OT: Oakland Hills Golf Club Fire
Just seeing pictures on the internet of Oakland Hills clubhouse on fire. Looks like the building will be a complete loss. Pretty sad to lose something historic like that completely destroyed. I've never been but its obviously a very well known place with a lot of history. Sad to see.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:33 AM ^
Images from the current fire at Oakland Hills CC are chilling. Building dates back to 1922. Awful.
— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) February 17, 2022
Video submitted from an individual on the ground: pic.twitter.com/UdiP8G0D7i
February 17th, 2022 at 11:36 AM ^
Wow, that video is crazy. Only positive about this is that it is the off-season so hopefully there weren't many people inside. Scary stuff.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:34 AM ^
Oh no! Now the extremely wealthy will have to find another place to congregate away from the plebs.
EDIT - Many of you have made some great points regarding how this effects many people employed at Oakland Country Club, in addition to the money brought into the local community during large tournaments. I apologize for my comments on this post and recognize I was/am being an asshole. I let my own personal experiences and emotions get the best of me, and and will try to do better in the future.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
Taking pleasure in other people's loss is no way to live life. There's an incredible amount of history that was just destroyed along with an iconic property to the State of Michigan that is literally up in smoke.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:45 AM ^
I'm not gonna bemoan the loss of a building that only caters to people from a certain socioeconomic background.
Acting like this is a loss for the entire state, when only a subset of the population can even use the facilities is rich.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:50 AM ^
Yeah, this ain't it. Oakland Hills is the most storied club in the state, and the building that is currently burning holds so much golf history and lore. The course also is the best chance the state of Michigan has at hosting a major championship in the future, and this probably pushes the timeframe for that back several more years.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:51 AM ^
I don't think you realize the number of major golf events that have been held there.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:03 PM ^
Can we not have it both ways? Mourn the loss of the sports history while also pointing out it being a symbol of racial/gender divisiveness. For most of its history, that clubhouse served as a safe space for rich, white Christian males to escape the American melting pot.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
No, not really. Because it really isn't a symbol of that unless you really go out of your way to make it one.
If you want to point out the history of the golf club from 30+ years ago (or more) maybe show some class and don't do it during a time when many not-rich folks of many ethnicities are watching their once stable jobs go up in smoke and ash.
Funny how people only want to point stuff like that out when tragedy strikes. Like they think something that happened 80 years ago justifies their happy feelings about a tragedy
February 18th, 2022 at 7:34 AM ^
The good thing is everybody is hiring right now.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
Jesus christ, get off twitter.
February 17th, 2022 at 3:14 PM ^
The trend of making absolutely everything about race/politics is just exhausting. Nuance exists in life. The internet has reduced our intellectual capacity so much, I don't know how we get back to a baseline where people actually think for themselves.
February 17th, 2022 at 3:49 PM ^
I knew someone would use the typical "IT'S NUANCED!" response lmao. It's not. It is what it is. No matter how many of the users who downvoted want to dance around it.
People actually ARE thinking for themselves. And that's where the problem lies for some people. The Veil has been lifted off of certain sectors of society. And those that either have benefited or are a product of these certain sectors, have a problem with their "reality" crumbling.
February 17th, 2022 at 4:34 PM ^
You are completely missing my point.
February 17th, 2022 at 6:10 PM ^
Nuance does exist in life. In fact, life itself is almost completely nuanced.
People who think for themselves understand that life has many experiences and perspectives.
To be frank I don’t particularly care that this golf club burned down. I don’t like golf. But I understand how integral golf is to this state and how much the sport is loved by people across class and ethnic lines. In view of that I feel bad that this happened.
I felt great sorrow when Notre Dame Cathedral burnt. Not because of religion, but because of the architectural and cultural history that building contains. It is being rebuilt, but it has lost part of it’s grandeur with the destruction of medieval stone and woodwork. That cannot be replaced. The same holds here.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:12 PM ^
You've made a point, and it's not the one you thought you made, it's hilarious.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:25 PM ^
This is part of what the original post said “Pretty sad to lose something historic like that completely destroyed. I've never been but its obviously a very well known place with a lot of history.”. The history of most country clubs pretty much is centered around wealthy white males and for a very long time, almost everyone else was excluded. Sexism and racism are a pretty integral part of the history of country clubs. Oakland Hills for instance did not allow it’s first black member until 1990. Since the club was founded in 1916, that means that for over 70% of its existence it had no black members.
You don’t have to like it, but it’s the people who created and ran the club and clubs like it who make it a good example of racism, not the people who point out the racism in it’s history. People who can look at things in a nuanced way ought to be able to see that while the club has a tremendous amount of golf history, it’s history also includes some baggage.
February 17th, 2022 at 6:11 PM ^
Kdhoffma = another dickhead
February 18th, 2022 at 6:18 AM ^
Your probably a rich white guy
February 17th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
I can't afford something
it makes me feel bad
I should never have to feel bad
it should be destroyed
February 17th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
I can only imagine how excited XCrunner1617 gets whenever there's a plane crash. Afterall, only rich people have planes so fuck those guys if they get killed.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:50 PM ^
We are saying this in jest, but I guarantee that's exactly what happens.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:06 PM ^
"Screw an important piece of golf history and screw people who are members because I hate rich people."
