The Lakes course at Oakwood Country Club is one of three eighteen-hole layouts in the Sun Lakes community, located approximately twenty-five miles southeast of Phoenix. Designed by Arthur Jack Snyder and opened in 1972, the course was developed as part of the planned retirement community that defines this area of the Valley. Snyder, a prolific Arizona architect who shaped numerous courses across the Southwest during the 1960s and 1970s, routed the Lakes through relatively flat desert terrain that has matured over the decades with established tree-lined fairways and water features that give the course its name. The layout plays to a modest yardage appropriate for its membership demographic, with multiple tee options that accommodate varying skill levels. Water comes into play on several holes, and the course features the gentle elevation changes typical of desert courses built on alluvial plains. Bermuda grass fairways and overseeded winter playing surfaces reflect standard Arizona course maintenance practices. The design emphasizes playability and pace of play rather than championship length or severe hazards. Oakwood Country Club serves an active adult community with members who typically reside in Sun Lakes seasonally or year-round. The club offers social programming and dining alongside its golf facilities, functioning as a recreational and social hub within the broader Sun Lakes development. The Lakes course operates in concert with the community's other courses to provide variety for local golfers in a setting defined by Arizona's desert climate and the lifestyle preferences of its residents.