Lakes Golf Course at Laura Walker State Park
About
Situated at the northern edge of the Okefenokee Swamp, the Lakes Golf Course at Laura S. Walker State Park is home to an abundance of native plants and wildlife including alligators, gopher tortoises, and blue herons. True to its name, the course has three large lakes and the layout is routed through numerous varieties of oak trees and palmettos. The course is as challenging as it is scenic with heavily undulating greens, water hazards, and strategically placed bunkers. There is also subtle but tricky, links-style mounding defining each of the fairways and landing areas. The course strikes a nice balance of player-friendly and difficult holes but be prepared for the final holes on both the front and back nine, they are considered the toughest on the golf course.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 72 | 6595 yards | 71.9 | 122 |
| White | 72 | 6015 yards | 68.4 | 112 |
| Gold | 72 | 5536 yards | 66.3 | 106 |
| Red (W) | 72 | 4734 yards | 66.6 | 106 |
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black M: 72.1/127 | 376 | 407 | 155 | 572 | 402 | 194 | 319 | 476 | 462 | 3363 | 428 | 493 | 301 | 551 | 191 | 393 | 328 | 179 | 427 | 3291 | 6654 |
| White M: 69.1/123 W: 74.6/134 | 334 | 384 | 135 | 507 | 387 | 181 | 293 | 440 | 428 | 3089 | 396 | 449 | 275 | 499 | 169 | 361 | 289 | 165 | 382 | 2985 | 6074 |
| Gold M: 66.6/116 W: 72.1/130 | 290 | 363 | 122 | 489 | 333 | 150 | 276 | 411 | 364 | 2798 | 352 | 415 | 257 | 467 | 154 | 319 | 275 | 151 | 364 | 2754 | 5552 |
| Red M: 63.0/103 W: 68.0/112 | 251 | 305 | 104 | 450 | 284 | 133 | 216 | 360 | 320 | 2423 | 300 | 343 | 221 | 407 | 121 | 282 | 225 | 130 | 309 | 2338 | 4761 |
| Handicap | 9 | 7 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 2 | |||
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Handicap (W) | 7 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 11 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 2 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
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Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by isuckatgolf83 on 11/27/2025
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Photo submitted by u000008075222 on 02/09/2024
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Photo submitted by u000008075222 on 02/09/2024
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Photo submitted by u813933643 on 08/10/2023
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Photo submitted by KenS1972 on 11/15/2021
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Good Times Photo submitted by hughesjam on 11/14/2020
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Photo submitted by u014514043 on 10/27/2020
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Photo submitted by dagandrol on 03/28/2020
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Photo submitted by u4937000 on 06/20/2019
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 07/25/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 07/25/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 07/25/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 07/25/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 07/25/2017
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Photo submitted by sorenj on 07/25/2017
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Photo submitted by u000008033373 on 08/06/2015
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Photo submitted by u000008033373 on 08/06/2015
Worth the drive
This golf course is about 70 miles from my home with many golf courses in between. But it's worth the drive in the spring or fall (avoid the summer bugs) because the setting is so pretty and the course itself is always in good shape and is challenging. The greens also have some undulation and are challenging. My wife and I walked the 6,600 yard course in under 4 hours and walking is welcomed.Take a lunch to eat at the park as a way to enjoy the day.
Great Road trip
This is a nice change of pace. It is about an hour from where I live. My friends and I play here about once every 2 months. The course is very inexpensive and always in good shape.
Gorgeous Georgia
Beautiful fall day, after a cold night. We were kindly directed to the 10th., as a group had just teed off on the 1st. This gave us a free run for the whole round, which was just perfect. No houses around, of course, in a state park, just beautiful nature. Course was in tiptop shape.The only minor criticism to think of would be the difficulty in making out the fairways, since the bermuda was an equal light brown color overall. We just hit every drive dead center, of course.
Tremendous value through GolfNow.
Experience was wonderful, weather was perfect
If you've never tried this course, it's your loss. The "hot deal" on Golf Now runs frequently & almost makes you feel like you've won a free round. Course fairways are firm & result in excellent ball run, but any balls in the rough will challenge "locating" skills, then your striking ability. Come visit Lakes @ Laura Walker SP. It won't be your last trip there!
Laura Walker
Great course near Waycross, GA. It is seldom busy and I am usually able to tee off immediately and play at whatever pace I want to. The staff is unbelievably friendly. The course isn't terribly challenging but is almost always in good shape, especially for the price. I will definitely be back.
The is a good course with great greens
The course is not long compare to others but the undulating greens makes this course equals to all others. The fairways was in good shape. I hope I get the chance to play it again. Enjoyed the round
Worth the trip
A hidden gem in the Georgia pine forest well worth the 100 mile round trip from Jacksonville, Fl. The course is wide open but watch out for 9 and 18 they will bite back. Looking forward to going back soon.
