Tyler Rae to renovate Detroit Golf Club-Donald Ross, 1916

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From  https://www.firstcallgolf.com:
Michigan’s  Detroit Golf Club will go under the knife after its membership and board approved a renovation masterplan from architect Tyler Rae.
Both the North course, which has played host to the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Classic since 2019, and the South course were designed by Donald Ross in 1916. Since then, a variety of architects have tweaked the layouts. Rae will endeavor to infuse the Ross characteristics that defined the courses when they opened.
Executing the plan won’t happen until after the North course has hosted the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June 2025. Within this $16.1 million first phase, Rae and the club will address golf course features including greens, tees, fairways, bunkers and trees, together with a comprehensive overhaul of the drainage and irrigation systems.
As Detroit Golf Club is a special place with a celebrated history, we are extremely honored to be spearheading its golf course restoration which will incorporate many facets of Donald Ross’s bold original design including hummocks and mounds, angled drainage ditches and perched greens," Rae said.

[Mike Schott]

Good news. While I'm not nearly as well versed as most here, after seeing DCG during the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the course looks like any modern parkland golf course. Nondescript bunkering and placement for sure and just a bit of interesting green contouring. I'd never guess they are a Ross courses.

[Pierre_C]

Video of every hole at Detroit GC.


https://youtu.be/vh09K0f2gK0?si=mKmX15DbxoB16sxt

[Ryan Taylor]

Good news. While I'm not nearly as well versed as most here, after seeing DCG during the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the course looks like any modern parkland golf course. Nondescript bunkering and placement for sure and just a bit of interesting green contouring. I'd never guess they are a Ross courses.

The North green complexes aren't as good as their sister course (South) but I find them interesting. They aren't OH South or Grosse Ile good but certainly above average. The routing is actually pretty cool once you get to know the land features. The uphill Par 3 3rd, the short Par 4 6th and downhill Par 3 7th (member routing) are all really fun golf holes laid across some subtle land movement.

[jeffwarne]

$16.1 million "first phase" doesn't even raise eyebrows anymore.
Second phase?



Things must be good in the Motor City

[Charlie Goerges]

Photo from the 1920s:


Detroit Golf Club 1920s reduced by goerges_family, on Flickr

[Adam Lawrence]

I'm still trying to get to the bottom of what role Colt had in the creation of DGC. We know he visited in May 1913 and proposed a 36 hole routing on the parcel of land the club would finally acquire the next year, but we can't be sure whether the courses eventually built by Ross in 1916 followed that routing or whether it was a new one done by Ross.