By DIANA HAINES
In 1998 two prominent Wilson County businessmen walked through a field. It was a nice spring day, and there were few places better to be than walking a beautiful piece of Wilson County land. They talked about all the possibilities a property like this could offer the community. Spotting a cluster of five trees isolated on top of a hill one of the gentlemen said, “Look at those trees up there, five of them, just off by themselves.” The second gentlemen said, “Well now, those are oak trees. What a prestigious hill with Five Oaks.” And that, as the story goes, is the origin of the name of Five Oaks Golf and Country Club, located just west of Lebanon on Highway 70.
The farm, 506 acres in total, had been the property of Mr. Bascom Cooksey since sometime in the 1950’s. Selling a property like this was no quick decision, but when Mr. Cooksey was approached with the vision of a country club surrounded by a beautiful subdivision that would give pleasure to families for generations, it seemed to him to be the ideal and best use of his esteemed property.
The name, the property, and the vision in place, the hard work began. The golf course was opened in June of 2001 and the club house at Five Oaks Golf & Country Club was built on one of the highest points in Wilson County and opened in 2002. Walking through the front door, you are instantly made aware that the building was designed to take full advantage of the view and the elevation
offered of the picturesque countryside. Both the restaurant and the Bar and Grill overlook the landscape with full ceiling to floor windows that open to a veranda spanning the entire width of the building.
The full service restaurant features an elegant dining experience with fine linens and tableware and a professional courteous serving staff to provide for members’ every need. The adjacent bar and grill is for those more casual days. The staff offers full lunch and dinner menus with daily specials and a scrumptious Sunday brunch every weekend. The menu offers a variety of dining opportunities and adapts to the seasonal desires of the patrons.
Kimbel Lea, Event Coordinator at Five Oaks Golf & Country Club, says, “We have a full professional staff that will coordinate a special day for anyone and everyone.” Ms. Lea coordinates club functions as well as private events at the club. “We do a lot of private events for members and non-club members every year and we love doing it. Five Oaks can host everything from wedding receptions to reunions to business meetings. The clubhouse design offers a great place for friends, family, and business associates to gather in a beautiful setting. The Five Oaks Boardroom has state-of-the-art media equipment that can satisfy any professional organization. Our job is to s
erve our members’ and guests’ needs so they may sit down, relax, and enjoy the upscale luxury they deserve.” Lea says.
Over the last 10 years, nearly 150 couples have chosen the Five Oaks Golf & Country Club to celebrate the start of their new lives together. “I tell my brides to bring in their flowers or table decorations the day before the event and we’ll take care of everything else. It’s a really stress free way to have the wedding of their dreams.” Ms. Lea adds. “And we’ve probably had close to a hundred reunions of one kind or another. Last fall, we had five weekends in a row when different graduating classes from Lebanon High School met here to reconnect with their old friends. ” “We work really hard for all of our patrons, members or not. Customer service and providing a friendly welcoming atmosphere is a pleasure of all staff members at Five Oaks & Golf Country Club. We love what we do.”
The clubhouse offers Men’s and Ladies locker rooms and a well equipped golf shop. Five Oaks’ PGA Head Golf Professional, Bryan Combiths, understands the wants and needs of his customers. Mr. Combiths was awarded the PGA, Tennessee Section, Middle Tennessee Chapter, “Merchandiser of the Year” in 2007 and 2009. To achieve those types of awards you must be in touch with your clientele.
Five Oaks Golf & Country Club plays host or club tournaments, as well as, numerous outside organizations throughout the year. Give them the name of the organization and a list of the people playing and the golf pro and the Five Oaks courteous staff will take care of everything else. Score cards, leader boards, you name it. Five Oaks award winning golf shop has many things to offer including private lessons and clinics tailored to individual golfers’ needs, both youth and adults.
Neal Carson designed and constructed the Five Oaks Golf Course and to this day, is the course Superintendent. “Building something as special as Five Oaks Golf & Country Clubs’ course, you can’t just turn it over to anyone to take care of.” Carson says. The East Tennessee native came to Middle Tennessee to work on Windtree Golf Course in Mt. Juliet. Then Mr. Carson designed and built Pine Creek Golf Course. The opportunity to design the challenging par 72, 18-hole golf course on Five Oak’s rolling hills, was so reminiscent of the natural landscape of East Tennessee; Mr. Carson gladly accepted the challenge.
Overall, it’s a course that offers a challenge for every golfer, no matter their handicap. It’s such a great course that it plays host for the 3rd year in a row to the Tennessee State Men’s Open Qualifier, and will also host the Tennessee Golf Associations 2010 Ladies Senior Tournament.
“We offer a number of different membership packages ranging from our full all-inclusive golf membership to the social membership,” says Sherry Lester, Membership and Marketing Director. “You don’t have to live in the Five Oaks Subdivision to be a member of Five Oaks Golf & Country Club. We have members from Trousdale County, Rutherford County, Davidson County, you name it. Anyone that wants to join is welcome, no matter where they live.”
“Another unique part of our membership package is that the golf memberships are all-inclusive. As far as we know, we are the only country club in Middle Tennessee with an all-inclusive golf membership that includes unlimited golf play, full golf cart privileges, unlimited use of driving range and practice green, seven day advance tee times, unlimited tennis, unlimited swimming pool (during pool hours), dining privileges, and numerous social events. It makes the membership package really affordable. If there are families that are paying for more than 4 rounds of golf at a public course a month, the membership virtually pays for itself. We get calls all the time from people moving into the area from California or Florida inquiring about membership and they just can’t believe it. In the country club world, all-inclusive golf memberships are kind of unheard of. At Five Oaks Golf & Country Club, it’s standard,” Ms. Lester says.
Five Oaks Golf & Country Club has more to offer than an elegant, yet comfortable club house and a superb golf course. They also have a swimming pool and tennis courts across the fairway from the club house with a grill set up serving burgers, hot dogs, and other recreational food and drink.
Karen Bradshaw and her husband John have had a membership for their family at Five Oaks Golf & County Club since 2001 and she says, “We just love it. It’s a great place to go and get a great meal with your family any time you want. My kids love taking tennis lessons and as much as my husband and son, Ross, play golf, the membership really pays for itself.”
A picture of Bascom Cooksey hangs in the bar and grill that bears his name at the main club house. “He used to come and eat here two or three times a week before he passed away a few years ago,” Ms. Lester recalls. Mr. Cooksey’s portrait now faces out of the club house windows onto the No. 1 tee box. In posterity, he overlooks this beautiful tract of land, now transformed to a playground where hundreds of families are spending the best days of their lives. Five Oaks Golf & Country Club is truly a high point of Wilson County.
If you are interested in any membership information or planning your next event at Five Oaks Golf & Country Club please call 615.444.2784 or visit their website at www.five-oaks.com
Kimbel Lea, Event Planner, lea@five-oaks.com
Sherry Lester, Membership/Marketing Director, lester@five-oaks.com.