A Duluth golf course that had been permanently closed could have a new future as a nonprofit explores revitalizing it to be more accessible.
The nonprofit, Barrier Free Golf, has shown interest in the Lester Park Golf Course following its closure in 2023. According to a Northern News Now report, the course was originally closed due to financial struggles and is now boarded up and overgrown.
Barrier Free Golf is hoping to revamp the property and make it more accessible for people with disabilities. They say the location along Lake Superior and the elevation changes within the property set the course up to become a nationally recognized facility with a carefully planned renovation.
As part of that revitalization, Barrier Free Golf would need to make some changes to the physical course for wheelchairs and accessible golf carts. According to their plans, the reimagining of the course would also cut down on the presence of physical buildings as a way to cut operational costs, instead erecting temporary facilities for hosting larger events like the US Adaptive Open.
The organization also plans to fund the project without asking Duluth residents to carry the price tag. They say the project would be privately funded through grants, and when open they would use a pricing model that lowers fees for Duluth residents and charging out of town residents an extra premium. The organization needs to raise about $1 million to begin construction.
Barrier Free Golf expects that the City will receive a boost in tourism from the rebuilt course, and have the opportunity to offer more programs, host tournaments, and increase community engagement.
Pike Lake Annual Fun Day
9/6/2024 | Austin Brumet
The Pike Lake Volunteer Fire Department hosted their annual Fun Day, bringing in crowds of attendees in support of the department.
Lugerville Church Set to Close
9/6/2024 | Austin Brumet
Park Falls, Wis. (WCQM/WPFP) – Our Savior’s Episcopal Church in Lugerville, will be closing. They were the first established church in Lugerville when they were first founded in 1938 and moved locations several times until 1949 when the church acquired the former South Fork School. The building was then moved ten miles to Lugerville, where […]
Governor Tim Walz Discusses Rural America and the 2024 Election on The Chad Holmes Show
9/6/2024 | Teri Barr
The Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee talks about his rural roots, bipartisanship, and what he orders at Culver’s on WXCO Radio.
Wisconsin’s long-term care crisis: Staffing troubles, low Medicaid rates prompt closures
9/6/2024 | Addie Costello / Wisconsin Watch and WPR
Low state reimbursement rates through Medicaid have depressed provider revenue and worker pay at assisted living facilities.
Madison Police Chief Calls for Police Officers to Return to MMSD Schools
9/6/2024 | Savanna Tomei-Olson
MADISON, Wis. – Madison’s police chief has called for resource officers to return to the city’s schools. On Wednesday, a 14-year-old boy shot and killed four people at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia. Nine more were hurt. School resource officers were able to find the shooter within minutes, and he surrendered. Madison Police Chief […]
