Detroit Golf Club

[Duncan Betts]

I'm heading to Detroit at the end of this year as part of a working group who is studying the architecture within the 'forgotten city' and to assist with the restoration work of some of the abandoned houses and buildings.

A colleague in the US has been kind enough to organise a series of games at some fantastic clubs, but one that popped up intrigued me more than any of them and that was Detroit Golf Club.  A brief bit of research tells me it has 2 x Donald Ross designed tracks and is a very old club with what may be a rich history?

However, there doesn't seem to be much info out there about the club and it's courses, and given its location in Detroit - this is no surprise!

I can't recall it featuring in any rankings lists of any kind, or ever hearing about it at all.

Interested in the views of those that have been there and played it, not just of the course but of the club itself.  It does appear to have a grand old clubhouse (designed by Albert Khan no less!), which always interests me (being an architect) and to be honest, I'm embarassed to say I'm almost as excited about seeing some of the clubhouses in the US as I am the courses, being a tragic architecture nerd!

[mark chalfant]

Duncan

The South course at Dertroit GC is worthy of study it is compact but there are some charming elevated green complexes on the course.  The club house has comfortable  elegance. But the club buildings at CC of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms, and  Franklin Hills are not be missed. Franklin Hills, by the master Albert Kahn is an especially beautiful neo medieval gem.


for golf designs, close to the ravaged city, be sure to play Rogell and Plum Hollow

[john_stiles]

Duncan,

I'm sure you are aware but for the others,  one good reference for club house architecture is Clifford Wendehack's book,  Golf and Country Clubs, 1929.

The book illustrates  Kahn's plans for Detroit Golf Club.  

Plans, sketches, and photographs are provided for many other club houses as well as Wendehack's detailed discussions of the needs of a fine club house.

[DMoriarty]

Given the purpose of your trip you might find interesting the following 1926 American Golfer article titled The Most Valuable Golf Course: The Real Estate of the Detroit Golf Club is Valued at over $21,000,000.

http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/AmericanGolfer/1926/ag301i.pdf

[Jeff_Mingay]

Duncan,

The work you're doing in Detroit sounds very interesting. Having grown up in the area, I'd be interested to hear more.

Detroit Golf Club is definitely worth a visit. It's a neat, historic club, in what has become a somewhat bizarre location in the heart of the city. Great clubhouse, too. As Mark says, the clubhouses at Franklin Hills and CC of Detroit are must-sees as well. And, Franklin Hills is an exceptional Donald Ross-designed course... not far from Oakland Hills.

My home club (Essex G&CC), across the river in Windsor, Ontario, features a neat, old clubhouse that was built along with a solid Ross-designed course in 1929, too.

Plum Hollow is probably the most under-rated course in the area. It's a really good golf course, designed by Hugh Alison, located just off the now infamous 8 Mile Road... back when Colt and Alison kept an office in the Penobscot Building, in Detroit.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Given the purpose of your trip you might find interesting the following 1926 American Golfer article titled The Most Valuable Golf Course: The Real Estate of the Detroit Golf Club is Valued at over $21,000,000.

http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/AmericanGolfer/1926/ag301i.pdf

How times change...

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting the link.

[Bradley Anderson]

You won't find a better men's grill room anywhere in the country. The Horton Smith Room is absolutely the best. Horton Smith, the first man to win the Masters, was the pro there for many years.

[Sean_A]

Duncan

Detroit is loaded with outstanding commercial architecture from 1890ish to 1925ish.  One building to make time for is the National Theater.  

I would also say that some residential districts are also well worth a look; Indian Village on the east side, Boston-Edison due north up Woodward; and Palmer Woods (Park) a mile or so further north up Woodward.  If you are playing Detroit GC seeing Palmer Park is easy because its all the same estate.  Boston-Edison is just down the road so well worth a look.

None of these are big neigbourhoods so taking them in won't be overly time consuming unless you are looking at a lot of detail.  All of these neighbourhoods have totally varied architecture which is remarkable to see in this day and age of 3-5 plans in an estate.  

Ciao

[George Freeman]

Detroit Golf Club is a great club.  There is a great membership of serious golfers (often referred to the "players" club - there is a board in the men's locker room with every member's current index), a big beautiful old club house with an amazing locker room and men's grill, great food, fantastic staff, etc.  Not to mention they treat there employees like family.  I could keep going...  The beautiful mansions that litter the peripheral of the course hint back to the better times in the area (that article is amazing btw).

As has been mentioned, there are two courses: the par-72 North and the par-68 South course.  The North is the "championship" course, and plays every bit like one.  The course still feels and looks like a Ross, but tree growth and perhaps the pursuit of fairness have taken some of the original design characteristics and intrigue out of the picture.  Still a fun course, but it would be interesting to see what Ross originally had there, especially seeing the South.  The South is a great little course, although it doesn't necessarily play as small as the par would suggest.  I've been told this course was altered much less than the North, and it shows.  More cool unique greens, more bunkers directly in the line of play, just more quirk in general make the South a great day.

