Cypress Lake Country Club

Detailed description of Cypress Lake Country Club

Cypress Lake Country Club is a Private, 18 hole golf course located in Fort Myers, Florida.

The 18-hole "Cypress Lake" course at the Cypress Lake Country Club facility in Fort Myers, Florida features 6,900 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 73.1 and it has a slope rating of 132 on Bermuda grass.

In 1959, the founding members of Cypress Lake Country Club hired Louis Sibbett "Dick" Wilson to design Cypress Lake's golf course. On February 22, 1961, the first nine holes were opened for play.

Wilson had developed a style that was very effective for Florida. Utilizing elevated, cannily bunkered greens; broad fairways; and lakes that provided visual interest, challenge and fill for the greens and other newly created hills, his courses were designed to complement and challenge the aerial game played by the modern golfer. Cypress Lake was, and remains, typical of Wilson's work: simple, graceful, and more challenging than it looks. In July 1962, all 18 holes were open for play. Initially, the club accepted some daily fee-paying patrons, and it was not unusual to spot a five-some on the course. Greens fees were a dollar for nine holes and $2 for eighteen. Members paid an annual fee of $75, with an extra $75 for golfing privileges. For his work, Wilson was paid $12,500.

The club went completely private on May 15, 1972. In 2001, Ron Garl supervised the renovation of the course.

The course has five sets of tees and can be played from under 5,000 yards to just over 7,000 yards. Its water, sand, and trees combine to provide a challenge as well as subtle beauty. Still true to Dick Wilson's original design, it boasts water on all but two holes.

When new, the course was ranked among the 200 toughest courses in the world. Its rating and slope from the championship tees are 73.9/132. With five sets of tees, that can be played from under 5,000 yards to just over 7,000 yards, even casual golfers can enjoy its pleasures. Low-handicappers playing from the back tees more often than not shake their heads and promise themselves "Next time...."