golfing odyssey as a caddie at the old University Golf Course. Later, as a competitive golfer,
Les won a total of nine Minnesota State golf titles, including four State Opens, two State PGA
titles, two Public Links titles, and one Amateur Championship. In 1926 Les won the National
Public Links title at the age of 18, the youngest ever.
As a Golden Gopher, Les won two individual Big 10 titles.
Following his competitive career, Les returned to the University of Minnesota as a teaching
professional, physical education instructor, and the Golden Gophers golf coach -- where he led
the team to two Big Ten titles.
Les acted as both teacher and mentor to generations of golfers, helping mold the games of
some of Minnesota’s best, including golfing legend Patty Berg.
Les retired as coach in 1976, but never stopped playing, teaching and loving the game of golf.
In 1983, the University of Minnesota Golf Course was renamed the Les Bolstad University of
Minnesota Golf Course in his honor.