Golfadelphia

6,597 yards, 127 slope from the Championship tees

Lake Tahoe used to have an airport. For commercial passengers, that is. Jet airliners would make regular flights starting in the 1960’s, then more habitually in the 1980’s before fading in the 1990’s and ceasing altogether at the cusp of the millennium. Our place sat on Daggett Summit, which was atop the Sierra Nevada mountain range. On one side of the house you looked down and saw sprawling Carson Valley. On the other was Tahoe, the lake so clear in front of you it seemed like you could touch it. We would watch as the 737-100’s then 200’s gently descended across the lake, moving down slowly for the landing. They were at eye level to us as we sat and watched. I don’t believe there are quite the full views of a plane landing in such beauty yet if there are, I haven’t come across it. But growing up and having that view in constant reach to enjoy, the flights terracing down ever so softly, was a sight to behold. Without the plane, the view captured a grand stillness boasting the timelessness of nature. That lake, that sky, those clouds; all of it was there well before the house and planes, all of it would be there well after those were gone as well. In fact, the jet airliners are already gone, the sky is now able to enjoy that eternal stillness once again.

There was stillness but then of course, there was the wind. It would whip through the pass and over the high ridge, moving from the valley to the lake or the other way around. There were nights I was convinced the house would be blown off its foundation. The walls would press and the whistling of the wind would be so intense it sounded as if a choir was outside. We would go on the ski lifts nearby at Heavenly and I would look at the tree tops. If they were swaying with fervor, I would have to prepare myself for the swinging and swaying on the lifts. It took years to get used to, that wind. The wind made taking off on those jets a whole other matter. The planes would lift off then start circling the lake, banking and rising endlessly until they were high enough to rise above the Sierra Nevadas and the fierce wind. My sister and I would take that flight on occasion when we were children, flying to and from Tahoe and Burbank, one parent to another. The wintry terror of the Sierras disappeared and in just about an hour, we would be walking in the Southern California sunshine. A few miles from Burbank airport was Lakeside, as well as the Smoke House. The adventure of the flight, mountain and snow would become a riveting tale to our mother as we looked around the restaurant for movie stars. Lakeside was safely out of view yet I would see it every now and then from the plane. At that point in time, it would only register to me as one of many signs of a pending comfort of homecoming, as well as the familiar leisure of perfect weather.

Perhaps there is something to it. I’m sure those trips to Tahoe helped instill a restless sense of adventure of sorts, juxtaposed with the sudden surge of calm respite. That restlessness brought me to the east coast in part and yes, when I return to Southern Cal, the same calmness I remember all those years ago returns as well. And yes, my Mom still loves going to the Smoke House, so I’ll take her there on occasion, never knowing before just how close Lakeside was. The golf bags from my high school I see at the club remind me just how intermeshed I used to be with this area of L.A., set at the foot of the Hollywood Hills with the Valley before it and the Verdugo Hills on the other side in the distance. There’s a sense of place here that’s captured perfectly and resonates within. It’s a much older tone of Southern California but one I’m more familiar with. As I find myself at ease walking to the First tee and see a plane in the distance, it is then that I realize this is the calm I search for, coming in from those cold, blustery days of toil and the rest. As smooth as those plane landings just before the wheels hit the runway.

The course was designed by Max Behr in 1924. Behr was a competitive golfer at Yale then in some amateur events before pursuing a career in golf writing, becoming the first editor of Golf Illustrated magazine. He moved out to Southern California from New York in 1918, where he began to delve into course design. His design career was brief yet distinguished, which includes Hacienda in 1922, Montecito Country Club in 1922, a re-design of the Victoria Club in 1923, an original nine holes of the Saticoy Club in 1923, Oakmont Country Club (Glendale, CA) in 1924, a re-design of Brentwood in 1925 and Rancho Santa Fe in 1927. He was also involved in the Lake Course at the Olympic Club in 1929. The Great Depression and World War II halted his design career at that point unfortunately but as it stands, his exceptional work remains at a few key courses in Southern California, the most noteworthy example being Lakeside. Sadly, his work has eroded over time. Montebello, which was one of his first designs, converted to a nine hole course with a Top Golf in 2022 while Oakmont engaged Curley in 2008 to try and restore some of the lost Behr features but there was little historical evidence for Curley to work from. Brentwood has undergone renovative work that has drifted from Behr’s concepts. On the other hand, Rancho Santa Fe underwent a restoration by David McLay Kidd in 2021 focusing on Behr design character. And of course there is Lakeside, which has worked with Todd Eckenrode in the past and most recently in 2018 on restoration. Using historical aerials, bunker positions and green sizes were adjusted, the original greenside bunkering configuration of the Fifteenth was restored, the Second green was re-positioned as close as possible to its original location, several non-original bunkers were removed while original bunkers restored and short grass areas were installed around the greens. Behr did not believe in the use of rough, instead relying exclusively on contours, bunkers and the occasional tree. Eckenrode started on this path of Behr’s philosophy around the greens and returning to width, yet by all means, the golfer should expect rough off fairway more often than not.

