Oakland Hills Country Club, otherwise known as “The Monster,” is completing a beast of a renovation project on its historic Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, property.
“When I drive down West Maple now and I look at that maintenance facility, it’s like, holy cow, what is about to transpire here? And that’s really exciting every day,” director of agronomy Phil Cuffare says.
The “iconic and elite” South Course, as Cuffare describes it, has hosted 17 major championships over the years. Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus have won at Oakland Hills, where Tiger Woods watched his son compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship this past July.
Cuffare’s team understands project mode. The South Course renovation, completed in 2021, included significant tree removal, vast increases in fairway sizes and new bunker positions. A PrecisionAire system was also installed to help maintain greens in Michigan heat and cold.
The “Next 100 Project” will add a new replica clubhouse and a new maintenance building for Cuffare’s team. A fire took down the famed clubhouse in February 2022, and the club has survived and adapted without it since. The clubhouse project started Dec. 19, 2023, and the new structure is set to open in spring 2026.
For Cuffare and his team, the constant construction has been a challenge — but nothing they can’t handle. The challenge, after all, keeps Cuffare going. “Being challenged is part of who I am,” he says. “I love being challenged. And I think the day that I’m not challenged will probably be my last day.”
With the addition of a new maintenance building, Cuffare says it will bring an opportunity for more organization, safety and community. “It’s kind of always been our mantra, no matter where I’ve worked, it doesn't really matter,” Cuffare says. “The facility doesn’t matter. But so many of the people that are in the facility is what matters. I think it will be a good environment for a lot of people to be proud of and to do a lot of good things out of. So, essentially, it should be a lot better than what it is right now, and we’re excited, and I think crew morale will be at an all-time high.”
Kelsie Horner is Golf Course Industry's assistant editor
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