Few courses in the United States have a more storied championship history than Oakland Hills. This summer, the newly restored South Course and its sister North Course play host to the U.S. Junior Amateur. Three days later, it’s our turn. Club TFE gets to see both courses in championship condition, a good example of what’s to come in future U.S. Opens and U.S. Women’s Opens.

Event details

Date: Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Location: Oakland Hills Country Club – Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Cost: $1,800/person

Included in registration: 36 holes of golf (18 on South Course, 18 on North Course), caddie on South Course (gratuity included), breakfast, lunch,  post-golf cocktail reception, and all beverages throughout the day.

Club TFE Lottery: Completed

This event is limited to 32 people. With limited availability, we will be conducting a lottery to give everyone an equal chance. Entries will be accepted until 11:00 p.m. ET on March 29 and winners contacted on April 1.

Why you should see the two courses at Oakland Hills

The South Course – Originally designed by Donald Ross, the South Course at Oakland Hills spent decades known as “The Monster” after Robert Trent Jones altered it ahead of the 1951 U.S. Open. Jones pinched fairways and added bunkers, threes, and ponds. The redesign earned him the “Open Doctor” nickname, but it meant that Ross’s original work was lost. After 70 years and many major championships, the club voted to bring in Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner to restore Ross’s original design in hopes of attracting future major championships. Not only did the club succeed in its mission—Oakland Hills was awarded the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Opens as well as the 2031 and 2042 U.S. Women’s Open—but it also ended up with a significantly improved course.

Today’s South Course is still a burly test, but one that properly fits its landscape. Built on a wonderful piece of rolling land in the Detroit suburbs, the course’s features match the scale of the land. From the sprawling fairways to massive bunkers to expansive greens, the South Course is substantial in every sense of the word. It is championship golf, and it’s extraordinary. In July, we’ll have the rare chance to see the course in true championship condition. And when future major championships roll around, you will have memories of experiencing the full force of Oakland Hills South.

The North Course – Across the bridge, the par-70 North Course stands as a quintessential representation of American parkland golf. Celebrating its Centennial in 2024, the course boasts a unique history. Originally designed by Donald Ross along the same glacial moraine as the South Course, it was transformed into a public-fee course during the 1930s, partly due to the Great Depression. The surge of interest in the sport during the 1960s, propelled by legends like Palmer, Nicklaus, and Player, prompted the Club to bring it back under its membership umbrella and initiate a substantial redesign and renovation led by Robert Trent Jones Sr. More than fifty years later, with minor adjustments made along the way, it still bears the unmistakable imprint of Jones Sr.

In the area

Before you play the course, you may as well watch it in championship play. The U.S. Junior Amateur runs from July 22-27 with the championship match taking place on the South Course that Saturday.

What’s better than some summer baseball? The Tigers have a homestand against the Twins and Guardians in the days leading into our event.

Fried Egg Golf content on Oakland Hills Country Club

Fried Egg Stories: The Open Doctor and His Monster (Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3) – Garrett Morrison’s three-part series on Robert Trent Jones and his work at Oakland Hills is some of the best work we’ve ever done. In three podcasts, Garrett tells the story of RTJ, the South Course at Oakland Hills, and the 1951 U.S. Open.

No. 7, Before and After – A short instagram post, it doesn’t take long to understand how great the South Course restoration is for the property.

Schedule – July 30, 2024

7:00 a.m.  – Range open and available

8:00 a.m. – Shotgun start on South Course at Oakland Hills. Grab-and-go breakfast available on course.

12:15 p.m. – Lunch

1:00 p.m. – Shotgun start on the North Course at Oakland Hills

5:30 p.m. – Cocktail hour & strolling hors d’oeuvre reception

8:00 p.m. –  Departure

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Questions? Email us at events@thefriedegg.com