By Rebecca Wyatt, OU Web Writer

Golfers in Michigan have about 852 golf courses to choose from, but according to the May 2005 issue of Golf Digest, one of the best in the state is located on Oakland’s campus. OU’s R&S Sharf Golf Course was ranked 18^th in the state by Golf Digest for 2005-2006, improving on its previous ranking of 21.

“The ranking indicates we are continuously moving up in stature among the golf community,” said Bill Rogers, golf and managing director of OU's Golf and Learning Center. “People are starting to recognize how special this golf course is.”

The biennial state-by-state ranking of golf courses across the United States rates the courses on various criteria including shot value, resistance to scoring, design variety, aesthetics, conditions, ambiance and walkability.

Golf Digest has conduction America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses ranking since 1966, making it the oldest ranking system available.

Golf is a tradition at Oakland University. John Dodge, the first husband of OU benefactor Matilda Wilson, built his own private course on the grounds behind Meadow Brook Hall in the early 1900s. After his death, the golf course was used as a grazing ground for the sheep. It was reconstructed in 1977 as Katke-Cousin’s Golf Course.

R&S Sharf Golf Course, which opened in 2001, was designed by golf course architect and teacher Rick Smith and has been noted as rivaling those of old-style golf architecture often found in Europe. 

OU’s golf courses have received national attention for the high-profile events played on them. The Golf and Learning Center hosted the Ryder Cup Champions Invitational at R&S Sharf and Katke-Cousins golf courses in September 2004. Tiger Woods also hosted a golf clinic at OU’s Golf and Learning Center.

In 2003, Sharf hosted the Michigan Open qualifies and the Michigan PGA Sponsors Outing. In September 2001, the Sharf course hosted the Lincoln Mercury Classic, a Michigan PGA event.

R&S Sharf and Katke-Cousins golf courses are open to OU students, faculty, staff, President's Club affiliates and their guests. Katke-Cousins also is open to OU Alumni Association members. The courses are open Tuesday through Sunday from March through November, weather permitting.

For more information on the courses, including fees, tee times, outings and course regulations, visit the OU Golf and Learning Center Web site.