Tyler Rae has been hired to lead a restoration of the 1915 Seth Raynor golf course at Mountain Lake in central Florida, with construction set to begin in April 2026.
The project will be grounded in a study of archival photos combined with recently discovered historic information. Work includes the reconstruction and redesign of greens, and the restoration of bunkers. Mountain Lake’s TifEagle bermuda greens will be renovated to sizes, shapes and character as revealed by historical photography.
“We have always been enamoured with Mountain Lake and its historical stature in the realm of golf and Seth J. Raynor’s short golf architecture career,” said Rae. “We also have high regard for [Mountain Lake developer] Frederick Law Olmsted Jr and his team who initially laid out the property site plan with its meandering roads and lot lines with majestic views.
“Mountain Lake is a magical place that has captivated us since first setting our eyes on the property over 25 years ago and we are humbled and honoured to be able to ‘polish the gem’ and really highlight the special nature of the property in the years to come.”
For this project, Rae has access to a variety of historic materials such as Raynor’s 1915 sketch of the first nine holes, revision drawings from Charles Banks from 1929, an engineering drawing from 1935, and 1941 aerials.
Tyler Rae has a myriad of historic materials to work with, including 1929 drawings from Charles Banks (right) and aerials from 1941 (Images: Mountain Lake)
The renovation will include recreating the original punchbowl green at the third, reshaping the water features on holes eight and nine, and re-landscaping numerous areas on the course with native live oak trees and grasses. Fairway bunkering on the fourth will be reconfigured to match Raynor’s 1915 routing, where a large bunker will replace the multiple existing bunkers.
On the twelfth, which has a blind tee shot, a restored fore bunker will provide a line of play. The green will be rebuilt with a softened tier running through the middle to create more pin positions and improve playability. Bunkers will be reinstated on the thirteenth, dubbed the ‘road hole’, to promote strategy off the tee. A fairway bunker about 100 yards from the green will also be restored.
More historic photos that Rae has at his disposal for developing his renovation plan (Images: Mountain Lake)
“Tyler Rae has created an exceptional plan to restore our golf course back to Seth Raynor’s inspiration,” said Eric von Hofen, general manager and chief operating officer at Mountain Lake. “This restoration project will not only further solidify Mountain Lake as one of the state’s most sought-after golf experiences but also enhance the aesthetic appeal and allure of our fine community. Having been a part of numerous golf course projects around the country, I have every degree of confidence Tyler Rae will return our golf course to its purest form.”
The renovation is expected to be complete by October 2026.