Donald Ross was commissioned to lay out Franklin Hills in the mid-1920s on a relatively tight tract northwest of Detroit. Contemporary secondary sources disagree on the precise opening year: the club’s public materials say 1927, while course registries and architecture listings sometimes record 1926. Regardless, Franklin Hills emerged from this period as a full 18, routed to make the land do the work rather than rely on distance.
Evidence from reputable modern course surveys indicates the routing that members play today descends directly from Ross’s original plan, with few wholesale alterations. Commentators consistently note that the course “has remained largely intact” since its opening, a rarity for a club set within a century of suburban growth.
There is no publicly available documentation—such as archived club minutes or Tufts Archives correspondence—confirming Ross’s return for a subsequent phase at Franklin Hills after the course opened. In the early 2000s, however, the club hired restoration specialist Ron Prichard to undertake a “major” renovation “in keeping with original Ross design elements” (2003). More recently, Andrew Green was engaged to advise the club; in 2020 he softened the severity of the No. 2 green to create additional hole locations and began work on a broader master plan. A member-facing update confirms an ongoing, multi-year master-planning process launched in 2023.
Separately, a hospitality-industry posting described a “$6.5 million, three-year renovation” elevating the course’s standing; while indicative of significant capital commitment, that claim has not yet been corroborated by official club communications available to non-members and should be treated as a report rather than a primary source.
Ross’s routing at Franklin Hills compressed a complete championship examination onto a compact property by using angles and elevation to manufacture strategic decisions. On the 2nd—a mid-length par 4—the line of charm is broken up by a trio of cross bunkers set between tee and green, forcing players to choose lay-up lines or attempt carries that bring angle and depth-perception into play. The hole, listed around 397 yards in one detailed course profile, remains a touchstone for how Franklin Hills uses hazards to influence approach position rather than simply penalize misses; Green’s recent easing of the putting surface slope expanded edge-pin accessibility without diluting the carry-and-angle questions introduced from the tee.
The short par-4 13th—widely referenced as the club’s signature—is the clearest surviving expression of Ross’s appetite at Franklin Hills for bold, compact greens in dramatic settings. From a tee shot down into a broad valley, the approach climbs to a tiny green pad (roughly 3,000 sq ft) perched about 30 feet above fairway grade; its fall-offs and tight surrounds punish imprecision while allowing many avenues of recovery for a deft short game. Accounts vary on listed yardage, from ~301 yards (Golf Digest) to the low-320s on contemporary scorecards, but the central problem is unchanged: proper distance control into a minuscule, perched target.
On the homeward side, the 17th is a strong two-shotter that pivots sharply around water to a green set beyond the dogleg. The tee shot tempts a heroic carry to unlock a cleaner angle; a safer lay-up flirts with a compromised approach over or alongside the hazard. The published yardage of about 410 yards plays longer when wind quarters across the pond, and the green’s position compels a precise second regardless of strategy off the tee.
Across the course, commentators emphasize the importance of the greens to Franklin Hills’ identity—fast, sloped, and full of internal contours—and identify several holes (#2, #9, #13) as “world-class” within the set. While such qualitative rankings are inherently subjective, they are grounded in on-site observation and repeated in multiple sources.
Historical Significance
Within Ross’s Michigan portfolio—headlined by Oakland Hills (South), Detroit Golf Club, Barton Hills, and others—Franklin Hills stands out for two reasons. First, it represents a successful Ross routing on a constrained suburban site, using cross-hazards, diagonal tee shots, and perched greens to craft variety without vast acreage. Second, the course has served competitive golf at high levels for nearly a century. Notably, Franklin Hills hosted the 1947 U.S. Women’s Amateur, won by Hall of Famer Louise Suggs. More recently, it staged the centennial (100th) GAM Championship in 2021, marking at least the seventh time the club has hosted that event since 1931. Ranking panels also place Franklin Hills among Michigan’s best, with national outlets frequently singling out the 13th as one of the state’s most memorable holes.
Current Condition / Integrity
Multiple independent profiles describe Franklin Hills as having “remained largely intact” since opening, an assessment consistent with the relative stability of its routing and the survival of several hallmark features (e.g., the 13th green pad and the 2nd’s cross-bunker concept). The 2003 Prichard work was characterized as a restoration-minded renovation aligned with Ross’s original elements—language that suggests bunker, green, and tree-management efforts aimed at recapturing historic lines rather than remaking holes wholesale. Green’s subsequent softening of the 2nd green and his ongoing master-planning consultancy reflect a contemporary approach: targeted refinements to contouring, widths, and sightlines to expand hole locations and restore intended angles while respecting the original scheme.
Tree management and practice-facility upgrades have also shaped the present experience. In 2019 the club opened an innovative indoor training center built beneath the range tee, adding year-round instruction capacity without sacrificing surface footprint—a choice that preserved the course’s outward look while modernizing the practice infrastructure. Meanwhile, the Kahn-designed clubhouse, with its Tudor massing and brick-and-stone detailing, continues to anchor the campus aesthetic.
What has been preserved, altered, or lost
Preserved: The compact routing; signature perched 13th green; cross-bunker strategy on the 2nd; the general character of bold, sloped greens reported by raters.
Altered: Localized green contours (notably No. 2) to improve pinnability; bunker forms and placements refreshed in 2003 to better reflect historic intent; ongoing width/tree-line adjustments under the current master plan.
Unknown / requires verification: Specifics of original bunker counts and exact green-surface sizes at opening; any small shifts to tee or fairway centerlines pre-dating aerial photography in the late 1930s–40s.
Sources & Notes
Franklin Hills CC — official site (general course and clubhouse references; par/yardage statements; overview of facilities and history). “Premier private club experience since 1927” and mentions of Albert Kahn’s clubhouse design.
Top100GolfCourses.com — “Franklin Hills Country Club.” Describes opening “in 1926,” notes routing on a compact site, and details specific holes: three cross bunkers on No. 2; dogleg-right over water at No. 17.
Golf Digest — “Franklin Hills Country Club (Michigan rankings page).” Highlights the 13th “Volcano” hole (~301 yards; ~3,000 sq ft green ~30 feet above fairway) and notes the quality of the Ross greens at Franklin Hills.
GAM (Golf Association of Michigan) news release (Aug. 3, 2021). Records that Franklin Hills hosted the 100th GAM Championship, and that it was the seventh time since 1931.
Golf Association of Michigan
GolfBlogger (July 30, 2021). Reports 2003 renovation by Ron Prichard and Andrew Green’s softening of the No. 2 green in 2020, with Green engaged on a broader master plan; also lists yardage 6,923 and course rating info. (Secondary source summarizing club communications/press.)
MI Golf Architecture Society (2021–2025 pages). Notes that the club has consulted Andrew Green and the No. 2 green was softened; qualitative remarks on holes #2, #9, #13. (Independent observer commentary.)
Club & Resort Business (July 23, 2019). On the subterranean/under-range indoor practice facility added without disrupting the historic course footprint.
USGA — “Host States and Clubs: 1895 to Present.” Confirms Franklin Hills as the host site for the 1947 U.S. Women’s Amateur (won by Louise Suggs).
Denehy Club Thinking Partners (2025 AGM posting). States a “$6.5 million, three-year renovation” of the Ross course; offered here as a report requiring independent confirmation from club or architect.
Franklin Hills CC — member-facing Master Plan PDF (2023/24). Outlines goals and process for a new, multi-year master plan focused on playability, widths, bunkering, and tree lines, with USGA input and multiple architects consulted. (Publicly accessible document.)