Imperial Lakes at Imperial Lakes Golf & Racquet Club

Imperial Lakes Golf & Racquet Club sits in Mulberry, a small city in Polk County in central Florida's phosphate mining region, roughly midway between Tampa and Lakeland. Ron Garl designed the course, which opened in the late 1980s as part of a residential community development. Garl, a Florida-based architect who worked extensively throughout the state during the 1980s and 1990s, typically incorporated the natural water features and sandy soils common to the region into his layouts.

The course at Imperial Lakes reflects the characteristic elements of central Florida golf: relatively flat terrain punctuated by numerous lakes and ponds that come into play on many holes, along with stands of native pines and palms. Water hazards serve as both strategic elements and visual definition throughout the routing. The layout provides a straightforward test for members and guests, with distance control and accuracy around the water being primary considerations.

Imperial Lakes functions as a semi-private facility serving both a residential membership and outside play. The club includes tennis facilities alongside the golf course, reflecting the racquet club component of its name. The setting offers a quiet, suburban golf experience typical of Florida's interior communities, removed from the coastal resort atmosphere but accessible to the region's population centers.