Oakland Hills Breaks Ground On New Clubhouse

Oakland Hills Breaks Ground On New Clubhouse

The iconic Oakland Hills clubhouse caught fire February 17, 2022.

Ground was broken on a replacement clubhouse December 19, 2023.

I have been fortunate enough to have played the both the North and South courses a couple of times, and to have enjoyed lunch on the club’s expansive pillared veranda. The experiences definitely were highlights of my golf life.

The views of the course from the clubhouse — and of the clubhouse from the course — are wonderful.

I hope that I will get another invite to the club in the future, and especially after clubhouse construction is finished in 2026.

Oakland Hills will host the 2024 Junior Amateur July 22 – 27. The US Open Women’s Open comes to Oakland HIlls in 2031. The US Open will be played there in 2034. The reconstruction no doubt has been designed with an eye toward facilitating the eight USGA championships scheduled for the club over the next twenty years.

A press release from Oakland Hills follows:

OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB EMBARKS ON HISTORIC CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. (December 20, 2023) – Oakland Hills Country Club broke ground on a muti-year construction project on Tuesday.

Previously the site of 17 golf championships, including six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and the Ryder Cup matches, Oakland Hills Country Club will serve as the site of eight more USGA championships between 2024 and 2051, including two U.S. Opens and two U.S. Women’s Opens.

Oakland Hills will host its 12th USGA championship July 22-27, 2024, as 256 players will compete for the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship title on the Club’s South and North Courses. The last U.S. Championship at Oakland Hills was the 2016 U.S. Amateur, won by Curtis Luck, in the club’s centennial year.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on the site of its original clubhouse that was destroyed by fire on February 17, 2022.

“Today is a momentous day for Oakland Hills members and staff who stand together, much like we did nearly two years ago watching flames rise from our clubhouse, but with a renewed excitement for the future. The Next 100 Project is the result of significant planning by the entire Oakland Hills family that will
define the Championship golf experience for generations to come at our Club and beyond,” said Oakland Hills President K. Dino Kostopoulos.

“The Next 100” is the Club’s forthcoming construction project encompassing a new clubhouse, new Greens and Grounds complex, repurposing of an existing building, and modifications to its golf practice range and parking facilities.

When completed, the iconic views of the South Course from the pillared veranda as well as the vista from the course back to the clubhouse will be restored.

“It is seldom that a great golf course and a great clubhouse work so dramatically together to enhance each other’s image,” stated longtime member Richard Howting, while speaking about renowned Detroit architect Howard C. Crane during the groundbreaking ceremony.

The clubhouse will restore numerous leading elements of Crane’s original design and be combined with modern building techniques to expand amenities and functions of the structure. A significant improvement
will be the relocation of the ballroom to the second floor with outdoor balconies enabling the creation of connected lounge, dining and bar experiences on the main floor.

“Every room will have expansive views and energy unachievable in the clubhouse we lost,” detailed Oakland Hills Member Doyle Mosher during the ceremony.

Additional notable changes include a larger women’s locker room; expanded outdoor dining areas; wide history halls containing the Club’s memorabilia and championship trophies; and a fitness facility in an adjacent building.

In the lower level, significant improvements will benefit clubhouse and golf course operations including cart and golf bag storage, culinary facilities, caddie room and administrative offices.

Further east on the Club’s property, a new Greens and Grounds complex will be constructed to service the club’s two 18-hole courses, offering enhanced efficiency and environmental benefits over the existing decades-old facilities.

“The enthusiasm of the staff and membership about this project is extraordinary,” said Oakland Hills General Manager Matt Dossey. “These industry-leading facilities will enable us to further build upon the standards for which Oakland Hills is known. We revere our last clubhouse but are elated to share the new version with our local, national, and international friends who have reached out to assist. It is a grand new day for Oakland Hills.”

The project was presented and approved by membership in December 2023 with an estimated cost of $96.5M. Construction will be funded by insurance proceeds, member assessment and member dues.

“Our members have been great stewards of our club. The Next 100 represents a collective financial and strategic commitment as we maintain our legacy and traditions and invest in the future of the club and its impact on the world of golf and our local communities,” said Matthew Schimdt, the Club’s Vice President and Board Liaison to the construction committee. “We eagerly anticipate the creation of enhanced member and guest experiences and iconic championship moments, while maintaining our focus on ‘giving back’ a core value of our club,” Schmidt added.

Oakland Hills Country Club members contribute over $1 million annually to three prominent charities: Eagles for Children, providing grants to local charities assisting disadvantaged children; Evans Scholars, offering full tuition and housing college scholarships for high-achieving caddies; and the club-supported Scholarship Trust, which makes grants to further the educational pursuits of Oakland Hills staff and caddies.

Partnering with Michigan-based professionals in The Next 100 Project was a
Southfield’s Neumann/Smith Architecture was selected as the architect of
led by Lansing-based Clark Construction Company.

“We’re honored to have collaborated with Oakland Hills members to design a
to one of the architectural greats,” said Neumann/Smith Architecture President Joel Smith.

“Our team is excited to undertake this historic project, carrying forward the legacy of Oakland Hills,” said Bobby LaLonde, Senior Vice President of Clark Construction Company. “The scale of this endeavor is substantial, and we anticipate being an integral part of the Bloomfield community as we restore a landmark that was lost,” added LaLonde.

Construction activities are already underway with a grand opening of the clubhouse anticipated in 2026.

Foundation work will be conducted through much of 2024 with no interruption to the North and South Course hosting the 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, conducted by the United States Golf Association.

“The USGA is pleased to see Oakland Hills and its membership take this significant step in its rebuilding process,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “This coming year marks the start of the next chapter in our long and meaningful relationship with the club, which includes eight upcoming championships, and we could not be more excited to stage the U.S. Junior Amateur there next summer.”

With eight USGA championships on the schedule in the next 29 years, Oakland Hills Country Club is proud to be a major host in the region’s sports landscape together with the NFL Draft and the NCAA Men’s Final Four which will be coming to Detroit in 2024 and 2027 respectively.

The South Course, site of six U.S. Opens from 1924 through 1996, reopened in the summer of 2021 after a masterful restoration to the Donald Ross design by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. In Golf.com’s most recent World Top 100 courses listing, the South Course ranked 19th, up 53 spots from its 2019 ranking.

“As we continue to treasure our past, Oakland Hills looks forward to a central role in The Next 100 years of American sporting history.” Kostopoulos said. “We are excited to see the names that will be added to our list of champions that already includes Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Gene Littler and Padraig Harrington. We cannot wait to open our doors, welcoming back the many who have long celebrated Oakland Hills Country Club.”