirements:

Food and Beverage:

Bartenders- Prior bartending experience and customer service skills a must
Pool/Snack Shack- Friendly attitude, customer service skills and some prior retail experience preferred
Lifeguards- Lifeguard and CPR Certified required

Golf Shop:

Golf Shop Attendant – Detail orientated and able to multi-task.  Will be responsible for greeting and checking-in customers, operating POS system, managing tee sheet and answering phone calls.  Golf shop operations experience is preferred.
Outside Services – Individual needs to be available to the customer. 
Duties include: opening/closing cart barn, staging golf carts, greeting guests and loading and/or unloading golf bags, pick range balls, clean golf clubs and golf carts.

Grounds Department:

Golf Course Maintenance Staff – Seasonal full-time and part-time positions available. Experience is a plus, but not necessary.  Position is responsible for detailed mowing operation and golf course set-up. Benefits include: Competitive wages, use of club facilities and a friendly work environment.

To apply:  Print application off of our website: www.stcloudcountryclub.com  or stop by to pick one up.  Applications can be dropped off Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the St. Cloud Country Club: 301 Montrose Rd -  St. Cloud, MN 56301 (320) 253-1331

Top Ten Reasons to Join the St. Cloud Country Club

Spring is right around the corner, and that means golf is too. A new golf season means it’s about time to start thinking about a 2015 country club membership. Here are ten great reasons as to why you should join the St. Cloud Country Club:

1. The cost of membership is extremely attractive. The 2008 economic downturn (and the subsequent slow recovery) has resulted in private country clubs lowering prices across the board. For people who play a substantial number of rounds, a private club membership is often less costly than paying fees at a public course -- range balls are free!

2. No more 5+ hour rounds!

3. The staff are friendly, professional and always go above and beyond for members. The new chef is a culinary expert. Guests and business acquaintances will be impressed with the overall quality of the experience.

 

4. Club facilities are always free for members. The meeting rooms are perfect for sales meetings, and the banquet room is ideal for weddings.

5. St Cloud Country Club offers one of the only outdoor swimming pools in St. Cloud!

 

6. Tennis anyone? The St. Cloud Country Club offers 2 clay tennis courts.

 

7. Have you ever tried to find a bar/restaurant with a deck overlooking the Mississippi river? Tough to find, unless of course you visit the St. Cloud Country Club!

 

8. The St. Cloud Country Club has excellent programs for kids, including junior golf, tennis and swim lessons. We also have 2-levels of junior tees so the kids can compete with mom and dad on the course.

 

9. The golf course is challenging for the low handicapped players, but playable and fair for the higher handicapped player. It is also beautiful and easy to walk.

 

10. St. Cloud Country Club is introducing a networking club exclusive to members and their guests. This group will open up new opportunities for members and make it easy to do business with other members.

Call General Manager Tom Olson for information about our 2015 membership promotion or schedule a tour around the club.  Call 320-253-1331 extension 101 or email tomo@stcloudcountryclub.com

Hitting the Links with Social Media

As many of you may know, hitting the links is a commonly used phrase to announce you plan on playing a round of golf. With winter in full-swing, hitting the links is becoming an inescapable craving. In the meantime, you may want to consider hitting our links online. Stay in the know and join us online for the most recent updates on events, dining, the golf course, special offers and more.

If you miss the Minnesota golf season as much as we do, or want to be in the loop on all things related to the St. Cloud Country Club, please like and follow our social media platforms and invite your friends to do the same! If you are new to social, see our expert explanation of each social media platform:

• Facebook: I like golf
• Twitter: I am playing #Golf @StCloudCC
• Pinterest: This golf #tip inspires me
• Google+: My golf hangout off the course
• Blogger: Read about my golf experiences
• YouTube: Watch me golf
• LinkedIn: My skills include playing golf

If you are still lost, please feel free to contact us.