Oakwood

Oakwood Country Club is one of the oldest clubs west of the Mississippi River and about 30 years into its existence it added a golf course to the mix. Tom Bendelow laid out nine holes before Orrin Smith completed the full 18 during 1923. William Diddell and Tom Watson, the local hero with eight Majors under his cap, have come through for renovations over the past century.

Watson assisted in a redesign of holes 5 through 8. No. 6 is one of the property’s most distinctive holes, a medium-length par five that doglegs sharply left around the maintenance facilities before requiring a precise approach around and through numerous bunkers. Those thinking of cutting the sharp dogleg must be careful, as trees will punish anyone who fails. Similarly, as the course measures less than 6,600 yards from its tips, tree-lined fairways require accuracy all-around in order to score at Oakwood.