Alistair Mackenzie attributed the excellence of Southern California golf courses to the influence of Behr and Robert Hunter. Mackenzie felt the best of the Southern California courses was Lakeside, writing that the originally flat land used as an orchard became undulating in such a natural appearance that it bears a close resemblance to real links land. Not holding back, Mackenzie notes that the interest of the course lies entirely with those undulations, to which he concludes Lakeside is one of the world’s greatest courses. Indeed, Behr’s design principles included a naturalistic emulation of links land structure of play, which included width, selective bunkering and no rough, all for the sake of individualistic and strategic decisional play. The undulations are impressive and illustrative of how powerful fairway shaping takes hold on the overall quality of a course. Those fairways seem to naturally drape on the undulations in a fascinating array of directions over the romping hills along with smart selective bunkering. There is flow and subtlety here yet distinction from one hole to the next. The par 3’s and short par 4’s are incredibly fun while the golfer is best advised to show up with a sharp short game. It’s an idyllic member’s course with the ease of the walk and fun challenge the design provides.

Adventure colliding with calmness is a good characterization of golf. The great contrast between the winters of the Sierra Nevada and Southern California despite their proximity is one of the geographical wonders of the world. It wasn’t until much later on that I realized how remarkable and influential it really was growing up with such an experience, which becomes even more keen with the drive through the Mojave Desert. While I didn’t know it then, Lakeside was a befitting manifestation of that calm whether I was coming or going to Tahoe, just waiting for me to come around and finally visit.

The First is a 378 yard par 4 (from the Championship tees). Heading straight out with a slight crook to the left after the fairway bunker on that side, the fairway shaping gets us early on as it rolls from right to left with that bunker on the left for those going too far over. The fairway then dips down to the green, which is pushed up with an entry point at front and bunkers on the right. The green runs front to back as well, so the golfer on the right will need to decide whether to carry the right greenside bunker and take on the pin directly while those who took on the left fairway bunker are rewarded with the green opening up much more.

The Second is a 516 yard par 5. A note on the photographs, they consist of the two rounds I played here, which were with two very different weather patterns. One round was just about the perfect summer day while the other was in a constant shower. At any rate, now you know. The par 5’s comes early on the front and this one plays with the Los Angeles River along the left. Mackenzie also wrote of Lakeside that it was designed and constructed at a time when not much was known about the provision of drainage, which caused floods to, “wash some of the most spectacular holes down the slopes towards the sea.” Indeed, the Los Angeles River flooded the course, which caused a significant re-routing in the 1930’s and movement of this green further in, away from the river. Eckenrode restored the original green location, providing sufficient length for a par 5. The fairway heads straight out from the tee once again with trees on the right, and a prominent bunker further up on the right that must be either carried or skirted around on the second shot. A lot more really good fairway shaping with mounding and swells leading up to the green which runs right to left pretty strongly, with bunkering on the lower left side. The golfer should take advantage of the terrain movement, which is available to him the more he tempts the fairway bunkers at each shot.

The Third is a 178 yard par 3. The collection par 3’s here is stunning and most of them are on the front. Here, the green is a little pushed up with bunkers well below on the right and left. The green runs slightly from right to left with some interior contours. This movement is a bit counterintuitive since the general movement seems to be in the opposite direction towards the river and those off green on either side will need to be especially delicate in order for their shot to remain on.

