New Bemidji Town and Country Club general manager Jack Baker says 'everybody's welcome'

Bria Barton, The Bemidji Pioneer, Minn.
·4 min read

May 8—BEMIDJI — When Jack Baker took on the role of general manager of the Bemidji Town and Country Club just over a month ago, he recognized immediately that the sprawling greens overlooking Lake Bemidji were a hole in one for both members and guests alike.

"It's hard to beat this," Baker said. "Looking out at the lake, you've got the eagles and the loons going off. So what more is there?"

With nearly three decades of professional golfing experience and course management under his belt, Baker knows a good golf course when he sees one. Originally from Minot, N.D., he's an alumnus of the University of North Dakota, having started out in the golfing scene by teaching lessons on the school's Ray Richards Golf Course.

When he moved to Wendover, Nev., he joined the PGA program there, becoming the first assistant director of instruction at the Toana Vista Golf Course. He also worked to earn the PGA Assistant of the Year in 1998 for the Utah Section there.

"It was one golf course tied to five casinos," Baker said with a laugh. "So there's not much you can do on a golf course that I haven't seen. Some of it I didn't want to see. But it's all good because it provided a tremendous background."

Afterward, Baker made a move to Monument, Colo., where he helped open the King's Deer Golf Club as general manager and director of golf. He then returned to the Midwest to open another course called The Summit Golf Club in Cannon Falls, Minn., where he worked as general manager for almost a decade.

Now, in Bemidji, Baker is overseeing the Bemidji Town and Country Club's entire operation, and he said he's looking to alter a widely held belief that the country club is exclusive to members only.

"The majority of people, impression wise, don't realize they can come on to the course or into the North Shore Grille," Baker said. "When they hear Bemidji Town and Country Club, people get hung up on that word 'club', and they think it's members-only, but it is not."

The general public can play golf on the course by scheduling a tee time either by phone or online. And the club's restaurant, the North Shore Grille, is open to the general public also — just as any other restaurant in town is.

Baker said this move for country clubs to become more inclusive to the general public is a change he's seen in the industry, so he's actively working to create events at the club and communicate them to the community.

"With any business that's been doing the same thing for 20 or 30 years, it's always good to get fresh eyes, so that's what we're doing here," Baker said. "One thing that we're going to focus on is letting the public know, 'Hey, not only is it open to you, you're welcome to come, so come on in and check it out.'"

He said he looks to "liven things up" at the club by hosting regular events, such as wine tastings, Caddyshack trivia nights and possibly ballroom dancing classes. So far, Baker has put on a variety of events, such as a watch party for the BSU Beavers in the NCAA tournament, a Masters Tournament special and a Cinco de Mayo celebration, among others.

With an early spring, Baker said the course is about three weeks ahead of schedule in terms of getting it prepared for the golf season to kick off around Memorial Day weekend. So far, he has been working to give the club a bit of a refurb by adding new patio furniture and deck railings. He said they also plan to install fire pits.

"We're going to have fun, and there's going to be something always going on up here," Baker said. "Our daily operation goes up and down with Mr. Sunshine, and as he gets up earlier and goes to bed later, so do we. Come midsummer, 18-hour days are pretty standard in this industry."

In his spare time, Baker enjoys angling, especially ice fishing. As the director of the North American Ice Fishing Circuit, he helped resurrect the United States ice fishing team and has sent them off to participate in world championships since 2009.

He also worked as the tournament director of Cabela's Masters Walleye Circuit and Cabela's North American Bass Circuit, along with other events in the open water world.

Baker said he hopes to use his leadership and array of experience — from on and off the water — to usher the Bemidji Town and Country Club to a place where everyone in the community feels welcome to play some rounds of golf and relish in good food and drink.

"If I'm doing something, I really do something. I'm not a sit on the sidelines kind of person," Baker said. "I'm glad to be here. It's a fun course to play, and it provides a little bit of everything. It's a good course with good people, and again, everybody's welcome."