As soon as you drive into The Lakes Golf Club and catch your first glimpse of the dramatic layout, you cannot help but salivate over what you are casting your eyes over; pure paradise in the form of a golf course.

The property is spread across either side of Southern Cross Drive in Eastlakes, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. As per the cliché to describe many things in this great game, it truly is a tale of two nines.

Growing up in another country, this writer was never able to play or experience the layout before Mike Clayton was commissioned to redesign the iconic venue in 2006. However, the loop is everything it receives accolades for. A stern test for the better player but equally enjoyable for a higher handicapper and always in immaculate condition.

My first memory of The Lakes was seeing it on TV as a 12-year-old when Geoff Ogilvy hoisted his only Stonehaven Cup in 2010, fending off Matt Jones to win by four. I was just beginning to get into the sport, so watching the 2006 U.S Open champion plot his way around such an elegant venue was a pivotal moment in my golfing journey.

Fast-forward to the 2023 Australian Open, the first time I set foot on the property for real, and I was covering the Min Woo Lee, Cam Smith and Rikuya Hoshino group. The trio was one of the first groups out on Thursday and – as expected – garnered a hefty gallery. Watching the two Aussies start their home Open berths around the back nine of The Lakes was a privilege of the highest order. We were witnessing a couple of world-class players tackle a world-class course. And the fact they were playing second fiddle to the fairways they were strolling made things even more captivating.

The Lakes has gained a glowing reputation for being a first-class tournament venue, and seeing significant events unfold there in person, the club is worthy of high regard. From the facilities to the layout, it is tailor-made for big events.

It is a credit to its design that, in this day and age, the pros aren’t automatically pulling headcovers on every tee block. Strategy comes into play the entire way around this golf course, instead of the brute force required to tackle so many others. Birdies are available but just as readily as a bogey or worse.

It is the same story for the mere mortals who earn a tee time at this exclusive Sydney venue. Thinking about golf shots the entire way around your 18 holes is an entertaining day out on the links and, in my opinion, makes the clubhouse beer at the end a little more rewarding.

The 9th at The Lakes, par is no given wherever you are on this layout. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The “lakes” image is prevalent when you look out over the back side of the course from the putting green. When you stand on the 1st tee and ponder what club to take out of your bag, you will naturally want to put the biggest clubhead on your opening tee shot of the day, but threatening that decision is one of the many lakes on the property hugging the left-hand side of the fairway, and a sweeping bunker flanking the right, emphasising the importance of strategy right from the get-go.

Making your way around the front nine, you are spoiled with an open canvas strategy-wise for a majority of the holes, the trouble being the sandy terrain skirting the fairways which will collect errant tee shots. The Lakes is famously applauded for its outstanding back nine, but the front nine is some of the more entertaining golf I have played. The particular standouts for me on the opening side are holes 6, 7 and 8.

The 6th is a short par-4 playing uphill and 312 metres off the tips. There are two waste bunkers on the left-hand side of the fairway, the second being more in play than the one closer to the tee, with a bush and overhanging tree likely blocking your line to the green. A long iron or fairway metal off the tee is the clever play, but longer hitters will be tempted to take on the slight dogleg and have a nudge at the green.

“From the opening to the closing hole, the challenge of The Lakes is your decision-making. Each shot plays on your mind, which adds to the fun of combating such an impressive layout.” – Callum Hill.

Do so at your peril; sand traps short of the large, undulating green to the right and beside the green to the left are intimidating up-and-downs. Par is no given.

The 7th is an uphill par-3 playing anywhere from 110-160m, and depending on the wind direction, you can be hitting anything from a wedge to a 5-iron. It is an aesthetically pleasing tee shot, hitting over a sizeable sandy wasteland intercepted by the cart path. The bunkers on the right-hand side of the green are a tough spot to make par from, but this reporter’s favourite aspect of the hole is the green. You would be brave to take on a back right pin, but the ridge through the top right can act as a bowl to any flags on the left. This also makes a two-putt no guarantee, regardless of where the greenies decide on putting the flag.

The 8th is a snaking par-5 measuring in at 503 metres off the plates. Where Adam Scott famously made an albatross at the 2011 Australian Open, there is a plaque immortalising the former Masters champion’s historic 6-iron from 199 metres. Standing beside it leaves you in disbelief of the feat.The back nine is highly acclaimed and has arguably the best collection of par-5s in the country.

And it is spectacular.

Golf Australia magazine Top-100 panellist Adrian Logue said in this year’s ranking, “The back nine at The Lakes is probably the most fun sequence of shots to play in Australian golf.”

The 500-plus-metre par-5 11th hole always comes up in conversation; a dramatic tee shot doglegging right around the massive lake on the right-hand side.

The 14th (pictured) and 17th close out what is a fantastic trifecta of par-5s on the back nine at The Lakes. PHOTO: Brendan James.

The lake isn’t the only cause for concern, so are the strategically placed bunkers along the right and left-hand side of the fairway. It is a bold move to try to reach this green in two, having to take an uber-aggressive line over the water. But even laying up plays on the mind. With more sand in play and the need to flirt with the right-hand side of the fairway – especially to a right pin – you can see why this is consistently discussed as one of the best three-shotters in the country.

The 14th and 17th close out what is a fantastic trifecta of par-5s on the back nine. All require you to flirt with the hazard, with 14 and 17 leaving no choice but to hit directly over the drink. The 17th is my favourite par-5 on the property; there is no escaping the challenge it provides, and if the wind is up, look out. For most, the hole is a double layup; a mid-long iron off the tee followed by the same for your second, both over water.

The pick of the par-4s on the back for mine is the 10th. Tipping the scales at 314 metres off the tips, the guarding greenside bunkers mean a layup is preferred before a wedge into a tricky green.

From the opening to the closing hole, the challenge of The Lakes is your decision-making. Each shot plays on your mind, which adds to the fun of combating such an impressive layout.

Our judging panel and golfers across the board hold The Lakes in very high esteem. “Dramatic”, “elegant” and “breathtaking” are just some of the adjectives used to describe this Sydney special.

The highest compliment you can give a golf course is that regardless of your ability, you will go out and have a great time without searching for balls on every second hole. The Lakes provides this, along with being a tough test for the pros, which is a credit to the work the architects and greenkeepers have put in.  It is no surprise The Lakes consistently finds itself ranked among Golf Australia magazine’s top 20 courses.

FACT FILE

LOCATION: Cnr King St and Vernon Ave, Eastlakes, NSW, 2018.

CONTACT: (02) 9669 1311.

WEBSITE: www.thelakesgolfclub.com.au.

DESIGNERS: Eric Apperly and Tom Howard (1928); Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge (1970); Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Clayton, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead – OCCM (2009).

PLAYING SURFACES: Bentgrass (greens), kikuyu (fairways).

GENERAL MANAGER: Matthew Olson.

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Anthony Mills.

PGA PROFESSIONAL: Russell Skennerton (Director of Golf); Rob Curtis (Head Teaching Professional).

GREEN FEES: The Lakes is a private members club. There is generally tee times available on a Monday and Thursday for non-members depending on group bookings. $300 if you are a member of an Australian golf club, $500 if you are not. For bookings email the club: bookings@thelakesgolfclub.com.au.