Rackham promised to donate the land towards a zoo as long as Detroit voters approved of it.
The voters did pass the proposal, and Rackham followed through on his promise and gave 22 acres (8.9 ha) for a parking lot, and the rest for a public golf course to be built.
Rackham has also been named one of Ross' ten best public golf courses.
Joe Louis, the famous boxer known as the "Brown Bomber", played the course on a regular basis back in his day.
The historic original front 9 was closed in October 1983 for major revisions due to the encroachment of I-696 extending through the area.