Whiteface Club & Resort vs. Lake Placid Club Golf: Two Ways to Buy Golf Living in Lake Placid
Whiteface Club & Resort and Lake Placid Club Golf are the only two qualifying golf anchors this research pass found in the Adirondacks market, both in the village of Lake Placid and both combining resort-model golf with genuine on-site real estate. Here is what actually distinguishes them.
Side by Side
How They Compare
Ownership structure
Whiteface Club & Resort
Whiteface Club & Resort: single, unified resort brand
Lake Placid Club Golf
Lake Placid Club Golf: golf, real estate, and a nearby hotel marketed separately but commonly Lussi-family owned since 1996
Holes
Whiteface Club & Resort
18
Lake Placid Club Golf
45 (Links, Mountain, and a 9-hole short course)
Notable architect credit
Whiteface Club & Resort
John Van Kleek / Walter Hagen (date disputed: 1882 vs. 1898 across sources)
Lake Placid Club Golf
Seymour Dunn (1909); Mountain Course redesigned 1931 by Alister MacKenzie
Golf access model
Whiteface Club & Resort
Seasonal Club Membership sold equally to homeowners, guests, and the public
Lake Placid Club Golf
Public daily-fee play, no membership required; separate membership-application option also exists
Real estate on offer
Whiteface Club & Resort
Resort homes, cottages, condos, townhomes, vacant land
Lake Placid Club Golf
Restored condominiums (Sentinel View, 5 units) and numbered building lots
Non-golf amenities
Whiteface Club & Resort
Clay tennis courts, marina, beach on Lake Placid
Lake Placid Club Golf
Cross-country ski and mountain bike trail system
Ownership and Corporate Structure
Whiteface Club & Resort operates and brands itself as a single, unified 'Historic Lakeside Resort Community.' Lake Placid Club Golf's structure required real untangling in this research pass: golf operations, a real-estate arm selling condominiums and building lots, and the nearby Grandview Lake Placid hotel (formerly the Crowne Plaza) are marketed across several separate domains but are genuinely commonly owned by the Lussi family, who purchased the historic Lake Placid Club property in 1996 -- confirmed via matching named real-estate contacts (Art Lussi, Katrina Lussi Kroes) appearing on both the golf operator's own real-estate page and the separately-branded Lake Placid Club real-estate site.
Golf Course Pedigree
Lake Placid Club Golf carries the more significant design credit: its Mountain Course was redesigned in 1931 by Alister MacKenzie, architect of Cypress Point and Augusta National, and its Links Course dates to a 1909 Seymour Dunn design -- 45 holes total across three courses. Whiteface's single 18-hole course traces to a design credited to John Van Kleek and Walter Hagen, though sources gave conflicting founding/build years (1882 vs. 1898) that this research pass could not independently resolve.
Access Model and What Real Estate Actually Includes
Both are public/semi-private, not exclusive private clubs. Whiteface sells a seasonal Club Membership (unlimited golf, tennis, cross-country trails) on identical terms to homeowners, resort guests, and the general public -- a confirmed, if non-exclusive, access route. Lake Placid Club Golf is simpler and more public: published daily green-fee rates ($60-$109 depending on time of day) require no membership at all, alongside a separate membership-application option; whether real-estate ownership there includes any special golf terms was not confirmed in this pass and should not be assumed.
What This Means for Your Search
A buyer prioritizing architectural pedigree and maximum golf (45 holes, an Alister MacKenzie redesign) and comfortable with real-estate/golf-access terms that are not fully documented publicly fits Lake Placid Club Golf better. A buyer who wants a single, unified resort brand, more amenities beyond golf (marina, beach, clay tennis), and a clearly published seasonal-membership access route fits Whiteface Club & Resort better. Neither property currently publishes real-estate pricing; both require direct contact for current figures.
Trying to Choose Between Whiteface Club & Resort and Lake Placid Club Golf?
A local real-estate specialist can walk you through the tradeoffs and current availability at each.
US Golf Living provides independent real-estate research and can connect consumers with real-estate professionals. Golf membership, availability, fees and approval are determined independently by the applicable club.