Jim and Shelley Diffley aren't unlike many parents of adolescent kids. Their three daughters — Marie, 14, Anna, 12, and Claire, 9 — and a shared full-time job as real estate agents keep Jim and Shelley busy year-round.

But their busy schedules led them to join North Oaks Golf Club as social members. "There are very few restaurants in our area (Shoreview)," Jim says. "North Oaks Golf Club provides another restaurant for our family to dine at. And it's a destination for Shelley and I to bike to."

The Diffleys are a great example of members who use our golf club in a different way. Here's their story.

If you happened to see two young boys hitting golf balls at the driving range or practicing at the putting green this summer at North Oaks Golf Club, chances are it was 12-year-old Christian Goralski and his 10-year-old brother Ryan. "It's just kind of fun to bike up there," Ryan says. "We don't live far from the course. And it's easier than waiting for my parents to get home."

How much time did they spend at the course? The boys played in the junior league on Wednesdays, received lessons on Fridays, hit the course a couple times with their parents or friends on the weekends, and biked to the course to practice other nights of the week, too.

It may seem like a lot, but for two boys who have been golfing since they were toddlers, it's a whole lot of fun. The Goralski family is one of many that take full advantage of our golf membership for every member of the family. Here's their story.

As the sun rises over the first green at North Oaks Golf Club, Joe Jesmer and his colleagues begin their day of lawn care and course maintenance. Joe, 76, is one of the club's many seasonal employees. He works on the grounds crew with about 25 others, only three of which are retirees. And he loves every minute of it.

Joe is proof that seasonal jobs aren't just for high school and college students. Here's his story.

If you spent any significant amount of time around North Oaks Golf Course this season, you likely crossed paths with Mike Lamey. You see, Mike has become a household name at the golf club. So, if you didn't play with him this year, chances are you heard about him. Mike started this season with a goal to play 150 rounds before the course closed for the year. So far, he's on pace to accomplish that goal. (Update: Mike exceeded his goal with 152 rounds so far and more days of golf still ahead in the 2018 season.)

So why would a guy set such a goal? We were curious to know more about Mike's motivation, and once we learned his story, we had to share it.

It's hard to believe when you meet her today, but North Oaks member Annie Ballantine used to hate golf. That's right, hated it. In fact, Annie and Nick Jellum only joined a golf club initially because it was more cost-effective than paying for two rounds of golf only to have Annie quit after two holes.

"I hated golf," she says, laughing. "It was torture."

But Annie wanted golf to be something she and Nick could do together, and it didn't take long for one good shot to spark motivation to make it two good shots — and so on and so on. Before she knew it, Annie loved playing golf.

"Now I'm obsessed with it," she says. "I love that it's something I can do with other people or by myself. It's really relaxing. I love being out in the quiet, in nature, away from TVs and cell phones. I feel like it's something I can do for the rest of my life."