Mountain Lake, situated in Lake Wales, Florida, stands as a testament to Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.’s expertise in landscape planning. Established in 1915, shortly after Lake Wales itself, this 1,000-acre property showcases the subtle undulations of Central Florida’s terrain. In conjunction with the brilliant course architect Seth Raynor, the golf course, which opened in 1917, has earned a near-legendary status as a prime example of Golden Age golf and Gilded Age society in America.
Eric J. von Hofen, the Club’s highly regarded COO/General Manager, describes the course as a “historic rollback in time.” He emphasizes that this is what their members and residents aspire to, forming the core identity of the property.
The current objective, led by Tyler Rae, is to meticulously restore Mountain Lake’s identity to closely resemble Raynor’s original vision. Over its nearly 110-year history, the course has seen various modifications and restoration efforts. Early work was undertaken in the late 1920s by Charles Banks, Raynor’s protégé. Later, Brian Silva contributed in 2002 by squaring bunkers and recontouring greens, followed by Ron Prichard in 2010, who also focused on reshaping bunkers and greens.
However, Rae’s restoration is poised to be the most comprehensive to date. This is a project he has long desired since his initial experience at Mountain Lake as a design associate with Prichard.
“I love being out here,” Rae expressed, standing near the 18th green with the Olmsted-designed Bok Tower in view. “You’re kind of one with nature.”
“We’ve unearthed some old bunker sand, which provides validation for our findings,” he added. “And we’ve discovered some original green shapes. The archaeological aspect is truly fascinating.”
The restoration plan will also concentrate on modernizing and enhancing the bunkers and greens. The bunkers will be updated, and the Tif-Eagle Bermuda putting surfaces will be recreated to match the sizes, shapes, and characteristics depicted in historical photographs.
Silva’s prior restoration project was notable for its use of original aerial photographs to determine the historical dimensions and forms of Mountain Lake’s greens and bunkers. Rae, who, like Silva, is a student of golf’s Golden Age architecture, is delving even deeper. He is utilizing archival photos from the Club’s extensive library, alongside newly discovered historical information about the course found within the Olmsted files at the University of Virginia, the University of Florida, and in Brookline, MA.
Rae’s extensive research has provided him and Club officials with access to crucial historical documents, including Raynor’s 1915 sketch of the first nine holes, revision drawings from Banks dating back to 1929, and engineering drawings derived from 1935 and 1941 aerial surveys.
“At the University of Florida, I found a photo from 1924 of someone flying over the back nine,” Rae shared. “It clearly shows every single bunker on the course. When we presented that picture to some members, they were thrilled; they felt we had hit a home run.”
“It was an all-hands-on-deck effort, going through everything,” said von Hofen. “When Brian Silva worked on the course, many of these files were not available. There was a significant amount of interpretation based on what everyone believed it should look like, or what they thought its characteristics were. I believe that with the digital advancements we have now, revisiting these files is a night-and-day improvement compared to where we were.”
Rae has previously undertaken restorations of other Raynor original designs, including at Lookout Mountain Club in Georgia and at Wanumetomony Golf and Country Club in Middletown, Rhode Island. The Mountain Lake project is anticipated to be completed by October 2026.
Notable highlights of the restoration include: recreating the original punch bowl green on the third hole, as evidenced in Raynor’s 1915 routing and early 1917 photographs; reconfiguring the fairway bunkering on the fourth hole to align with Raynor’s 1915 routing. A large, prominent bunker on the left will replace the current multiple bunkers, prompting golfers to make strategic decisions from the tee. The fore bunker at the 12th hole will be restored to create a striking visual from the tee and offer clear lines of play for tee shots. This hole is notable for its blind tee shot, a rarity in Florida. The 12th green will be rebuilt with a softened tier running through its center to accommodate more pin positions and significantly enhance playability. The fore bunkers on the 13th hole, known as the “Road Hole,” will be recreated to encourage strategic tee shots. A fairway bunker positioned approximately 100 yards from the green will also be recreated, mirroring the strategy and location of the Scholar’s / Progressing bunker complex on the original Road Hole at The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland.
Raynor’s original course routing will largely be preserved, with the par-70 course playing slightly over 6,700 yards from the back tees.
“The objective is not to create a championship test,” Rae stated. “It’s to restore the strategy. This is a member’s course, and they don’t desire it to be easier or more difficult. We are not going to make these bunkers ten feet deep.”
“I genuinely enjoy working with the members here because they are passionate about the course. They understand how it plays.”
Standing outside the Club’s iconic 37-room Colony House, built in 1916, von Hofen surveyed the landscape.
“In the past two and a half years, 385 holes of golf have been built in Florida,” he remarked. “It’s remarkable how much attention is focused on us. Many are attempting to replicate what we have here. However, achieving something like this requires immense time, years of dedication, and a considerable number of people.”
It requires something historic.