Michigan Golf Journal February 2019

͞dŚĞƌĞ͛Ɛ Ă ǀĞƌLJ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŽƉ ƐŽŝů͕ Ă ǀĞƌLJ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ŐƌĂǀĞů͕ Ă ǀĞƌLJ ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐ ĂŵŽƵŶƚ ŽĨ ƐĂŶĚ ƚŚĂƚ ǁŝůů ĞŶŚĂŶĐĞ ƚŚĞ drainage of a golf course and also enhance ƚŚĞ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ ĂŶĚ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŐƌĂƐƐ͕͟ :ĞǁŝƩ said about more modern-day research. “So, we’ll construct the greens to the current ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ ŽĨ h^' ƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ͕ ǁŚŝĐŚ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĞĮƚ ŝƐ ƚŚĞ ƉůĂLJŝŶŐ ĐŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶƐ͘ tŚĞŶ LJŽƵ host a championship, or just a weekend golf outing, when it rains the greens will drain quicker.” ĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ :ĞǁŝƩ͕ ĞdžĐĞƉƚ ĨŽƌ Ă ŚĂŶĚĨƵů of the green complexes, most have “never ďĞĞŶ ƚŽƵĐŚĞĚ͕͟ ƐŝŶĐĞ ŽŶĂůĚ ZŽƐƐ ĮƌƐƚ ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ƚŚĞŵ͕ ĞǀĞŶ ĚƵƌŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŶŽǀĂƟŽŶ in 1949 by Robert Trent Jones. The 7 th green ĨŽƌ ĞdžĂŵƉůĞ ŚĂƐ ďĞĞŶ ŵŽǀĞĚ ƚŚƌĞĞ ƟŵĞƐ ŽǀĞƌ ƚŚĞ ĚĞĐĂĚĞƐ͕ ƐŽ ŝƚ͛Ɛ ďĞĞŶ ŵŽĚŝĮĞĚ ĞĂĐŚ ƟŵĞ͘ :ĞǁŝƩ ƐĂŝĚ ƚŚĞ ϳ th hole will be restored to the original design, and No. 12 will be redone. “The greens are the lynchpin of the whole ƚŚŝŶŐ͕͟ ŚĞ ƐĂŝĚ͘ :ĞǁŝƩ ŶŽƚĞĚ ƚŚĞ ĐůƵď͛Ɛ ŵŝƐƐŝŽŶ ƐƚĂƚĞŵĞŶƚ includes the belief that: “it’s in the club’s DNA to host major championships, as well as local and statewide championships. We very ŵƵĐŚ ĞdžƉĞĐƚ ĂŶĚ ŚŽƉĞ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ĚŽŝŶŐ that and add to the history of majors hosted ďLJ KĂŬůĂŶĚ ,ŝůůƐ͘ / ƚŚŝŶŬ ƚŚŝƐ ƌĞŶŽǀĂƟŽŶ ǁŝůů ĂůůŽǁ ƵƐ ƚŚĞ ŶĞdžƚ ϭϬϬ LJĞĂƌƐ ƚŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞ ƚŽ do that.” The project also includes: x Addressing various areas with linear and penal bunkering and replaces them with risk and reward-oriented features x <ĞĞƉŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů KĂŬůĂŶĚ ,ŝůůƐ ƵŶĚƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ĂůƐŽ ŝŶĐƌĞĂƐŝŶŐ the size of some greens for more pin placements x Add new grass surfaces to the greens to perform at peak levels throughout the playing season x Address strategic placement of forward tees and extend the championship tees to more than 7,500 yards x ĚĚ Ă ŶĞǁ ŝƌƌŝŐĂƟŽŶ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ “Gil Hanse’s design will keep the Oakland Hills South Course among the most revered golf venues in the world,” head professional Steve Brady said in a statement. “We could not be more excited about the future of championship golf at Oakland Hills.” 17 February 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