Carolina Trace Country Club's Lake Course sits in Sanford, North Carolina, a town in the Sandhills region roughly an hour south of Raleigh-Durham. The course was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and later modified by David Whelchel. As part of a larger residential community, Carolina Trace offers multiple courses, with the Lake Course serving as one of the primary layouts available to members and their guests. The routing takes advantage of the property's natural water features and rolling Sandhills terrain. True to its name, the Lake Course incorporates several holes that play along or across water hazards, requiring strategic decisions off the tee and on approach shots. The Jones design philosophy typically emphasizes strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward accurate iron play, and these elements appear throughout the layout. The course plays through stands of Carolina pines and hardwoods characteristic of the region. Carolina Trace operates as a private club serving a residential membership base. The facility includes dining and social amenities typical of Sandhills country clubs, where golf is central to community life. The Lake Course provides a traditional parkland experience within the broader Carolina golfing landscape, offering members a layout that balances playability with strategic interest across its eighteen holes.