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Fire tears through clubhouse at Oakland Hills golf club

A fire burns at the main building at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Firefighters battled a blaze at a more than century-old country club Thursday in suburban Detroit that
A fire burns at the main building at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Mich., on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Firefighters battled a blaze at a more than century-old country club Thursday in suburban Detroit that's hosted several major golf tournaments and is one of Michigan’s most exclusive golf clubs. (Daniel Mears)
Associated Press

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A devastating fire swept through the iconic clubhouse Thursday at a suburban Detroit golf course that is one of Michigan’s most exclusive clubs and the site of many professional tournaments.

Flames ripped through the roof at the sprawling, multi-story clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township. It was built in 1922 and is adorned with irreplaceable golf tournament memorabilia and art.

Members were stunned.

“There’s so much history, so much wonder here,” Rebecca Robinson told WDIV-TV.

Greg Kampe, men’s basketball coach at Oakland University, told The Detroit News: “It’s hard to talk when you’re crying.”

The cause wasn’t immediately known.

The club opened in 1916 and has hosted many major golf events, including the 2008 PGA Championship won by Padraig Harrington. In 2004, Team Europe, led by Bernhard Langer, defeated Team USA, led by Hal Sutton, in the Ryder Cup. Tiger Woods played for the Americans.

The club has two golf courses designed by Donald Ross. The South Course reopened last summer following a $12.1 million restoration, with a goal to bring major championships back to Oakland Hills.

The club will host the U.S. Women’s Open in 2031 and 2042.