Hole-by-hole – Oak Hill Golf Club

First Hole - Par 4 - 388 Yards

The first hole is a straight-away slightly downhill par 4 of medium length. The left-to-right sloping fairway is bordered by trees on both sides. A drive which starts on the left edge of the fairway will end up perfectly positioned in the center or right center of the fairway, leaving a short to mid iron into the green. The green also slopes from left to right and is protected by bunkers on each side. Don't miss to the left of the left bunker; you'll have a hard time just holding the green on your recovery shot.
Second Hole - Par 4 - 372 Yards

Number 2 is an uphill slightly bending left par 4. The drive must stay in the center or right center to avoid being blocked by the grove of trees on the left side. Any drive into the left rough will usually be blocked from hitting to the green. The green is protected by bunkers on both sides and has a very subtle break towards Milford (knowing where Milford is relative to your putt is important at Oak Hill).
Third Hole - Par 3 - 182 Yards

A slightly downhill par 3 protected by bunkers on either side. This tricky green is uphill from the false front to about mid-green, so a short tee shot either spins back off or doesn't release. From about mid-green to the back it begins to fall off to the back and to each side, so shots landing mid-green often don't hold. Not a hard green to hit from the tee, but seldom an easy 2 putt.
Fourth Hole - Par 4 - 419 Yards

Hole number 4 is a tough slightly dogleg left par 4. A good drive needs to be aimed just right of the large oak tree in the corner of the dogleg. A drive left of this tree will be blocked by the numerous trees on that side and a drive to the right will find the trees on the right side or drift just off the fairway into the right rough. The second shot will be an uphill shot to an elevated green pitching from left to right and back to front. The false front will cause any short shot to roll back down into the fairway, and a long shot over the green will result in a treacherously fast downhill pitch. Large bunkers guard both sides of the green. This hole plays long for most average golfers and is one of the tougher par 4s on the front.
Fifth Hole - Par 3 - 169 Yards

Number 5 is one of Oak Hill's most picturesque holes. It's a short downhill par 3 over both a stream and a pond. Don't be short, there's only a couple of yards between the pond and the green. Protected by bunkers on either side of the green and some tall walnut trees on the left, it's usually only a short to mid iron. Once on the green however, putting is again the challenge. Uphill from the front and slightly downhill towards the back, its not an automatic 2 putt. At least this is one of the two easy par 3s on the course.
Sixth Hole - Par 5 - 537 Yards

Number 6 is the first par 5 on the front side. It's a long straight hole with OB on the left of the tee and a fairway bunker which catches a lot of good drives. A good drive will leave you with a lay-up shot which must avoid 2 additional fairway bunkers about 100-120 yards from the green. The green, protected by 2 sand bunkers and a grass bunker is positioned uphill from the fairway with a severe false front...no short shots will run up unto this green. The green itself has a big back to front pitch and shots over the green will result in a touchy pitch back to the pin. Not hard tee to green, but you hope your third shot is close because two putting from a distance is always a challenge.
Seventh Hole - Par 4 - 397 Yards

Number 7 is a dogleg left that runs downhill severely at the turn. It requires a drive to the right side of the fairway. Drives to the left or center may end up too far left and be blocked by the cherry and walnut trees on the corner...unless long enough to get past the corner. Once safely in the fairway the second shot is an easy downhill shot which plays quite a bit shorter than the yardage. Protected by bunkers on either side, the green is receptive to shots flown to the pin; but many members play short and left and let the extreme left to right pitch of the fairway run the ball on to the green.
Eigth Hole - Par 5 - 517 Yards

Number 8 is the second par 5 and the number 1 handicap hole on the course. Mot a long par 5, but a gradual dogleg left with lots of trees on both sides of a fairway which turns sharply left at the end over a small creek. Drives to the left are usually blocked by the trees and and don't allow a second shot which can reach the corner. Big hitters may want to go for the green by going over the trees and cutting the dogleg...an eagle is a possibility here. Most players will lay up before the creek with their second shot and hope for a quality short iron onto the green. The green is protected on either side and features a mild back to front pitch. Although this is the number 1 handicap hole on the course, most members agree it's not the toughest hole on the course.
Ninth Hole - Par 4 - 392 Yards

The last hole on the front side is a par 4 dogleg right to a very tough uphill green. This is the toughest par 4 on the front side, due mainly to the difficulty most players have with reaching and holding the green. Drives must avoid the two willow trees which guard both sides of the fairway off the tee. After a good drive the shot to the green plays quite a bit longer than the yardage due to the elevation of the green. If judging the shot to play to the green isn't hard enough, the green itself is guarded by two large deep bunkers, has a severe false front and pitches hard from back to front and left to right. Hitting long over the green is almost sure to bring a shot you can't get "up and down" and putting right off the green is easy with some of the pin placements.
Tenth Hole - Par 5 - 537 Yards

