dhill
New member
I've had the pleasure of playing this little gem in High Point, NC several times. It is a Pete Dye Design and shares many of his signature characteristics.
I played it a few weeks back and it was a nearly perfect day to play golf and take some pictures, the course was still a few weeks away from being fully green but was well on the way.
This is a city run course and has very reasonable rates. In season rates of March - November are $38 for weekends (that includes Cart & Greens Fees) and $31 on the weekdays.
Tee Options:
Blue - 6564
Mixed - 6155
White - 5613
Red - 4825
About Pete Dye:
Where his influences started and a few other Pete Dye Courses: (Taken from Oak Hollow Website)
In 1963 Pete and his wife Alice took a month long tour of some of the classic Scottish venues. The trip turned out to be an epiphany for him. At Prestwick, for example, he saw railroad ties shoring up bunkers and smallish greens everywhere he turned. Tiny pot bunkers, sprawling natural waste areas were all a great influence on where Pete would take his creations in the future.
Here at Oak Hollow, which opened in 1972, we are fortunate to have many of these unique characteristics Railroad ties, pot bunkers, several peninsula greens and even an island tee makes up a bevy of Pete Dye design features. However our small, undulating greens serve as our most recognizable Dye trademark.
A few other Pete Dye Courses you might recognize:
Crooked Stick - Carmel, IN (1966)
Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, SC (1969)
Our course: Oak Hollow GC, High Point, NC (1972)
Oak Tree, Edmond, OK (1976)
PGA West, La Quinta, CA (1986)
The TPC at Sawgrass - Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra, FL. (1981)
Ocean Course - Kiawah Island, SC (1991)
Review - Choice Holes & Photos:
Being on a beautiful lake there is never a bad time to play this course. Spring and fall are obvious hits but for a city run course it stays in very good shape year round.
Welcome to Oak Hollow:
Standing on the tee box at 3 and looking left. You can see the peninsula green for #5 out in the distance.
One is a fairly simple par 4. Slight dog leg left. You get your first sight of the small Dye greens here and don't get a reprieve from them until you're sitting back in the club house reliving your round.
Two is a classic Dye risk / reward style hole. From the mixed tees it plays just over 450 and is inviting to go for the green in two. However its a very narrow green and what is an easy par if you lay up short an approach from the side becomes a dastardly bold shot when going for it. It's not designed to hold a long iron and when they fly off the back there are some very difficult chip shots facing players coming back.
Three is a medium distance par four that has a blind uphill tee shot. The smart play here is to leave the ball on top of the ridge go avoid tricky lies going into the green.
Four is a par 3 that cuts over an inlet in the lake. Its not a lot of water but as many of us know it doesn't take much to have the doubt creep in and I've seen many a ball go to a watery grave.
The 5th and 6th holes give each other a run for their money for the title signature. The 5th is a carried drive over water and is a peninsula green surounded by bunkers.
This is the view of #4's green and while you can't see #5's tee box you can see the fairway. The hole dog legs left and goes out into the water.
Tee shot for #5 from the tips:
Your approach into #5:
There were sailboats on the late today. Saw this walking up to 5's green.
The 6th is around 400 yards but you can choose to try to cut over the lake as its a severe dog leg left. Not many hitters can carry the lake and the smart play is down the fairway. It's a tough par.
There is an island tee box for the longest of hitters to give a go and extend the hole a long way. Its hard to see but the green is out there over the lake.
Even if you play it smart and go for the fairway water can still be in play.
#7 is a short par three but you can't go left or you'll get a taste of Pete's unforgiving bunkers.
Actually, don't go right either...
#8 is a tight tee shot that you need to play to the left side of the fairway because it slopes hard right. With the dogleg its hard to have a decent approach if you go right.
#9 is a thinking players hole and it helps to know the course. Left is trouble but the fairway falls off to a steep downslope before heading back up to the green. Best to leave driver in the bag and play your second shot from a flat part of the hole. Green is one of the many with a lot of slope, knowing the pin placement is key.
After you make the turn #10 slaps you in the face with a 550-600 yard par 5. Slight dog leg left in the last 100 yards it really has a tendency to punish aggressive golfers.
It really makes almost an S, so reaching in 2 is only for the bold (aka crazy here, not many can do it)
Looking back up 10
One of my two shots of the round was a 6 iron into #10. First time I've birdied this hole
#11 is another hole that plays along the lake. With water running the entire way down the hole you can not go left without getting wet.
A scenic view from beside 11
Probably don't want to go left with your drive. This tree takes out the safe play for the right side of the green and the green has water short and left.
#12 Goes out and then climbs a massive hill to the green, which is guarded by 2 bunkers short left.
Par 3 - 13th goes down a gentle hill. Bunkers short left and water if you really go too long its best to just hit this medium large green.
Par 4 - 14th goes uphill with the tee shot and then you need to carry this valley to be safely on in two. Thankfully there is no hazard by not carrying the valley.
15 is respectable par 5 with another big elevation change leading up to the green. This is approachable in two with a well placed driver.
Looking back down 15 from the green.
16 is the last par 3 of the day
A playing partner and I both hit amazing shots on this beautiful day into this green and we were both side by side with 2 feet to go. 2 great runs and an ace here, it was almost video game like how it happened.
17 is another hole where you have a tee decision. Its a short par 4 only around 300 yards. Do you have the accuracy to go at it or play into the fairway and play it safe.
18 finished the course with a nice hole to come home in. A par four that has a little dog leg right at the end.
About the only time you can't play this course is if it happens to snow, and even then it's a beautiful place for some photos:
If you're ever in High Point or close to it try to get over to Oak Hollow. You'll really enjoy this little hidden Pete Dye Gem.
