Oakland Hills Country Club North Course

Bloomfield Hills, MI • Private

Overview

Overshadowed by the South course, which has hosted over a dozen major championships, the Donald Ross designed North course shares many features with The Monster, albeit more subtle. The greens have plenty of movement and are often guarded by deep bunkers, as they are on the South. The back nine has a nice variety of holes, including the reachable par-5 12th with a green surrounded by a railroad tie-lined water hazard, the drivable par-4 15th, and the long par-4 17th, with a dramatically tumbling fairway. The course was used alongside the South during stroke play at the 2016 U.S. Amateur.

About

Holes 18

Length 6906

Slope 138

Facility Type Private

Designer Donald J. Ross, ASGCA

Awards

Best in State: Ranked 11th, 2011-'14. Ranked 13th, 2015-'16, 2019-'20. Ranked 14th, 2017-'18. Ranked inside the top 15, 2009. Ranked 17th, 2021-'22. Ranked inside the top 20, 1995, 1999, 2007. Ranked inside the top 25, 2005.

Current ranking: 15th.

Panelists

Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

4.4

100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

Shot Options

6.9233

Character

7.1052

Challenge

6.9225

Layout Variety

6.8489

Fun

6.9857

Aesthetics

6.8531

Conditioning

7.4374

Reviews

1 / 5

Review

“While the North course doesn't have the "prestige" that the South course does, it is still a really good test and not anything of a pushover in terms of difficulty. The back 9 has some truly exceptional holes starting on the par 5 12th and going until the 18th hole. I'd say the back 9 is a top 200 overall course if the 9s were replicated. It's also really cool to reflect that the same exact land produced the North and South courses and this is a cool reflection on the importance of subtleties in golf design. While the courses are similar, the greens and some of the subtle hole design components of the South are what makes it a top echelon course while the North would be a course that, if it existed on its own, would be one that many people would love to travel across the country to come and play."

2023

2 / 5

Review

“Oakland Hills (North) is a great course that has the misfortune of having the world class South course across the street. Post renovation, it is very playable, has plenty of teeth and is arguable under appreciated. It truly is a great golf course."

2023

3 / 5

Review

“Located in Bloomfield, Michigan, the North Course at Oakland Hills opened for play in 1924. Though not as famous as the South Course, it’s still a very good test of golf. The greens are less severe, and the layout and routing of the course are excellent. Course conditions are every bit as good at the South. There are plenty of elevation changes to keep things interesting."

2022

4 / 5

Review

“Oakland Hills is a historic American place of golf. All parts are outstanding and with a trip to the South Course, in addition to the North, make for a 5 star destination."

2018

5 / 5

Review

“The ambiance here is hard to beat. The clubhouse is amazing. The South course is better and holds more of the tradition, but the North stands its ground and is very very comparable. I urge you to play this course. Definitely deserves mention for being potentially in the top 10 in Michigan!"

2018