The landmark clubhouse of Oakland Hills Country Club was severely damaged in a fire that raged through the day and into the night in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.
According to mlive.com, the clubhouse, which was erected in 1922, experienced “severe damage.” The fire, which started about 9 a.m. local time, caused no injuries, and the cause has yet to be identified.
“For Oakland Hills, today is a heartbreaking day. While we are confident that no members or staff were injured, we have lost our famous clubhouse, which contained our history and our place in Michigan, as well as the United States and internationally,” stated Oakland Hills president Rick Palmer.
Six US Opens, three PGA Championships, two US Senior Opens, and the 2004 Ryder Cup have all been played on the South Course at Oakland Hills. It will host the US Women’s Open in 2031 and 2042 after undergoing a two-year makeover that began in 2019.
“The history of the club comes to mind first.” “You can restore buildings, but you can’t rebuild the memorabilia that they could have lost,” Andy North, the 1985 U.S. Open champion at Oakland Hills, said. “With the exhibitions of champions and titles they’ve had, that building is a major part of our golf history.”
Despite the fact that much of the clubhouse structure was damaged, firefighters were able to preserve several artifacts from within the clubhouse, including precious memorabilia, according to mlive.com.
