Lakeside Park - Virginia - USA

The Lakeside Park Club got involved in golf prior to the onset of the 20th Century with a nine-hole design from Willie Tucker, but it’s another Scot who left his mark on the course that is celebrating its centenary during 2021: Donald Ross is responsible for the current course.

The course is another example of Ross using his routing expertise to fit a full 18-hole course into a tight parcel; Lakeside Park plays to less than 6,300 yards from its back tees. As length was never going to be a hurdle for the biggest hitters, the importance of Ross’s bunkering comes to the fore, and thanks to a recent renovation from Kris Spence, those bunkers are playing to their peak today.

Nos. 6 and 15 are examples of short par threes (156 and 141, respectively) that rely on a wave of bunkering to keep their putting surfaces safe from invaders. Likewise, the three reachable par fives are designed to tempt the big hitter with their short distances but well-equipped to turn that eagle opportunity into a par, or worse.

There is one hole that lost some charm when Ross came through, however: Tucker’s opener, “Zoo,” once went past the membership’s collection of exotic fauna.