Country Club Destroyed by Fire in Bloomfield, Michigan

The historic clubhouse of the Oakland Hills Country Club has been almost completely destroyed after a massive fire broke out yesterday morning. The roof of the hundred-year-old building collapsed as flames ripped through the building throughout the day Thursday, with firefighters working through the evening and night to extinguish the flames.

No injuries were reported from the fire, the cause of which is still unknown. Police and fire remain on the scene Friday morning, with roads near the entrance closed off as they continue to respond to the incident.

The club has hosted a number of high-profile golf tournaments throughout its extensive history, including three PGA championships & six U.S. Opens. Professional golfers including Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have competed here. The clubhouse served as a repository for a wide variety of historic memorabilia and photographs, some of which firefighters were able to save while battling the flames Thursday.

Jack Nicklaus weighed in on the news of the clubhouse’s devastation Thursday, stating “Oakland Hills is one of those iconic golf clubs in America, and like many of our game’s most historic places, the clubhouse is as much a part of the story as the golf itself. I was fortunate in recent years to visit Oakland Hills several times, and each opportunity to return to that clubhouse reminded me of their storied history and legacy. It is a sad day for the membership, but also for the countless people, like me, who respect and appreciate Oakland Hills. They will be able to rebuild the clubhouse, but it will be difficult to replace the many memories lost today.”