A fourth generation of the Dustin family is assuming ownership and control of Pipestone Creek Golf Course near Eau Claire.
Brothers Adam Lester and Dustin Lester are taking over the ownership of the eighteen hole layout from their Mom, Lori Dustin, who has operated the course for the past several years. Lori Dustin will continue to own the property on which the course lies, while her sons will be 50/50 partners in a new company that owns the golf course operation that was started by their grandfather, Bruce Dustin, in the mid-1950s.
Adam Lester told MoodyOnTheMarket.com that running the course has been a lifelong dream for him and brother Dustin. About three years ago, they launched their first golf enterprise, Pipestone Creek Indoor Golf in the Arts District of Benton Harbor at 259 Territorial Road. Adam says that has gone well, despite the pandemic, and the brothers are now poised to take on the bigger responsibility and financial risk of operating Pipestone Creek Golf Course.
Adam says they take the Pipestone Creek legacy very seriously: “Everyone in the family as well as the loyal customers deserve credit in its more than 60 years of continued success and operations. We look forward to continued improvement at the course and exploring creative ways to grow the business as well as its impact on the Berrien County community and the game of golf. Pipestone Creek GC has long prided itself on being “the golf course for the rest of us”, and that creed will continue to drive every decision that is made.”
Dustin & Adam Lester
Adam will step into the responsibility of Golf Course Superintendent/Groundskeeper, the role that his grandfather played for his entire 60 years at Pipestone Creek. Dustin Lester will be in charge of general operations, after exiting a longtime position at Whirlpool in April.
Adam told us that the pandemic has had a strangely positive effect on the game of golf. It had been in a decline in participation for a couple of decades, as demonstrated by the closure of two prominent golf courses in the Twin Cities area in the past ten years (Berrien Hills and Wyndwicke). However, golf was one of the first activities available to people amid the 2020 shutdown, and he says it led to a massive increase in play. Adam said Pipestone Creek had two relatively successful golf seasons during the pandemic. That allowed the Dustin family to put in place the financial arrangements that permit the transfer of the course operation from Lori Dustin to her sons.
Adam says they are at the point they are willing to take on the risks necessary to continue to improve and develop Pipestone Creek for the future. That includes a brand new fleet of golf carts for 2022. He says other improvements are ahead, but they will never lose sight of the family’s fundamental vision for Pipestone Creek: “…to be the Golf Course for the rest of us.” That mantra promises to always be a place where “golf is fun first” and where families and friends are always welcome. “You don’t have to be a great golfer to enjoy a round at Pipestone Creek”, says Adam.
Learn more about Pipestone Creek Golf Course or schedule a tee time for April at: