Experience a Golfing Day at White Lakes Golf Course

    

     White Lake Oaks has been a part of the County parks system for years and while playing the course plenty, it has been more than a decade since I have paid a visit. All of the County parks are very well maintained and are short courses as yardage goes but provide a challenging round of golf for most golfers. The yardage is short 5,703 yards at this course and long bombers can overpower it but WL Oaks has its defense mechanisms to keep golfers honest. White Lake Oaks has plenty of activities for golfers and for those golfing in leagues, seniors and junior golfers will find a vast array of activities to keep you coming back. Recently renovated in the 2000’s, the course hosts weddings, parties and outings and is a multi-purpose facility.

Yes, this hole is tight. Drive it over the slope for your best results.

Below the slope is not much fun.

     The course has plenty of interesting holes and the first serious challenge starts at the second hole. Golfers can play the course from back, middle and forward tees and if you want to challenge yourself, play the back as the course barely averages 310 yards per hole. The second tee is slightly elevated and this may be the only time you will see the flag.  Just off the tee box you walk in a valley and the fairway abruptly rises in the landing area for many golfers. Drive it over the landing area on the rising elevation and your chances of earning par improve significantly. Woods guard the hole to the right and Williams Lake Road serves as an out-of-bounds left and a huge fence keeps golfers from smashing balls onto oncoming traffic. The hole plays at 384 yards and hit it 250 and you will need a short to mid iron to finish the hole. The greens roll slow and true at WLO and you might try hitting some putts at the practice green before  beginning. Par is a good score here but birdies are very possible if you knock it on the green in two.

 

Third Hole from the left side.

The third hole from the tee box

     The third hole is a salivating 280 yard par four. It is salivating because while trees line the left side helping the neighbors from taking direct hits from golf balls, the short distance and the huge bailout area on hole number six and the rough allow golfers to whale away with only a small cluster of trees to obscure your shot. This is definitely a pitch and putt hole unless you really mess up your drive. Putts here do tend to drift on this hole but knock it stiff and you should at least earn par. Leagues should produce several birdies if you have decent players so go for it.

The fifth tee Box

When standing at the tee box on number five you see a cluster of trees down both the left and right side of the fairway but you have plenty of distance between the pipes on this hole.

This is yet another bombs away experience for golfers that hit a fade or draw. If you are a duck hook kind of golfer, you certainly need to hit it left side bringing in that big overhanging tree into play. A drive of 250 yards gives you a second shot of 65 yards or less (if playing the white tee boxes) but you can hit a controlled chip or a loft wedge into the green. This green has always been a good green to putt on and certainly gives up its share of pars and birdies. Only golfers who hit it off of multiple trees will have trouble here.

   The number two handicapped hole on this course is the 353 yard number seven. This is a hole where bad things can happen quickly and it starts on the tee box and you do not use your best golf course management strategies. On the left are just enough trees to make you think twice about just whaling away. Go right and you could make a big number or double bogey or worse. There are trees on the right side of the fairway and what you cannot see is a valley that prevents you from seeing the green and very soggy grass and woods who hit it seriously offline. Depending on your lie, you may have to chip it once or twice depending how you hit it in the sog bog. Hit it well here on this hole and you will have a pitching wedge to mid-iron shot depending on how you hit it. This is a near premium driving hole for this course.

Speaking of serious driving accuracy, number nine demands it. You have a nice elevated tee box to overlook the 386 yard par four ninth but plenty of trouble awaits golfers that hit an errant shot. A beautiful bog or pond awaits poor shots struck right.



A more serious look at the Pond.

Got Pond.

Woods line the left side and the rough is very rough and a lost ball is most likely in store here. In the old days, you could go left of the fairway but not in the woods and it would be soggy but playable. The hole has been given some tough love and now you must hit a much better shot. Your second shot will be hit up a slope and a recommendation is to club up one here.  The green is lethal and getting it on in two is no guarantee of par It is subtly undulated and you could three putt it if your first putt is not struck properly. If you get on in three or four, you might add two or three strokes if you are not careful. Par is a good score. Birdie this hole and you have a good chance to win a skin.

The hole opens up big time just over the tree line on the right side.

Number ten is one of my favorite holes at WLO. The length is only 323 yards and is an elongated par four. You can drive it right side and the ball will land in the middle of the fairway and you can really look like a pro here. You can also go in the very soggy woods on the right side and do the same on the left so long bombers may elect to hit a fairway wood or long iron here. I like to walk on the wild side and aim it right up the middle choosing a tree to help me line up. Your second shot will be less than 100 yards if you hit it 250 and while the green is slightly elevated, it is large. Watch missing it here as woods nestles tight on both sides and the cart path could make your golf ball take a big hop into the woods.

13th Tee box. Pond is on the right.

The pond and the long Carry.

This green is not your friend.

The 13^th hole is the number one handicap hole at WLO and requires superb strategy. It is a right turn hole that is guarded by a pond. Golfers have some serious decision making here. In the old days you could try to fly the trees and go to the other side of the pond. Now those trees are all grown up so play the hole the way it was meant to be played. Smart golfers will hit a long iron or five wood down the middle. You could hit it on the left side of the fairway and have a 200 plus yard shot to the green. Yes you could bite off some yardage and snuggle up to a huge pond that most golfers have to shoot over and your shot of 180 to 190 yards will be your reward. Of course, the risk is you will bring the pond into play. If you hit driver, sitting at the end of the fairway before the right turn are woods. You then have a testy second shot over the water onto a green that slopes severely from back to front and the pin always seems to be in the front third of the green. Most golfers will be hitting long iron to fairway wood to the green on the second shot so pull out a par here and you have done your job. A birdie will give you a skin almost every time.

15 from the Tee box. I dare you not to go left side. The right is bad and I mean very bad.

The 15^th hole is a very deceptive 481 yard par five that plays much longer than it looks. The tee shot is basically blind for golfers and a ladder is provided to make sure you do not hit someone playing their second shot. The fairway slopes downhill and if you hit a drive of 225 or better you will catch it and ride it toward the bottom of the hill. Go right and you will have a date with two sand bunkers right side. Don’t get frustrated because the slope of the hill leads to the woods and a serious case of hard pan. The strategy for most golfers was to take it left side but the County put a huge sand trap down the left side. The sand is easy if you go in it but will undoubtedly make this a three shot hole. For golfers that escape the calamity described, a tee shot down the middle and a nutted second shot of a long iron to fairway wood will get you on in two. If it takes three shots, the green can be temperamental but largely rolls true and this is a real birdie chance for golfers that are looking to mark a four on their scorecard. Eagles are possible here but those are for two great shots on this very elongated and sloping dog leg right.

  



The trees here demand golfers hit a good shot. The fairway slope is much more severe than this picture can detail.



Number 17 is a hole where many years ago I bought a club and put it in my bag just for this hole. It has a double hill and sloping experience for golfers on this 392 yard par four. A huge tee guards the fairway left side and some golfers may try to fly over it but sometimes it best to just go down the middle. The right side has plenty of mature tree clusters and a golfer could chip it into the fairway if you catch any one of the holes or you could hit a seven wood that pops a ball into the air with some punch if struck correctly. That is what I did. A huge fence and yet another cluster of trees guard the green right side. The fence is to protect golfers on the 18^th tee box. A driver that hits it down the middle could rest their ball  for a down sloping second shot.  Some golfers could smash it here and have a downhill lie for their trouble. The green appears straight but many times the ball will trail away for most putting.  Par is a good score. Earn one here and you have done a super job. Buy a beer will you!

     The finishing hole is one of the most unique golfing holes I have ever played. How often will you have a 437 yard par five and after playing it know whoever laid out the scorecard got it right? This hole is a crazy  shaped hole and most golfers will tee off on the far right side of the tee box. You really cannot see what you are in for on the tee box because it is an optical illusion. Move off the tee box by 20 yards and you can see everything but the flag but golfers will be best served by driving it down the center of the fairway. For those who can hit a draw or very straight you can go along the tree lined left side. Drive it over the trap on the left and hitting it about 225-250 and you can get a hint of the pond and maybe a peek at the pin. Drive it down the middle of the fairway or right side and this is a three shot hole for sure. By the way, woods do come into play as the fairway is wide driving it 200 yards or so but longer than that and you might have a lost ball. For those that need a third shot, just take an iron and put it where you have a third shot. A series of Weeping Willows frame the hole and you can use one to use as a target. The pond in front of the green is not huge but keeps you from bumping and running the ball and most golfers will put it in the air on their third or fourth shots if you have a blow up. The green can be tricky but hit it firm and you should be all right.  

Customer Service- 10.0- Very nice people here and they did their job. 


Course Markings- 8.0 - Good.  No suggestions on playing the course as for individual holes. Plastic fairway markers and some sprinkler heads were marked. The course is short so more markings could be on cart paths but are fine.  

Conditions -8.0 - Course in good shape. Oakland County courses are always in very good shape. Number 17 was the exception. Standing water was on the second valley. The course is immaculate in most places with a few areas that need to be seeded. I am nitpicking but the County has pretty high standards. The areas around the green are always a treat. Few ball marks as golfers help to take good care of it and the  maintainance workers are very nice on the course. Remember golf course owners, they are part of the staff and our interaction with them is as important as the staff at the starters tent and in the pro shop.   

Playability 9.5- This is a good scoring track. The course plays different depending on your tee box played. The greens are very readable and there are some subtlties to it. If you need to work on your short game or irons and you want some challenge or play some fun golf games such as skins, this is a good place to do it.   

Course Design- 8.5 - Course laid out with the  beginning to average average golfer in mind. For you to get into trouble on this course you will find it in on the back especially as the woods really tighen up.  It is not the tough track many Oakland County public courses are. It is designed for the beginning  or league golfer that wants to have fun without the stress of having to hit it over long carries, bunkers in the landing areas and so forth.  

The bottom line. I give it a 8.5/10.0.The course is enjoyable and allows you to work on your game or play with an inexperienced player where you can have the challenge of hitting plenty irons.

County courses are worth playing so take friend. 
White Lake Oaks does not take tee times except weekends and holidays but has plenty of leagues and heavy play so call ahead anyway. 

http://www.destinationoakland.com/parksandtrails/golf/whitelakeoaks/Pages/default.aspx

Oakland County always has tournaments, leagues and good deals and I would contact them. Here is the website and you can find the course you want to play.

The number nine Green.