St. Peter area golf course clubhouse gets major facelift

Inside and out, the Shoreland County Club clubhouse, tucked away on the bluffs overlooking St. Peter, has a new look.
 
Sliding patio doors and an expansive outdoor deck has been added overlooking beautiful Lake Emily and the 18th fairway. The long banquet style tables have replaced by round quartz-topped tables. Fine wood trimmings, soften the stone, making the space warm.

The centerpiece is the upper level bar and grill, The Woods Grill and Bar. The lower level houses the newly remodeled The Pub in the Woods.

The restaurant provides fine dining, while the pub is more casual with six big screen satellite televisions and billiard tables.

Both businesses are owned and operated by Rick and Janet Prososki, approached by the Shoreland Board of Directors roughly one year ago and asked to become the club's new drink and beverage providers.

"We kind of have two atmospheres," Rick Prososki said, describing the newly renovated club. "We kind of run the upper level as a restaurant, and we call the lower level The Pub in the Woods. That's more of a relaxed atmosphere where golfers always hang out, whereas the upper level is a little more fine dining."

The remodel has completely transformed the space, giving the clubhouse a new feel. The kitchen on the lower level was removed and replaced with a larger bar, forming the new pub. A dumbwaiter is used to bring food up and down from the restaurant. More elegant restrooms/locker rooms have also been added.

The long banquet style tables were replaced by round, four-person tables made of Cambria quartz. In fact, the quartz can be found all over the place, including the bars, the restrooms, the floors and the walls.

That's because the renovations were made possible by Cambria CEO and longtime club member, Marty Davis, and his family, Rick Prososki said.

"They basically gutted the building and redid it inside and out," Rick Prososki said of the Davis family who funded everything except the kitchen. "The building itself stayed the same size, except the deck was added with seating for 75 to 100. We have a lot of outdoor seating, and it's super popular."

With the view of the lake and the golf course from the deck, there is no outdoor seating in the area that can compare to it in Rick Prososki's opinion.

"This will rival any clubhouse in southern Minnesota," Rick Prososki said. "We got 70 new members this year, and it's all because of what's happened out here. This is a gem."

Business has been good, Prososki added. The Woods has 30 employees and the Prososkis just hired their fourth full-time cook, and their third full-time wait staffer.  They also have a full-time bartender.

Another big draw to the restaurant is its menu, which has sandwiches, salads and other signature items and was conceived entirely by Rick Prososki.

"It's been a big boost to the local area," Prososki said of the new clubhouse. "When we took over last year there were three weddings. This year we have 19 weddings. We just launched our new website that has a calender of events, so people can see what's going on that day and when there are openings. We request reservations, but they're not required … People can't wait to sit on the patio. Last night the deck outside was full of people."

Reported by:  Southernminn.com