Originally, our Donald Ross-designed course was a municipal course, owned by the City of Lake Wales. During the 1980s, it was sold to Ben Hill Griffin Jr., who had been in the Citrus, Banking and Cattle Business in Florida for many years. Griffin was also a Florida State Legislator and Senator. Ben Hill Griffin IV now manages our course.

Under the Griffin ownership, the club has grown in members. The owners have gently renovated the course by modernizing the greens and softening some contours. But it remains a traditional Ross layout with challenging bunkers, including some lined with grass, but with a routing that gently follows the lay of the land. Like many Ross courses, it s very walkable with only short distances from green to tee.

Maintenance, conditions and irrigation have been improved, and luxury condominiums and homes have been built around the property but with very little housing visible from the course.

This is a very traditional course, says our General Manager Bob Forward. There are no forced carries; it s straight-ahead golf. It is generous off the tee and par is defined at the greens. This is a course that s great for Women, Men, Low-Handicappers and Seniors.

You ll be playing through rows of giant live oaks and plantings of some 300 palm trees. Even in the heat of summer, it s always in the shade, says Forward.

For Central Florida, this course also has a lot of elevation changes and ups and downs. But the terrain is natural, says Forward. There was really no earth moved here during the building of the course.

Keep in mind as well that all the greens here have deep and difficult bunkers.

You ll lead off your round here on No. 1, a Par-4 that is 360 yards from the back tees and 288 from the front. It s a short birdie hole that leads you gently into the course, Forward says. After that you face two very stern tests on Nos. 2 and 3.

No. 2 is a par-4 (372 yards from the back and 307 yards from the forward tees) that is an uphill dogleg to the right and No. 3 is a 195-yard par-3 (133 from the forward tees) that plays into the wind.

With No. 6, you begin a series of four holes with lots of elevation changes. No. 9 is a traditional Northern-Style Hole, says Forward. It s a long par-5 (505 from the back tees and 421 from the forward). There s a blind tee shot downhill to a valley and then uphill to an elevated green with azaleas behind it and a fountain nearby.

The par-4 at No. 11 (431 yards from the back tees and 283 from the forward) is the most difficult hole with a significant elevation change. There s an enormous green that slopes left to right and back to front.
No. 14 is another challenging hole (415 yards from the back tees and 314 from the forward). It s a long hole and also has a narrow and deep green with three severe bunkers. If you re short, you re done, says Forward.

Part of the great finish to this course is facing Nos. 16 and 17 nicknamed The Twins. They are both short, narrow dogleg left par-4s with water on the left and bunkers on the right of deep narrow greens.

You ll close your round with a monster of a hole, a par-4 (420 yards from the back tees and 344 from the forward) that plays 20 yards longer than it says on the card because you re driving into the wind, according to Forward. There s a very narrow, deep green that slopes back to front and right to left.

When you finish your round, Forward also says, you will feel as if you ve taken a walk through a park or a nature preserve. This is a course for people who like traditional golf. You can play on the ground, and you can walk, he says.

Distances, ratings and slopes at Lake Wales: 6,486 yards (71.2/127); 6,170 (69.8/125); 5,162 (66.0/117); 4,989 (64.5/113).

Lake Wales Country Club
2925 Hwy 60 East
Lake Wales, Florida 33898
(863) 676-2422