NEW LONDON — There have likely been hundreds of moments that shaped both the career and life of Mark Haugejorde, though two are more top-of-mind than others. While each experience was different, they generated the same “Is this real?” emotion.
In 1996, Haugejorde accompanied Jack Nicklaus on a plane from Palm Beach, Florida, to Monterey, California. Nicklaus, who remains professional golf’s all-time leader in major victories with 18, was on his way to redesign the sixth hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links, which was set to host the 2000 U.S. Open. Suddenly, the reality of the situation struck Haugejorde.
“I was the only passenger with Jack,” Haugejorde said. “It was two pilots, Jack and me. We had a nice conversation, had some lunch and Jack wanted to rest, so I went back a couple rows. I remember looking over the left wing of the plane, and I could see this incredible sky with some clouds, and I said, ‘God, you must be kidding me.’”
Haugejorde now has a significant local flare. In 2021, specifically May 22 at 8:23 a.m., he first laid eyes on the property that is now the site of Tepetonka Club, a dazzling new high-end “destination” golf course near New London. Haugejorde is a founding member and club president.
“The first time I ever saw the property, I went for a ride,” Haugejorde said. “I was going to play golf with my mom, so I went by where we used to go pheasant hunting in the 1970s on County Road 40. I saw these trees along the creek bay that didn’t look familiar. You’re not looking for black dirt when you’re looking for a golf course site; you’re looking for sandy soil, and Cedar trees are a sign of lower-quality soil. I took a left down a gravel road, went a half mile down it and said, ‘There it is.’”
More than five years after seeing the property, Haugejorde’s vision has finally become a visually stunning reality. Tepetonka Club opened all 18 holes Aug. 20.
The course opening marks a full-circle moment for a memorable career in the golf industry for Haugejorde, a 1974 New London-Spicer High School graduate. He played collegiately at the University of Houston with 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples and longtime CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz, who is also a Tepetonka Club founding member.
The road to opening day was filled with speed bumps, several of which were caused by Mother Nature as heavy rains caused five washouts after the course had been seeded. Seeing the finished result of a first-of-its-kind project in Minnesota is still hard for Haugejorde to wrap his head around.
“After hundreds of times being on the land (and) watching it be built, it’s not until I played that I came to understand how good it really is,” Haugejorde said. “It’s just different. Jim Nantz played 15 holes July 24, and he said, ‘Hoggy, I came here with very high expectations, and it’s way better than I thought it would be.’”
Golf has always been a huge part of the Haugejorde family. His father, Harold, founded Little Crow Golf Resort in Spicer in 1967, though Haugejorde did not take up the game until he was 12.
A mostly self-taught swing developed quickly for Haugejorde, who won the 1973 Minnesota state high school golf championship for the Wildcats. He lettered four years at Houston while playing one year with Nantz and Couples, plus one semester with 6-time major champion Nick Faldo. Several future PGA Tour players were also teammates.
Haugejorde moved on to become CEO of a technology company, which he sold before moving back to Minnesota in 2017 and getting back into the golf business. He worked in membership development at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence.
He also started a non-profit called At The Turn, which helps youth get involved in the sport and find golf-related jobs.
The idea of bringing a golf club concept like Tepetonka arose from a conversation between Haugejorde and Mike Schultz, who was head golf professional at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska for 37 years. They were at Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska — a highly popular destination course.
“I asked Mike, ‘How in the world, with all of our excellent private clubs in Minnesota, do we not have a private destination club?’” Haugejorde said. “Minnesotans are leaving the state to play in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin. He said, ‘That’s true, but to do it, you have to find the right land.’”
After countless hours of driving in his native state, the search ended five minutes “as the crow flies” from Little Crow Golf Resort.
Haugejorde’s first duty was to find the landowner, who turned out to be a former high school classmate, Sherry Ulman. Haugejorde could not find a phone number but eventually got in touch with Ulman via a letter, sent through FedEx, inquiring about the property.
Ulman soon responded: “Mark, I got your letter, and I think a golf course there would be beautiful.”
Ulman gave Haugejorde permission to pursue the property, which only convinced him further that it was conducive to being transformed into what he calls an “inland links golf course.”
However, not every family member wanted to sell the land, leading to the first of several construction delays.
The construction process did not involve moving tons of dirt, as the layout was near ideal. Haugejorde said crews moved 90% less dirt along the 228 acres than most new construction golf courses.
“Once we all saw the property, we all agreed it was worth pursuing,” Haugejorde said.
The ownership group eventually hired Australia-based OCM Golf to head the design. The “O” in the company name represents Geoff Ogvily, the 2006 U.S. Open champion.
“Opinions are obviously personal, but we’ve had enough people come here, and I’d like to trust the judgment of Geoff, and we all agree it’s really, really good,” Haugejorde said.
The course features about 100 feet in elevation change, has wide fairways with eight shared fairways and the meandering Shakopee Creek making several cameos. The bent grass is closely mowed up to and around the green complexes, allowing for plenty of different options with the short game. There are three sets of tee boxes, with the front tees playing at 4,785 yards, middle tees at 6,025 and back tees at 6,765.
Growing the membership base, a Haugejorde specialty, was the next step. Tepetonka Club differs from most private courses as it follows a fractional membership structure. This means there are no monthly dues, and members buy a certain number of rounds for the season, which they can use however they choose.
Once the course opens for a full season, the number of rounds will be limited to 10,000, which equates to about 70 rounds per day.
“Our three pillars are camaraderie, community and charity,” Haugejorde said. “We just want it to be fun and very relaxing for our members and guests.”
Food and lodging for members and guests will also play a huge role in the Tepetonka experience. The dinner facility, which will be located behind the 18th green, will be called Jim’s Supper Club in honor of Nantz. Hog Heaven pays homage to Haugejorde’s nickname and will serve as a more casual spot.
There is also a halfway house for snacks and beverages called the Dead End located behind the eighth green.
Haugejorde did not disclose what he thinks the economic impact would be to the area but said it will be several million dollars per year, noting there were 55 resorts within 15 miles of Little Crow in the 1970s. Today, there are five.
Several on-site cabins, in addition to two 8-room houses, are expected to be completed by the 2027 season.
“I might look back and say, ‘Holy cow, if I’d have known it’d take five years before we got here, I’m not sure I’d have done it,’” Haugejorde said. “But it’s been a labor of love to say the least. Some people have said to me, ‘Congratulations, your dream has come true.’ But never in my wildest dreams would I think we’d have a world-class golf course in west central Minnesota, let alone in New London. I feel like I’ve been led every step of the way, and I give God all the credit. You can’t possibly make this up.”
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