Detroit Golf Club hosts first-ever PGA Tour event in city

In a sign of Detroit's rising mojo nationwide, the PGA Tour will stage one of its tournaments — the Rocket Mortgage Classic — at the Detroit Golf Club June 25-30.

The tournament, which will include five of the top 25 players in world rankings, including 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, is slated to be an annual event at least through 2022. 

"This is the first time that the PGA Tour is holding a tournament event in the city of Detroit," said club president Andy Glassberg. "That's one of the neat things about it, because if you’re member of DGC, besides being interested in great golf, you’re interested in playing in the city of Detroit." 

The club was founded in 1899, and has two 18-hole courses designed by the legendary architect Donald Ross. Those unfamiliar with the area might be surprised at the level of elegance surrounding DGC and its Arts-and-Crafts clubhouse designed by Albert Kahn in 1918.

Hamilton Avenue, which runs up the club's east edge, boasts a parade of large, distinguished homes, while the nearby neighborhoods of Sherwood Forest, Palmer Woods and the University District number among Michigan's handsomest. 

But back to the business of golf: The tournament itself is just four days (June 27-30), but there's over a week of activities planned for fans and their families. If you want to attend and watch some of the best golfers on the planet, here's what you need to know: 

Single-day tickets: Include admission to tournament grounds, public grandstands, concessions and interactive areas. Purchase at RocketMortgageClassic.com. Kids under 15 with a ticketed adult (limit four per) enter free, as do active-duty military and those who've retired from the military -- but they have to register online. Veterans who didn't reach retirement age are eligible for discounts. 

$10 - Tuesday, June 25 - player practice rounds (kids 15 and under enter free with ticketed adult; active-duty military also enter free) 

$15 - Wednesday, June 26 - pro-am tournament 

$45 - Thursday and Friday, June 27-28 (first two rounds of 72-hole tournament)

$50 - Saturday, June 29 (third round, sold out)

$55 - Sunday, June 30 (final round) 

Parking: Shuttles will ferry visitors from off-site lots to the golf club. There will be no parking, as initially planned, in Palmer Park itself because of rain-soaked grounds. 

Hours: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. June 25; 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m. June 26-28; 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. June 29-30.

General parking: Michigan State Fairgrounds - enter off W. State Fair east of Woodward.

VIP parking: Michigan State Fairgrounds - enter off Woodward.

To drop off visitors without parking: Head to Palmer Park Community Building, 1121 Merrill Plaisance; approach on Woodward from the south - Pontchartrain Boulevard will be restricted to residents and official vehicles.

Other activities: 

June 23: 8 a.m. - Rocket Mortage Classic 5K Race, a 3.1 mile round trip on Detroit International River Walk; start and finish at Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority. Register at raceroster.com and type "Rocket Mortgage Classic" in the search field. 

June 23: Post-race, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., test your virtual skills by playing DGC's par-3 15th hole downtown in Cadillac Square with an OptiShot Golf Simulator. A PGA Tour player will appear during the event. 

June 25: 3 p.m.-5 p.m. - AREA 313 Celebrity Challenge - PGA Tour stars and celebrities will compete on holes 14-16.

June 28: after 7 p.m. - Once the tournament is over in the evening, country singer Willie Jones, a former contestant on "The X Factor," will perform at the LendingTree Lounge behind the 16th green (LendingTree Lounge tickets required). After Jones, guitarist, singer and University of Michigan grad Laith Al Saadi, a finalist on NBC's "The Voice," will take the stage. 

June 29: After-golf performance at the Lounge from Morris Day and The Time.

mhodges@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @mhodgesartguy

Rocket Mortgage Classic 

When: June 25-30

Where: Detroit Golf Club, 17911 Hamilton, Detroit 

Tickets: rocketmortgageclassic.com