The pro shop carries a limited supply of both men’s and women’s apparel and a selection of golf equipment and accessories. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the 1st tee is right out the door from the pro shop. The course has nice gas carts (though no GPS), and while there are a few cart trails that lead from green to tee, in general there are no cart paths along the length of the holes.We played the front and back nine (the Lake Nine is also available).

Most holes feel open and inviting, but a few have some tight landing areas or fairway bunkers. Many holes play right next to each other, so a stray ball could easily find itself on an adjacent hole, and we heard “Fore!” several times during our round. A mix of mature and new trees are scattered throughout the rough, but you usually have a decent shot if you find yourself in the rough. Be sure to look at the signs on the tees, as the scorecards don’t currently include hole layouts.The greens are fast, which took us a few holes to get used to, but overall they’re nice to putt on. Most greens have at least one bunker, but all holes give you the opportunity to run a shot onto the green.

The fairways are generally green, but we did notice a few hard patches and some ground under repair. Several holes give you great views of Lake Superior (and we heard the Lake Nine has even better views), and overall the course has a natural feel. A few of the par 4s feel a little long for women, but overall, golfers of all abilities have the opportunity to score on this course. The assistant golf pro told us the Lake Nine is the most difficult of the 3 nines only because all holes are tree lined with less room for error. Lester Park would be a great stop on your trip to Minnesota’s North Shore.

Latest Update: 1/15/2011