LAKE MILTON, Ohio – Two years ago, a long-standing recreational landmark at Lake Milton was in danger of closing.
The family that owned Lakeside Golf Course on Southeast River Road was looking to sell – a sale that would have likely brought an end to its nearly 65 years in business to make room for a new housing development.
But that was before two local investors – Jarrod Demes and Dr. Ray Bernat – stepped in.
Determined to preserve this expanse along the eastern edge of Lake Milton, the business partners purchased the property in the summer of 2025 and immediately executed plans to redevelop the entire course, envisioning a first-class, multiuse venue nestled in what has become one of the Mahoning Valley’s most affluent communities.
“We didn’t want to see this completely demolished and then lose this asset of Lake Milton,” says Demes, who has lived at the lake for 20 years. “I pass this course every day.”
Bernat moved to Lake Milton in 2017 and shares the same sentiments. “We’ve always enjoyed it and didn’t want to see this tradition go away,” he says.
Demes and Bernat say that the response from the community has been tremendous. “I’ve been really impressed with the support we’ve gotten from the township and the state,” Bernat says. “They’re excited we’re fixing things up.”
Big Plans for the Course
Among the first changes was the course name. Founded as Lakeside in 1959, the course is now rechristened as The Lake Milton Golf Club.
However, simply acquiring the course for the sake of preservation wouldn’t do. Indeed, construction is now underway on a 23,000-square-foot venue that includes a new restaurant, patio, banquet center, and another section reserved for outings and other events.
On a pleasant March afternoon, front loaders, earth movers and dozers were on site preparing the foundation of the new complex. Strollo Architects Inc.,Youngstown, designed the new building and DeSalvo Construction, Liberty Township, is the general contractor on the project.
“On the south end of the property will be our banquet center,” Demes says, ideal for weddings, graduation parties, and other events. “It’s going to be up-to-date and comfortably seat 250 people.” The center section will be reserved for a new restaurant with a large bar as well as a well-stocked pro shop, while the northern section of the building will mostly cater to golf outings and other events. “It’s also going to house golf simulators, another bar, and a stage for bands,” he says. Other amenities include a beverage and snack drive-thru for cart golfers and bocce courts.
“We’re going to have all kinds of activities nonstop,” Demes says. The course will also remain a public course.
Mike Kurilla, zoning inspector for Milton Township, says that the township has awarded permits for the new golf facility’s foundation, and is awaiting further plans for review.
“We anticipate them filing the set of plans for the construction phase as the next step,” he says.
Bernat says work on the new building is expected to be completed by the end of October this year. Initially, the plan was to have all of the construction wrapped up by July, but the severe winter complicated matters and led to several delays.
Meanwhile, the existing restaurant and offices will serve customers until it is demolished to make room for new landscaping, including a large, decorative fountain at the front entrance of the course. Attempts were made to salvage the attached house on the property, but it required far too much work, and the decision was made to also raze that structure.
“We just couldn’t do it,” Bernat says. “It just needed too much.”
Once the project is finished, Lake Milton Golf Club could employ at least 100 between the course and the other amenities, Bernat reports. “The events center alone will need between 40 and 50 people,” he says.
Golf Course Renovations
John and Mary Gura first opened Lakeside in 1959, then a nine-hole golf course. In 1972, the owners passed the course on to their daughter Joan and her husband, Allen Blazek. Three years later, Lakeside added another nine holes on land along the east side of Southeast River Road to make it a full 18-hole course.
Two members of the family – Mark Blazek, superintendent, and his niece, Taylor Blazek – still work at the course, Demes says. “They’ve been fantastic,” Demes says. “They’re really helping us out.”
The course officially opened this season on April 1 while construction continues. Aside from the major building project, Demes and Bernat say there are long-term plans to improve the course irrigation system, redesign tee boxes, bunkers, add new electric-powered golf carts, and lengthen some of the holes. Despite the difficult winter, new cart paths were installed on the course’s front nine.
“For this season, though, everything is staying the same,” Demes says, while the entire project will be phased in over the next several years, he says.
Preparing for the Future
Lake Milton over the past 20 years has emerged as a haven for new and upscale-priced residential development, and has long been considered a destination spot for recreational pursuits such as boating, fishing, swimming and summer cottages.
In 1917, in an effort to control floodwaters, the city of Youngstown finished construction of a new dam along the Mahoning River that created Lake Milton. However, the dam fell into disrepair by the 1980s, and the city declined to pay the $5 million needed to fix its structural problems. Instead, a coalition of residents and business owners appealed to the state of Ohio for help.
The city, acknowledging that maintaining the dam would be cost prohibitive, requested that the state assume control of the lake. In 1988, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources declared Lake Milton Ohio’s 72nd state park.
State ownership proved vital to future development around the lake area, allowing for water and sewer improvements, especially to the northeastern portion of the lake during the early 1990s. Between 2005 and 2007, the state invested another $20 million in sewer and water infrastructure, enabling future development along the lakefront.
In 2025, new residential construction valuation exceeded $10.2 million, surpassing a record set in 2021.
Demes adds that he and Bernat’s new investment in Lake Milton Golf Club fits well with the community and continues the course’s long tradition. Moreover, the venue is likely to draw patrons from well outside the Mahoning Valley. The lake during the summer months, he says, experiences a population surge from visitors all across northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, as many are attracted to fishing, boating and other recreational activities at Lake Milton State Park.
“Our goal is to bring people out – not only to us – but to Lake Milton, “ Demes says. “There’s so much to do.”
Ultimately, Demes says that it’s the commitment to the community that really drives this project.
“We are putting a lot of time and effort into a facility that we plan on keeping for the rest of our lives,” he reflects, “and then passing it down to our family members.”
Pictured at top: Dr. Ray Bernat and Jarrod Demes acquired the former Lakeside Golf Course last year and renamed it the Lake Milton Golf Club.
