Course Description  - Last Web Update Jan 24, 2007

Royal Oak Golf Club is a beautiful, and challenging 9 Hole Golf Course with a great location, (10 minutes from the downtown core, 15 minutes from Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal). Great golf and great food are only a short drive away.

Comprised of five par 4 holes and four par 3s, Royal Oak caters to all levels of player ability.

To see the professional tips and course layout, click on any hole number

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine

Hole #1

Par 4   White Tee - 324 Red Tee - 296

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• A straight away par 4 with a generous landing area
• Water hazard comes into play on the tee shot
• Fairway narrows to approximately 25 yards wide, and is heavily guarded by 80 foot fir trees on either side.
• Approach shot is played to a 2 tier green

Tips

• Keep the tee shot back in the fairway as the percentages drop off finding the fairway as you approach the green
• A shot of 180 yards from the white tee leaves approximately a 150-130 yard approach shot
• The premium is on accuracy, not length
• Try to keep the ball below the pin as the green slopes from back to front

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Hole #2

Par 4   Slight Dog Leg Right   White Tee - 324 Red Tee - 258

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• Royal Oak Golf Club's signature hole
• Beautiful par 4, tree-lined down the entire left side (red stake)
• Two tier fairway with a water hazard on the right lower tier
• Very quick, subtle green

Tips

Option A

• If you are hitting it well, "let the big dog eat!"
• A drive of approximately 250 yards will leave a short iron into the hole
• Be careful as to which side of the hole you leave your approach shot as the green slopes from right to left and can leave a ticklish put if you are above the hole

Option B

• A mid iron will leave you on the top tier of the fairway and gives you a good look at the green
• The approach shot is approximately 150-130 yards in

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Hole #3

Par 3   White Tee - 124 Red Tee - 104

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• The first of the par 3s
• Playing up to 140 yards this uphill over water hole is Royal Oak's most challenging par 3
• The green is narrow, but deep with a swale running through the center of it
• Out of bounds down the left side, and a steep bank on the right of the green makes club selection of paramount importance

Tip

• It is better to be short of the pin rather than long as it can lead to a ticklish chip

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Hole #4

Par 3   White Tee - 87 Red Tee - 75

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• Short par 3 to a sloped green with many tricky pin placements
• a definite birdie opportunity

Tip

• try to keep the ball below the hole as the green slopes from back to front

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Hole #5

Par 3   White Tee -101 Red Tee - 74

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• Downhhill par 3 to a very small green
• It is very difficult to keep the ball on the green as it slopes away from you

Tips

• Keep the ball short of the green as there is an out of bounds over the back
• Try to land the shot as softly as possible, i.e. high with lots of back spin
• Although quite short, 3 is a good score on this tricky hole

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Hole #6

Par 3   White Tee - 106 Red Tee - 91

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• downhill shot that is deceptive to the eye in length
• be careful not to overshoot as there is an out of bounds over the back of the green
• Two large bunkers and a water hazard guard this green

Tip

• The middle of the green is the best shot as this will set up the best birdie opportunity

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Hole #7

Par 4   Dog Leg Left   White Tee - 287 Red Tee - 231

• A beautiful par 4 which can be played in two different ways

Option A

• Safe route to a generous landing area- High percentage play
• A mid iron leaves wedge, 9 iron into the green

Option B

• Heroic option - Low percentage play
• hit driver over two water hazards and 50-60 foot oak trees by cutting the corner
• Try to hit the green in one shot
• You need to carry the ball 240-250 yards in the air and very high to clear the trees and hazards
• The green is narrow in depth, but wide from side to side, making club selection very important

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Hole #8

Par 4   Slight Dog Leg Left   White Tee - 312 Red Tee - 234

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• A very difficult par 4 as the drive must be played perfectly
• There is an elevated, narrow landing area guarded by red stake on the left and an out of bounds on the right
• Green is heavily guarded by red stakes on the left, out of bounds on the right and over the back, as well as a pot bunker on the front right.

Tips

• Aim the tee shot to go directly over the knoll situated in the center of the fairway
• A drive of no longer than 210 yards is perfect
• This leaves a short iron into the heavily defended green
• This is an easy hole to make a big number on as stray shots often end in penalty strokes.
• 5 is a good score on this tricky par 4

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Hole #9

Par 4   Straight Away   White Tee - 250 Red Tee - 192

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• This is another two option par 4
• Out of bounds down the left side with a water hazard directly in front of the green and a bunker behind the green to catch over shots

Option A

• High Percentage Play
• Short to mid iron to landing area, wedge, 9 iron onto green.

Option B

• Heroic Play
• A drive of approximately 230 yards to carry the water hazard
• This hole has a small green which is hard to hold with your driver
• If you take the risk and execute this shot the reward is great with a possible eagle or at least a birdie

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Other Features

Royal Oak offers a putting green on which to fine tune your putting stroke, as well as a hitting net to loosen up with before the round.

Advantages to playing Royal Oak:

1. Challenging layout
2. Affordable
3. Quick playing time - 1 hour 40 minutes (you do not have to tie up the whole day)
4. Full service facility i.e. fully stocked pro shop, CPGA certified teaching professional, 7 day a week restaurant and food and beverage department
5. Beautiful and relaxing location only minutes from downtown or the ferries/airport
6. Brand new hotel (Howard Johnson) only a stone's throw away. Optimum in quality, service and convenience
7. Friendly, fast and efficient service

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Greens and Fairways Information

Greens

• Annual bluegrass, bentgrass mix
• Average stimp meter reading of 8.5-9.0 in peak season
• Royal Oak's greens are not heavily undulated, but very subtle and somewhat tricky.

Tees & Fairways

• Cut at 5/8 inch
• A mix of annual bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and bentgrass.

Roughs

• Maintained at 1 1/2 to 2 inches
• A blend of annual bluegrass, native grasses, and fescues

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