Oakland Hills Country Club’s new $100 million clubhouse takes shape
Bloomfield Township — In the makeshift but nonetheless very beautiful members’ pavilion on the grounds of the Oakland Hills Country Club, over in the southwest corner, hangs a picture of the future clubhouse.
If you look beyond the display through the windows, you can see the clubhouse come to life.
More than two years after a fire devastated the stately and historic clubhouse, leaving it a total loss, officials from the club and the United States Golf Association promised they would rise from the ashes. And they’re well on their way: The red steel framework is up and the clubhouse is scheduled to open sometime in 2026.
The News got a glimpse of construction progress Tuesday during a media day for the U.S. Junior Amateur, a USGA championship to be played next month on Oakland Hills’ North and South courses.
“You can see the steel work is almost complete and the framework of the building will be the silhouette of the new clubhouse when everyone is here in July,” Oakland Hills general manager Matt Dossey told reporters Tuesday. “I’m really amazed at the process that got us to where we are now.”
Groundbreaking for the new clubhouse took place in December, after months of insurance assessments, community approvals and a final member vote that approved plans costing about $100 million.
Of the roughly $100 million, nearly half will come from insurance, over $40 million will be debt and over $15 million will be equity contributions. Members approved the costs by 69%, with full-status members paying $60,000 or more.
The new clubhouse will be approximately 10,000 square meters in size. The old clubhouse, which has hosted most of the best golfers of all time, Detroit’s most influential people and even presidents since it was built in 1922, had a floor space of approximately 8,400 square meters.
The old clubhouse was designed by famed architect C. Howard Crane, who also designed Detroit’s Fox Theater and the old Olympic Stadium. Dossey said Tuesday the goal of the new clubhouse is to maintain Crane’s vision while modernizing it with modern amenities.
“With a floor plan that will serve the club and our community for the next century,” he said.
The new clubhouse will feature a two-story men’s locker room, three kitchens, ballrooms, a larger women’s locker room, a cigar room, dining rooms, outdoor balconies, lounges, bars and more. There will also be significant infrastructure improvements throughout the property, including an upgraded housing building and maintenance facility.
A Hall of History displays numerous club artifacts and championship trophies, most of which were recovered by quick-acting firefighters and club staff as the fire quickly raged through the old clubhouse on February 17, 2022.
There will be a new fitness facility and basement storage for golf bags, food and beverage facilities, a caddy room and administrative offices. The parking lot south of Maple and east of Telegraph will also be upgraded.
Construction crews were busy at the site on Tuesday and will continue much of the work until the project is completed, although construction will be paused during the U.S. Junior Amateur from July 22-27.
The U.S. Junior Amateur is the first championship the club has hosted since the clubhouse. Shortly after the fire destroyed the old clubhouse, it was awarded the U.S. Junior Amateur and several other major championships, including two future U.S. Opens (2034 and 2051). The club will also host the U.S. Women’s Open in 2031 and 2042.
“In March 2022, just one month after tragedy struck our club and our members, the USGA made the decision to stand with us and announce the award of the eight upcoming national and international championships to be played at Oakland Hills over the next three decades,” said Dossey.
“What an incredible testament to our partnership.”
The US Junior Amateur will also be the first major tournament to be played at Oakland Hills since the extensive restoration project of the famous South Course, or “The Monster” as Ben Hogan called it. Legendary golf course architect Gil Hanse spent more than two years on the restoration, which cost the club more than $12 million. Hanse’s goal was to restore the course to the vision of original architect Donald Ross, which meant fewer trees, larger bunkers and an expansion of the already devilish greens.
The South Course reopened in the summer of 2021. Hanse boasted that the tree removal meant the historic clubhouse could be seen from so many points on the course. Seven months later, it went up in flames.
Oakland Hills has hosted 11 USGA championships, including six US Opens, the first of which was 100 years ago when little-known Cyril Walker defeated legend Bobby Jones by three strokes in 1924. The last USGA tournament at Oakland Hills was the 2016 US Amateur before restoration.
The U.S. Junior Amateur is free for all fans, including parking at Bloomfield Hills High School, where a shuttle service is available. The field consists of 264 of the best juniors from around the world. 36 holes of stroke play will be played on the North and South Courses on July 22 and 23. The top 64 players will play match play from July 24 to 27, all on the South Course. The 36-hole championship match will be played on July 27.
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