BLOOMFIELD HILLS (WWJ) - More than a day after a massive fire broke out at the Oakland Hills Country Club, members are left to pick up the pieces and salvage was could be saved from within the century-old walls of its famous clubhouse.
The Oakland Hills is not only a historic monument to golf history, but it was also home to irreplaceable items carefully collected from the various events and golfers that the famous golf course hosted in the 100 years since its opening in 1922.
While items such as replica trophies and original artwork were saved from the blaze on Thursday, it is feared that some of the priceless golf memorabilia in other areas of the clubhouse were lost after the blaze burned out of control and caused the roof and second floor to collapse.
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Current member and former Oakland Hills Heritage Committee member, Ben Baughman, spent years tending to a number of treasured collectables that were kept at Oakland Hills. He said to WWJ’s Cassandra Llamas-Fossen that historic items were donated to the club from previous living champions, their heirs and player representatives.
“Fortunately, these are very generous people, they’re very nice people – like Jack Nicklaus, David Graham and Gary Player… and their representatives –were kind enough to always be very generous and donate items for our Champion’s Walkway and various other displays in the clubhouse.”
Baughman said Oakland Hills acquired a collection of clubs, shoes and other memorabilia from major championships in history that took place at the famous golf course.
“We had the entire sent of irons that David Graham used to win the 1979 PGA Championship. We had irons from Jack Nicklaus and Andy North. We had an iron from Arnold Palmer. We had an entire room dedicated to the 1951 U.S. Open that Ben Hogan won,” Baughman listed off.
“T.C. Chen donated the driver and 3-wood that he used to record the first double eagle in U.S Open history.”
Baughman said the club also had a number of autographed golf shoes and clubs from Gary Player, who won the 1972 PGA Championship at the Oakland Hills Country Club.
“There was just so many things that people donated that were a lot of fun for the members and just augmented the history the club has in the world of golf.”
Baughman said he, along with many other club members, was "galvanized" when he heard about the fire, but said the most important thing was no one was hurt.
Many within the golf community and beyond shared Baughman's sentiment when word spread that the famous country club in Metro Detroit was burning. Firefighters still continued to monitor 'hot spots' on Friday after the massive blaze took down one of the most storied buildings in all of Michigan.
Oakland Hills President Rick Palmer said that employees who were present when the fire broke out Thursday morning worked quickly to save items in the club's collection. When the fire raged further out of control, Palmer said a special team of firefighters went in and tried to grab what memorabilia they could, passing it off to employees who were waiting outside.
It is currently unknown how many pieces from the collection were saved.
"While we know that no one from the membership or staff was hurt, we have lost our iconic clubhouse, that housed our history and our place in Michigan and U.S. and international golf," Palmer said.
"Oakland Hills is tremendously grateful to firefighters who were diligent in helping save some of our priceless pieces of memorabilia."
WWJ's Jon Hewttit reported that one ladder truck was all that was left Friday afternoon after fire crews worked over a day and a half to extinguish the blaze.
The clubhouse not cleared to enter and Bloomfield Township Fire Chief John Leroy said it would be at least Monday until crews could begin investigating the cause of the fire.
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