Firewheel Golf Park - Lake Course

Firewheel Golf Park's Lake Course opened in 1987 as the second layout in the city's municipal complex in Garland, Texas, designed by Dick Phelps (aka Richard M. Phelps). Phelps, a landscape architect with degrees from Iowa State University, created over 400 projects across 15 states and Canada, focusing on user-friendly public courses that reveal hazards upfront without blind shots or excessive penalties. He also designed the original Old Course there in 1983. The site was formerly overgrown farmland named for native firewheel wildflowers, acquired in 1981 to spur north Garland development. The Lake Course shares a clubhouse with the Old Course at 600 W. Campbell Road, while the later Bridges Course (27 holes) sits nearby, forming Texas's largest golf complex with 63 holes total, all owned by the City of Garland. The courses, including Lakes, have earned top rankings in Avid Golfer magazine. The complex has hosted qualifiers for PGA Tour, U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, and Byron Nelson events, with the Lake Course specifically used for pre-qualifying for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in 2026 and Texas State Open qualifying. Recent improvements include greens work on the Old Course around 2025, though major renovations lack detailed architect attribution.