Image: GeorgeVezza – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Oakland Hills Country Club, whose 100-year-old Michigan clubhouse burned down in February, has received a momentous bit of good news. The club has been chosen to host two future U.S. Opens, in 2034 and 2051.
The 2034 Open will be the club’s seventh time hosting and its first since 1996. The United States Golf Association (USGA) made the announcement at the Detroit Athletic Club in March, with club president Rick Palmer, USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer, two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North and renowned golf course architect Gil Hanse in attendance. Hanse oversaw the recent $12.1 million restoration of the club’s South Course, which was instrumental in helping the club land the hosting job.
“Before the new equipment, this was one of the hardest golf courses in the world,” North said. “It’s one of the great courses, and it’s fantastic that it’s back in the U.S. Open rotation.”
The club was previously chosen to host the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2024, which is too soon for the new clubhouse to be completed. Rather than back down from the setbacks inflicted by the fire, the club and its members are eager to move forward.
“Our members said not only are we ready, we need it,” Palmer said. “We won’t have a clubhouse, but we are going to host the best U.S. Junior Amateur that’s ever been hosted.”