Indianwood Golf and Country Club or simply "Indianwood" is a private member-only country club located in Orion Township, Oakland County, near Lake Orion, Michigan. The club is approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of Detroit.
The "Old Course" was designed by Wilfrid Reid in 1925, the original club features a tower entrance, 18th century tapestries, leaded glass windows, and Knights in shining armor. The ballroom features a magnificent fireplace complete with an intricate shield carved from wood hanging over the mantel. According to historians, the club quickly became a haven for the wealthy of Detroit seeking to avoid the daily grind of the city. The club became very popular, hosting the Michigan Open in 1928, and even saw the construction of an airstrip. In 1930 the club hosted the Western Open, one of the most prestigious golf events of the time. In 1948 and 1949 it was site of the Michigan PGA Championship.
The 1960s and 1970s saw Indianwood fall into decline. The bustling club fell into disrepair, with holes in the floors and beams hanging from the ceiling. In 1981, businessman Stan Aldridge purchased the building and surrounding land, seeking to restore the club to its former glory. The 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) clubhouse and locker room addition was completed in 1989, and eventually a "New Course" for golf would be added to the original. In 1989, the re-established club hosted its largest event, the 1989 U.S. Women's Open won by Betsy King. It would host the event again 5 years later in 1994, which was won by Patty Sheehan. It will host the U.S. Senior Open in 2012.
The Aldridge family is still connected to the club through day-to-day operations, new construction, and design. Stan Aldridge would also purchase and develop Canterbury Village, also located in Lake Orion.
Famous quotes containing the words golf, country and/or club:
“emerald as heavy
as a golf course, ruby as dark
as an afterbirth,
diamond as white as sun
on the sea ...”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“The world, as a rule, does not live on beaches and in country clubs.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
“Of course we women gossip on occasion. But our appetite for it is not as avid as a man’s. It is in the boys’ gyms, the college fraternity houses, the club locker rooms, the paneled offices of business that gossip reaches its luxuriant flower.”
—Phyllis McGinley (1905–1978)