Patti Engineering Insight

My office is a twenty minute drive to Oakland Hills Country Club which has two great courses. The North Course, a par 70, 6,660 yard gem, is ranked #19 by Golf Digest in the State of Michigan. The South Course, a beast at 7,445 (par 70), is Ranked #17 in the United States (#2 in Michigan) by Golf Digest.

Oakland Hills was designed by Donald Ross in 1918. When it opened, Walter Hagen was the first club pro. The Club had a major redesign in 1951 when Robert Trent Jones beefed up the course for the the 1951 US Open. Recently, Rees Jones, his son, has lengthened the course from 6,974 yards (1996 US Open) to 7,445 yards. The list of Major Championships held at Oakland Hills rivals that of any course in the country:

• 1922 Western Open – Mike Brady
• 1924 U.S. Open – Cyril Walker
• 1937 U.S. Open – Ralph Guldahl
• 1951 U.S. Open – Ben Hogan
• 1961 U.S. Open – Gene Littler
• 1972 PGA Championship – Gary Player
• 1979 PGA Championship – David Graham
• 1981 U.S. Senior Open – Arnold Palmer
• 1985 U.S. Open – Andy North
• 1991 U.S. Senior Open – Jack Nicklaus
• 1996 U.S. Open – Steve Jones
• 2002 U.S. Amateur – Ricky Barnes
• 2004 Ryder Cup – Team Europe
• 2008 PGA Championship

I have played each course at Oakland Hills once. I played The South Course about 2 weeks after I shot 94 at Bethpage Black. We were to play the Blue Tees (6,819 yards, par 72, slope 133) which rated easier than Bethpage Black, and I was excited at the possibility of busting 90 on the South Course!

I can’t remember my exact score that day, but it was somewhere in the 110’s.  The rough at Oakland Hills is like no other. It completely sucks up your ball and hitting out of it is like launching a marble out of steel wool. The greens have undulations and breaks that you swear defy physics, and if you do read a break right, good luck judging the speed as you feel like you are putting on the hood of your car.

The 16th Hole is the signature hole at Oakland Hills. In 1972 Gary Player hit a miraculous 9-iron from under a willow tree over the pond to about 4 feet to make a birdie. If you push your drive at all, you are in the Hazard. The big boys need to club down as you run out of fairway at 270 yards. Your iron shot must be accurate, as pushing it will put you in the Hazard, and pulling it puts you in bunkers. Hitting out of the Bunkers is extremely dangerous as the green slopes towards the water.

If you come to my area and get an invite to Oakland Hills, I would suggest 2 things:

• Invite me along as I want another crack at the South!
• Try to get through the 16th hole without dropping one in the pond  (I am o for 1).

See you there!