Mountain Lake Begins Historic Golf Restoration in Florida Lake Country

Mountain Lake, a residential golf community in Lake Wales, Florida, has begun an extensive restoration of its Seth Raynor-designed course, work that will extend through November 2026. The multi-million-dollar project, led by architect Tyler Rae, commenced April 20 and focuses on three core objectives: reconstruction of the putting surfaces, design enhancements using archival documentation from 1915 onward, and restoration of the bunker system.

The restoration draws on Raynor's original 1915 routing sketches, Charles Banks revision drawings from 1929, 1935 engineering plans, and aerial photographs from 1941. Rae and his team have identified specific changes to each hole, including recreating the third hole's original punch bowl green, reconfiguring fairway bunkers at the fourth, and moving the sixth green to restore views from the tee. The 13th hole, dubbed the "Road Hole," will feature reconstructed bunkers inspired by the strategy of the famous Road Hole at St. Andrews.

Rae brings significant credentials to the work. He previously restored other Raynor layouts at Lookout Mountain Club in Georgia and Wanumetonomy Golf and Country Club in Rhode Island, and has emerged as a leading practitioner of Golden Age course restoration. "The goal of this project is not to reinvent the golf course," he said in a statement. "Rather, we will take the most current iteration of the course and make it better, while also paying homage to Seth Raynor's original design."

Mountain Lake, founded in 1915 with master planning by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., spans 1,100 acres in central Florida. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains a sought-after address for those seeking historic homes and prestigious golf.