A devastating fire has swept through the iconic Oakland Hills Country Club, the scene of multiple major golf championships and the 2004 Ryder Cup, as well as home to irreplaceable golf tournament memorabilia and art.
Flames ripped through the roof at the sprawling, multi-story clubhouse, built in 1922 and whichrecently underwent a NZ$18m renovation.
Video from the scene showed clouds of black smoke pluming from the country club, which was engulfed by flames despite wet weather sweeping through the region.
It was unclear how the fire started or if anyone was inside the building at the time.
The country club had only reopened last year after closing for two years to undergo renovation works in the hope of staging future major events.
Originally founded in 1916, Oakland Hills has played a significant role in the history of golf in the United States.
Construction started in 2017 after two Ford executives bought farmland on what became the site of the golf club.
The South Course of Oakland Hills opened first in 1918 and the clubhouse was then finished in August 1922.
The same year, construction started on the North Course, which was finished two years later.
The two courses are on either side of Maple Road and, connecting the two, is the world's largest arched aluminium pedestrian bridge. It is 210 feet long, 11 feet wide, and weighs over 40,000 pounds.
The first major tournament was the Western Open in 1922, followed by the US Open in 1924.
Golf legends including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player have all played and won various tournaments there.