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions I'm happy to try and answer them!
Aerial View Added:
I played it a few weeks back and it was a nearly perfect day to play golf and take some pictures, the course was still a few weeks away from being fully green but was well on the way.
This is a city run course and has very reasonable rates. In season rates of March - November are $38 for weekends (that includes Cart & Greens Fees) and $31 on the weekdays.
Tee Options:
Blue - 6564
Mixed - 6155
White - 5613
Red - 4825
About Pete Dye:
Where his influences started and a few other Pete Dye Courses: (Taken from Oak Hollow Website)
In 1963 Pete and his wife Alice took a month long tour of some of the classic Scottish venues. The trip turned out to be an epiphany for him. At Prestwick, for example, he saw railroad ties shoring up bunkers and smallish greens everywhere he turned. Tiny pot bunkers, sprawling natural waste areas were all a great influence on where Pete would take his creations in the future.
Here at Oak Hollow, which opened in 1972, we are fortunate to have many of these unique characteristics Railroad ties, pot bunkers, several peninsula greens and even an island tee makes up a bevy of Pete Dye design features. However our small, undulating greens serve as our most recognizable Dye trademark.
A few other Pete Dye Courses you might recognize:
Crooked Stick - Carmel, IN (1966)
Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, SC (1969)
Our course: Oak Hollow GC, High Point, NC (1972)
Oak Tree, Edmond, OK (1976)
PGA West, La Quinta, CA (1986)
The TPC at Sawgrass - Stadium Course, Ponte Vedra, FL. (1981)
Ocean Course - Kiawah Island, SC (1991)
Review - Choice Holes & Photos:
Being on a beautiful lake there is never a bad time to play this course. Spring and fall are obvious hits but for a city run course it stays in very good shape year round.
Welcome to Oak Hollow:
Standing on the tee box at 3 and looking left. You can see the peninsula green for #5 out in the distance.
One is a fairly simple par 4. Slight dog leg left. You get your first sight of the small Dye greens here and don't get a reprieve from them until you're sitting back in the club house reliving your round.
Two is a classic Dye risk / reward style hole. From the mixed tees it plays just over 450 and is inviting to go for the green in two. However its a very narrow green and what is an easy par if you lay up short an approach from the side becomes a dastardly bold shot when going for it. It's not designed to hold a long iron and when they fly off the back there are some very difficult chip shots facing players coming back.
Three is a medium distance par four that has a blind uphill tee shot. The smart play here is to leave the ball on top of the ridge go avoid tricky lies going into the green.
Four is a par 3 that cuts over an inlet in the lake. Its not a lot of water but as many of us know it doesn't take much to have the doubt creep in and I've seen many a ball go to a watery grave.
The 5th and 6th holes give each other a run for their money for the title signature. The 5th is a carried drive over water and is a peninsula green surounded by bunkers.
This is the view of #4's green and while you can't see #5's tee box you can see the fairway. The hole dog legs left and goes out into the water.
Tee shot for #5 from the tips:
Your approach into #5:
There were sailboats on the late today. Saw this walking up to 5's green.
The 6th is around 400 yards but you can choose to try to cut over the lake as its a severe dog leg left. Not many hitters can carry the lake and the smart play is down the fairway. It's a tough par.
There is an island tee box for the longest of hitters to give a go and extend the hole a long way. Its hard to see but the green is out there over the lake.
Even if you play it smart and go for the fairway water can still be in play.
#7 is a short par three but you can't go left or you'll get a taste of Pete's unforgiving bunkers.
Actually, don't go right either...
#8 is a tight tee shot that you need to play to the left side of the fairway because it slopes hard right. With the dogleg its hard to have a decent approach if you go right.
#9 is a thinking players hole and it helps to know the course. Left is trouble but the fairway falls off to a steep downslope before heading back up to the green. Best to leave driver in the bag and play your second shot from a flat part of the hole. Green is one of the many with a lot of slope, knowing the pin placement is key.
After you make the turn #10 slaps you in the face with a 550-600 yard par 5. Slight dog leg left in the last 100 yards it really has a tendency to punish aggressive golfers.
It really makes almost an S, so reaching in 2 is only for the bold (aka crazy here, not many can do it)
Looking back up 10
One of my two shots of the round was a 6 iron into #10. First time I've birdied this hole
#11 is another hole that plays along the lake. With water running the entire way down the hole you can not go left without getting wet.
A scenic view from beside 11
Probably don't want to go left with your drive. This tree takes out the safe play for the right side of the green and the green has water short and left.
#12 Goes out and then climbs a massive hill to the green, which is guarded by 2 bunkers short left.
Par 3 - 13th goes down a gentle hill. Bunkers short left and water if you really go too long its best to just hit this medium large green.
Par 4 - 14th goes uphill with the tee shot and then you need to carry this valley to be safely on in two. Thankfully there is no hazard by not carrying the valley.
15 is respectable par 5 with another big elevation change leading up to the green. This is approachable in two with a well placed driver.
Looking back down 15 from the green.
16 is the last par 3 of the day
A playing partner and I both hit amazing shots on this beautiful day into this green and we were both side by side with 2 feet to go. 2 great runs and an ace here, it was almost video game like how it happened.
17 is another hole where you have a tee decision. Its a short par 4 only around 300 yards. Do you have the accuracy to go at it or play into the fairway and play it safe.
18 finished the course with a nice hole to come home in. A par four that has a little dog leg right at the end.
About the only time you can't play this course is if it happens to snow, and even then it's a beautiful place for some photos:
If you're ever in High Point or close to it try to get over to Oak Hollow. You'll really enjoy this little hidden Pete Dye Gem.
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions I'm happy to try and answer them!
Aerial View Added:
Last edited:
