Renowned golf instructor Rick Smith has an Academy at Oakland University and he also co-designed the faculty’s R & S Sharf course with Warren Henderson in 2000. Set on a dramatic, undulating and wooded property, R&S Sharf may not have the same kudos as Arcadia Bluffs, but the architectural provenance is identical.
Oakland University Golf & Learning Center
Renowned golf instructor Rick Smith has an Academy at Oakland University and he also co-designed the faculty’s R & S Sharf course with Warren Henderson in 2000. Set on a dramatic, undulating and wooded property, R&S Sharf may not have the same kudos as Arcadia Bluffs, but the architectural provenance is identical.
Oakland University, like the University of Michigan to its west, is blessed to have two golf courses of 18 holes open to faculty and students. In the R&S Sharf course is considered to be the more challenging and difficult course of the two. Michigan golfers may know the names Warren Henderson and Rick Smith for their activities in Arcadia Bluffs, but the latter is also the home of an Academy at the University.
While this area isn't nearly as striking than the dunes that surround Lake Michigan, the pair incorporate their bold inclinations into the northwestern part of Detroit particularly by the form of their vast and amorphous bunkers. The land offers plenty of inspiration to draw from. One of the most notable examples is No. 12, a par four which is characterized by an encroaching valley. With a distance of just 308 yards the hole is definitely playable even for the strongest players. The most important problem is nerves and whether or not they're willing to risk it. The bailout area on the fairway is ready to accept shots from those who prefer not to.
The Bunkers at Oakland University were renovated in 2025.
The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings
California, United States
New Jersey, United States
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
New York, United States
New York, United States
Overall rating
4.5
Overall rating
4.5
