North Oaks Golf Club

North Oaks Golf Club occupies a naturally rolling, wooded property in the planned community of North Oaks, Minnesota, approximately ten miles north of downtown St. Paul. The course was designed by Stanley Thompson, the renowned Canadian architect whose work throughout the upper Midwest and Canada in the 1920s and 1930s established him as one of the era's most influential designers. Thompson's routing takes advantage of the site's mature hardwood forests and gentle elevation changes, characteristics typical of the glacially shaped terrain found throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The layout reflects Thompson's signature approach to strategic design, with fairways that reward thoughtful positioning and greens that feature subtle contours and natural integration into the surrounding landscape. The property's tree-lined corridors create definition and intimacy on individual holes while the routing moves through varied topography that provides both visual interest and strategic variety. Thompson's work here shares qualities with his other Midwestern designs from the period, emphasizing playability across different skill levels while maintaining challenge through green complexes and bunkering rather than excessive length. North Oaks Golf Club operates as a private facility serving the residential community of North Oaks, a development that grew around Pleasant Lake and maintains a secluded, low-density character. The club functions as a central amenity for the community, and the course has undergone periodic updates over the decades to maintain playing conditions while preserving Thompson's original design intent and routing.