Have you ever wondered about that property on the corner of Main Street and Stadium Boulevard?

No, not the looming Michigan stadium and not Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. Maybe you were northbound on Main Street waiting for a green light when you looked through the trees and saw someone putting on a green or walking down a fairway; maybe you drove in the entrance on Stadium thinking you were at the U-M Golf Course; maybe you’ve parked and tailgated there for a football game.

Photos courtesy of a2zoom

What you’ve seen is the Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Club (AAGOC), affectionately known by its members as “The Little Club” as they enjoy this nine-hole private course. Golf has been played there since 1890, making it one of the oldest operating golf clubs in Michigan. The 300 current members also participate in tennis and bridge; a full dining room and pro shop are available as well. The dining room includes a porch and wraparound patio where diners socialize and take in the supreme view of the lush fairways surrounding them.

The 2,500-yard walking course provides many challenges with its hills and sand traps, and some of the hilltop tees present breathtaking views of the U-M stadium and Ann Arbor landscape. The terrain is similar to that of the U-M golf course, which borders AAGOC on the east and south sides. If you enter or leave the club, you are warned to "ingress and egress warily" as the driveway cuts right through the second hole, and golfers have right-of-way! Although the 38 acres is made up nine holes, there are two sets of tees so as to score eighteen holes.

The heart of this unique club is in its members. It’s not unusual to discover generations of families who have belonged over the years. And, as they pass on, many are memorialized with beautiful trees and plants around the course or with personal pavers on a tree-lined path between the seventh and eighth holes. Although its membership includes many current and former community leaders, several new members are welcomed each year, thus contributing to the synergy and charm of the group. My husband and I are fortunate enough to have belonged since 2001.

Photos courtesy of a2zoom

During fall football season, Friday night rounds are made particularly interesting. In preparation for game parking on Saturday, the course is dotted with barrels, ropes, tents and portable bathrooms; add to that the numerous leaves covering the greens. However, all of these obstacles are worth enduring as the golfers are treated to the autumn atmosphere of Ann Arbor - appreciating the glorious tree colors, listening to the Pioneer High band and play-by-play of their varsity football game and watching the parade of RVs entering the school parking lot for the U-M game on Saturday.

So, the next time you’re in the neighborhood of Main and Stadium and you see those
golfers through the fence, you’ll know you’re looking at “The Little Club” on the corner!

If there’s anything you’ve “scene” around town and wondered about, let me know and
I’ll try to check it out.

Pat Kabat is a longtime resident of Ann Arbor. Recently retired, she now enjoys more time with family and grandchildren. She also volunteers as a tutor with Washtenaw
Literacy and as an usher at U-M Productions and the Michigan Theater. Pat hopes to use her curiosity of scenes around town to investigate and share with the community.  Read previous Scene Around Town articles here.