Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

A celebrated golf course architect from the Traverse City area is set to transform Hartland's Dunham Hills Golf Club into a premier public course dubbed the Proving Ground Golf Club, honoring the area's rich automotive history.

Mike DeVries is best known for Kingsley Club and Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club.

"We got him to take a look a the property and come up with some renderings and some plans for use of the topography, essentially a re-routing with a plan to ideally have a really premiere offering here in Livingston County, that will also serve the Metro Detroit area," said Nathan Oake, Hartland High School's varsity golf coach, and one of the investors who acquired Dunham Hills late last year.

The current course is a 6,758-yard par-71, which opened in 1967.

Oake tells WHMI News they're already removing trees and re-working the course to keep it open to the public while they seek additional investors.

"Phase Two is an effort to acquire some investment dollars and take a real good look at moving forward into this next iteration, which has a new name and concept, and new rendering on the golf architecture side," he says.

"We're hoping to, if we can raise the funds, plant a crown jewel locally in Livingston County and Hartland, and something people will drive an hour to play."

Oake says the club will offer public play, but is modeled after clubs in the United Kingdom, where annual season pass memberships help lower fees and allow for better care of the course.

"The real idea here is to offer something that is of the caliber of a private facility, but not exclusive by nature," he said. "The goal is to have patrons who may wish to purchase an annual membership, or patronship. Then also have some tee times available to the public."

Anyone interested in more information about the project can email: DevriesGolfDetroit@gmail.com

Photo courtesy of X.