Lester Park Golf Course

Lester Park Golf Course is one of two public golf courses located in the port city of Duluth, Minnesota. The original eighteen-hole golf course was made up the north shore of Duluth, near the Lester River. The golf course was established in 1934. The other course, Enger Park, is located near the Duluth landmark, Enger Tower, and was established earlier than Lester in the 1920s. Lester Park is well known around Minnesota for its spectacular beauty and rich history as a golf course because a unique view of Lake Superior is available on 20 of its 27 golf holes. The original 18 holes have been redone four times since their initial design. A third “Lake 9” course was added in 1985, offering a longer and more challenging layout. In 1997, Paul Schintz, a former club pro from St. Paul, took over Lester Park as PGA Golf Professional. In 2003, Schintz became the Director of Golf, overseeing both Lester Park and Enger Park clubhouse operations. The golf courses were split to a 2 golf pro / 2 contract setup in 2005 with the addition of Steve Anderson to Enger Park Golf Course, with Schintz remaining at Lester Park. In 2007, the Duluth city council voted to accept a contract with Professional Golf Management, Inc. to oversee clubhouse and maintenance operations. The Management company consisted of partners Schintz, as PGA Golf Professional and Jud Crist, Golf Course Superintendent, and operated both golf facilities for the City of Duluth from 2007 to 2014. In 2015, the Duluth city council voted to accept a new contract with Billy Casper Golf to oversee clubhouse and course maintenance. Billy Casper Golf managed both Lester Park and Enger Park from 2015 to 2019. The city of Duluth closed the Lester Park course in 2020 under COVID cutbacks, and it has not re-opened since. The city has been evaluating development options at the Lester Park site, which could include a permanent closure of Lester Park golf operations. Sale of the Lake 9 land was approved in 2023, but use of the remaining Lester Park course site has not yet been determined. Lester Park's front and back nines are a full par 72 golf course and has a yardage of 6,828 yards from the longest tees.

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