If you’re a golf fan and fancy the idea of whacking a little dimpled ball and chasing it for hours, Thursday was a sad day.
But if you’re a golf fan in Michigan, then Thursday was a devastating day because one of the pillars of the state’s extensive golfing community was brought to its knees.
Many watched in horror as live and recorded video and photos streamed across websites and social media while a massive fire tore through the iconic clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club, which stands as the shining jewel of championship golf in the Wolverine State.
Anyone who has attended a major at the famous South Course or has wrangled an invitation for a round of golf or a meal at the clubhouse understands what Oakland Hills and its stately and massive clubhouse means. It means nothing less than golf itself.
The most important factor by far is that no injuries were reported. Because that would have turned a day of devastating sadness into a day of unfathomable tragedy.
If you’ve never been to Oakland Hills or think this amounts to just a bunch of privileged rich people losing their fancy dining room, I can assure you it’s a lot more than that. It’s a place where families have gathered, where people have worked and where golf’s history has been written.
Club president Rick Palmer sounded tired while speaking on the phone late Thursday afternoon. He got a call from general manager Christine Pooler at 9:30 a.m. when the fire alarm was pulled and by 6 p.m. he was still assessing the damage and speaking with reporters. There was concern in his voice for the club’s roughly 750 total members who were suddenly displaced from their sanctuary.
“Oakland Hills to our membership is a family, it’s a second family,” he said. “It’s a very proud membership and that translates into our staff and into our leadership team. So the outpouring of devastation is certainly there, but the resolve of us getting through this and coming back better than ever is also there.”
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That resolve started with the fire crews who wouldn’t let anyone into the building to try to rescue the club’s extensive collection of golf memorabilia and artifacts. The fire crews asked where some of the memorabilia was located, then passed it out to club employees lined up to take each item.
“It’s a devastating, iconic loss,” Palmer said. “The clubhouse had so much memorabilia and so much history in terms of not only local but national golf events. So to that end, it’s a devastating day.
“But to the credit of our members and our resolve and our team we’re more committed than ever that this won’t affect any of that. Buildings, clubhouses will get rebuilt. But the memorabilia is something that’s the biggest concern. We have recovered some, but we don’t have any idea yet on percentages of what was recovered and what wasn’t.”
Palmer wasn’t sure about the extent of damage to the clubhouse, though it was clearly significant. The Free Press reported that the fire started in the attic and collapsed the roof, with one fire official calling it “almost a total loss.”
If it is a total loss, or even if most of the clubhouse has to be rebuilt, the big question will be what replaces it? An exact replica? A more modern look?
“We will get to that,” Palmer said. “There’s no question we’re going to rebuild bigger and better than ever.
“But in terms of timing and the architecture and what type, all that’s out in front of us. It really has to be what will we do for members temporarily for this coming golf season and undoubtedly next golf season. That’ll be the more immediate plan.”
The immediate future and how it affects members is the club’s more pressing concern. Palmer said the fire didn’t touch the South Course. The members’ summer golf season won’t be affected.
But there’s also another future, not so far in the distance, that concerns every golf fan in Michigan: The U.S. Open and its next two available dates in 2028 and ’29. After that, the next available date is 2031.
Last summer, the South Course reopened after a 21-month, $12-million restoration that changed the course from its traditional parkland look to an almost links-style venue that would facilitate gallery traffic and showcase a camera-ready course for a major.
It’s a touchy dance that Oakland Hills and hopeful venues do with the U.S. Golf Association when it comes to hosting its marquee event. Neither side openly advertises its explicit interest, but it’s clear Oakland Hills has done everything to land its seventh U.S. Open and its first since 1996.
“I can tell you that we’ve been in contact with the USGA today,” Palmer said. “They have expressed their overwhelming support of Oakland Hills. It certainly does not impact any of the two major announcements that have already come out in terms of the Women’s (Open in 2031 and 2042).
“And as far as the other things that you’re asking about, I really can’t comment other than to say I don’t think this is going to have an impact on those ongoing discussions, but that’s as far as I can go with that.”
For that small ray of hope, at least, we can be thankful on an otherwise dark day.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.