Although hole #10 is only the number 4 handicap hole on the scorecard, but most members agree that it plays as the hardest hole on the course. The hole is a straight par 5 with a severe left to right sloping fairway leading to an elevated green. A good drive must be positioned on the left side of the fairway because all drives to the right will end up in the rough or trees. The second shot must also be played to the left side of the fairway to avoid the right rough short of the green (although that's pretty normal spot to be playing your third shot from). But don't get into the trees on the left; that'll leave you dead with nothing to do except pitch back to the fairway. The shot to the green must also be played to the left edge of the green, but don't miss to the left. Off the green left will result in an impossible pitch shot which will either run off the green or be left short...only to be repeated. A miss to the right better find one of the two bunkers or it'll probably find the woods.
Eleventh Hole - Par 3 - 143 Yards

A par 3, number 11 is the shortest, easiest hole on the course. Only a short iron, even from the back tee box, it's a downhill hole that usually plays shorter than the yardage would indicate. The green slopes from left to right and is protected by bunkers on both sides and in the front. Being a short hole, shots landing in the bunkers are easily plugged and playing a downhill shot from the left bunker is especially difficult. If you're looking for an easy birdie at Oak Hill, this is your best chance.
Twelfth Hole - Par 4 - 419 Yards

Number 12 is a par 4 and the number 1 handicap hole on the back 9. A long par 4 that bends slightly to the left, it runs uphill for the first 230 or so yards and then turns downhill toward the green. Drives must stay in the center or right center of the fairway or risk being blocked by the big linden tree at the edge of the left side of the fairway at the top of the hill. Most drives will be lucky to get halfway to the green due to the uphill slope off the tee. A long second shot to the green must be played to the right to allow for the right to left pitch of the fairway and green. Most members find this a tough hole to reach in two shots. The green is guarded by two bunkers on the left and a depression on the right, which catches any shots just right of the green. This hole plays like a short par 5 for many members and making a par feels real good.
Thirteenth Hole - Par 4 - 385 Yards

Hole 13 is a downhill par 4 and one of the easier par 4s on the course. Although trees guard both sides of the fairway, the hole sets up perfectly for straight or left-to-right drives. A good drive will leave only a short downhill iron to a relatively easy green. Bunkers guard both sides of the green. The only tough pin position to hit is the back left position behind the left bunker.
Fourteenth Hole - Par 4 - 369 Yards

Number 14 is another relatively short easy par 4. Slightly uphill off the tee, the drive must avoid the fairway trap on the left and the trees on both sides. A good drive leaves a short downhill iron to a green which runs right to left. The back left section of the green falls away to a collection area which captures most shots looking for a pin in that area. Bunkers guard both sides of the green.
Fifteenth Hole - Par 3 - 225 Yards

Here it is, one of the toughest par 3s you'll find in New Jersey. An uphill-all-the-way 215-225 yard par 3 that requires a precise shot (drive?) over a valley and through an opening guarded by trees on both sides. Once you hit the tee shot through the trees you still need to carry it all the way to the green since the false front won't allow much forward bounce. If you get there, holding the green is more a matter of luck than skill since the green slopes hard from right to left. Most shots that carry to the green will funnel off it into the collection area in the back left. Any tee shot left out to the right of the green will leave the golfer with a treacherous chip which is more likely to run through the green than stop on it. Two bunkers guard the left side of the green and they're both better places to be than just off the green to the right. Although par is possible, bogeys or higher are more likely.
Sixteenth Hole - Par 4 - 359 Yards

Number 16 is a short downhill dogleg right par 4 that offers an interesting set of options. A generous landing area off the tee allows for a safe tee shot and a simple short to mid iron into the green, however two fairway bunkers on the right side of the fairway need to be missed. Big hitters can try to drive the green since a big drive down the right edge of the fairway can run down towards the green...either making the green or leaving just a short pitch. The key to this hole is getting the second shot to hold the green. The green slopes from left to right and hard to the back once you get past the hump in the center of the green. A front pin is usually welcomed, but the back pin placements have positions that are almost impossible to get close to...even with a short pitch shot. On the scorecard and from the tee this looks like a simple hole, but the green, again protected by bunkers on both sides, makes it much harder than most would think.
Seventeeth Hole - Par 4 - 353 Yards

Number 17 is a relatively short straight par 4 that is uphill off the tee and downhill to the green. The drive must avoid the fairway trap on the left side of the fairway and the trees to the right. A drive into the right trees will run down towards the 18th fairway and leave either a blocked or blind shot to the green. The green is protected by bunkers on both sides, but is one of the easier greens to hit, hold, and putt.
Eighteenth Hole - Par 5 - 522 Yards

The finishing hole at Oak Hill is a downhill par 5 that bends left around a grove of trees right before the green. Off the tee the fairway slopes hard right to left and a drive starting on the right edge of the fairway will end up in the center or left edge. Big hitters will go for the green with their second shot since the downhill nature of the hole provides a lot of run on both the drive and the second shot. Average hitters will lay up around the 100 yard area trying to keep right to avoid the grove of trees and the pot bunker. The green, one of the largest at the club, is again protected by bunkers on either side and divided front to back by a significant mound. If you land your shot to the green on the same side (front or back) as the pin, a birdie putt or easy par may be in store. But if you leave your shot to the green on the wrong part of the green, you may be faced with a very long lag putt that you'll be lucky to get close.

Course Layout