About Us
About Oakland Beach Golf Club
Oakland Beach is a pleasing, walkable daily fee course at Conneaut Lake, a pleasant resort and vacation gateway in Crawford County in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The course dates back to 1927. It was the playground of the Oakland Beach Hotel, a 160-room landmark famed for its lakeside front shaped like the prow of a ship jutting out into the lake. Fortunes of the hotel waned, and it was torn down in 1967. But Conneaut Lake, the largest natural lake in the state, remained a gem of a gateway for families and weekenders. People have cottages and spend weekend summers there. Many dock their boats there.
For a course that has “welcome” written all over it from tee to green, it has some real beasts hiding in the short grass. Oakland Beach does not have a green bigger than 5,000 square feet, as though the size of a green has any bearing on its disposition. Take the par-3 17th, a 173-yarder. The way it slopes, you may not be able to hold it with your tee shot. Veterans say the best way to play it is to miss the green lower right, then play for a chip-and-putt par. Yet the greens are part of the enjoyment of this course. Oakland Beach ranges from 5192 yards to 6783. It plays to a par 72, except for the skilled golfer, when it becomes a 71 from the blue tees, with No. 5 converting from a par-5 to a par-4.
Oakland Beach is not a monster of a golf course. In fact, it’s quite agreeable, especially to the high-handicapper. It does not put undue strain on skill, patience, or mental health – just the thing for the vacationer or day-tripper who is not looking for hand-to-hand combat with a course. For the higher handicap golfer, it’s open. It’s not to penal when you spray the ball. For the low-handicapper, it offers length and small greens. In this day of the upscale course, Oakland Beach remains good news. Walking is permitted all day Monday through Friday, and after 2 PM on weekends and holidays.
Oakland Beach has another distinction, and one that might not be matched elsewhere – boulders for 150-yard markers. This idea wasn’t born out of artistic inspiration. It was more a matter of disposal. Years ago, the mowers kept hitting rocks, and so it was decided to have them dug up. They turned out not to be irritating little surface stones, but buried boulders, remnants of an old glacier that was once there. It was decided to use them as 150 markers. And they’re in play. You don’t get a free drop from behind a boulder. You can take a penalty drop, if you like. Or you can move them under the loose impediment rule. You move the boulder and hit. Then replace it.
The golf course was designed by the late Paul McGuire, of whom little is known. Not that anybody put McGuire in a class with the masters of his day, such as Donald Ross and A.J. Tillinghast, but he laid a virtuoso’s touch to the greens. Oakland Beach once hosted a Walter Hagen – Tommy Armour exhibition match, and that about sums up its claim to fame.
Mostly, Oakland Beach remains perfectly suited to its purpose – a place where vacationers and golfers of all skill levels can enjoy a pleasant round of golf.
“My wife and I had a great time golfing at Oakland Beach Golf Club. The fairways were well maintained and the course itself is challenging but enjoyable. The staff was very friendly and accommodating throughout the day, overall the course had a pleasant atmosphere and was great for anyone, definitely family friendly as well.
We decided to stay for lunch after playing; the food was great and very affordable. We will definitely golf here again when we return to the area!”
John Wilkins
“I have always enjoyed the kind staff and well kept course! I have been going to Oakland Beach Golf Club since I was a little girl, and with each visit I find more to love about it. The grounds are always well kept with beautiful arrangements of flowers and gardens.
Not to mention-the restaurant has great food! I make sure to always go with my family when we are in the area! Nothing but great experiences here.”
Zelda Elisco
“It’s a beautiful golf course that’s very fun to play! The restaurant is great; the hotdogs are some of the best I’ve had and the Wednesday spaghetti night is a great deal. I’ve played golf at Oakland Beach every summer for the last six years and the course has always been in great shape.
They continue to improve the course each year. I plan on continuing to golf at Oakland Beach because it’s a wonderful course at a great value!”
Ben Flanagan
“There is no better golf experience. Even without the specials they run. Dime for dime there’s no better place to play. The staff and pro are fast, friendly, and ready to help. The lunch specials are great and change daily.”
Jimmy White
