Sometimes you just need to take time off work and play golf. At least that's what Molly Schnagl says.

Although she works out of her home, Molly frequently travels as the busy owner of Tomegan Marketing Group. But in the summer of 2018, she slowed it down to focus on another passion of hers — golf.

"I took the lion's share of the summer off," she says. "I focused on playing a ton of golf and had a lot of fun."

Although she began with a social interest in golf, Molly had always been interested in joining a club to play golf with other women with the same passion. It was all about finding the right one. Here's her story.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Greg and Erin Stalsberg teeing off on hole no. 7 at North Oaks Golf Club this summer after enjoying dinner with their three children — McKenna, 12, Brynn, 8, and Callan, 6. After all, the hole is across the street from their house.

Golfing became more of a family hobby for the Stalsbergs six ago, when they first joined North Oaks Golf Club. Now that they are members, it's become their neighborhood oasis for all sorts of family fun.

When you think of famous golf course designers, names like Donald Ross, Pete Dye, and Tom Fazio often come to mind. Many golfers also have favorite designers based on the designers' “signature” approach. For example, if you typically fade the ball, you may love courses designed by Jack Nicklaus Design. Or maybe you have an affinity for courses designed by A.W. Tillinghast who worked on more than 250 golf courses including Winged Foot, Baltusrol, and Bethpage Black. 

One designer you may not be as familiar with is the late Stanley Thompson. Thompson, who was Canadian and an accomplished golfer in his own right, spent 40-years of his life designing courses. With nearly 150 courses in Canada and 26 courses in the United States, his most well-known courses are the Banff Springs Hotel Golf Course in Alberta and the Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course in Jasper, Alberta. Thompson, the designer of North Oaks Golf Club which was built in 1951, is well-known and respected for his ability to preserve the natural terrain upon which his courses were built. 

People don't often talk about how much they love to wait — waiting in line at Target, for your food at a restaurant, for your order to ship, for the doctor to see you, for your turn at the DMV. Waiting has become especially difficult for people in today's fast-moving, instant gratification-needing environment. But some things are well worth the wait, like a social or golf membership at a private club.

So, if you've found a great private golf club that you're interested in joining but there's a waitlist, here are three reasons to add your name to the list.

When it comes to investing in your family's future and well-being, certain decisions, like whether or not to start a college fund or to supplement your retirement account, are easy to make. But what about the decisions that can start benefiting your family today, rather than years down the line?

Many families find themselves considering making an investment in how they choose to spend their time together. Two popular options are to purchase a cabin getaway or join a country club. While both certainly have their pros, there are also plenty of cons that you need to be aware of to help you make an informed decision. Keep reading to learn what you can expect when you buy a cabin or join a country club, and why one might be the better choice for your family.

If you thought your golf club membership was just for golf leagues or dinner with the family, think again. Your golf club membership can be an asset to your business, too. Need to strike a deal with a prospective client? Invite them to play a round of golf. Want to host a monthly off-site meeting with colleagues?  Reserve an event space at your golf club.

Here are five ways to use your golf club membership for business.

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 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."