Country Club of Detroit

[Andrew Cunningham]

I've heard this course underwent some type of restoration last year (maybe the year before).  Has anyone played it before and since?  What are your thoughts?  Their website says most of the greens are original HS Colt's but I do not know anyone who has played there.  Pictures would be great.

Thanks,


Andrew

[TEPaul]

I played there a couple of times but it's been so long ago now I can't tell you much about it in the kind of detail people on this site would like. I remember it was a very fine golf course, though, and a wonderful club.

The subject of CC of Detroit came up this summer when I was at Crystal Downs. The guy I was staying with out there grew up at CC of Detroit and I was talking to long time Crystal Downs pro, Fred Mueller who is a great guy to talk to about anything, frankly, and certainly including golf and architecture. Fred can be really funny too.

He was telling me that even though he's always been interested in architecture, acting like one knows more than one does about it can get you in trouble sometimes.

Fred said he was the medalist one time in the US Open qualifier at the CC of Detroit and he had to go in front of the press because of that. Somebody in the press asked him what he thought of the CC of Detroit course and its architecture and Fred said he thought it was one of the finest Donald Ross courses he'd ever seen or played and that got reported.  

[Andrew Cunningham]

That is funny!  

[Andrew Cunningham]

Has no one really played here other than TEPaul???  Come on, with the depth of GCA experience on this board someone must have played their recently.  If not, perhaps the Country Club of Detroit is more exclusive than I first thought.

[Paul_Turner]

Andrew

I think the club web site may be wrong about this one.  I believe the original Colt course is long gone-the club moved.  The current course was built by CH Alison and had some major remodelling work by Trent Jnr.

[Ari Techner]

I played there about a year and a half ago I am not sure about weather this was before or after any renovation but there was no construction going on when I was there.  I was told it was a Colt/Alison design and RTJ had come in and redone the bunkering but had not altered the holes or routing in any meaningful way.  I really enjoyed the course I thought it was one of the better Detroit area clubs not quite up there with Oakland Hills South or Franklin Hills but better than pretty much all the rest.  

[wsmorrison]

The former head pro, Jay Horton, is now at Philadelphia Country Club.  I'll ask him if he has any information or knows anyone at the club who might.