-xcrunner1617 (probably)-
February 17th, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
Fortunately, downvotes can't/don't supersede TRUTH.
February 17th, 2022 at 5:39 PM ^
Yesterdays “truth” is now a lie. Tomorrow, todays truth may be a lie. Don’t be so confident that your truth is eternal.
February 17th, 2022 at 1:09 PM ^
Is Twitter closed today? All the virtue signaling douchebags usually just go over there.
But I'm sure the hundreds of people who just lost their good jobs at Oakland Hills are super comforted that you're looking out.
February 17th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^
I am just an old person living on a fixed income, but I do not begrudge the rich with what they have. Maybe they got some of it and not the best of ways, but there are many people of all classes who do this. It's sad that this building burned down to the ground with all the history in it.
February 17th, 2022 at 3:32 PM ^
Moron.
It brought lots of money to the state and the area in the way of revenue from big tournaments and other city wide events.
You're best off to just shut your damn trap now, admit you're wrong and take your lumps.
February 17th, 2022 at 4:57 PM ^
I don't know about you, but I was personally a large fan of This Week in Schadenfreude.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:45 AM ^
Asshole of the day awarded early today. ^
February 17th, 2022 at 12:02 PM ^
I read the posts like they were spoken by Johnny Drama. It helped.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:01 PM ^
Bad look and bad take.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:06 PM ^
Just as being rich doesn't buy integrity, not being rich doesn't buy decency.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:12 PM ^
I'm sure I'm one of the more liberal people on this board, I don't golf, and am comically distant from being wealthy. I'd only get in the front door of OHGC if I was delivering pizza.
I still think the destruction of the building is terrible, especially from an architectural standpoint.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
That's a great attitude for the people who suddenly find themselves out of work. I came from lower, middle class family and spending my HS years working at Dearborn CC. It gave me a way of taking care of myself that my family was unable to provide. I knew many people in the kitchen that made their careers working the country clubs. Just because you think the members deserve to have this destroyed, doesn't mean it doesn't affect the average Joe that counts on the establishment to live.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:17 PM ^
Hey man, reality and logic will not be tolerated when he's trying to be super woke
February 17th, 2022 at 1:23 PM ^
Former DCC caddie and Evans Scholar here! Well said.
February 17th, 2022 at 2:14 PM ^
What years did you caddie? I started in the caddie yard and moved up to the pro shop between 89 and 92.
February 18th, 2022 at 12:07 AM ^
90 through 95. My name is Casey
February 17th, 2022 at 12:29 PM ^
Shitty take, xcrunner.
Is Oakland Hills a place that caters mostly to the wealthy? Sure, but it's their choice to spend their money how they wish.
Plus, it's also a place that employs dozens or hundreds of people.
And, it's hosted quite a few high-profile golf tournaments, which surely have brought in millions of dollars and positive publicity to our community.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:34 PM ^
With plebs like you it's easy to see why someone would be willing to spend money to congregate away from them.
February 17th, 2022 at 1:30 PM ^
I don't understand this reflexive hate for the wealthy.
I know plenty of very wealthy people. Many of them are wonderful, generous, kind, etc.
I know plenty of working/middle class people. Many of them are ignorant, hateful, selfish, bigoted, etc.
One's financial status isn't necessarily predictive of one's virtue.
February 17th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
I think there's a level of wealthy that's obscene and is mutually exclusive with being a wonderful, generous, kind person, but everyone's going to have different thoughts on what that level might be...
I personally wouldn't say "being a country club member" is at that level though, lol.
February 17th, 2022 at 2:11 PM ^
I don't think its that hard to understand. Humans like to hate other groups of humans. Currently hating this particular group of humans comes with the added bonus of getting to pretend virtuousness.
February 17th, 2022 at 3:41 PM ^
Haven't seen much of this, but has anyone stopped to think how hard someone has to work to get to that point in their life/career/status? I work very hard, appreciate what I have and what I can do for my family. Work ethic comes from inside, goals you set are internal to motivation. Why is it that someone is attacked for working hard and making more of their world? Ever stop to consider how a lot of people of means probably started from humble beginnings?
They don't give away memberships to these clubs...and they don't give away money to be able to afford it. You have to work for it. Anyone who may have graduated from one of the toughest schools in the country would understand the value of hard work...
February 17th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
I don't feel like I'm "super wealthy," but I'd pay quite a bit to never have to congregate near you. Are you a "pleb," because your posts suggest that you're far from ordinary?
February 17th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
First, it's "plebe".
Second, that Club employs hundreds of people. I can also assure you that every member there will gladly pay the dues increase to ensure that not a one of the employees loses their job because of this.
February 17th, 2022 at 2:43 PM ^
I looked it up. I think he actually meant "pleb," not plebe. Either way, though.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:36 PM ^
Would definitely take the side of the bet that says, not every member there will gladly pay the dues increase to ensure that not a one employee loses their job because of this.