Bloomfield Hills, MI
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills began in 1916 with a group of Detroit businessmen determined to establish a new golf club outside the city. Its early story joins the expansion of metropolitan Detroit to a membership that soon supported two courses and a national championship.4
- Location
- Bloomfield Hills, MI
- Courses
- 2 courses
- Club website
- Visit website
A Club built beyond Detroit
Joseph Mack and Norval Hawkins brought friends and associates together at the Detroit Athletic Club on October 17, 1916. Donald Ross visited the property early the following year. The institution therefore preceded the South Course’s opening, rather than taking its founding date from the first round played there.4
The Club hired Walter Hagen as its first professional in 1918. He won the 1919 U.S. Open while representing Oakland Hills, then left the professional’s post in 1920. Meanwhile, the membership’s new clubhouse, designed by Detroit theatre architect C. Howard Crane, was completed in 1922.41
Championship golf soon became a recurring part of Club life. Cyril Walker won its first U.S. Open in 1924; later visitors included U.S. Senior Open champions Arnold Palmer in 1981 and Jack Nicklaus in 1991. The 2004 Ryder Cup added an international team competition to that record.2
A February 2022 fire destroyed much of the clubhouse. Members approved a rebuilding programme funded through insurance, assessments and dues. By July 2024, the steel framework was complete, an early milestone in replacing the building while the Club continued preparing for national championship golf.3
Courses
Follow each course for its scorecard, design history, and sources.
Championships
Results and dates 9 editions
U.S. Open
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Cyril Walker
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Ralph Guldahl
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Ben Hogan
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Gene Littler
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Andy North
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Steve Jones
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PGA Championship
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Gary Player
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David Graham
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Padraig Harrington
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Continue through the archive
Follow the course and the people behind it.
View all 5 architects
Sources and editorial notes10 references
Sources for this story
- History Oakland Hills Country Club
1916-1924; 1933; 1967-1969; 2013; 2019-2024 timeline entries.
Consulted 2026-09-15 - Fast Facts for 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur USGA
Venue table; opening dates; North stroke-play co-host; notable past events.
Consulted 2026-09-15 - Oakland Hills’ Rebuilt Clubhouse on Pace for 2026 Grand Opening USGA
2022 fire; membership-approved reconstruction. Planned opening is not treated as verified completion.
Consulted 2026-09-15 - 2016 U.S. Amateur Fact Sheet USGA
Oakland Hills History: 1916 founding meeting and Hagen tenure.
Consulted 2026-09-15
Record sources
- Club mark source
- Hanse Golf Course Design restoration record
- 2026 PGA Championship Media Guide The official Media Guide directly enumerates the 90th playing, champion, site, and its year-page date span. The recorded venue and champion preserve the official PGA Championship History entry’s published text.
- PGA Championship host record The 2008 PGA record names Oakland Hills. The host Club is verified; the exact course and routing used for this edition have not been confirmed.
- 2026 USGA Championships Media Guide - U.S. Open The official 2026 USGA Championship Record Book directly enumerates the completed 1996 Championship, champion, explicit date span, and site in Championship Results: 1895 to 2025. The recorded champion and site preserve the higher-resolution register text. The current official U.S. Open Champions table independently confirms the year, champion, and site.
- USGA championship host record Dated USGA host wording Oakland Hills C.C. (South Course), Bloomfield Hills, Mich. is explicitly reconciled to Oakland Hills Cc in Bloomfield Hills, MI. The dated South Course qualifier resolves to the existing Oakland Hills Cc - South Course owned by this Club. Host and competition dates: www.usga.org