Business Profile: Highland Golf Club was founded in 1930
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BARK RIVER -- The Highland Golf Club on U.S. 2 and 41 is a member-owned, board-run operation with 18 holes, a bar, shop and restaurant frequently used for events and tournaments in addition to tee times and dining for members and the public. When it was founded in 1930 by a group of locals, they had just nine holes with sand greens and a small clubhouse. Ownership was available as stock options.
In 1933, the original clubhouse burned down and then rebuilt the following spring. At that point, it was just the bar. Today, the Sand Trap Bar is still the area around which most of the bustle is concentrated.
After another fire in 1960 -- which was inside the building but not as destructive as the first -- the members again got to work rebuilding.
The '60s and '70s were a time of growth for the Highland. Additions were built "piece by piece," said General Club Manager Gretchen Grzyb-Tallman. Onto the bar was built a dining room first, another expansion with more dining space and an office, and then a locker room.
Golf was gaining popularity, and members knew they wanted to increase their play area. The club purchased more land, and in a few short years added another nine holes and added irrigation. By this point, the sand greens -- which required raking after each group of golfers -- were replaced with more grass.
In 1968, the addition to the course was completed, and it opened as Delta County's first 18-hole golf course on Aug. 24.
The recovery from a third fire, which broke out in 1975, brought the clubhouse to its current iteration.
When there were only a few options for golf in the area, the Highland boomed with over 500 members. Grzyb-Tallman relayed that during the '80s and '90s, the club was private and had a waiting list for new members.
After Irish Oaks and the Island Resort and Casino opened new golf courses, play spread out and the demand was less intense. Grzyb-Tallman reported that the Highland has a good relationship with the nearby Island: it participates as a stop in the Island's "stay and play" package, and guests are often directed from one to the other if one course is booked.
"League days get pretty busy, but we always leave room for tee time for people just walking off the street or calling," said Grzyb-Tallman.
There are a number of leagues, and people are not limited to how many they can play in. Members can play seven days a week if they so choose.
Monday brings Golden Girls' League; Tuesday is Men's League; Wednesday is Ladies' League, and Thursday is Seniors' League.
Area veterans can golf for free on Mondays.
Most people bring their own equipment, Grzyb-Tallman said, but golf clubs and carts are available to rent, and other items can be purchased in the pro shop.
Grzyb-Tallman began golfing at the Highland as a small child under her family's membership. She began working as a cook and bartender -- and still does both. She is now the head cook in addition to acting as the general club manager, a position that answers to the seven-person board of directors, whose role is to carry out the visions of the members.
"No matter what age you are, a member is always an owner," Grzyb-Tallman said. "We have young children, we have juniors, we have seniors -- you know, we have all different kinds. So it's cool."
There are 13 employees who work in the clubhouse, but the grounds crew is made up of members who volunteer.
"We have one mechanic that volunteers his time, and then we have five guys that volunteer their time and come in and do all the cutting every week," explained Grzyb-Tallman. "They cut fairways three times a week, they cut roughs twice a week, and they cut greens four times a week."
The Highland itself hosts tournaments to fundraise for various charities, including the Delta Animal Shelter, Tri-County Safe Harbor, Honor Flight and more. It's a popular site for organizations to host fundraisers, which can be very profitable, or simply parties and outings.
It's been used as a venue for weddings, baby showers, celebrations of life, class reunions, and a divorce party.
The restaurant is open to the public for dinner on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday -- the fish fry is said to be good -- and Saturday.
Grzyb-Tallman said that when she started working at the golf club 13 years ago, it had about 86 members. During Covid -- when golf was one of the few activities people could do -- membership skyrocketed, and the sport has remained popular. Today, over 300 members belong to the Highland.