When the RENU project is completed at Johnson Park later this year, New Ulm can claim to have perhaps one of the finest — if not the finest — baseball parks in Minnesota.

And it seems appropriate because they already have one of the best parks for food in Minnesota — if not the best.

If you have gone to a ballgame at either Johnson Park or now Mueller Park and had a meal there, you already know what I mean.

And it all began with some talk between some ambitious members of the New Ulm Baseball Association, who wanted to serve more than the normal hot dog and popcorn menu.

“We had always talked about it,” LeRoy Flor of the NUBA said. “But then three years ago, the Klossner House sold out and we went and bought a griddle and a deep fryer from them and brought it into the football concession stand behind the (Johnson Park) grandstand. And it went on and grew from there.”

And did it grow.

As did the menu.

Hamburgers and cheeseburgers quickly grew wth the addition of chicken strips, french fries, brats, hot dogs and the occasional pork chop sandwiches.

And cheese curds that have become a fan favorite.

And then add in home made sauerkraut that Flor’s wife, Linda, makes from scratch.

How good is the sauerkraut?

“We went through three gallons last Sunday,” Flor said.

And the fans who purchase the food love it.

As do entire baseball teams.

The Mankato East baseball team ordered 25 cheeseburgers to go after a sectional game here this year.

“We get quite a bit of that,” Flor said. “We are ready when a team comes here.”

It gets busy.

“Most of our people who work the cookers are volunteers and not members of the baseball association,” Flor said. “We are busy before the game and even after the game.

“I never thought that it would get as busy and big as it has. I felt when we started that if we had two people working it would be enough help. Now sometimes we have six people working to try and keep up. We have had people come to a game, order food and take it home.”

This year, Flor has added two more items to the menu. One is the “Wheeler Experience Burger”, which is a double cheeseburger with a fried egg and three pieces of bacon.

The other is the “All Natural Filzen”, which is a smoked pork chop with cole slaw.

“We are going to add homemade german potato salad for the two legion tournaments here.”

Not a bad menu that started out small.

SENSKE ADDS RECORD: From 2000 until 2018, the New Ulm Country Club has recorded 138 holes in one.

This year there has been just one and that happened on June 17 when Jim Senske aced hole number 14.

What is so significant about that?

That was Senske’s sixth hole-in-one at the NUCC. He also has two more holes-in-one in Texas.

NUCC Club Pro Tim Huffman said that six holes in one on the same course by one player is very rare.

“He (Senske) has had a hole-in-one on all of our par-3s,” Huffman said. “We call it the ‘Senske Slam’.”

Eldy Jones has four holes-in-one since 2000 and Don Olson three.

Elaine Paa and Colleen Skillings each have two holes-in-one for the ladies since 2000.

FIRST FEMALE MEMBER: Breanna Olson made history last week as she became the first female member of the New Ulm Club.