In 1998, the story goes that Tom Furlong looked across his farmland near Hastings, considered the crop prices, and thought maybe he’d rather mow greens and fairways than plow cornfields.

Twenty-five years later, his adult children have taken another step in that original vision, bringing a 26,000-square-foot event venue, restaurant and golf simulator space onto the scene at Emerald Greens Golf Course.

“We went big,” said family member Carl Dabruzzi, referring to Emerald Greens Golf Course’s new Wexford room, a 6,000-square-foot event venue space as part of a recent 26,000-square-foot expansion. They hope to attract weddings and corporate events with the expansion. (Courtesy of Kelly Birch)

The more than $5 million expansion boasts the Wexford, a 6,000-square-foot space with seating for 400 people. The facility has a south-facing window wall overlooking the golf course, bordered with slide-open door panels to be utilized during the warmer months. The space is surrounded by a 3,000 square foot patio with a path taking guests to a nearby waterfall that sets the stage for couples exchanging their vows.

Below the event venue room is Bogey’s Pub, named after the family goldendoodle, with a full-service kitchen and eight golf simulators spread across 13,000 square feet.

Furlong passed away in 2018, but his wife Carrie still owns the business, and each of the couple’s seven children have had a varying role at the course at some point throughout the course’s history. Emerald Greens Golf Course originally opened to the public in 2000.

“All seven of them do work together well. That’s why I said, ‘Go ahead kids; I’m just going to watch.”” Carrie Furlong said last week as they formally opened the event center and restaurant.

Afton Alps experience

The golf business wasn’t completely foreign to the Furlong family. They were partners in the creation of Afton Alps Ski Area, which used to include a golf course, and sold their interests in the 1990s. Nearly a decade later, Tom Furlong still didn’t have the golf business out of his system.

“At that point, crop prices were in the tank, so my Dad thought, maybe a golf course would be better,” said Carl Dabruzzi, who also serves as club business manager (the three oldest siblings were born to Carrie’s first husband, Samuel Dabruzzi, who died in 1963 while performing drills with the US Navy on the nuclear submarine USS Thresher).

Dabruzzi said life can be difficult for a family-owned, public golf course, so the new space is a bid for Emerald Greens to host weddings and business conferences, too.

The renovations include a bridal suite and a groom’s quarters for wedding celebrations. He demonstrated the capabilities of the directional sound system — a keynote corporate speech needs to reach different parts of the room than, say, the “Chicken Dance” at a wedding reception. Two projection screens can be lowered from the ceiling by remote control for multimedia presentations.

Outside of the new structure, Emerald Greens also reconfigured parts of the golf courses. Now, golfers hitting the turn can call ahead and easily grab a meal from the restaurant. When it’s too cold outside for golf, the golf simulators are a move toward a year-round business.

“We dream big, and we went pretty big,” Dabruzzi said.

Dawson Duchesneau of Maplewood lines up a shot Thursday at the golf simulators at Bogey’s Pub while his friend Maxim Foster of Cottage Grove looks on. The eight golf simulators are part of a new expansion at Emerald Greens Golf Course near Hastings. (Elliot Mann / Special to the Pioneer Press)

A few locals enjoyed the simulators on Thursday afternoon; friends Dawson Duchesneau of Maplewood and Maxim Foster of Cottage Grove got a couple of rounds in. They typically golf at Emerald Greens every other week during the season. This was the first time they had tried out their swing on the indoor screens.

“It’s going to be nice over the winter,” Duchesneau said.

His friend Foster chimed in, joking that he hopes some swings on the simulator over the winter can keep away the rust come springtime.

Family business

While the Furlong siblings hold separate professional lives aside from the golf course, it’s clear that Emerald Greens is a family affair. As some start to retire from those careers, they find themselves working more in the family business, too.

Notably, Tricia Pelava handles the accounting side of things. Another daughter, Shawn Lindstrom, helps out with human resources and information technology work, while Viv Lindstrom is known for working in the gardens. Joe Dabruzzi handles building maintenance.

Living in Grand Rapids, Minn., keeps their sister Kelli Barry from having an active role, though she chimes in with advice during family meetings.

And during the many months of the renovations, Tom Jr. could be spotted on a backhoe or excavator, placing a wall of 500-pound boulders to line a new cart path, or working on the waterfall feature. He serves as Emerald Greens Golf Club superintendent and manager. Grandchildren helped out on the beverage carts over the years.

Family friends also find themselves pitching in.

“I think their Dad would be so proud of them,” said Amy Reents, whose own father and uncle started Afton Alps Ski Area with the late Furlong.

She lends a hand with Emerald Greens’ sales and events.

“The second generation came together and really put their own stamp on it.”

Emerald Greens Golf Course

Bogey’s Pub and Golf Simulators now open daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

14425 Goodwin Ave., Hastings, MN 55033; (651) 480-8558

More info: emeraldgreensgolf.com

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