Crosswoods grilling up business
CROSSLAKE - For 23 seasons Crosswoods Golf Course has satisfied the golf appetite of the northern Brainerd lakes area.
The staff now will satisfy customers' hunger for food.
The Crosswoods Grill opened this spring to the delight of members and golf regulars and the nervous excitement of general manager Mike Stone and his wife Kelly.
The original plan was to add a screened porch to the existing clubhouse. That grew into a 1,000-square foot addition complete with a restaurant and a 1,200-square foot deck. The project doubled the size of the old clubhouse.
"We have some members who are in construction and they would say, 'Oh, for a little bit more you can put up a pretty nice structure.' So I thought, 'OK we'll do that,'" said Stone.
Mike and Kelly Stone, managers of the Crosswoods Golf Course, stood behind the bar of the Crosswoods Grill that opened this spring. Brainerd Dispatch/Jeremy Millsop
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"Last August we started building the addition," he added. "Once that was all framed in and going up, our members would say, 'Oh you're putting in a restaurant.' After a while the writing was on the wall. I was putting in a restaurant because the demand was there."
A northwoods ambiance complete with fireplace and uninterrupted views of the first tee and ninth fairway provide a comfortable place for lunch or dinner. The menu gives golfers on the go a quick meal, but should entice nongolfers, too, with basket entres ranging from a walleye sandwich to a breakfast sandwich.
"We try to offer high quality items at reasonable prices," said Stone. "We have about 10 items, but we want to do what we do do really well.
"The thing about a golf course is that you need to make the food fast for people on the turn and it has to be convenient to eat out on the course."
A call box will be added to the eighth tee box to order ahead and have food ready when players reach the back nine.
Crosswoods Golf Course
Holes: 18, Par: 71, Type: Public
Clubhouse phone: (218) 692-4653
Web site: www.crosslakegolf.com
E-mail: crosswoods@crosslake.net
General manager: Mike Stone
Owners: Jack and Dee Stone
Architect: Mike Stone/Mark Mitchell (1985)
The addition will allow Crosswoods to better accommodate league play and host large events. The dining area and deck can seat about 120 people.
Stone said the investment is paying off with more than half the golfers enjoying a meal during or after their round.
"Our goal was to make it a really comfortable place to eat after your round or just come and eat in general," Stone said. "We're not just open to golfers. Anyone who wants to come in for a good lunch or early dinner is invited."
Along with the Grill, Crosswoods offers an 18-hole course, a par 3 nine-hole course, driving range and pro shop with merchandise from Callaway and Nike. Stone believes the Grill is the last major project at Crosswoods, but wouldn't guarantee it.
"We're still going to make improvements to the golf course, like adding more cart paths, but this is kind of the last piece of the puzzle to really make us a full-service golf course," he said. "People really appreciate the fact that we are reinvesting back into the golf course. People see that and that's why we have pretty loyal golfers."
JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5856.