Los Lagos Golf Club

Review of Los Lagos Golf Club – Edinburg

If you are anywhere near Edinburg, then you need to find the time to play Los Lagos Golf Club.  What a blast to play and a real bargain.  Los Lagos is a links style course that is very unique and different than the vast majority of links courses in Texas.  What defines this course is dramatic mounding, huge sweeping bunkers, contoured fairways, challenging green complexes, and 11 acres of lakes!  Los Lagos got a lot of "wows" from our group and we can't wait to get back and play it again.

Los Lagos Golf Club, opened in late 2000 and is owned and managed by the City of Edinburg.  If you been to the Rio Grande Valley you know how flat it is, but that's not the case at Los Lagos.  The designers must have moved millions of cubic feet of sand and desert to create the contoured and rolling fairways and huge mounds and swales. 

The course is visually stunning and intimidating to look at and it is no walk in the park!  With a slope of 74.7 and a rating of 132, Los Lagos is probably the most challenging track in the Valley.  With four sets of tee boxes and yardages ranging from 5561 to 7188, make sure you don't get too macho and try to bite off more than you can chew – you'll regret it.  78 strategically placed bunkers, uneven lies thanks to contoured and mounded fairways, water on 11 holes, and challenging green complexes require your "A" game to score well here.  And don't forget to consider the prevailing winds which can have a dramatic impact on your game. 

But don't let those challenges keep you from playing this fantastic and fun track.  Just pick the right set of tee boxes, play strategically, and manage the wind and you'll do fine.  There are some really fun and interesting holes, for example:

• the 539 par 5 #1 sets the stage and tests your wind and course management skills as well as your willingness to take some risk reward shots – the fairway twists and turns through huge mounds, swales, and 7 bunkers of all sizes to a small green – par this one and the rest are easy
• #4 and #5 have huge 100 yard long and very wide bunkers leading to and around the green and 5 has 3 more bunkers on the left side of the green waiting for your ball
• #10 will tempt your risk reward tolerance to see if you can carry the huge bunker and two pot bunkers to try and shorten this 611 yard dog leg left – be careful on the approach, the green is surrounded by 4 bunkers plus a lake off the backside
• #14 is the signature hole and a shot makers dream – read the description on the Los Lagos website
• #18 is a fantastic finishing hole that will make you want to come back to play again – a 569 yard par 5 that dog legs right through a minefield of 15 bunkers of all shapes and sizes to a large green guarded by a lake on the right and bunkers on the left

The fairways range from ample and generous to fairly tight and at times you may want to leave the driver in the bag.  All of the fairways are lined by huge mounds, most have strategically placed bunkers, and some are a fun roller coaster ride.  You can expect to play some uneven lies.  Some nice homes line one side of a few holes.  The fairways were in fair condition and the rough is playable and in some places dirt and patches of grass. Keep in mind when you're looking at the pictures that it was January and the fairways were in transition or dormant.

The greens at Los Lagos range from small to very large, ran at a good speed and very true, and most have some slope, undulation, tiers, or spines.  When we played Los Lagos, the greens were in very good condition.  All of the greens are complex and challenging thanks to bunkers, water, slope, or elevation – accuracy on your approach shots is critical to scoring well. 

The bunkering at Los Lagos is something else!  They range from huge tractor trailer size to small pot bunkers and there are 78 of them waiting for your sand wedge.  Make sure you study your scorecard or range finder before each shot and do what you can to avoid them.  The sand was firm and crunchy which may have been due to the recent drizzing rain.  Most of the lips and steep, so don't expect to roll in and out!

What a fun track, an outstanding value, and a must play.