North Oaks Golf Club facts for kids
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | North Oaks, Minnesota |
| Established | 1950 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted | MN Section PGA Championship in 1954 and 2000 |
| Website | northoaksgolfclub.com |
| Designed by | Stanley Thompson |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,700 yards (6,100 m) |
The North Oaks Golf Club (NOGC) is a special golf course located in North Oaks, Minnesota, in the United States. It's known as a championship course, meaning it's tough enough for professional players. A famous golf course designer named Stanley Thompson first planned the course in 1950.
This golf club is part of the private community of North Oaks. Over the years, it has hosted many important golf events. These include championships from the Minnesota Golf Association (MGA). It also hosted the Minnesota section of the PGA Championship in 1954 and again in 2000.
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History of North Oaks Golf Club
The story of North Oaks Golf Club begins a long time ago. In 1883, a man named James J. Hill bought a huge piece of land. He was known as The Empire Builder because he built railroads. He called this large area the North Oaks Farm.
From Farm to Fairway
When James J. Hill passed away, his son, Louis W. Hill, took over much of the land. Later, other members of the Hill family continued to own and care for the property. In 1950, more land was purchased, and plans for a golf course began.
Stanley Thompson, the well-known golf course architect, started designing the course. It officially opened for play in the summer of 1951. Before it even opened, a big storm caused some flooding on two of the holes.
Becoming a Private Club
North Oaks Golf Club became an official private golf club in 1953. This means only members and their guests can play there.
An interesting fact about this club is that it was the first to use a "shotgun start." This is a way to start a golf tournament where all groups begin playing at the same time but on different holes. This helps the tournament finish faster. Even though North Oaks Golf Club used it first, another course was incorrectly given credit for it later.
Modern Updates to the Course
Many years later, in 2007, the course got some updates. A group called Lehman Design Group renovated it. They fixed certain problems and made improvements. However, they made sure to keep most of Stanley Thompson's original design. This way, the course still feels like it did when it was first built.