The Fourth is a 578 yard par 5. I told you those par 5’s come early. In fact, it is the last we come across. The tee shot is straight out with a right to left cant yet left center is the line so as to clear the tree line on the right. Too far left, however, and the fairway falls off to unfavorable depths, yet with a chance at redemption. The fairway then runs to the green with bunkers at the front corners and the green boomeranging around the left bunker. Like the Second, the second shot can be played a variety of ways to set up the preferred or otherwise favorable tee shot as the golfer negotiates the undulations.

The Fifth is a 440 yard par 4. The tee shot originates at the extreme lower left where one can hear the rustling of the river. The fairway is uphill with a large hump at its start emphasizing the point while a left bunker strongly suggests going to the right of it, or covering, if one has the length. Once again, the fairway shaping sparkles as it moves and swells from right to left to the entry point of the green, which is on the wider side. The green moves right to left in general, with a bunker fronting the green on the left. A very solid par 4 I could play over and over.

The Sixth is a 157 yard par 3. A shorter par three surrounded by bunkers where accuracy is needed even though there is a front apron that can be used if one feels like missing.  The green is pretty subtle, interior contours once again doing their job and gently prodding the ball in multiple directions.

The Seventh is a 435 yard par 4. This corner of the property is used as a nodal point for the routing and is revisited a number of times. These include the Sixth green, Seventh tee, Twelfth green and Thirteenth tee, yet all remain distinct. Here, we start heading back in the direction of the clubhouse, the tee shot once again uphill and mostly blind, yet one needs to get towards the left side or else might be stifled on the right side by rough and trees. The green lies between expansive bunkers, deep yet narrow, moving front to back and right to left.  

The Eighth is a 437 yard par 4. It is hard to believe the Eighth is a scant few yards longer than the hole prior, as it seems to play much longer for some reason. Perhaps more susceptible to wind, who can say. The fairway is on the wider side so the golfer should feel some support for having a go at it off the tee. They will need every yard for the approach. The fairway then leads down hill, turns right, and then climbs uphill to the left, with a large swale off the left side. I found the approach to be one of the longest on the course, and must be struck relatively well in order to make the green.

The Ninth is a 236 yard par 3. The longest par 3 and one of the toughest holes on the course. The mounding hides the visuals well as one is never sure just how much room there is between the tee and green. This includes concealing a deep bunker on the right. The green runs pretty heavily from left to right as well. It’s a very well done long par 3 that requires acumen with the longer club, a Golden Age design characteristic that succeeds more than a lot of modern day longer par 3’s because of the barrage of recoveries available to the golfer that doesn’t manage to pull off the perfect tee shot.

The front nine starts with a high bar and escalates with each coming hole. I would rank them 5, 9, 8, 6, 7, 1, 2, 4, 3.

The back nine starts with the 418 yard par 4 Tenth. One needs to stay to the left to keep their drive on flat ground. The fairway falls off to the right, and with a tree in the way, he will have to hit over it if he ends up on that side off the tee. The apron before the green is a nice touch and an alternate landing area for many who need the recovery. The green runs from back to front and there’s a short grass bridge so to speak connecting it to the next tee.

The Eleventh is a 403 yard par 4. The right side is rigid with a tree line while there are trees on the left as well so if there is a longish club in the golfer’s bag straighter that driver, now is the time to take it out. The fairway is relatively straightforward with no bunkers to speak of until we reach the green. The contours before the green instill most of the interest of the hole, featuring some ribboning that will spur the ball in a few different directions if landed upon. The green is pushed up slightly moving right to left while the bunkers on either side reside below grade.

The Twelfth is a 314 yard par 4. This starts back to back wonderful short par 4’s. Our caddie remarked this is where the fun starts and he was right. A slight dog leg left downhill with a blind tee shot. A tall tree stands on its own to the left, which sets a target line and those who go over it will have a short wedge into the green. Of course, a lay up off the tee also works, which still leaves a short approach in, but any miss with the lay up immediately puts the golfer in a good spell of trouble.  The green is small, one of the smallest on the course, which runs back to front.

