(WXYZ) — Oakland Hills Country Club will get two U.S. Opens in the next 30 years, the United States Golf Association announced.
The announcement between the golf club and the USGA came Tuesday morning. The U.S. Opens will happen in 2034 and 2051, according to the USGA.
There were also several other USGA championships announced coming to the club in Bloomfield Township, including the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Girls Junior Amateur. That's on top of two U.S. Women's Opens that have already been announced.
“We could not be happier to bring six additional championships to such an iconic venue as Oakland Hills,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “Since its first U.S. Open in 1924, Oakland Hills has provided a supreme test for the game’s very best, and it will continue to do so for professionals and amateurs alike in the coming years.”
Oakland Hills has worked with the USGA for decades, and the recent fire that destroyed the clubhouse will not have a negative effect on the scheduling of the events. Club members are confident the rebuild will be complete before the US Open championships arrive.
The first championship will be the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2024, followed by the U.S. Women's Amateur in 2029. The U.S. Women's Open will happen in 2031 and 2042, and the U.S. Amateur is scheduled for 2047. The U.S. Girls Junior Amateur will be in 2038.
“This is a significant and meaningful day for all of us at Oakland Hills,” Club President Rick Palmer said in a statement. “The commitment of two U.S. Opens as well as four top amateur championships is a testament to the fabulous work of everyone at Oakland Hills. With a total of eight USGA championships coming to our club starting in 2024, we can’t wait to add to our storied history. We look forward to continuing our championship golf tradition at Oakland Hills and our long-standing relationship with the USGA.”
The club's famous South Course just underwent a 2-year restoration bringing it back to what the Donald Ross-designed course was like in the past.
The course restoration, led by architect Gil Hanse, took 21 months. The plans called for the removal of approximately 150 trees and many bunkers, although they've added sand to other bunkers and extended the size of every green. The vision was to take the course back to the original plans of Donald Ross, while also taking necessary steps to handle the world's best golfers of today.
"We have new greens. The course is beautiful. It's stunning. It's emotional for me because I've been here so long," Oakland Hills head professional Steve Brady said. "We're excited about it for sure."
