It was a crisp evening in early September. About 40 North Oaks Golf Club members made their way to the middle of the fairway, where they enjoyed an elegant meal and libations under starlight.

Each year, the club hosts a one-of-a-kind dining experience known as Farm to Fairway, and it's quickly become a favorite among members.

"It couldn't have been a nicer night," says Ted Risdall, a North Oaks Golf Club member. 

"It's one of those perfect package evenings," says Toni Rhan, another North Oaks member, and Farm to Fairway attendee. "It's a date night with my husband, away from our two small children."

"A case of the Mondays" is a phrase you've likely heard a co-worker mumble in the office. But corporations and private golf clubs are reinventing what it means to have a case of the Mondays through exclusive Monday golf events.

Private clubs nationwide have long been closed to members on Mondays. But many of them open their doors to non-member corporations or organizations hosting events of 100 guests or more. A typical event schedule includes lunch, a golf tournament, awards presentation, hors-d'oeuvres, and drinks.

Whether you're hosting an event for your employees, clients, or fundraising, here are some of the benefits of hosting a Monday golf outing for your corporation or organization at a private golf club.

It's easy to get caught up in planning your wedding day — the music, the food, the flowers. But if all your focus is on the wedding day itself, you may forget about the rehearsal dinner, which is also important.

Now, traditionally, the groom's parents hosted this wedding festivity, hence the alternative name: groom's dinner. But nowadays, the groom's parents don't necessarily host the dinner. Instead, the bride's parents may host it or the couple themselves might host it. To help ease additional planning anxiety, here's everything you'll need to know for your rehearsal dinner.

As the old saying goes, "The early bird gets the worm." While this typically applies to early breakfast deals or happy hour specials, it's now becoming more relevant at golf clubs, too. And not for the early morning tee times.

In fact, many longtime club members are missing out on prime events because they simply don’t sign up early enough. But this wasn’t always the case. So, how has RSVP etiquette at the club changed over time? And what should you know about registering for events?

"I, [insert your name], take you, [insert your partner's name], to be my lawfully wedded wife/husband."

Sure, you could recite your vows by repeating after the officiant, but why not add a personal touch to your ceremony and write your own vows? After all, no one knows you and your soon-to-be partner better than you. We understand it can be difficult and intimidating to write your own vows, so we came up with some easy tips to help you find the perfect words for your special day.

For many amateur players, hitting out of a bunker is cause for great consternation. While the pros consider escaping from a greenside bunker preferable to hitting from deep rough, the rest of us often hope to miss bunkers at all costs. It shouldn’t be that way. With some sound tips and a lot of practice, we should be able to hit the perfect bunker shot and have no fear of a trip to “the beach.”

It is important to remember that not all bunker shots are created equal. With varying types of sands, sand conditions, bunker shapes, slopes, and lips, you must always determine what conditions you are facing before making a swing. Sand saves are key to a good round, and failing to hit out of a bunker on the first try can sometimes lead to a bogey (or worse) and the beginning of a bad day. Here are a few tips that may help.

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."

You’re probably planning one epic bash to celebrate your nuptials, meaning your guests will likely work up an appetite from all of the merriment. You’ll have an amazing feast and cake for your guests to enjoy, but there’s lots of drinking and dancing that will happen before the night ends. So consider planning a signature late-night snack. It will help guests refuel and they are guaranteed to thank you for it. From sweet to savory, there are plenty of tasty options. Here are some of our favorite late-night snack ideas.

The family is gathered and they’re all looking for something to do together. A friendly and competitive round of golf is a great way to spend a beautiful Minnesota summer day outside. But not everyone plays at the same skill level. So, how do you make a competitive round of family golf fair and fun for everyone?

Certainly, the GHIN handicap system can help level the playing field, but only if everyone has a handicap index. There are, however, plenty of other enjoyable family-friendly games to play that will allow everyone to enjoy an afternoon of family golf. Take a look at these different games and try one for your next family outing.

When Chef David Owen Jones joined the team at North Oaks Golf Club, he brought with him a passion for locally sourced food.

"It was something I've known for a long time," he says. "I worked on a dairy farm in college. I knew where our food came from. And I grew up in a household where we ate very seasonally."

He didn't understand why some restaurants weren't serving local foods that were at the peak of their season. "It's become a buzzword, but not everyone practices what they preach," he says.

After becoming head chef at North Oaks Golf Club six years ago, he pitched the idea of cooking with locally-grown produce to the board of directors, and the transition to local, fresh foods began. Since then, David has not only been able to grow fresh produce on-site, but he's maintained an ever-changing menu with locally sourced ingredients and enhanced the food quality, too.