Lakewood Golf Club

Lakewood Golf Club sits in New Orleans, Louisiana, and reflects the work of two architects across different eras. Robert B. Harris originally designed the course, contributing to the city's golf landscape during a period when Harris was active in creating layouts across the South. Ron Garl later renovated or redesigned portions of the course, bringing his characteristic approach to shaping and updating golf facilities to meet evolving standards and player expectations. The course occupies relatively flat terrain typical of the New Orleans area, where elevation change is minimal and water management becomes a central design consideration. The routing likely incorporates lakes, drainage features, and mature tree corridors that define holes and create strategic interest on land that lacks natural contour. In this low-lying environment, architects must work with water as both hazard and necessity, shaping greens and fairways to provide playability while managing the region's substantial rainfall and high water table. Lakewood serves the New Orleans golf community as a club course, providing a home layout for members in a city with limited golf real estate given its geography and urban density. The course operates within the cultural context of Louisiana golf, where year-round play is possible but summer heat and humidity shape the rhythm of the golf calendar. The combination of Harris's original design and Garl's later contributions reflects the evolution of many American club courses that adapt over decades to changing agronomic practices, equipment, and membership needs.