The Lakes Golf Club
Established in 1928, The Lakes Golf Club is one of Sydney’s most prestigious private golf clubs. Located only 15 minutes from the CBD, The Lakes borders the Botany Aquifer and Wetlands area, showcasing spectacular views and an abundance of wildlife alongside one of Australia’s great golf courses.
About the Club
It was 1928 when the barren waste of sand hills fronting Gardeners Road, Kingsford, was considered as a golf course site. The lake in the area was part of the old Sydney water supply. As a condition of its lease the Club had to construct a public course on adjacent land, to be opened simultaneously. This course would later become the Eastlakes links.
Designed by the esteemed professional Tom Howard and architect Eric Apperly in 1930, the course layout became widely known as an outstanding golf challenge with the the lakes and wetlands posing beautiful albeit daunting hazards on course.
In 1968 the old course was closed due to construction of Southern Cross Drive and Robert von Hagge was engaged to re-design a new course which opened for play in June 1970.
The Club is a renowned Championship venue, hosting multiple tournaments including the Johnnie Walker Classic, the Greg Norman International, the PGA Championship and the prestigious Australian Open in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Image credit: Gary Lisbon & David Bradley
The Course features kikuyu grass fairways and 1020 bent grass greens which are presented in excellent playing condition year round. This runs consistent with the Club’s long-standing strategy of maintaining the course at championship standards at all times.
This eye for perfection remains a primary focus of the board and management of the Club. Barren Sandy Wastes, Water Hazards, ‘wirey’ fescue rough, and undulating greens are the prominent features found at the modern links course that is The Lakes.
Built on sand hills millions of years old, The Lakes sandy soil enables the course to be played in wet weather when most other courses are closed. After torrential rain the water drains into the aquifers below and play can generally resume within an hour or so of a passing storm.
The bunkers on course also feature sand from the original sandhills. The small particles and consistent shape, a result of millions of years exposed to the elements, can grab a miss-hit ball and give a player without good sand skills some difficulty.
14TH, PAR 5, 502M
The short par 5, 14th hole is just one of the great signature holes at The Lakes where the large undulating green tempts players to take on the large water carry and reach the green in two.
To the right lies a waste area on the, while water and a fairway trap protect the left side of the fairway for the tee shot. The second and third shots play over a lake to a large, multi-level green. Protected by water at the front and bunkers to the back, it’s important to study the green closely and pay particular attention to the speed.