
South/North Course
Lakes Country Club
About this course
Lakes Country Club's South/North combination in Palm Desert pairs two of Ted Robinson Sr.'s nines from this 27-hole facility, opened in 1969 during the Coachella Valley's emergence as a desert golf destination. Robinson, known throughout California for incorporating extensive water features into his designs, created a layout that lives up to the club's name with lakes and ponds threading through the property. The course occupies relatively flat desert terrain typical of the Palm Desert area, with the Santa Rosa Mountains providing a dramatic backdrop to the east. The routing reflects Robinson's signature style from this era: strategic water hazards that demand both placement and nerve, particularly on approach shots, combined with mature landscaping that has softened the desert edges over five decades. Palm trees, oleander, and other desert plantings frame fairways that play firm and fast in the dry climate. The South and North nines offer a blend of short, precise holes where water pinches landing areas and longer tests where distance must be balanced against hazard positioning. Lakes Country Club operates as a private equity club serving the Palm Desert community. The facility's three-nine configuration allows for varied routing combinations and pace-of-play flexibility. While not a tournament venue, the course represents the Robinson approach to desert golf that helped define the region's character in the late 1960s and 1970s—playable for members while demanding thoughtful course management around water.
Quick facts
- Location
- Palm Desert, CA, USA
- Access
- Private
- Year built
- 1983
- Designer
- Ted Robinson Sr.
- Holes
- 18
- Par
- 72
- Length
- 6,689 yards
- Difficulty
- 71.6/128
Getting there
Most visitors to Lakes Country Club arrive through Palm Springs International Airport, a compact and efficient gateway just twenty-five minutes northwest along Interstate 10. The drive into Palm Desert is a study in contrasts - the initial stretch of desert floor giving way to the manicured greenery and mid-century elegance of the Coachella Valley's resort corridor. As Highway 111 carries you deeper into the heart of Palm Desert, the Santa Rosa Mountains rise dramatically to the south, framing your arrival at a club that has quietly anchored this oasis community since the early 1970s.

FAQ
Common questions about South/North at Lakes Country Club
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
South/North was designed by Ted Robinson Sr..
South/North at Lakes Country Club is listed as private on Course Vaults; guest access is typically restricted.
Par at South/North is 72.
South/North plays 6,689 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at South/North is 128.
South/North is a 18-hole course.





