It began with a site shaped by the ages into a rare blend of open rolling uplands and treed valleys. We added a vision of a club built purely for its members and their love of golf. Then we enlisted a gifted architect Rene Muylaert to mold the land into a course that would challenge and excite golfers at every level of play. And, finally, we devised an innovative membership plan.

The Oaks opened in 1993 as a full par 72 championship course built on the sandy banks and bluffs above the Thames river valley near Delaware, Ontario. Its 150 acres occupy an ideal site for golf, offering unusually mixed topography with excellent grass-growing conditions. The upper nine holes recall a traditional links - wide open, heavily contoured fairways drawn by deeply grassed roughs and waste bunkers. You plan each shot to look for the best playable lie between the swales and, as the wind comes into play on every hole, you learn to work on your bump & run game. As you enter the lower valley coming home, the look changes dramatically - the fairways level out to a more North American style as mature stands of oak begin to challenge your sharpshooting ability. You play around or over water on 6 holes as the course winds through its four large clear spring-fed ponds.

Name your game and The Oaks will play with you. The Oaks will always challenge you and reward you, but never play the same way twice. Up to five tees on each hole allow you a new look and approach to your round. From the back tees, the low-handicapper faces a 7,000+ yard bent-grass track designed to ensure The Oaks' stature as a worthy host to any championship event. For a quick casual game or practice round, the forward tees reduce the stretch to just 5,500 yards. In between, it's your choice to match your style and level of play or simply to view the course from a new vantage point.

Long-ball hitters will appreciate the chance to really unwind on the six par 5 holes featured at the Oaks, including the monster 18th that brings you home through a natural amphitheatre below the clubhouse. For the finesse player, The Oaks' six par 3 holes will show off the advantage of a strong up & down game - especially when you draw a bead on the pin centred on our island green 160 yards away.

You will never approach a green you can't see, but every other hazard imaginable lurks at every turn - sand bunkers, waste bunkers, grass bunkers, mature trees, acres of water, wild grasses and every hole finishes with one of The Oaks' immaculate, contoured, lightning-fast greens - just to remind you where the game really gets down to the short strokes.

The Oaks makes a break from tradition in other ways as well. The Clubhouse, facilities and the course itself are designed with today's golfing family in mind - Men, Women, Couples together; Juniors and Juveniles will all find they can share in the sense of membership here.

The Oaks clubhouse is as modern in design as the course itself. Once a family home, the 16,000 sq. ft. building has been extensively adapted to the needs of the club membership while retaining much of its original warmth and gracious style. The arrangement of lounges and dining rooms, with seating for up to 200 will accommodate a wide variety of club gathering and special events.

The Oaks is proud to have hosted the 2007 RCGA Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur Championship. Legendary golfers Moe Norman, Ed Ervasti, Mike Weir, Bruce Fleisher, John Daly and Fred Couples have all put their games to test at The Oaks.

My hopes are that you will have the opportunity to enjoy The Oaks.

John Schidowka
General Manager