Great track
Great course in excellent condition speed of play was great
Awesome Deal
Great course and they are working very hard to keep it in good shape!!
Tough greens with average speed.
I haven't played this course in 15 years. It was much better than I remembered. The greens were very undulated but a little bumpy. The fairways were a little long and needed some maintenance. Overall it was well worth the $27 we paid to play it. Would recommend to anyone looking for a peaceful course with challenging greens. Bunkers could also use a little TLC.
Good Course
I have played 2 other GA State Park Course - Lake Arrowhead & Hard Labor Creek. Lake Arrowhead is the best course.
This was a nice course at a nice price. Conditions were fine
Horrible pace of play policy
Was told by the the staff that pace of play pretty much means nothing. There was a group of 12 and we was informed that our group of two had to play behind them. I am sorry but the fastest player is always supposed to be allowed to play through. We had to wait 4 to 5 minutes at every tee box for them to get out of the way. I will not be playing there with policy's like that
We had a great time
I live in the area, so its my home course. My friends are eager drive up from Jacksonville to play. They're amazed how friendly the locals are.
great layout in a state park
i play here once a month to see a friend who lives in Georgia. the course is long enough for good players but short enough for the less talented. the pace of play is excellent and the staff is great. the greens are ok but had some rough spots.
love course location in the woods
course is a little dry and greens could use some work
overall, great
Great course. Pace was slower than usual. Would definitely recommend this course to any friend or stranger.
Very Enjoyable
Played as a single late in the day...ended up playing the front 9 twice since I got stuck behind a foursome, but had a blast on the front 9 and would love to see what the back looks like! Made the drive from Jax as I had seen this course on GolfNow and was intrigued by it...it's a long drive but the course (at least the front 9!) is a lot of fun, is in good condition, and is quite scenic in some spots. I will definitely go back at some point...after all, I gotta see what the back 9 looks like!!
Poorly maintained, great potential
I have played this course hundreds of times and have played hundreds of rounds at many other courses around the southeast. The Lakes has a good layout with a variety of real doglegs, straight aways, and these "waste areas" which would actually be challenging sand traps given the budget to actually put sand in them. One of these waste areas on the back (15) had a puddle of water in it from rain two days prior that had a diameter of 30 yards and swallowed my ball. Still had to hit off of the cement-like hardpan in the area. The rest of the actual sand traps aren't much better but they aren't the same dark dirt color, rather a lighter shade of dirt. It's always heavy and unraked with a layer of hardpan about 1.5-2 inches under the top layer of mud or drier mud. The front and back are like different courses, with the back having more forgiving holes and large rolling greens while many of the greens on the front are unreasonably undulated. The hole locations are typically cut by an employee who is not a golfer and they are placed on areas of the green that are crippling given the severity of the slopes. Also pins are left in the same location frequently for 5 days at the time. The edges of the holes are not ever crisp and they become very mounded up towards the hole in a volcano-like fashion. This causes all putts to turn off of the highest point, the edge of the hole, which will cause the ball to artificially roll harder to the left or right depending on which side of the volcano the ball is rolling towards. The greens do not roll true and have many areas of weeds. The 8th green is almost entirely weed which I have long been told is called "poa annua." This might be playable, along with the rest of the unaffected greens, if the greens were to be cut short enough. The grass is far too long in order to present a green and "pretty" look, that costs less to water and fuel mowers. This makes them slow and unpredictably grainy. The woods on the sides of some of the holes have recently been bush-hogged, but there are still many areas where sticks and limb-debris are piled just to the sides of the cart paths. If your ball goes in, consider it lost and hit your third off the tee. You won't be climbing through these huge piles. Other than the conditions, which have been declining since 2006-2008, the layout is awesome. The course is beautiful back through the woods and there are no houses anywhere near the course. Some of the holes have really great features and give you many different options for playing. This course would easily be one of the best in the southeast if the greens rolled smooth and true, the sand was renovated, and without bulldozing the problem greens, putting fresh holes in fair positions more frequently (1-2 maybe 3 days.)
Great layout.
I love this course. Have to drive an hour one way to play it.
It has been a hard winter on the course. A lot of poanna grass on the course and greens.
Hope the course recovers by Summer.
Only got to play nine...rain came in..
Not the first time that I have played to course, but first time since they did a lot of cleanup. The vegetation around the lakes had gotten a little thick. Great mix of holes. Some simple scoring holes, some difficult holes with lots of trouble and then you have 9 & 18. Two of the finest finishing holes I have played.
Ask for the grilled onions on your hamburger after a great round of golf.
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