Don't pass up a chance to spend a day here.  You won't regret it.

[Duncan Betts]

I'll be in the US for close enough to 2 months, with 1 month being spent exclusively in Detroit.  Sounds like I might spend plenty of time at DGC.

Thanks also for the private messages from those of you also interested in architecture and Detroit, as well as the informative posts in this thread.  It's nice to know my love of built form architecture is not unique on this site.

I'm especially looking forward to sampling some Khan genius, as well as the beauty of so many abandoned 'mansions' in the inner parts of Detroit, and the forrmer residences of Henry Ford I've heard/read so much about.  I may also head over to the Big House for a look, can't hurt having a population made up of 40% college students to make a town attractive for a travelling twenty something

[Brian Cenci]

Duncan,
     I've played both the North and South and I think that if you post something about a golf course and more posts come back about the architecture of the club house that should tell you about the golf.  The North Course is an average typical "old city" country club.  Tree overgrowth is pretty bad and shows very little resemblence to anything Donald Ross might have created.  The South Course is a better and the greens on the south haven't been as destroyed over time.  Part of the problem with the North Course is that they have tried to lengthen it and make it more of a championship test....thus taking away probably alot of the orginal character of the course.  I agree completely about the clubhouse, overall club "feel" and quality of golfers at the club....all very true.
     One of the big problems with golf in Detroit is to be honest there isn't a whole lot of quality options for public play and the REALLY good privates are a tough access for most.  In the last year or so I've gotten a chance to hit some of the lesser known privates and there is some good golf there as well.  Plum Hollow isn't bad...maybe check out Orchard Lake CC instead though.  Tam O'Shanter and Meadowbrook are a few other solid options and Bloomfield Hills CC is a treat as well.

[Mike Schott]

Sorry to bump an old thread but it looks like the PGA Tour is coming back to SE Michigan and more specifically will play in the City of Detroit at the Detroit Golf Club.


https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/golf/2018/04/23/pga-tour-close-finalizing-detroit-tournament/34170835/

I think it's great but my first question is how are they going to pull this off in one year? The North course is 7003 yards from the Championship tees. These guys will tear up a course that short. I've not played DCG but is there room to add a few hundred yards and can they bring the course to PGA standards in one year?

[Terry Lavin]

Sorry to bump an old thread but it looks like the PGA Tour is coming back to SE Michigan and more specifically will play in the City of Detroit at the Detroit Golf Club.


https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/golf/2018/04/23/pga-tour-close-finalizing-detroit-tournament/34170835/

I think it's great but my first question is how are they going to pull this off in one year? The North course is 7003 yards from the Championship tees. These guys will tear up a course that short. I've not played DCG but is there room to add a few hundred yards and can they bring the course to PGA standards in one year?

Saw this elsewhere. Great news for a great city, reborn.

[Mike Schott]

There has been little discussion on the modifications being made to the Detroit Golf Club to make it viable for the PGA Tour. The tournament is in 6 weeks. Here's an article from the Detroit News that discusses the hybrid layout of the 2 courses and the yardage added.


https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/2018/09/12/detroit-golf-club-play-7-300-yards-pga-tour-stop-here-complete-renovation-details/1282584002/

[Tom_Doak]

My former associate Bruce Hepner has been working with Detroit Golf Club for +/- 20 years, but the article does not mention whether he has been in charge of changes for the tournament, or whether the PGA TOUR design office bumped him aside.  I will have to find out which it was once I get home.

[DFarron]

Born and raised in the Motor City, it has a great collection of old golf clubs and courses. DGC is a gem!I'm glad to hear that you are part of restoring a town that is near and dear to my heart.
If you can get a round in at Orchard Lake, it is one of my all time favorites.

[DFarron]

Duncan,

The work you're doing in Detroit sounds very interesting. Having grown up in the area, I'd be interested to hear more.

Detroit Golf Club is definitely worth a visit. It's a neat, historic club, in what has become a somewhat bizarre location in the heart of the city. Great clubhouse, too. As Mark says, the clubhouses at Franklin Hills and CC of Detroit are must-sees as well. And, Franklin Hills is an exceptional Donald Ross-designed course... not far from Oakland Hills.

My home club (Essex G&CC), across the river in Windsor, Ontario, features a neat, old clubhouse that was built along with a solid Ross-designed course in 1929, too.

Plum Hollow is probably the most under-rated course in the area. It's a really good golf course, designed by Hugh Alison, located just off the now infamous 8 Mile Road... back when Colt and Alison kept an office in the Penobscot Building, in Detroit.

Love Essex....saw the '76 Canadian Open there, I think Crenshaw won....

[Mike Schott]

Are any GCA members attending the Rocket Mortgage tournament this week in Detroit? My son and I will be there Saturday.

[Daryl David]

Are any GCA members attending the Rocket Mortgage tournament this week in Detroit? My son and I will be there Saturday.

