BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Oakland Hills Country Club has opened an elegant steel structure to replace its century-old clubhouse that was destroyed by fire more than four years ago.
The clubhouse overlooks the South Course, which Ben Hogan called “The Monster” after winning the 1951 US Open. The clubhouse is the centerpiece of the $100 million project and looks like the previous building, with 10 pillars on the porch.
“What stands behind me is new, but what it represents is timeless,” Oakland Hills general manager Marc Ray said Monday while standing in front of the Hogan Lounge, a dark-ceilinged room that leads to the restaurant. “This clubhouse wasn’t just rebuilt. It was reimagined with purpose, guided by history, and inspired by the generations before us.
“It feels familiar because it was meant to be.”
Oakland Hills has hosted six US Opens and is scheduled for a seventh in 2034. The club, located about 20 miles from Detroit, has hosted a number of other major events and alumni, including three PGA Championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup.
The club has created a new way to honor past champions, creating glass cases with photos, clubs, shoes and other memorabilia. Cases celebrate players such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Andy North, who won the second US Open in 1985 at Oakland Hills.
About 10 valuable items were lost in the fire and the inventory was rebuilt thanks to the support of former players like Nicklaus and auctions.
Surveillance camera footage shows maintenance crews using a propane torch before the fire destroyed the clubhouse. The new clubhouse was part of a project that included a new putting green and facilities, a practice area and infrastructure improvements.
