The Rackham Golf Course is a public golf course designed by Donald Ross, located in

Huntington Woods, Michigan Huntington Woods is a city in Oakland County, Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit. The population was 6,238 at the 2010 census. Huntington Woods is situated along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1) and ...

and adjacent to the

Detroit Zoo The Detroit Zoo is a zoo located in Royal Oak, Michigan, spanning 125 acres and housing more than 2,000 animals and more than 245 different species. It was the first U.S. zoo to feature bar-less habitats, and is regarded to be an international ...

. The grounds crew at Rackham maintains one 18-hole course.

History

In 1924,

Horace Rackham Horace H. Rackham (June 27, 1858 – June 12, 1933) was one of the original stockholders in the Ford Motor Company and a noted philanthropist. Early life Rackham was born in Harrison, Michigan.Ross, Robert Budd; Catlin; George Byron, and Bur ...

purchased acres of land in Huntington Woods, Michigan, near land owned by the Detroit Zoological Society. (Currently this land would be extending from the corner of I-696 and Woodward to I-696 and Scotia Road). Rackham promised to donate the land towards a zoo as long as Detroit voters approved of it. The voters did pass the proposal, and Rackham followed through on his promise and gave for a parking lot, and the rest for a public golf course to be built. In 1925, the course was complete. Designed by Donald Ross, who also designed the

Detroit Golf Club The Detroit Golf Club (abbreviated to DGC) is a private golf club located in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan in the middle of a neighborhood area on north side of the city near the University of Detroit Mercy and Palmer Woods Historic District. Be ...

and numerous other courses, created an 18-hole course open to the public. Rackham has also been named one of Ross' ten best public golf courses. It has been the home of Ben Davis, one of the country's first African-American golf pros. Joe Louis, the famous boxer known as the "Brown Bomber", played the course on a regular basis back in his day. The historic original front 9 was closed in October 1983 for major revisions due to the encroachment of I-696 extending through the area. Major changes to the front 9-hole layout were completed about years later. The 7th & 9th holes are the only two untouched front 9 holes remaining from the original Ross layout.

Course

The course is 18 holes with a Par of 71. A total of 6,555 yards with a course rating is 70.8. There are no water hazards on the entire course.

References

External links

Rackham Golf Course Website
https://www.facebook.com/Rackham-Golf-Course-189101068409924/ {{coord, 42, 28, 33, N, 83, 09, 52, W, display=title Golf clubs and courses in Michigan Golf clubs and courses designed by Donald Ross Sports venues in Oakland County, Michigan Sports venues completed in 1924 1924 establishments in Michigan