The Thirteenth is a 293 yard par 4. There are are two par 3’s at my home course of Llanerch that run parallel to each other, the Fourth and Seventeenth. One of the joys of belonging to the club is being able to play those two holes on an endless loop. Such is the case here for the members at the Twelfth and Thirteenth. The two short par 4’s are side by side and begin and end next to each other. I would certainly take advantage of that loop if I belonged. The tee shot now goes back up the hill and yet another tree does much to dictate the tee shot. The golfer needs to figure out the best line yo avoid the tree while those opting to bail out to the right will see their ball veer further in that direction for a longer than necessary approach. The green is deep and narrow while the entry point is slightly off to the right. The green has a lot of subtle interior movement and its diagonal positioning to the fairway give the bunkering and approaches much more thought.  

The Fourteenth is a 405 yard par 4. A slight dog leg left and the only bunker to speak of is at the lower right side of the green. The green runs through the rear and down, while the left side banks sharply into rough.

The Fifteenth is a 164 yard par 3, or 91 yards to the alternate green. The final par 3 is short and made even shorter with an elevated tee shot. The green has a way of being in the center of bunkers that are flanked towards it, so that it seems the green is almost absorbing the bunkering around it. The green runs from back to front and is relatively small. There is an alternate green off to the left of the tees which is larger yet runs away from the tee towards the bunkers on the other side. A wedge with consideration for the run of terrain is in order should the golfer confront this hole when the pin is there.

The Sixteenth is a 393 yard par 4. A straightaway where the tee shot is semi blind over some juts. The fairway runs between two hills, giving it very much a sunken, funneled feel. There is a centerline bunker before the green that must be carried in order to reach the green. The green has a plateau on the right side while the rest of it falls from right to left after the centerline, yet the left side moves towards center as well. Bear in mind the green runs right into the bunkers, which does not foreclose the possibility of reckless putts moving right into them. Another great par 4.

The Seventeenth is a 430 yard par 4. A longer par 4 with a straight out tee shot. The approach will likewise be on the longer side as the fairway dips down before rising back up to the green, with a large bunker on the left sitting below. Once again the fairway shaping is remarkable as it subtly dips and rises on the way to the green. The knowledgeable player will be able to use the terrain to his advantage, even with approaches short of the green bouncing and falling on in assorted manner.

The Eighteenth is a 422 yard par 4. The tee shot is straight out once again for the most part, just be careful not to go too far, left into the trees or bunker. The green is well protected by bunkers at the front with a narrow entry point. The bunkers are deep set as well, almost mashing in with the fairway and bunkers at the Ninth. There is more room to work with at the rear of the green and behind it, but those shots will need to deal with the speed and movement of the green, which is subtle with interior undulations.

The back nine has a strong middle and finishing trio, the par 4’s are a shining, varied, spirited bunch that provide a well rounded pleasurably challenging round. I would rank them 13, 12, 18, 10, 16, 15, 17, 14, 11.

Generally, Lakeside showcases the value of fairway shaping in strategy and variety. Many of the holes are straight or close to it yet the golfer hardly ever notices because the structure of play is so engaging and varied, which is accomplished with undulations big and small, selective bunkering configurations and subtle, devilish greens. The essence of Behr is surely intact here and hopefully the transition from parkland back to Behr’s intended links structure continues. I was recently at Muirfield Village just before the Memorial and fell victim to the treacherous rough frequently, which would reach my knees in some areas. What struck me most, however, is how infinitely more challenging and interesting the course could be if the rough disappeared, which would allow the ball to keep rolling. The infinite possibilities of how the ball would run and dart would be intriguing yet terrifying all at the same time. The golfer would no longer be saved by the rough so to speak, as angles into the green would vary and recoveries along with it. This type of thinking is similar to Behr’s design philosophy, where he remarked, “the whole impulse of play should be forward with a sweep and a bang and not be, as it so often is, a tacking process.” Behr favored the fascinating run of the ball as opposed to positional strategy. To be sure, Lakeside favors this run concept but with its well calculated terrain, could elevate this even more with lighter, or complete elimination of, rough. The layers and dimensions of the structure of play would continue to deepen, imparting sophistication and a long, windy road to learning her intricacies, whims and heartstrings. As it stands, however, Lakeside is a remarkably engaging course to play that indeed features ample Behr character. As mentioned, it is an idyllic member’s course and among my favorite played last year.

Clubhouse/Pro Shop: Also among my favorite last season as well as all time. The vintage feel here speaks to me.

Practice area: Driving range, short game area and large putting green paces away from the clubhouse.