Oakland Golf Club sits in the mountains of western Maryland, where the town of Oakland serves as the seat of Garrett County near Deep Creek Lake. The course occupies rolling terrain characteristic of the Allegheny Plateau, with elevation changes and natural contours that shape the routing. Ron Forse, known for his restoration work and designs that emphasize strategic options over forced carries, crafted a layout that works with the existing topography rather than imposing dramatic earthmoving.
The design reflects Forse's philosophy of creating multiple routes to greens and rewarding thoughtful course management. Fairways typically offer width for various angles of approach, while green complexes feature contours and surrounds that make short game execution important. The mountain setting means players encounter cooler temperatures than courses at lower elevations in Maryland, and the tree-lined holes frame views of the surrounding highlands.
Oakland Golf Club functions as a community course in a region better known for outdoor recreation—skiing, lake activities, and state parks—than as a golf destination. The club provides local members and visitors access to mountain golf in an area with limited course options. The layout suits players who appreciate strategic variety and natural settings over resort amenities or championship length.
Reviews
Oakland is a hard course to rank. On one hand it’s reasonably priced and in reasonable condition. On the other hand it’s in the middle of nowhere and has an extremely quirky routing. If you like unique tracks this is for you. The 10th hole is a 200+ yard semi blind par 3, the first hole is a forced layup par 4, and there’s a 600 yard par 5. Incredibly unique it’s a course that you either love or hate. At times it feels like a total goat track and at other times it feels like it’s reinventing course design. Ponds, creeks, and woods help ensure this is a test of golf but very flat greens enables scoring. I’m not sure why would end up in the part of the country and I don’t know why you would play this course but I promise it will be memorable.
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FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Oakland at Oakland Golf Club has a Course Vaults score of 7.6 out of 10 based on 3 explicit golfer ratings.
Oakland was designed by Ron Forse.
Yes. Oakland at Oakland Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Oakland is 71.
Oakland plays 6,395 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Oakland is 118.
