— The golf community in Detroit Lakes is one of a kind. The bond between Detroit Lakes’ golf teams and their fans was on full display at the Detroit Country Club, where a sea of support watched the boys capture their first Central Lakes Conference title
The Lakers were down eight strokes to Class AAA powerhouse Alexandria after Round 1 but rode home-course knowledge to a stunning rally. With help from Tom Dolby, DCC head PGA professional, and his diabolical pin placements, the difficulty of the greens were expressed by multiple golfers from all teams.
As the final round scores were slowly being uploaded to iWanamaker, everyone was frantically closing and reopening the app to see the results. When Detroit Lakes’ Lawsen Justesen’s scores were finalized, the Lakers were CLC champions with a final score of 597, after shooting a 303 for the day. Alexandria finished in second with a final score of 598.
“I think today, it really helped to know the golf course and know what we had to do to beat them and stay below the holes,” Justesen said.
Justesen had the best score of the round, 1-over-par 72. He finished tied with Alexandria’s Carver Larson for CLC medalist with a final score of 145 (+2). Justesen was 4-over-par on the front nine. After the turn, he hit three birdies and a bogey.
“Lawsen Justesen had a great tournament,” head coach Vern Schnathorst said. “He was a co-medalist with Carver Larson from Alexandria. He’s a super-talented kid who sometimes lacks some confidence in himself. He’s starting to gain that confidence, and you can see it, which is good because we need him to play well if we’re going to be successful here at the end of the year. I think he’s going to continue to get better.”
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Justesen set himself up for success on the greens that were unforgiving to anyone who made the slightest mistake.
“The biggest thing for me was just making sure I was putting uphill instead of downhill, and hitting as many greens as possible today,” he said.
Detroit Lakes senior Tyler Stensgard secured fifth place with a final score of 6-over-par 149 (72, 77). Freshman Tyson Eckhoff wasn’t too far behind in sixth place with an 8-over-par 151, after shooting the second-best score of the round, 3-over-par 74.
Junior Brock Burhans was the fourth Laker to finish with a top-10 score, ending the tournament in eighth place and shooting a 9-over-par 152. Senior Keifer Lundmark shot a combined 18-over-par 161 (78, 83) to place 23rd. And freshman Sully Braaten rounded out the scores with a 19-over-par 162 (79, 83) and a 26th-place finish.
“Today was a tougher day for some guys because if you were a little bit off with the pins and the way the greens were rolling, it was going to be difficult to make par,” Schnathorst said. “Tyler Stensgard has been really consistent the last month. The older guys and Brock struggled a little today. Tyson Eckhoff had a really good round. So he’s been playing well, pretty consistent throughout the season.”
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
In a field where most of the teams were from Class AAA, it was a statement win by the Lakers. Detroit Lakes has been riding the momentum of winning a close CLC meet at The Legacy in Brainerd and winning the North-South Tournament the weekend before.
The Lakers came into the tournament shooting their lowest score of the year in St. Cloud on Wednesday and finished the regular season off with a comeback win and their first-ever CLC crown. With the Section 8AA tournament in less than two week, Schnathorst feels the Lakers are on the top of their game.
“I think we’re playing our best golf right now and think there’s room to grow,” Schnathorst said. “I think Sully Braaten is regaining some confidence. He’s going to get back to where he was playing at the beginning of the year. I’m excited going forward. I think we’re going to continue to play well and get better.”
Justesen thought the win meant this team can “do it.” And wanted the rest of the state to be warned that the Lakers are sailing.
“I would say that we can pretty much beat anybody in the state of Minnesota,” he said.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Shared support results in shared success
Coming from Fergus Falls and winning their first-ever
, the Detroit Lakes girls decided to make a pit stop to cheer on the boys.
“We were on our way home, looking at the scores and saw how close it was,” senior Sydney Miller said. “We were going to pass the golf course anyway. So, might as well go support them and hopefully they get the win.”
The girls are on course to defend their section and state title. They are currently ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 1 in Class AA. Justesen thought it was amazing for the girls to stop by and send their support.
“Our girls are better than any other girls’ golf team I’ve ever seen,” he said. “It’s really fun to have two competitive golf teams at Detroit Lakes.”
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Having the two teams back at DCC had Schnathorst reminiscing about the
in late April. Both teams got to play alongside each other, a rare happening during the regular season.
The team are usually spread around the conference or at a different weekend tournament. The two-day event created a fun environment with camaraderie and the opportunity to watch each other play the sport they love.
“I think both programs have always been very supportive of each other and want to see each other have success,” Schnathorst said. “We don’t always see each other a lot during the season because they’re going one way, we’re going another. But as coaches, we talk a lot. It’s super exciting to see how they’re doing and what’s in store for them moving forward.”
At its core, Detroit Lakes golf is about celebrating one another. The community has built a unique bond — one that’s hard to find anywhere else.
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
“Everyone’s so close-knit together, and it’s a lot of fun to watch everyone succeed and win and enjoy golf all together,” Miller said.
Golf excellence in Detroit Lakes is a collective effort. With strong leadership from the boys’ coaching staff and Dolby’s unwavering support through open course access, the city has earned its reputation as one of Minnesota’s premier golf hubs.
Equally important is the steady support from the broader community — a shared commitment and pride that’s hard to find elsewhere.
“That’s really a part of our success,” Schnathorst said. “We’ve been very fortunate with the golf pros we’ve had, the management we’ve had out here, and then also just our membership in general. When you have success, everybody feels like they’re sharing that success, too.”
TEAM SCORES
1-Detroit Lakes 597; 2-Alexandria 598; 3-Brainerd 614; 4-Sartell 616; 5-Willmar 636; 7-Fergus Falls 654; 8-Rocori 699; 9-St. Cloud Crush 711
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune
Nick Leonardelli / Detroit Lakes Tribune