Lakeview Golf Resort - Lakeview Course (Morgantown, WV)

Back when golf magazines like Lifestyles was prominent, Lakeview Golf Resort was considered one of the better courses in the region. Pictures like the one above beckoned golfers from all around with its 180’ drop from tee to green. Opened in 1950, this James Harrison design has hosted three West Virginia Opens including 1958 won by Sam Snead whose 67 is still a course record.

(The 492/474 yard par five fifth doglegs left while racing downhill to a green set at the edge of the mountain…

…hitting short and letting it run on is the proper play. Bunkers short left and right will save your ball from plunging over the back. Most will have the opportunity to reach this in two with a good drive…

…a rise in in the front helps slow the ball down but most of the green slopes away. Enjoy the view of Cheat Lake and the surrounding hillside as you wait to putt out.)

The front nine sits on an extreme piece of property and Harrison mitigated it by producing two very fun par fives. Both play downhill with the seventh plummeting like Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. Both par threes are good but the third and sixth are carbon copies as long uphill par fours that play parallel to each other.

The back nine is more subdued and is broken up in three stretches. 10-12 play on the rolling ground by the front nine before going through a tunnel and playing the valley holes (14-16). The transition holes 13 & 17 are in an open field with little movement between the two. The trip back through the tunnel finishes on a beast of a par five (620 yards uphill).

(The 189/153 yard par three eighth is slightly uphill to a green whose putting surface is somewhat hidden. Bunkers left and right force a well struck shot.)

(The ninth is a driveable 319/307 yard par four should one attack the trees and dogleg. The downhill drive allows players to layup with a conservative club and still hit a short iron second. It should be a birdie hole.)

(The 560/532 yard par five fourteenth begins the valley stretch with a downhill tee shot and a narrow corridor to the green.)

I’m a fan of James Harrison. His work before partnering with his son-in-law Fred Garbin is usually interesting. I love the green complexes on twelve and thirteen which feature long slivers stretching between bunkers (ala Chippewa’s twelth). All the par threes are well done with the long uphill fourth featuring an incredible back to front pitch.

Lakeview’s biggest issue is a third of the holes are too narrow. On eighteen, if any shot ventures towards the left, one is basically penalized a quarter to half stroke. That occurs on a few other holes too. The branches have spread too far and taken away angles from a particular side. Conditioning could be better. The greens are good, fairways decent, but the tee boxes, rough, bunkers, and cart paths all need work. Lakeview will probably never be what it once was, but it’s still a solid course with some fun holes and challenging shots. I give it a 4 (above average)(worth driving 30-45 minutes to play).

(The uphill 171/151 par three sixteenth plays to a bilevel diagonal green. A deep bunker guards the inside angle. Note how choppy the rough is behind the green.)

(The 620/602 yard uphill par five eighteenth has never been reached in two. I was in the front right trap in four shots. Trying to save bogey, my wedge bounced into the ball sending it over the green and into the parking lot. BANG!!! It slammed into the metal door of the hotel. The bag boy was way too enthusiastic chasing after it for me. Give me a 7, I’m getting breakfast.)

(I read an interesting article about breaking 80. The author introduced a new concept called GIR+1. If you can put yourself in position to chip or putt for birdie 16 times, you will have a chance. Data shows between 180-200 yards, you’ll hit the green 1/5 or 20% of the time. Instead of hitting a long iron or hybrid, hit a club that’ll give you a good chipping opportunity. The cost was $72 with a cart.)

(The 427/406 yard par four fifteenth plays out of a narrow chute before opening up for the approach. I like the view of the hillside in the background with the sixteenth green overlooking the action.)

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