TOWER— When The Wilderness at Fortune Bay opened last Friday, there was a new manager at the helm – Bill Manahan.
Manahan, who most recently served as general manager at the Cloquet Country Club, had earlier held a similar position at the Black Bear Resort Casino golf course.
At a recent directors meeting, Manahan said he’s excited to be heading up operations at The Wilderness and thanked his staff for their hard work prepping for the season, especially his grounds crew, under the leadership of Superintendent Trevor Rintala. Manahan reported that the course will be in better shape this year than last, and far better than in 2022 when the course was under different leadership.
It looks to be a busy season ahead for The Wilderness. “There are already over 10,000 rounds booked for the year and that number keeps going up,” said Manahan, who lives in Barnum, but will be renting an apartment in Virginia until he can find a permanent housing solution.
While Manahan’s staff will continue to work hard filling the tee-sheet for 2024, he is also encouraging non-golfers to stop by The Wilderness Grill to try out some of Chef Mitch Kerfeld’s culinary creations.
“He has a lot of creativity and talent that will resonate with our guests,” said Manahan of Kerfeld, who is entering his second year heading up The Wilderness Grill.
Manahan’s golf experience dates back to the late 1970s and aside from his stints at the Cloquet Country Club and Black Bear, he also served as the General Manager and PGA Head Golf Professional at Grand National Golf Club for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe from 1995 to 2004. He is a graduate of Rochester Lourdes High School and attended the University of Minnesota before transferring to the Rochester Area Vocational School to receive his degree in Banking and Finance.
“Bill has fit in very well with the staff at The Wilderness at Fortune Bay,” said Tribal Chair Cathy Chavers. “His vast experience at other well-known golf courses across the state is invaluable and we feel he will be the perfect manager to lead his team.”