Spring is Almost Here!

And it’s been an exciting off-season for us here at The Wilderness! Please join us in welcoming General Manager Joe Wisocki and Superintendent Trevor Rintala to the team! After catching up on the news, please keep reading to learn more about them.

Aside from getting to know each other (and picking on Ross, our controller), our primary focus has been getting The Wilderness Grill back in action. We are posting positions, attending job fairs, and getting the word out that The Wilderness is hiring a chef; our other immediate opening is for a dining room manager. We believe that once we find a chef, the other pieces will fall into place. As we get closer to the season, we will start posting for other food and beverage positions, course and grounds, and outside service. Interested persons should email Joe at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or apply on our website at www.golfthewilderness.com. (Pst, employees golf free...and friends get greens fee discounts!)

In other news, we got a new property management system near the end of the 2022 season. Initially, it didn’t support online booking, but we expect it to be back in action very soon.

It may not look like it today, but spring is coming! Mother Nature willing, we will open on May 5th. That's only 55 days away, and we can’t wait to see you again!

Rebekah Tweten, The Wilderness Sales & Marketing Director

Image is the stone "Welcome" sign between the patio and golf course, surrounded by snow.

Meet General Manager Joe Wisocki
I can’t express how excited Ana, Joey, Lucas and I are to be returning to the Wilderness and Fortune Bay after being gone for 17 years! The Wilderness has always held a special place in my heart; I have had the privilege of managing several courses in my 31-year golf career, but The Wilderness is my favorite! When the opportunity to return came up, we jumped at it. This is a homecoming for the Wisocki family.

Ana has put up with me for 21 years and numerous moves around the country, so yes, I married well above my golf handicap! Joey, born in Virginia, will graduate from Willmar Senior High this June and has accepted a scholarship to play college golf at Kansas Wesleyan University this fall. Lucas is finishing sixth grade and is excited to move to the home of hockey. He’s a true puck head and a crazy goalie. We will be residing in Eveleth and Lucas can’t wait to meet his new Rock Ridge teammates!

In the winter, our free time (oh wait, I’m a goalie dad...I don’t have free time in winter!) is spent in hockey rinks around the state. I grew up in Duluth and am a 1986 Duluth Cathedral graduate. I got into golf by playing with my parents at an early age and developed into a steady player throughout high school, earning a college golf scholarship to Marymount College of Kansas. Hard work and excellent coaching resulted in all NAIA District 10 honors during my sophomore year, which also increased my passion to teach the game of golf and my desire to be a club professional. I went on to graduate from Benedictine College of Kansas with a BA in Business Administration.

Under the tutelage of Randy Syring, PGA at Salina Country Club, my career began in the PGA. I was elected to membership in April of 1992. As a 31-year veteran (quarter century PGA member) of the golf industry, I’ve spent numerous hours as the "General Manager, Director of Golf" who excels in golf operations for high-end resort courses, instruction, and club-fitting, resulting in being recognized by my peers with the honors of merchandiser of year, instructor of the year, club-fitter of the year and golf professional of the year in various PGA Sections and Chapters.

There’s no place I’d rather be!

Left to right, Wisocki family members Lucas, Joe, Ana, and Joey.

Superintendent Trevor Rintala
Born and raised on the Iron Range, Trevor Rintala, the new golf course superintendent for The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, finds himself on familiar ground. “It doesn’t FEEL like home to me, this IS my home” was his response when asked how it feels to be back at Fortune Bay doing the work he loves. He worked the grounds for 15 years, from 2003 to 2018 as the assistant superintendent. Touring the grounds on his first day back was like meeting up with an old friend. He started just as the 2022 season closed, but he didn’t let that slow him down! Preparation for the next season started just as the previous one closed. “We have our sights set on making some vast improvements to the grounds, with a key focus on our greens. They will take time to improve but anything worthwhile always does…”

He expressed that the changes planned for the greens are a long-term goal that will aid in the turf’s survival over our harsh winters. Ice damage has affected many golf courses in the area over the last few years, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay among them. “I am fortunate to have inherited a solid crew of employees, Nathan Troop, my mechanic, and Mike Galindo, my assistant, have been a true blessing during this transition. Everyone I’ve worked with here is on board and excited for next season.”

Trevor, a Turf Science graduate from Rutgers University, has worked from New Jersey to Hawaii and as far south as Texas. He now finds himself back in Minnesota, eager to share his experience in his new position. “My significant other, Liza Root and I have recently purchased property a mile away from the course and are going to start building a home in the summer. Living close will have advantages!”

The Wilderness grounds maintenance have their eyes set on a beautiful spring.

Trevor
Trevor Rintala, selfie