Lester George

Lester George is a golf course architect who was born in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1955 while his father was stationed there by the United States Air Force.

After attending The University of Richmond, where he founded the school's orienteering team, George settled in Richmond, Virginia. Following college graduation in 1977, he spent four years in the army as an artillery officer, subsequently received his master's degree from the United States Army Command and General Staff College and remained in the Army Reserves until retiring a lieutenant colonel in 2003. This military career coincided with the development of his career as a golf course architect.

Prior to opening his own firm in 1991, George studied with other golf course architects at Golf Services International learning all aspects of golf course design and construction. He attended the Harvard Design School, Golf Course Architecture in 1992, which launched his solo career. George's company, George Golf Design, Inc., is located in Midlothian, Virginia, just outside Richmond. George is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.

George has developed a niche in renovating and restoring classic golf courses designed by architects such as MacDonald, Raynor, Tillinghast, Ross, Flynn, Tull and Wilson - and he has worked with golf facilities on the East Coast (see project listings below).

Using abandoned landfills as a canvas, George successfully transforming two brownfields into golf courses—converting overgrown hazardous areas into plush, green recreational turf.

George's renovation of the Raptor course at Langley Air Force Base posed a challenge when thousands of unexploded bombs were discovered on the site once excavation began.

George's projects have won numerous awards.

Lester George's golf course designs include the following: