Rees-toration of Oakland Hills Update

Thanks to reader Noonan for this Jason Deegan story on the rees-storation of Oakland Hills, site of next year's PGA.

The $1.8 million renovation of the south course at Oakland Hills Country Club, famously dubbed “The Monster” by golf legend Ben Hogan after the 1951 U.S. Open, is nearing its completion.

Architect Rees Jones, hired by the Bloomfield Township club to protect par against the world's best players at the 2008 PGA Championship, has stretched the course more than 300 yards, repositioned fairway bunkers and narrowed fairways to fend off modern players who hit farther and more accurately than ever.

No, they just work out more than ever.

“This will be a significant story in the golf world for Oakland Hills to change,” said Ryan Cannon, the tournament director for the 2008 PGA Championship. “It is like being asked to improve upon the Mona Lisa.”

Well, let's just not say it's the first course to bastardize its architecture for a major championship event. Let's see, there was Oakland Hill in 19...oh.

The length of Oakland Hills ballooned to 7,446 yards from 7,099 yards with 15 new tees. At least 28 bunkers were repositioned or rebuilt and 14 more were added. Some fairway landing zones were shrunk to 22 yards wide. The par-5s at the No. 8 and No. 18 holes will play as par-4s for the tournament, giving the layout four par-4s of at least 490 yards. Only the par-3 third hole remains intact.

22 yards wide. Why not be the first uner 20?

Club officials worried about the course's integrity after seeing elite college players at the 2002 U.S. Amateur bomb tee shots over fairway bunkers and hit wedges to what used to be long, challenging par-4s.

“The members who have seen it so far are thrilled with it,” said Rick Bayliss Jr., Oakland Hills COO. “It is a major championship venue. Our resistance to scoring has always been the greens. With the lengthening, it is a knee-knocker now.”

The job was personal to Jones, who is based in Montclair, N.J. The storied career in golf architecture of his father, Robert Trent Jones Sr., was launched by his Oakland Hills remodeling work before the 1951 U.S. Open.

Ah here comes the quote to rub it in Bobby's face.

“This course meant the most to my father,” Jones said, and the chance to work on it was “the call I was waiting for my whole life,” he added.

“Oakland Hills is one of those wonderful rolling pieces of property where the holes fit like a glove,” said Jones, who has renovated seven U.S. Open courses and six PGA Championship sites. “When we made the changes, it was natural. If somebody blinked from 50 years ago to now, you wouldn't know we touched it.”

Jones said he tried to follow his father's blueprints. At the par-4 16th hole, the pond that has been the site of some of golf's historic moments was enlarged back toward the tee and tucked behind the green. The pond on the par-4 seventh also grew in size. A new tee can stretch the par-3 ninth to 257 yards if needed.

“I don't think it will ever be a monster again. These (pro golfers) are so good,” Jones said. “The game has changed. Oakland Hills is now right at the top of the list (of championship venues) with these advances.”

Well, for now anyway.

Comments

[Ryan.F]

By the sound of this article you would think RTJ designed this course.Obviously the thought of restoring one of Donald Ross's classic designs never crossed anyones mind.

[Scott S]

In fact, Ryan, by reading the article, I don't think you would even have guessed it was originally a Donald Ross design.

Or by looking at it.

[Mr Monte Carlo]

Are there any Major courses left that are not composite courses? Before you say Shinnecock, when is the next Major scheduled?

Oakmont? I really don't know much about it.

[adam]

$1.8 Million?

Didn't the city of San Fransico pay 15 times more for less work?

[John G]

"When we made the changes, it was natural. If somebody blinked from 50 years ago to now, you wouldn't know we touched it."

Other than the fact that all the tees have moved back, bunkers have been moved/added, the pond has changed, fairways have shrunk... Other than that, it's the EXACT same course as Daddy's! So before you blink, put on these special nostalgia glasses...

Oakland Hills didn't exist before 1951, right?

Jerk.

[Smolmania]

Are those the same glasses the old lady wears in the commercial (where her husband looks like a young stud through them)?

[Smolmania]

Are those the same glasses the old lady wears in the commercial (where her husband looks like a young stud through them)?

[JR]

Why don't committees thinking of hiring Rees Jones to "improve" their layouts just recruit the local adolescent vandals instead? They'll work for much less and the end product will be about the same.

[Tim]

Does anyone think that having the same designer (or his assistant) re-designing all these "Open/PGA" sites is the reason those Majors tend to be real yawners? I mean, Rees's personal philosophy is to combat longer play with tighter and tighter targets to hit to. It's gottent to the point that he is asking players to hit drives to a fairway as wide as a green! While some may believe that this is a good way to negate distance, I think it turns golf into bowling. "Line of Charm" R.I.P.

[GolfbloggerUK]

This year’s USPGA Championship is the most wide open in recent years - this is a direct result of Tiger Woods not taking part in the event due to injury.

The question everyone is asking, “Who is going to win this year’s USPGA Championship?”. Good question and I do not have the foggiest idea to be honest with you, but I will try and go with my wildcat ‘gut feel’ since the form books are all up in air!

England’s Lee Westwood, has been widely tipped in the media. He is swinging really well and is back to the sort of form which made him European Number 1. the same cannot be said who is not swinging it well and seems to be ‘off the boil’ at the moment.

I agree he is spanking it well out there and is hitting a lot of greens in regulation but the ‘chink in the armour’ is his putting. Will it stand up to the pressure of trying to win his first major? Like Sergio ‘El Nino’ (pronounced El NinYo) Garcia, this is an area that seems to fold under pressure, but I would like to see Westwood or Garcia win.

What’s stopping them or any other European from winning the USPGA for that matter? Well it is a tough ask - No European has won the USPGA since Scottish-born Tommy Armour managed the feat back in 1930.

As for Ernie Els, he seems to be making up the number these days and does not seem to have recovered from injury and the kamikaze like shot which resulted in an eight on the 72nd hole to gift a European Tour event to his nearest rival earlier in the season. The same could be said for fellow-South African Retief Goosen, who like Els, has been out of sorts this season.

World Number 2 Phil Mickelson will be seen to be favourite but I would not like to put my hard earned cash on whether the lefty is going to blow hot or cold. If it comes down to having cojones my money would be on the likes of Kenny Perry also from the USA who resembles a pit bull terrier coming down the stretch.

We have the ‘new kids on the block’ such as Anthony Kim, Camilo Villegas and Hunter Mahan, who also seem to have a bright future ahead of them but this may not be their ‘time’.

Open Champion Padraig Harrington has shown he has what it takes to win more than one major around tough golf courses and has won in the States and should be a serious contender.

KJ Choi folded at the Open but this type of course could be more suite to his game than a traditional links course.

VJ Singh has returned to form with a win at Firestone last weekend at the WGC-Bridgestone event and cannot be ruled out of the equation if current form is anything to go by.

The tenacity of Australian’s Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby and Geoff Ogilvy will be required to grind it around Oakland Hills golf course, Michigan and I believe Ogilvy, already with a major to his name, is best equipped to win this major out of the Oz contingent.

As I said at the outset, it is the most open USPGA Championship in recent years. Personally, I feel Sergio Garcia has the all-round game to win a major if his putting can stand the test. I feel it is only a matter of time before he wins a major and my tip for the week is the Spaniard. Here’s hoping we see a spectacle of golf and may the best man win!

The Ed., GolfbloggerUK