Mountain Lake (Lake Wales, Fla.) has officially reopened its historic golf course following an extensive, multi-million-dollar restoration project.
The project, which commenced on April 20, centered on three primary objectives: the complete infrastructure reconstruction and redesign of all putting surfaces, the modernization and repositioning of the bunker complexes, and strategic design enhancements to every hole inspired by archival photographs and newly uncovered historical records.
Heavy construction wrapped in mid-September, and the final weeks of the project focused on the precision grow-in process of new turf, particularly around the greens. It also included extensive relandscaping utilizing native trees, grasses and indigenous flora to elevate the course’s visual aesthetic.
The wholesale restoration of all 18 greens modernized their underlying infrastructure to ensure superior drainage and elite playability. Re-grassed with ultradwarf bermudagrass, each new putting surface now faithfully mirrors the dimensions, contours and distinctive characteristics captured in early 20th-century photography.
Similar to the work on the greens, the course’s bunkers underwent comprehensive modern upgrades designed to mitigate rising maintenance costs and prevent washouts during heavy rainfall or severe weather events. To complete the architectural time capsule, key bunkers across multiple holes were strategically repositioned to match their original layout.
To guide the restoration, the team analyzed historical materials dating back to 1917, the year the first course first opened. This deep archival research served as the blueprint for several landmark design restorations across the golf course, including:
- Third Hole – The faithful re-creation of the original punchbowl green.
- Sixth Hole – The return of the putting surface to its original location, shifting it more than 20 yards back to the right.
- 11th Hole – Rebuilding the fore bunker and regrading the approach to amplify the classic Redan characteristics of this iconic par-3.
- 13th Hole (“Road Hole”) – Reconstructing the bunkers to mirror the legendary Scholar’s bunker complex at The Old Course at St. Andrews, encouraging a more thoughtful tee-shot strategy.
- 15th Hole – A complete redesign reflecting the classic Garden City template, which demands precise tee-shot placement favoring the right side of the fairway.
- 18th Hole – The total restoration of the green’s original size and shape based on Raynor’s 1915 routing, highlighting a large false front and a distinctive kidney shape wrapped tightly around a deep right bunker.
“Restoring this golf course was far more than a standard renovation; it was a profound commitment to the architectural legacy of Seth Raynor,” says Eric von Hofen, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at Mountain Lake. “This milestone marks the culmination of years of meticulous research and dedication from Tyler Rae, our Board of Directors, our executive leadership team, our members, and especially superintendent Brad Quackenbush and his grounds crew.”
“We couldn’t be more excited about the end result of this golf course restoration project,” adds John Dana, President of the Mountain Lake Corporation. “Our mission with this project was to accurately restore and modernize the golf course to highlight the strategic brilliance of Seth Raynor’s original design.”
