Oakland Hills

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan · Parkland

9 major championships hosted since 1924

U.S. Open ×6 PGA Championship ×3

Established

1918

Designer

Donald Ross; Robert Trent Jones (1951 redesign)

Par

70

Championship Yardage

7,445 yds

About the Course

Oakland Hills Country Club near Detroit, designed by Donald Ross and toughened by Robert Trent Jones for the 1951 U.S. Open, earned the nickname “The Monster” from Ben Hogan himself. Its South Course is one of the sternest par-70 tests in America.

Oakland Hills has hosted six U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships, along with the 2004 Ryder Cup, producing champions from Hogan and Gene Littler to Pádraig Harrington.

Course Records

Lowest scoring marks recorded in major championship competition at Oakland Hills.

Course Record (round)

63

Major rounds

Lowest 72-Hole Total

276 (−4)

PGA / U.S. Open eras

First Major Hosted

1924

Total Majors Hosted

9

Major Hosting History

Every major championship staged at Oakland Hills, by championship and year.

Championship Times Years
U.S. Open 6 1924, 1937, 1951, 1961, 1985, 1996
PGA Championship 3 1972, 1979, 2008

Notable Moments

Defining rounds and championship moments in the history of Oakland Hills.

1951

Hogan slays the Monster

Ben Hogan's final-round 67 prompted his famous line: “I'm glad I brought this course, this monster, to its knees.”

1961

Littler's lone major

Gene Littler won his only major at the U.S. Open.

1985

North's second

Andy North won his second U.S. Open here.

1996

Jones holds firm

Steve Jones, a Monday qualifier, won the U.S. Open.

2008

Harrington's double

Pádraig Harrington won the PGA weeks after his Open title, his third major in 13 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Oakland Hills called The Monster?

Ben Hogan coined the nickname after Robert Trent Jones's penal 1951 redesign for the U.S. Open.

Who designed Oakland Hills?

Donald Ross laid out the original course in 1918; Robert Trent Jones reworked it dramatically in 1951.

What majors has Oakland Hills hosted?

Six U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships, plus the 2004 Ryder Cup.

Explore More

All Courses

Browse all 125 venues that have hosted major championships.

Major Championships

Complete history of all four majors from 1860 to today.

Records & Firsts

Youngest, oldest, largest margins, and every major record.