Is he willing to cross a teamster’s picket line?


https://www.freep.com/story/sports/golf/2019/06/24/detroit-pga-tour-strike-rocket-mortgage-classic/1540437001/

[Mike Schott]

Are any GCA members attending the Rocket Mortgage tournament this week in Detroit? My son and I will be there Saturday.

Is he willing to cross a teamster’s picket line?


https://www.freep.com/story/sports/golf/2019/06/24/detroit-pga-tour-strike-rocket-mortgage-classic/1540437001/

I already paid for the tickets and parking so yes.

[Mike Sweeney]

1. The golf course. Hosted at Detroit Golf Club, the tournament will be an outlier on the Tour, played on a classic Donald Ross design, as opposed to the tailored confines of the Tour’s many TPC courses.
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https://theathletic.com/1044406/2019/06/24/how-to-raise-the-field-for-a-newborn-pga-tournament/


Interesting article on making the sausage of a PGA Tour event. The course looks like another Donald Ross course that I would love, but with -30 a possibility and listed at 7300 yards, it seems like it will be targeted for an upgrade?


Thoughts from those attending this week?

[Mike Schott]

I attended yesterday. I did not see the entire course, watching mostly back nine play. My take is that the green complexes make the course. Lots of green contour. Pin positions were benign. Fairways are wide. 14 is a medium length par 5 with a large pond that could eat shots short left of the green. I saw a lot of layups on that hole.


Overall it looks like a course I’d love to play as it’s strategic to tee shot placement. It’s not difficult. Keep in mind it’s a composite course, using a few holes from the shorter South course.

[Mike Bodo]

I attended yesterday. I did not see the entire course, watching mostly back nine play. My take is that the green complexes make the course. Lots of green contour. Pin positions were benign. Fairways are wide. 14 is a medium length par 5 with a large pond that could eat shots short left of the green. I saw a lot of layups on that hole.


Overall it looks like a course I’d love to play as it’s strategic to tee shot placement. It’s not difficult. Keep in mind it’s a composite course, using a few holes from the shorter South course.

I attended the Rocket Mortgage Classic Friday and agree with your take on the green complexes. I followed Rickie Fowler's group the front-nine and then walked over to the Lending Tree Pavilion behind 16 green and watched about 12 groups play through and tee off 17. The fairways are virtually flat as pancakes and with them being somewhat dry, they ran a lot leaving the long ball hitters a lot of flip wedges to greens on the Par 4's and made two of the three Par 5's reachable in two. With the fairways being as wide and hard as they were the greens were the courses only line of defense due to their undulation and slope. One could argue they're Un-Rossian given the amount of undulation there was compared to say Oakland Hills and Inverness. There were some wicked pin placements for sure, but there's only so much they can do setup-wise to fend off the pros from going low. Had most of the big guns been there for the tournament 30 under par probably would have won. As it was, of the marquee players who did show up, i.e. Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Gary Woodland and Rickie Fowler, only the latter made the cut. The organizers did a great job putting on the event year-one and it was very well attended. In fact, Saturday and Sunday's rounds were sold out. However, if the few big names that did show up decide next year not to, the tournament will eventually lose support and interest amongst the SE Michigan golfing public, which would be a shame.


Because of the amount of space required to even host a PGA Tour event nowadays, you're limited to having them played on a modern, single course large enough to accommodate the the hospitality pavilions, grandstands, merchandise tents, food vendors and side-show attractions or an old school club like DGC or Oakland Hills that's blessed with two courses to accommodate the above along with parking. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave a lot of options in the metro-Detroit area.

[Anthony Gholz]

I attended Friday and saw only the front side, which has 3-4 holes with some contour via sand ridges, ie 5, 8 and 9.  Having played both courses over a fifty year (+!) time frame it was fun to see the course set up to handle the crowds and try to handle the big boys.  The greens were definitely green.  No sheen even on the weekend via TV.  The greens are the only defense and, as Mike noted, the fairways (other than those mentioned above) are dead flat.  It was after all a farm and swamp.  left over land that Senator Palmer was willing to sell in the early part of the last century.  The ditches, ala Oakmont, were all Ross had to get a little contour.  For those who know Essex across the river you can see similar use of land.  The par 3s still the most fun with 5, 9, and 15 the best (although short).  The tournament was handled very well and no real snafus for a group that had less than 365 to figure it all out.  If they can get Palmer Park next door dry next year, and the much talked about practice and teaching facility built, it would be one of the great places for a golf fan to see a tournament.  Congrats to DGC on the first ever PGA event inside the city limits of Detroit.


Anthony

[Kalen Braley]

I watched on TV and that 18th hole grandstand configuration looked downright claustrophobic.

I know they gotta sell those pricey corporate badges, but that was beyond hideous....

The course otherwise looked pretty good, but i'm guessing without all the trees, it would have been an even bloodier slaughter in relation to par....