Lakeside Golf Club

Lakeside Golf Club formed in the early 1920s and opened for play in 1924 on former orchard land along the Los Angeles River in Burbank, next to the studios of a booming film industry. The course was designed by Max Behr, a Yale graduate, accomplished amateur, and the influential first editor of Golf Illustrated, with construction help from Willie Watson. Working with largely flat, sandy ground, Behr shaped man-made dunes and bold contours, leaning on strategic bunkering and firm terrain rather than heavy rough, an expression of his belief that golf should reward thoughtful play. The design drew high praise, with Alister MacKenzie reportedly calling it one of the world's greatest courses. Lakeside became a Hollywood institution whose members included entertainers and stars; Bing Crosby was a multiple-time club champion. It endures as a rare intact example of Behr's uncompromising design philosophy.