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Old Oakland Golf Club is a private 27-hole club on the northeast side of Indianapolis, organised as three nine-hole layouts named East, South and West. The club traces its development to the early 1960s, when a group of golfers purchased a former dairy farm near Oaklandon. PGA professional Jack Keesling and Don Street led construction of an 18-hole design by Charles Maddox, with all 18 holes in play by 1965.
Developer Joe Dawson purchased the property in 1987 and, with golf architect Michael Hurdzan advising, altered three existing holes and added another nine; the expanded 27-hole course opened in 1994. After Steve Sterrett acquired the club in 2016, architect Ron Kern undertook another comprehensive redesign of all three nines. That work included new bunkering, drainage and irrigation improvements, tree removal, stream reconstruction and changes intended to provide alternative strategic lines for golfers of different abilities.
The course is a 27-hole parkland golf course. It plays to par 108, 10,464 yards. Designed by Charles Maddox, the course originally opened in 1965. It is a private members' club. On-site facilities include Golf Shop, Driving Range, Putting Green, Short Game Area, Chipping Greens, Practice Bunkers, Locker Rooms, Fitness Centre, and 9 more.
Old Oakland grew out of a small group of golfers who bought a dairy farm just north of Oaklandon in 1962. PGA professional Jack Keesling and Don Street led the physical construction, backed financially by Joe "Doc" Miller, while Charles Maddox supplied the course design. Much of the early work was performed by friends, relatives and local teenagers using hand tools.
Ed Kynch, a six-time Indiana PGA winner, also recalled hitting shots during construction to help determine tee locations. All 18 original holes were in play by 1965, establishing the club on what was then the rural edge of Marion County.
The course has undergone two substantial architectural evolutions. Michael Hurdzan's work around the expansion to 27 holes altered three existing holes and incorporated a new nine while retaining the club's established character. Ron Kern's later redesign approached the three nines as a single collection, seeking a consistent bunker style and a broader variety of strategic decisions.
Kern specifically described creating alternative lines of play for different abilities rather than relying solely on penal hazards. His work also addressed practical problems including drainage and serious erosion along Indian Creek and its tributaries.
Developer Joe Dawson purchased Old Oakland in 1987 and, with Michael Hurdzan advising on the course design, began the project that ultimately added nine holes. The expanded 27-hole club opened in 1994. The clubhouse was rebuilt in 2014.
Steve Sterrett purchased the club on July 1, 2016 and soon retained Ron Kern for another comprehensive course programme. Construction began on the East nine in autumn 2016, followed by the South and West, with all 27 redesigned holes reopened by May 2018. Work included complete re-bunkering using the Better Billy Bunker system, creek relocation and bank reinforcement, drainage installation, tree removal, new irrigation and enlarged practice facilities.
Old Oakland has long been used for competitive golf within Indiana. S. Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller shot 67 as a high-school golfer.
Indiana Golf has continued to stage state-level events at the club, including Match Play, Senior Amateur and Mid-Am Team competitions.
Old Oakland operates as a private club with three par-36 nines: East, South and West. The clubhouse was subsequently expanded and renovated in 2020 to approximately 18,000 square feet, with a golf shop, locker rooms, fitness facilities, dining and social spaces. The practice complex includes a large putting green, two chipping and pitching greens, practice bunkers and a driving range.
Membership categories currently include Regular, Junior, Corporate, Non-Resident, Secondary and Social.
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| Front 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 36 |
| Yards | 420 | 418 | 388 | 420 | 244 | 409 | 560 | 154 | 578 | 3591 |
| Index | 3 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 2 | - |
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