1961 Aerial Photo of Washtenaw Golf Club

1961 Aerial Photo of Washtenaw Golf Club

This photo is part of a collection of aerial photos I found of Washtenaw Golf Club. I think that looking at the evolution of a golf course is interesting in a general sense — even if you’ve never played Washtenaw.

The photos are part of part of a collection maintained by the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) and were originally taken by DTE to survey potential electrical needs.

The 1961 photo shows a couple of interesting changes over the 1949 image. I’ve got them paired together below, even if they don’t actually line up.

The biggest for me is that by 1961 the 11th green (toward the upper left) no longer has the series of six bunkers on either side of the fairway leading to the green. They’ve been replaced by two greenside bunkers on the left side.

It’s hard to tell with the perspective changes, but it also looks as though there are some more trees in the center of the course. I like trees.

Around the course, there are definitely more houses.

And here’s a comparison of 1961 and 2024.