Rees Jones, Inc.

Golf Course Design & Architecture

Rees Jones, Inc.
Oakland Hills Country Club (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Image: Oakland Hills Country Club (South)
Course Type
Private
Design Role
Renovation
(2004, 2006)
Co-Designers
Bryce Swanson, Keith Evans

Client Course Description

Founded in 1916, Oakland Hills Country Club has, and will continue to play a significant role in the history of golf in the United States. Walter Hagen, five time PGA Champion, was the club’s first head professional. The South Course has played host to 16 Major Championships. Some of the greatest players ever to play the game including Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Ben Hogan have competed and won on the famed South Course, also known as “The Monster”. The membership is proud of the heritage of their club and consider themselves stewards of a national golf treasure.

Designer Notes

In the case of this venerable ‘monster’, we brought my father’s 1951 redesign into the 21st century, yet blended our changes into his style. We added 16 championship tees that made the course 350 yards longer, and relocated and added several fairway and greenside bunkers. We narrowed most of the fairways. This work was done in preparation for the 2004 Ryder Cup and the 2008 PGA Championship.

Course Photos

Site Visit Photos

Historical Photos

Tournaments

Tournament Year(s)
PGA Championship 2008
Ryder Cup 2004
U.S. Amateur 2002, 2016

Awards

Award Publication
Top 100 Courses in the World and U.S. Golf Magazine
America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses (Annually. Highest ranking #8 in 2003) Golf Digest
Top 100 Classic Courses Golfweek

News

Headline Date
Oakland Hills Architects August 25, 2016
2016 Season Brings Top Players to 13 Compelling Rees Jones-Designed Courses January 26, 2016
Oakland Hills Country Club Selected As Site Of 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship July 21, 2011

More Information

For more information about Oakland Hills Country Club (South), please visit the course’s website.