Detroit Golf Club And How The Motor City Got The Tour Back
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With the Rocket Mortgage Classic bringing PGA Tour golf back to greater Detroit area, there are a couple of stories worth noting if you’re interested in Detroit Golf Club’s big week.
Tony Paul looks at the impact expected by the event, the first in the area since 2009.
"It's so huge, because of this state's and the Metro Detroit area's golf roots, that extend all the way back to the 19th century," said Lynn Henning, a recently retired Detroit News sportswriter who was editor of PGA Magazine from 1989-94 and a senior writer and editor of Golfweek from 1996-98.
"To see that reclaimed and to see the appetite, the hunger for big-name pro golf in Michigan is not only refreshing, but it's deserved."
Carlos Monarrez files an excellent look at Detroit Golf Club’s pursuit of the tour before Dan Gilbert and Quicken Loans made it known they wanted to be back in the Motor City.
Sure, the club had lots of land, a location not far from downtown Detroit and two pedigreed Donald Ross courses that opened in 1916. But as the club’s leadership probed various sources, including the PGA Tour, it soon learned it mostly needed a sponsor and a date on the PGA Tour calendar.
“So during those years there were a couple attempts to find sponsorship that never came to fruition,” Glassberg said. “But meanwhile we had established a pretty good relationship with the PGA Tour. Keith was green chair, so we actually had people from the tour up here a number of times and evaluated what should the routing be, what’s the yardage, et cetera.”
WXYZ, The local ABC affiliate, provided thesis flyover tour. Very nicely done for a local station, even down to highlighting which hole from the club’s South Course is in use.
