1949 Aerial Photo Of Washtenaw Golf Club

1949 Aerial Photo Of Washtenaw Golf Club

This aerial photo of Washtenaw Golf Club was taken by Detroit Edison on April 29, 1949. Aerial photos were used at that time to get a sense of how areas were developing to help DTE plan for future electrical service.

The image is from the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments, which maintains a library of aerial photos.

A few obvious changes from 1949 to 2024 (the club’s 125th anniversary, by the way):

1. Paint Creek on the north end is just that: a creek. Today, it is much wider, with basins that are actually ponds.
2. The sixteenth green is surrounded in front by a bunker that does not exist today.
3. The green for the par three fourteenth is a practice green today. The current green makes the hole much shorter.
4. The approach to the eleventh is lined on both sides by bunkers.
5. Two bunkers on twelve are gone today.
6. I don’t see the existing greenside bunkers on ten.
7. The par three fourth green seems to be completely surrounded by bunkers.
8. In 1949, there were bunkers between the third and fourth greens where today there are trees.
9. The driving range is not there, and it looks as though the tee box for one was directly in front of the clubhouse (which is not the same clubhouse that stands today).
10. There are many fewer trees than today. I like the trees the club has today. Many have been removed over the last couple of years. I hope that project is largely over.

I’ve superimposed lines over the original photo showing where I think the holes match up to the routing today.

And here’s a slider with a comparison of 1949 and 2024. The two don’t quite line up, but you can see how it’s changed.