Lost Lake Golf Club (Hobe Sound, FL)

Lost Lake is a strong representation of Tom Fazio’s work in the 1990s. Many developers wanted his name on the course they were building for their residential communities, and his design philosophy was in vogue at the time. 

Big, wide flat fairways combined with helicopter pad greens is the product of  Fazio bulldozing the land and moving dirt. This sentence defines Lost Lake to a tee. Everything is elevated above the marshland and balls that miss the fairway are on abrupt slopes or out of bounds in people’s yards. The design is based more on execution than strategy. The hazards run parallel to holes with no perpendicular or centerline obstacles. 

(The 205/174 yard par three sixth is a beautiful shot over wetlands. The green is well bunkered on the left where a Sunday pin would clearly be placed.)

This type of architecture is enjoyed by many players however the best two holes both curve around hazards. The fifth is a reverse C shaped par five, and the second shot is semi blind over the corner of the wetlands. The other hole is the tenth where the fairway button hooks around the water, forcing the player to assess his ability and play a shot that will leave the easiest approach. 

(The 413/400 yard ninth has one of the few greens that will accept a low running shot.)

(The 388/366 yard fifteenth doglegs to the right. Water, sand, and trees guard the turn, adding to the excitement of the challenging drive.) 

Lost Lake is a beautiful course and Fazio did a great job tying the holes into the wetlands. I expected more exciting shots, but overall, the design kept the hazards to the sides. If you’re hitting the driver well then you’ll be left with plenty of easy shots. This is probably the main reason why it’s such a popular course among members and their guests. It’s in good shape and is a lot of fun. I give it a 5 (good)(worth driving an hour to play). 

(Looking back towards the sixth tee from the green.)