With deep woods and rolling landscape, Thousand Oaks is a signature Rees Jones–designed course that exudes the feel of great Northern Michigan golf—but it’s just minutes north of downtown Grand Rapids. With four tees available, the course will challenge golfers of varying skill. The on-site golf academy is a fantastic addition to the amenities and the training staff is welcoming and ready to help. While Thousand Oaks remains a public course, the imposing real estate development suggests that a turn to private status may be forthcoming. It’s best to experience this course while the opportunity exists.
| #1 |
The opening par 4 offers a stunning view of the horizon from the tee. A slight dogleg right on a constantly downhill grade, the target for your tee shot should be the bunker on the left because all shots to this side will eventually fall to the right. The green sits at the base of a drastic drop in elevation, so one less club will take you to the front (the pooling area) of the green. |
| #2 |
Your tee shot will have to carry the marsh on this straight forward par 4 with two large bunkers on the right side of the landing area. Your approach will be to an elevated green for a very makeable par. |
| #3 |
The first of the par 3s plays long at 180 yards from the whites. Shoot to the right to take the greenside bunkers on the left out of play. This is a tough par for those golfers that will have to use a long iron or utility wood off the tee. |
| #4 |
The third hardest hole on the course, this par 4 plays a legitimate 430 yards from the whites. The hole slopes downhill past the landing area. Attempts to cut the corner are guarded by both a large tree and bunker. The safe play is just right of the left side bunker for a good look at a heavily guarded green. |
| #5 |
Get out your climbing gear. This par 5 is uphill all the way. Tee shots will have to carry both the stream and hillside. The landing area for your second shot is wide open, but aim to the left side of the fairway to avoid the large tree that fronts the green from the right. |
| #6 |
Longest par 4 with the number 1 handicap. Although it's a pretty straightforward hole, the length and a few poorly hit shots made this hole one to forget. The bunker is stuck right in the front of the wide and narrow green. |
| #7 |
After having to pound the ball to keep pace with the course and your playing partners, you will be forced to make an accurate tee shot on this short par 3. Bunkers guard the front both right and left and anything long is downhill in a hurry. |
| #8 |
In our opinion, the easiest of the par 4s-only a slight dogleg to the left to contend with. Long-ballers beware of distance. Tee shots have carried to the bunkers up the right side of the fairway and into the woods. Your approach shot should be only a short iron out to a slightly elevated green less than 25 yards wide. |
| #9 |
While playing straightaway to the green, this par 5 will challenge most golfers attempting to reach the green in two. At over 515 yards, even drives crushed down the middle will leave a long second shot to a severely elevated green. Woods hug the right side of the fairway, so it's advisable to stay left all the way to the green. Bunkers guard the green front right, but shots made to avoid the bunkers can leave a tremendously long, undulating putt depending on pin placement (and how often do they not make use of a greenside bunker?). |
| #10 |
Waiting to greet you from the grill patio at the turn, this par 5 is extremely long at over 550 yards from the whites. Tee shots, in addition to being long, must be accurate. The hillside on the left can make for a difficult second shot and the right side falls away to the woods, which claimed our playing partner's ball off the tee. The landscape will run your approach shot up to and on the green for makeable par. |
| #11 |
Clip the corner of the left side bunker on this par 4 and your second shot will be from position A. Front and back bunkers guard the green. |
| #12 |
This short par 5 is easily reachable in two. Tee shots up the left will have to contend with the ginormous bunker on the front left. This is the sucker pin placement and is there more times than not. |
| #13 |
This moderate-length par 4 starts with a great view from elevated tee boxes. Take in the scenery and nail your tee shot dead straight down the middle. If you push or pull your drive, odds are that one of the many fairway bunkers will host your second shot, as evidenced by two sandies on our scorecard. |
| #14 |
A straightaway par 4. While the course claims the 14th as one of its most beautiful holes with its sweeping tree lines, strategically, the hole is pedestrian. Make or take your par and move on. |
| #15 |
From first inspection, this par 3 looks ordinary. At 152 yards, a mid-iron will easily reach the green. Any deviation from a straight shot is quickly penalized by the invading tree line and front and left bunkers that has seen golfers enter and never leave. The lesson is always, "Never judge a hole by the scorecard." |
| #16 |
In our view, this was a beautiful par 4. The entire hole sits in a valley, with the green cut in. Elevated tees on the ridgeline bring to mind soaring tee shots. Very little sand and valley works to visually focus your tee shot. |
| #17 |
Sometimes looks can be deceiving (see #15). Not so in the case of this par 3. It looks daunting from first sight. This hole was reminiscent of one of the par 3s up at Treetops in Gaylord. You have to carry a wide valley and any shot short will penalize you by rolling down into said valley. The handicap should be reviewed. Par on this hole is an unexpected gift to those of us challenged by long-iron play. |
| #18 |
This finishing par 4 will forever be linked to the first time that VW struck House on the calf with his putter in frustration at taking an eight and losing the match (which was decided with House's birdie on 16, but who's counting?). Tee shots down the middle are in order to avoid the tree lines. Stay left of center to avoid running into the right side fairway bunker. For a finishing hole, the 18th seemed uninspired. |
| Thousand Oaks is truly a Michigan Golf gem. As we are Grand Rapids homers, we left this course with promises to return over and over or until the denied entry. We kept raving about the UpLink GPS in the carts, which was nicely positioned at just above knee level. This GPS displayed the cart in front of you and optimal target to aim for on each shot. With sauce bottles (divot mix) on both sides of the cart, it made it simple and easy to maintain the course beauty. The rough was left very long; the ball could get lost in the second cut. The greens were fast and fair. We heard rave reviews about the Acorn Grill restaurant and wish we had the time to stay for a meal. |
| 1) |
Fee Factor
|
16
|
| Rates are steep year round here. It is an upscale course and is priced to maintain that distinction. |
| 2) |
Friendliness Factor
|
19
|
| Nearly everyone we met welcomed us graciously. The starter was funny and helpful and paired us with a regular that gave us tips that made the course more playable. |
| 3) |
Fringe Factor
|
20
|
| Wow! From what we have heard, the food is great (the patio grill at the turn worked great for us). The driving range is clean and well-conceived with different shot-making opportunities. The real gem here is the golf academy. Randy Ernst is the pro and greeted us as friends even though we were just snooping. Extra credit to the course for having the automatic shoe cleaner outside the pro shop. |
| 4) |
From 1st Tee to Handshake Factor
|
19
|
| Thousand Oaks could not have found a better place in Western Michigan to drop in one of the nicest, most challenging courses we have played. There is a reason this course ranks so high annually. They know how to build and maintain a course and are dedicated to it. |
| 5) |
Fun Factor
|
19
|
| This course can bust your chops if you let it. Go out though, take in the surroundings, and enjoy some fantastic golf. |
