THE HONEY IS HERE at Mistwood Golf Club home of McWethy’s Tavern. So grab a bottle or two before the holidays arrive. Mistwoodgc.com or see Mcwethystavern.com Bee Keeper and Mistwood Farms expert Angelica Carmen at Mistwood Golf Club (R).
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.
The Bees are here at Mistwood Golf Club or Mistwood Farms.
MISTWOOD GOLF CLUB
OR SO YOU THOUGHT !
So does Mistwood Farms have a good ring to it. Because now when you play golf at Mistwood, the course has some signs and traits of being a farm.
Angelina Carmen is the club’s or farms bee keeper. But her role has expanded since leaving Cog Hill and joining Mistwood. None the less-the honey is good, so she is now helping Mistwood grow you might say in other ways.
Between holes 2 & 6 food products are being grown.
But just to the left of the second tee box, is a food growing area. So you need to keep your drives from being pulled low and left. Because you should be aiming for the pot-bunkers closer to the second green anyway.
Carmen’s work has expanded beyond the honey, and here is one place that it is really evident.
Have you seen the Green-House at Mistwood. The new shell on the grounds isn’t as green as superintendents Ben Kelnhofer’s greens on the course. But things are happening in the greenhouse.
IF YOUR WONDERING what is that new place off to the right of the 8th fairway, or behind the 9th tee box.
Well it’s Carmen’s office on the course, and as her role expands at Mistwood, it will be interesting to see all that happens in the new greenhouse.
Mistwood Golf Course has won it’s share of awards, celebrating architect Ray Hearn’s handy work over the clubs 18 holes and practice areas.
But the farm side of Mistwood is now a winner too. Because it has received a $9,000.00 grant from the Fairways Foundation for the work at Mistwood to grow biodynamically, meaning all organic inputs with no chemicals. IPM methods, crop rotation and companion planting. The Farm is Mistwood’s new chapter in a commitment to environmental social responsibility in golf course maintenance, food growth and food service.
Carmen prepared the extensive application to be reviewed by the Fairways Foundation to receive the grant, that only 12 applicants in the world were awarded. See more about the Fairways Foundation at www.thefairwaysfoundation.com.
The solar powered greenhouse (pictured above) is used to transition seedlings to the farm. The farm seen near the second hole tee box, is 8,000 square feet. But inn it’s first year alone, is has grown over 100 varieties of plants. These include edible flowers, herbs, vegetables.
Mistwood Honey-sweeten up your holiday season.
THE BEE HIVES and the honey is part of a project with Bee All About it located in Villa Park. The company brought 10 bee hives to Mistwood, which are now located between the maintenance shed and the bush-line down the right side of the 10th hole.
Bee All About It manages the hives on property at Mistwood, which are producing more than 500 pounds of honey a year. Now for sale in McWethy’s Tavern-but for now NOT at McWethy’s Sports Bar in the dome.
Carmen’s awards include the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago in 2021. She was a runner-up in the Conservation Award category by the GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America).
CLICK HERE to hear the full interview with Mistwood Farms specialist Angelica Carmen
So all this winter Mistwood Tavern at Mistwood Golf Club is open. Because if you need a holiday gift, don’t forget a bottle or two of honey from Mistwood Farms. Mistwood is located on Renwick Road in Romeoville. Just west of Weber Road. You can learn more at Mistwoodgc.com or McwethysTavern.com.