Once named ‘Oakland County’s Best Kept Secret? by a local news personality, the Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club on Waterford Road in Independence Township hopes to change that distinction.
‘People will come in here and say, ‘I live three miles from here and didn’t know you were here,?? Club President Tim Ondusky said.
‘I don’t want to be the best kept secret, I want everybody to know about us.?
OCSC has been in the area since 1943, fostering the love of outdoor sports shared by its members. The club offers archery, rifle shooting, camping, lake access for fishing, hunter’s safety courses and socialization with fellow outdoorsmen. OCSC is a private club and has nearly 1,900 members.
The more than 80-acre archery range, which is across Waterford Road from the main clubhouse facility, plays host to many regional archery tournaments. The club also offers archery and rifle shooting leagues with openings at all times of the day. OCSC offers traditional archery leagues, bow hunter leagues, youth leagues, the Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program and beginner’s archery on its premises.
The club’s indoor range house has 24 lanes, which can be used at ranges between 7-30 yards. In warm-weather conditions, archers can use a 57-acre wooded outdoor range. The range can be used for 3-D, field and hunter, and broadhead stations at distances from 20 ? 65 yards.
The rifle and pistol facilities are offered both inside and outdoors as well and the club has leagues for both. They also have a junior rifle club for kids ages 10-17. The OCSC shotgun club offers clay-shooting target practice in trap, skeet, trailer trap and five-stand shooting styles.
Families are invited to join quarter midget racing, for children 5-16 years old. The local Michigan Midget Racing Association is located at OCSC
The OCSC grounds are also home to the Waterford Hills Road Racing, Inc. For more information, visit www.waterfordhills.com.
Ondusky, who is in his second term as president, is a Detroit native and moved to the area in 1995. His transformation to a club member was a quick one.
‘I fished, but I didn’t really hunt or do any other outdoor sports. I met a club member who became president soon after, and he brought me out here,? Ondusky said.
‘I really enjoyed it and I got into archery and that’s where it started. I spent probably more time here in those first two years than doing anything else. Most of my best friends are at this club now.?
As the head man in charge, Ondusky reaches his hand out to the community for new members.
‘Everyone around here, we would be more than happy to take you around and show you what to do,? he said.
The club is holding open registration now. Forms can be printed from the group’s Web site, www.ocsc-mi.org and submitted at the club house.
Clubs like OCSC are important to the youth, Ondusky said, because helping teach children the values of outdoor sports determines its future.
‘Without getting youth involved, clubs like this won’t be around and there won’t be places like this for shooting sports.?
‘We try to keep the youth involved. A lot of the stuff we do such as instructional programs are geared toward them, because I’m not going to be here forever. We need to get people interested in all the different sports and keep them going,? Ondusky said.
The club is also available to boy and girls scouts looking to achieve special badges or patches in archery.
The clubhouse offers catering and the facility can also be rented out for events. OCSC also holds special events which are open to the public and the club’s bar is open to the public as well.
The Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club is located at 4770 Waterford Road in Independence Township. The club is open Tues. ? Sat., 9 a.m. ? 5 p.m. Also visit www.ocsc-mi.org for more information.