Rackham Golf Course

Rackham Golf Course is a Donald Ross design located in Huntington Woods, a small residential city in Oakland County, Michigan, just north of Detroit. Opened in the 1920s during Ross's prolific period of municipal and public course design, the layout reflects his characteristic approach to accessible golf: strategic bunkering, subtly contoured greens, and routing that works with the property's natural terrain. The course serves the northern Detroit suburbs and has functioned as a public facility for nearly a century. The property occupies relatively flat terrain typical of southeastern Michigan, with mature tree-lined corridors that define individual holes and frame the playing experience. Ross's design philosophy emphasized ground game options and thoughtful placement over length, and Rackham retains these principles despite modern equipment advances. The greens feature the gentle rolls and false fronts associated with Ross's work, rewarding approach shots that account for pin position and green contour. As a municipal course in a densely populated suburban area, Rackham serves a diverse golfing population and provides an accessible entry point to Ross's design work. The course has undergone various maintenance and restoration efforts over the decades to preserve playability while respecting the original routing. It represents an example of Ross's commitment to bringing strategic, enjoyable golf to everyday players, a mission that defined much of his extensive portfolio beyond his more celebrated private club designs.