Construction is set to begin on the new clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club later this year after the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees approved the plan and special land use permit for the new clubhouse.
The board unanimously approved the plan after more than an hour of discussion and presentations during the board's meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 11.
"We've worked diligently to get where we are today," Leo Savoie, who spoke on behalf of the club, said to the board. "I've had so many people ask why it's taking so long, and I tell people, 'you can't believe how complicated this is.'"
According to Savoie, the hope is for construction to begin in mid-November when crews will start putting in the foundation. He said the hope is to have it completed by the fourth quarter of 2025, but more realistically, April 2026, but they are shooting for the end of 2025.
Last month, renderings were revealed for the new clubhouse that showed it "will carefully replicate the former structure as closely as possible."
The plan also includes the re-purposing of the first tee building to be known as the Lifestyle Building and the building of a new greens and grounds facility.
According to documents, the new clubhouse will be 110,236 square feet. See the renderings below.
Renderings of new Oakland Hills Clubhouse by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
The original, historic clubhouse caught on fire and burned down on Feb. 17, 2022.
The club underwent a two-year restoration on its famed South Course and reopened the course in the summer of 2021. It's hosted 17 major championships including six U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships, plus the 2004 Ryder Cup. It's last major was the 2008 PGA Championship.
Oakland Hills is set to host the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Open, plus the 2031 and 2042 U.S. Women's Open, as well as several USGA amateur championships.
