Oakland Hills Country Club, Set to Host U.S. Women’s Open, Catches Fire

Michigan’s Oakland Hills Country Club, which has hosted a multitude of major golf tournaments and was selected as the setting for two upcoming U.S. Women’s Opens, went up in flames Thursday morning.

Two local fire departments were called to help control the fire in the property’s clubhouse, which was still blazing as of Thursday afternoon. The fire’s cause is not yet known and no injuries have been reported so far. The historic building, located in Bloomfield Township, contains “irreplaceable” memorabilia from the approximately 100 years it had been hosting golf tournaments, according to the Associated Press.

A spokesperson from the Bloomfield Township Fire Department told Detroit news station WJBK the fire, which started around 10 a.m., was so massive all the firefighters from the department and additional firefighters from the Southfield Fire Department are at the scene.

The fire started in the clubhouse’s attic, eventually causing the roof to collapse. Early reports said much of the central part of the historic building had been destroyed. This is where the main dining room and a ballroom that the club used for large events are located.

The country club is set to host the U.S. Women’s Open in 2031 and 2042 on its “legendary” South Course, The Detroit News reported. These tournaments would be the first large-scale championships held at the club since it reopened in 2021 after a $12.1 million restoration effort. The 2031 event would also be the first women’s tournament the club has hosted since 1929.

Oakland Hills, first founded in 1916, finished building its clubhouse in 1922—the same year it hosted the Western Open, which at the time was considered a major championship, according to the club’s website. It went on to host its first U.S. Open just two years later.

In a statement to The Detroit News, John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer for the U.S. Golf Association, said the organization has been in touch with the club’s staff and is “relieved to hear that no one was injured.”

“Along with so many others in the golf community, we have special memories at this storied venue and look forward to making more in the coming years,” he said. “We will support the club wherever possible in this rebuilding process.”

Members of the club, which usually charges $8,400 or more in fees and dues every year, have expressed their sadness over the club’s destruction. Greg Kampe, a longtime member, told The Detroit News, “It’s hard to talk when you’re crying.”

“There’s so much history, so much wonder here,” club member Rebecca Robinson told local news station WDIV-TV.

Update 02/17/22, 3:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include comments from John Bodenhamer, Greg Kampe and Rebecca Robinson.

Update 02/17/22, 2:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with details about the fire and background information on the Oakland Hills Country Club’s history.