Back in 1961 when Lakewood Country Club officially opened its doors, the golf scene in New Orleans was different from what it is today.
Over the last 50 years, the club has played host to many PGA Tour events, prestigious junior events, prestigious state and local area events and even endured the worst natural disaster this area has ever seen in Hurricane Katrina.
But through all the ups and downs, the magical golf facility known as Lakewood has turned 50 with grace and a lot of promise for the next half century.
Here is a look at what Lakewood has been through with the help of Jimmy Headrick’s book “Home of Champions.”

THE EARLY YEARS
Lakewood opened on May 2, 1961 with club president Morris W. Newman hitting the first official tee shot. The course was designed by Robert Bruce Harris of Chicago (1896-1976). Harris was a founding member and the first president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the first architects inducted into the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame. 

Two years later, the PGA Tour comes to Lakewood and starts a 26-year relationship with the New Orleans facility. Bo Wininger won the first PGA Tour event at Lakewood, making him a back-to-back winner in New Orleans since he had captured the PGA Tour event at City Park in 1962. Along with the New Orleans Open in 1963, Lakewood hosted the Louisiana Men’s State Amateur Championship, which was won by Tommy Morrow of Shreveport. In 1966, the United States Golf Association played its Women’s Senior Open at Lakewood. The event was won by Maureen Orcutt of New York. In 1967, George Knudson of Canada became the first of three foreign-born players to win at Lakewood (the other two were Gary Player in 1972 and Seve Ballesteros in 1985). 

In 1970, the Southern Amateur Championship, comes to Lakewood and is won by Lanny Watkins, who tops Tom Kite (both players are now in the World Golf Hall of Fame). The New Orleans Open at Lakewood had its first two-time champion in 1971 when Frank Beard was victorious again (he also won the event in 1966). The 1972 New Orleans Open featured Player edging out Jack Nicklaus by one stroke. Nicklaus, who was runner-up at Lakewood in 1964, 1967 and 1972 finally won a title with the 1973 championship after a two-hole playoff with Miller Barber. In 1974, Lee Trevino won the New Orleans Open with a 21-under-par round that did not feature a bogey. In 1975, Billy Casper won for the second time in New Orleans (he was the 1958 winner at City Park). The victory would be Casper’s last on the PGA Tour.

In 1979, Hubert Green edged Trevino by one shot to win the New Orleans Open. Tom Watson won in 1980 and 1981, making him the only back-to-back winner of a PGA Tour event at Lakewood. The New Orleans Open had its first black champion in 1986 when Calvin Peete won the event. In 1987, Ben Crenshaw was victorious at Lakewood and even comments that the course may have the best greens on the PGA Tour. The comment was confirmation that Lakewood Superintendent Reece Coltrane was a true pioneer of the Bermuda hybrid turf for putting surfaces. The final PGA Tour event was played at Lakewood in 1988 bringing to a close a memorable 26-year run that saw eight World Golf Hall of Famers win titles. Amazingly, the tournament record was set in the final year by Chip Beck, who shot 26-under-par to best Wadkins. 

TIME FOR A MAKEOVER
Seventeen years after being at yearly stop for PGA Tour stars, Lakewood regained its place with the New Orleans golf scene with a rebirth courtesy of award-winning architect Ron Garl. In 2003, the New Orleans Firefighters Pension Fund purchased Lakewood and vowed to turn it into an upscale golf community. Despite being sidetracked by Katrina in 2005, the course re-opened in 2009 to great reviews. The course is unique as it features a one-of-a-kind Fluer de Lis bunker as well as a ‘Fire in the Hole’ bunker features flames. Also, Indiana woodcarver Dayle Lewis transformed several trees that were damaged by Katrina into works of art. Last year was also a special time was it was the first time The Mackel returned to the new-and-improved Lakewood. The Mackel is the New Orleans Amateur Championship and named after Frank Mackel, who was Lakewood’s Director of Golf from 1975-1988. Mackel is a member of the Gulf States PGA Hall of Fame. 

MISC. NOTES
Charles Rosen was the first club champion of Lakewood and won that crown a total of three times.
Dean Martin was among the many celebrities to play at the New Orleans Open Pro-Am. 
In 1977, the Holiday Junior Golf Classic started with 32 entries and Tommy Moore’s parents (John and Helen) making sandwiches for the players. It was the start of many prestigious junior events to be held at Lakewood and was started by Headrick and Tommy Moore. 
Sadly Moore, who is remembered to be the best junior golfer to ever come out of New Orleans, passed away in 1998. Headrick and friend Kelly Gibson have honored the late golfer by making Lakewood the permanent home of the Tommy Moore Memorial Junior Golf Tournament. 

THE NEXT 50 YEARS...
Upon stepping on the grounds of Lakewood, you can feel the past welcoming the future golfers. With Headrick back at Lakewood, the junior program will once be what what it was or perhaps even better. With the investment by the New Orleans Firefighters Pension Fund, there are plans to develop the property around the course into upscale residential and retail opportunities. Put all of that together and it sounds like another great 50 years for Lakewood.