May 17—- Construction of

the private, destination golf resort under construction in rural New London, is progressing toward a 2026 opening.

Mark Haugejorde, president of Tepetonka Club LLC, spoke during a recent meeting of the

Joint Operations Board about some operational details as well as the work happening currently at the site.

“I always enjoy talking about Tepetonka and my favorite place where I grew up,” Haugejorde said. “My family moved to New London-Spicer in 1965. My dad was a superintendent of schools there for 12 years. His legacy really is that he was the founder of Little Crow Golf Club, which we know is now a great community asset.”

He noted that the construction of Little Crow Golf Club in the 1960s — including purchasing the land — cost $340,000 and was financed with a Farmers Home Administration loan.

Tepetonka Club is an 18-hole golf course currently being constructed on more than 200 acres in Lake Andrew Township. It is expected to open in spring of 2026. It will be open only to its members and their guests, with a cap of 100 members each paying a $100,000 membership fee.

The water system has been installed and was on for the first time on the evening of May 7, according to Haugejorde. Seeding the golf course will begin soon and the construction of the facilities and lodges is expected to begin in August.

General contractors

and

are both local businesses, Haugejorde noted.

“The very first golf course Duininck Golf did was Little Crow for my father,” he added. “Today, they have a nationwide business, so it’s pretty cool that we get to come back together again all these years later and build something right there in Kandiyohi County. Then, Marcus Construction is our general contractor for all of our vertical buildings. So, that’s neat that we get to keep all of that local.”

based in Chicago and the number one operator of destination golf in the country, according to Haugejorde, has been contracted to manage the Tepetonka Club.

Haugejorde also shared some facts about golf: Minnesota is the state with the highest number of golfers per capita in the United States, the population of female players is really growing and golf travel is a $40 billion opportunity.

“If you picked up the phone and wanted to play golf (at a destination golf course) in 2026, you’d have a hard time getting on,” Haugejorde said. “That’s planning a trip over a year in advance. That’s how much this golf tourism is in demand. … Members from not just Minnesota, but around the country and even the world, can come to our great community and have fun playing golf and enjoy time away from their crazy busy schedules.”

Haugejorde explained that Tepetonka is not focused on getting as many players on the course as possible, but will be limiting it to 90 players per day. The destination golf course has limited lodging and the overflow will spill into local hotels. A concierge will be on hand to assist members with accommodations.

Building Tepetonka Club in rural New London provides an advantage as far as location and population are concerned, added Haugejorde, noting that most destination golf courses are located in remote areas with a smaller population.

Members of Tepetonka Club can fly into the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and drive the two hours to the course, or they can fly into the Willmar Municipal Airport. Tepetonka Club will provide shuttle services from the airports to the club.

The population of

is more than adequate to find the professional staff the destination golf club is preparing to hire.

“You can’t believe how many inquiries we’re getting for employment, which is wonderful, because that’s what’s going to really always separate any business, and any business is made up of people,” Haugejorde said.

Tepetonka Club is expected to employ 40 to 50 people, many of whom will be seasonal. Haugejorde noted the number of local, prosperous public golf courses in Kandiyohi County that can serve as training grounds for future Tepetonka employees.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring Tepetonka to Kandiyohi County, and it is going to be a very meaningful asset for a very, very long time,” Haugejorde said. He noted a docuseries is currently being filmed about the club and can be found on its website at