2022 Rocket Mortgage Classic – Detroit Golf Club Course Preview
Ron Klos
4 years ago
The PGA Tour rolls on to the Motor City and the Rocket Mortgage Classic as we head down the final stretch of the season toward the FedExCup Playoffs. The Detroit Golf Club is a classical, tree-lined, parkland course that has been one of the most prolific birdie-making courses on the Tour. Established in 1899, the club has a long history and is the oldest annual course in the Tour rotation. This year’s tournament is the 4th edition of this event with past champions including Nate Lashley, Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Davis.
The Field
With a new position on the schedule that is much closer to the start of the FedExCup playoffs, this year’s Rocket Mortgage Classic has a surprisingly deep field. This week and the Wyndham Championship next week provide the final opportunities for players to either secure or improve their placing inside the top 125 of the playoff standings.
Including the 3M Open winner, Tony Finau, there are five players in the field ranked in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings. Patrick Cantlay headlines the field and is joined by the likes of Max Homa, Will Zalatoris, and Cameron Young. Other intriguing players in the field include Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Russell Henley, Davis Riley, Gary Woodland, Si Woo Kim, and Webb Simpson. With 500 FedExCup points on the line, it will be a full field of 156 golfers with the top 65 and ties advancing to the weekend.
Course History
The Detroit Golf Club was founded in 1899 by local businessman William R. Farrand and his partners. The course was originally a six-hole layout on a rented 45-acre plot of farmland just a few miles north of the city center. Originally limited to 100 members, the course added three holes a year later, making it a nine-hole course. With membership increased to 200 in 1902, an additional 35 acres of land were purchased, and the course expanded to a full 18 holes. In 1913, more property was acquired, and one of the most iconic golf course designers of all time, Donald Ross, was brought in to survey the land. He determined that two 18-hole courses could be built on the property.
In 1916, Ross completed the two 18-hole tracts, which were simply named the North and South courses. The property’s heritage goes even further back in history, as between the seventh and eighth holes on the North Course, an oak tree was bent by Native Americans to mark the trail that extended from the area of Pontiac and the Detroit River.
Ross preferred to let the natural environment determine the design of his courses. This classic approach is quite evident at the Detroit Golf Club, especially with respect to the topography of the course. There is very little elevation change, with only 10 feet between the highest and lowest spots. It is also this classical approach that, over a century ago, did not take into account players bombing the ball 320 yards off the tee. The course was chosen to host the 1941 Ryder Cup, but the outbreak of World War II scuttled that.
Based on the ShotLink data, minor adjustments to the course continue to happen. For example, on the par-4 12th hole, players were bombing it over 300 yards past the fairway bunker. This caused tournament officials to add 40 yards to the hole and will keep the bunker in play. One revision of the North Course has been more controversial. Typically, the complexity of the greens is what makes it a “Donald Ross” course. With the passing of time, the greens have weakened, with some of the slopes being made flatter. Said Golfweek’s course evaluator, Nick Ficorelli, “I’m a little worried about the North greens being too easy. They used to be really, really good. When I watch PGA Tour players playing, say, a 1916 golf course, it’s disappointing if those greens have been weakened. There’s nothing more boring than watching guys make 30-footers that don’t break.”