Willow Dunes St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration… and a Mystery

St. Patrick’s Day at Willow Dunes has, historically, been a day of refined revelry, strategic whiskey tastings, and an occasional member misplacing their golf cart in the parking lot shrubbery.

This year?

A surprising twist.

Yes, the celebration was a success. The Gilded Fork served an exquisite corned beef and truffle-infused cabbage pairing that had members pretending they’d always been fans of Irish cuisine. The Velvet Taproom debuted a luxury emerald-hued cocktail (heavily marked up, of course), and the evening’s Irish music ensemble played just enough fiddle to be festive, but not so much that it interrupted important business conversations.

It was all going smoothly. Too smoothly.

Then, at 3:00 a.m., security cameras captured… something.

The Mystery of the 3 A.M. Visitor

At precisely 3:00 a.m., the grainy security feed from the courtyard flickered.

A small figure, clad in a tattered green coat and worn leather shoes, was seen sneaking around the ornate fountain. The figure moved stealthily, deliberately, dodging garden lights and vanishing into the shadows like someone who wasn’t supposed to be there—but also knew exactly what they were doing.

By the time security arrived, the intruder was gone.

What they left behind?

The Evidence: Gold Coins & Shamrocks

By morning, a thorough investigation was underway.

Two officers, led by Director of Security Isabella Vaughn, examined the peculiar scene outside the Pro Shop patio.

• Shiny gold coins scattered across the stone tiles (clearly not from The Velvet Taproom cash register).
• Fresh green shamrocks sprinkled about—growing in places where they simply should not be.
• A faint trail of footprints leading away… but disappearing near the 10th tee box.

“This is an elaborate prank,” one officer muttered. “Or… it’s something else.”

Director Vaughn was less amused.

“I want that footage analyzed. And find out which members left the Taproom last,” she ordered. “If we’re dealing with an actual leprechaun situation, I want it confirmed.”

An Overall Success

Despite the unexplained supernatural element, St. Patrick’s Day 2025 at Willow Dunes was, overall, a success.

Maybe because it fell on a Monday, members exhibited a rare level of self-control, retiring at reasonable hours.

Maybe because the open bar ended at a “respectable” 10:00 p.m., there was a distinct lack of security incidents involving motorized carts.

Or maybe… just maybe…

Because the luck of the Irish was truly at play this year.

(Security is still investigating the identity of the “leprechaun.” Any members with information are encouraged to report it—unless, of course, you prefer to let the magic remain a mystery.)