Seven Oaks was designed by RTJ Senior in 1934...the first nine was complete in 1956...the second in 1964...that averages out to March, 1951.
I find it to be an incredible 17-hole golf course, with one par five that is goofy and does not reach the high standards of the rest of the course. Being told to hit 3-metal off the tee of a long hole is not my idea of consistent architecture. Perhaps when designed, he did not anticipate the advances to come.
That aside, the first three holes get you sprinting! The first green is enormous and tiered from back to front. Expect to face a bomb on the first green and don't be disappointed with a 3-whack for starters. The second is the gorgeous, uphill pitch of a par three that you see on the course web site (
http://www.sevenoaksgolf.com/). The tee shot is daunting, but the chipping and putting, more so. I had a knee-knocker of an eight footer for birdie and made it, but did so with trepidation. The first putt is all about avoiding the fourth one, such are the internal contours. The third hole takes you out and away, off a perch to a deceptively wide fairway below, then rolling on to a green sighted at fairway level.
What I liked most about this was the Annakin-Darth Vader counteraction. Trent gives you a hole (#16) where you recognize many of the features that ultimately took him away from traditional architecture, but follows it up with one (#17) where you see that not all hope was lost in the man. He did create Travis-esque or Ross-esque or Tilly-esque holes when the mood struck.