Michigan Golf Journal September 2020

Remaking Oakland Hills CC The game of golf continues to evolve with the times, and Oakland Hills Country Club in metro Detroit is no different. One of the world’s most sought after course designers/ renovators, Gil Hanse, was in town August 24 to showmedia around his newest creation – the return of the famed South Course to the style Donald Ross initially set up. The South Course, home to six U.S. Opens over the years (the last in 1996), plus the PGA Championship and 2004 Ryder Cup – was closed in the fall of 2019. Much speculation was made that Oakland Hills was only doing it to try wooing the USGA into bringing a 7 th U.S. Open back to Michigan. Not true said Steve Brady, head pro at Oakland Hills. He made it clear that even if the USGA or PGA of America never return, the renovations and infrastructure improvements were also made for improved daily play by the membership and guests. Everyday members will appreciate the removal of trees, the forward movement of front tees, fewer bunkers but the ones that remain are larger, with more open areas to escape. At first, that sounds like it will make things much easier for pros. But because most of the trees never came into play for the world’s best players, the larger bunkers and tighter landing areas they hit to off the tee with thick rough will make it harder. The original Donald Ross greens are historically difficult, and the contours have been replicated, but expanded around the edges for members. “They love predictable outcomes,” Hanse said of pro golfers. But coming out of the rough to Ross greens “are outcomes they can’t predict. That’s how you make golf courses difficult.” NBC and Golf Channel sportscaster Mike Tirico was on hand the same day to lend his insight to what Oakland Hills is trying to create while making a case for golf majors to return to the Midwest. “There’s an energy in the golf world ... to come back to the classics,” he said. “It’s like a bear in the jar of honey. It’s a comfort food for the fans. This is one tremendous place to identify a champion.” MGJ Oakland Hills On Track In Its Remake by Gil Hanse By Tom Lang