Oakland Hills opens new clubhouse, 4 years after century-old wooden structure was lost in fire

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich (AP) — Oakland Hills Country Club has opened a stately, steel structure to replace its century-old clubhouse that was destroyed by fire four-plus years ago. The clubhouse overlooks the South Course, which Ben Hogan called “The Monster” after winning the 1951 U.S. Open. The clubhouse is the centerpiece of a project that cost nearly $100 million and it looks a lot like the previous facility, with 10 pillars on a veranda. “What stands behind me is new, but what it represents is timeless,” Oakland Hills general manager Marc Ray said Monday while standing in front of the Hogan Lounge, a dark-paneled room that leads to a cocktail bar. “This clubhouse was not simply rebuilt. It was reimagined with intention, guided by history, and inspired by the generations who came before us. “It feels familiar because it was meant to.” Oakland Hills has hosted six U.S. Opens and is scheduled for a seventh in 2034. The club about 20 miles from Detroit has hosted a slew of other significant professional and amateur events, including three PGA Championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup. The club has created a new way of honoring champions from its past, building glassed-in cases with photos, clubs, shoes and other mementos. The cases celebrate players such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Andy North, who in 1985 won his second U.S. Open at Oakland Hills. About 10 valued artifacts were lost in the fire and the inventory was rebuilt thanks to support from former players such as Nicklaus and auctions. Surveillance camera footage shows maintenance workers using a propane torch before the blaze that ravaged the clubhouse. The new clubhouse was part of a project that includes a new greens and grounds facility, a practice area and infrastructure improvements. \\\_ AP golf: