Food & DrinkFeature

Oxbow Country Club: Award Winning Food and a Second Home

At Oxbow Country Club, it’s easy to feel at home. For members, it’s a place where the course is pristine, the summers revolve around the pool, and the club becomes an extension of their daily lives. For Executive Chef Scott Motschenbacher, who recently celebrated both his ninth year at Oxbow and the ninth anniversary of

Brady Drake

Editorial Director

January 2, 20263 min read

Spacious country club dining room with wood beam ceiling, bar area, and large windows overlooking open landscape

“People really treat this place like a second home,” he said. “Food touches every single part of that experience, and I couldn’t be more proud of the opportunity for that to be recognized at this great event for charity.”

Oxbow Country Club has long been known for its championship-level course that offers a sweeping, beautifully redesigned layout created by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. With rolling terrain, signature water features, and elevated greens that challenge all skill levels, Oxbow offers members a golf experience on par with the country’s finest private clubs.

But the club goes far beyond golf. Its resort-style pool complex draws thousands each summer. Families spend entire days lounging, dipping, and ordering from dedicated poolside menus. Beverage shacks on the course serve specialty snacks alongside a full bar. Event spaces host weddings, corporate gatherings, and community celebrations.

What you’ll find at Oxbow

World Class Golf Course
Great Food
Indoor Golf Simulators
A Resort Style Pool
A Family-Friendly Pool

The Chef Behind the Mac

Smiling man in gray chef's shirt posing in a stainless steel commercial kitchen

Executive Chef Scott Motschenbacher

If Oxbow is a second home, Scott is the one running the kitchen

Executive Chef Motschenbacher’s resume spans nearly every corner of the industry: hotels, high-volume restaurants, banquet operations, ownership of multiple local establishments, and leadership at Fargo staples like Beefsteak Club, Pounds, the Avalon, and Spitfire. But nine years ago, Oxbow became the place where he could finally settle in.

“It was a part of the industry I’d never done,” he said. “With clubs, you have this unique, captive audience, and a more affluent clientele, so you get to elevate everything. We were about to move into the new clubhouse, and I thought, ‘This is my chance to take it over the top.’”

Award-Winning Mac & Cheese—And the Philosophy Behind It

One of Scott’s latest highlights is earning top honors at the Holiday Inn Fargo’s 2nd Annual “Cheesy for Charity”—a mac and cheese contest to support United Way of Cass Clay.

“The problem with mac and cheese at these events is they get transported and dry out,” he said. “I cooked the noodles and sauce fresh and kept everything hot as I went. That’s it.”

But the flavor profile is all Scott:

Smoked Gouda as the base
Gorgonzola for tang
Cheddar and Parmesan to round it out
Crispy bacon on top

Grilled filet mignon atop a potato cake with asparagus and a crispy sweet potato chip on a dark plate — You can find worldclass food at Oxbow Country Club!

Baked mac and cheese topped with crispy bacon and fresh herbs on a white plate — The first place winner at Holiday Inn Fargo’s 2nd Annual “Cheesy for Charity” – A mac & cheese contest to support United Way of Cass Clay.

A Menu That Spans Every Craving

When you’re the chef at a country club, you don’t get the luxury of a narrow specialty.

“You have to be good at steaks, sushi, pizzas, chicken strips—everything,” he said.

Members might order wood-fired pizza for the kids, handcrafted sushi for a date night, or a meticulously prepared steak for a business dinner. During the summer, the kitchen serves 22,000 orders of chicken strips at the pool!

But those chicken strips also make something else possible.

“They allow me to order things like A5 Wagyu beef in the winter,” Scott said. “Or to bring in fresh black truffles. Or to fly in overnight fish from Honolulu.”

Yes, Honolulu. Oxbow flies in fish directly to Fargo to ensure seafood dishes are as fresh as possible, an unheard-of level of quality for a midwestern club.

“We bring in the highest-quality products we can to serve the membership here,” he saod. “We really pride ourselves on our steaks and seafood.”

About the 2nd Annual Cheesy for Charity

The Holiday Inn Fargo’s Annual “Cheesy for Charity” mac and cheese competition is one of the community’s most beloved fundraisers. This simple, joyful idea brings people together over great food for a powerful cause. Each year, local restaurants and community partners team up with the Holiday Inn Fargo to support United Way of Cass Clay, serving up creative mac and cheese dishes, all to support programs that help kids and families thrive in Cass and Clay counties.