Inside the course: Oakland Hills Country Club

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Oakland Hills Country Club has one of the most classic clubhouses in the country.

Aug. 6, 2008
By Jamie Batey, Special to PGATOUR.COM

Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., hosts the PGA Championship this week, the final major of the 2008 season. Here's all you need to know about the course:

Fast facts

Original Architects	Donald Ross and Walter Hagen
Yardage History	7,054 yards (1972)
	7,014 yards (1979)
	7, 060 yards (1979-1982)
	7,395 yards (present)
Course Tour	Click here

1996 Rankings

Most Difficult Hole

	The par-4 465-yard 18th This has been the most difficult hole in the history of Championship golf at Oakland Hills. Rees Jones has added 2 additional bunkers making a total of 7 bunkers protecting this dogleg right par four, the fairway slopes right to left making it difficult to hit. The long-iron second shot is slightly uphill to the shallowest green at Oakland Hills protected by four bunkers. A large mound through the center separates the green in to two small targets with the left being the most difficult. 2007: 0 eagles, 26 birdies, 240 pars, 221 bogeys, 30 double bogeys, 8 others.
Easiest hole in 2007
	The par-5 523-yard 2nd A birdie is very possible on this slight dogleg left par 5, if the player's drive can avoid the fairway bunkers that guard both sides of the fairway 250 to 320 yards from the tee. The green is protected in front by four bunkers and has a center crown that makes for a treacherous putting surface. The most difficult hole locations are back and middle right. 2004: 2007: 11 eagles, 188 birdies, 275 pars, 48 bogeys, 3 double bogeys and 0 other.

Oakland Hills CC (2007)			1996 rankings
Hole	Par	Yards	Avg. Score	Rank
1	4	435	4.263	7
2	5	529	4.703	18
3	3	198	3.057	15
4	4	446	4.103	14
5	4	490	4.290	5
6	4	387	3.958	16
7	4	449	4.198	10
8	4	491	4.253	8
9	3	257	3.394	2
10	4	462	4.290	5
11	4	423	4.118	13
12	5	593	4.790	17
13	3	191	3.137	12
14	4	501	4.370	3
15	4	401	4.160	11
16	4	406	4.202	9
17	3	238	3.339	4
18	4	498	4.535	1

Notes: For the 1996 season, Oakland Hills was the most difficult of the 53 courses played.
-Five of the holes (5th, 9th, 14th, 17th, 18th) on this course were among the 50 most difficult holes during that season of play.
-Four of the five most difficult holes are on the back nine of Oakland Hills CC.

Major championships held at Oakland Hills

Major	Winner	Score	Runner-up
1924 U.S. Open	Cyril Walker	297	Bobby Jones
1937 U.S. Open	Ralph Guldahl	281	Sam Snead
1951 U.S. Open	Ben Hogan	287	Clayton Heafner
1961 U.S. Open	Gene Littler	281	Bob Goalby, Doug Sanders
1972 PGA Championship	Gary Player	281	Tommy Aaron, Jim Jamieson
1979 PGA Championship	David Graham	272	Ben Crenshaw
1985 U.S. Open	Andy North	279	Dave Barr, T.C. Chen, Denis Watson
1996 U.S. Open	Steve Jones	278	Tom Lehman, Davis Love III

Source: Associated Press

Tourament course history

Course	Location	Years
Siwanoy CC	Bronxville, N.Y.	1916
Engineers CC	Roslyn, N.Y.	1919
Flossmoor CC	Flossmoor, Ill.	1920
Inwood CC	Far Rockaway, N.Y.	1921
Oakmont CC	Oakmont, Pa.	1922, 1951, 1978
Pelham CC	Pelham, N.Y.	1923
French Lick CC	French Lick, Ill.	1924
Olympia Fields CC	Olympia Fields, Ill.	1925, 1961
Salisbury GC	Westbury, N.Y.	1926
Cedar Crest CC	Dallas, Texas	1927
Five Farms CC	Baltimore, Md.	1928
Hillcrest CC	Los Angeles, Calif.	1929
Fresh Meadow CC	Flushing, N.Y.	1930
Wannamoisett CC	Rumford, R.I.	1931
Keller GC	St. Paul, Minn.	1932
Blue Mound CC	Milwaukee, Wis.	1933
Park CC	Williamsville, N.Y.	1934
Twin Hills CC	Oklahoma City, N.Y.	1935
Pinehurst CC	Pinehurst, N.C.	1936
Pittsburgh Field Club	Aspinwall, Pa.	1937
Shawnee CC	Shawnee-on-Delaware, Del.	1938
Pomomok CC	Flushing, N.Y.	1939
Hershey CC	Hershey, P.A.	1940
Cherry Hills CC	Englewood, Colo.	1941, 1985
Seaview CC	Atlantic City, N.J.	1942
Manito G&CC	Spokane, Wash.	1944
Moraine CC	Dayton, Ohio	1945
Portland GC	Portland, Ore.	1946
Plum Hollow CC	Detroit, Mich.	1947
Norwood Hills CC	St. Louis, Mo.	1948
Hermitage CC	Richmond, Va.	1949
Scioto CC	Columbus, Ohio	1950
Big Spring CC	Louisville, Ky.	1952
Birmingham CC	Birmingham, Mich.	1953
Keller GC	St. Paul, Minn.	1954
Meadowbrook CC	Detroit, Mich.	1955
Blue Hill CC	Boston, Mass.	1956
Miami Valley	Dayton, Ohio	1957
Llanerch CC	Havertown, Pa.	1958
Minneapolis GC	St. Louis Park, Minn.	1959
Firestone CC	Akron, Ohio	1960, 1966, 1975
Aronimink GC	Newton Square, Pa.	1962
Dallas Athletic Club	Dallas, Texas	1963
Columbus CC	Columbus, Ohio	1964
Laurel Valley CC	Ligonier, Pa.	1965
Columbine CC	Littleton, Colo.	1967
Pecan Valley CC	San Antonio, Texas	1968
NCR CC	Dayton, Ohio	1969
Southern Hills CC	Tulsa, Okla.	1970, 1982, 1994, 2007
PGA National GC	Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.	1971, 1987
Oakland Hills CC	Birmingham, Mich.	1972, 1979
Canterbury GC	Beachwood, Ohio	1973
Tanglewood GC	Winston-Salem, N.C.	1974
Congressional CC	Bethesda, Md.	1976
Pebble Beach FL	Pebble Beach, Calif.	1977
Oak Hill CC	Rochester, N.Y.	1980, 2003
Atlanta Athletic Club	Duluth, Ga.	1981, 2001
Riviera CC	Pacific Palisades, Calif.	1983, 1995
Shoal Creek	Birmingham, Ala.	1984, 1990
Inverness Club	Toledo, Ohio	1986, 1993
Oak Tree GC	Edmond, Okla.	1988
Kemper Lakes GC	Hawthorn Woods, Ill.	1989
Crooked Stick GC	Carmel, Ind.	1991
Bellerive CC	St. Louis, Mo.	1992
Valhalla GC	Louisville, Ky.	1996, 2000
Winged Foot GC	Mamaroneck, N.Y.	1997
Sahalee CC	Redmond, Va.	1998
Medinah CC	Medinah, Ill.	1999, 2006
Hazeltine GC	Chaska, Minn.	2002
Whistling Straits	Kohler, Wis.	2004
Baltusrol GC	Springfield, N.J.	2005