Oakmont Country Club

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Oakmont Country Club
Club Information
Location:	Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Established:	1903
Type:	Private
Total holes:	18
Website:	Oakmont
Designed by:	Henry Fownes
Par:	71 (70 for majors)
Length:	7255
Course Rating:	77.5
Course Record:	63 Johnny Miller

Oakmont Country Club is a prestigious "top five" country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U.S.".^[1] It is located in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The club saddles the scenic Allegheny River Valley though uniquely has virtually no water hazards, and now virtually no trees. Some 4000 trees were removed during a recent renovation, but the course has some 200 bunkers and severely undulated greens which greatly contribute to its reputation as one of the most challenging courses in the world. Besides being ranked annually in the top 5 of every course list since the 1960s, it was the first golf course to earn merit as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.^[2] It hosted its eighth U.S. Open in 2007, the most of any course. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes (2–8) from the rest of the course.

Contents 1 Rankings 2 Major championships held at Oakmont 3 Oakmont's course 3.1 Tilt 3.2 The Church Pews 4 Oakmont scorecard 5 U.S. Open Championships at Oakmont 5.1 1927 5.2 1935 5.3 1953 5.4 1962 5.5 1973 5.6 1983 5.7 1994 5.8 2007 6 Quotes from notable golfers 7 References 7.1 Further reading 8 External links

[edit] Rankings

The course has been consistently ranked as one of the five best by Golf Digest 100 Greatest Golf Courses in America. In 2007 Oakmont was placed in 5th by the magazine.^[3] It is one of only a few courses ranked every year in the top ten of the publication's history. The top 50 toughest courses ranks Oakmont also at #5,^[4] while GolfLink.com ranks it at #3 overall.^[5]

[edit] Major championships held at Oakmont

Oakmont has been selected as host of the U.S. Open eight times (more than any other course)[1], including the current 2007 tournament. It has also played host to three PGA Championships, five U.S. Amateurs, and the U.S. Women's Open once, and will host it again in 2010.

Year	Major	Winner
2010	U.S. Women's Open
2007	U.S. Open	Angel Cabrera
2003	U.S. Amateur	Nick Flanagan
1994	U.S. Open	Ernie Els
1992	U.S. Women's Open	Patty Sheehan
1983	U.S. Open	Larry Nelson
1978	PGA Championship	John Mahaffey
1973	U.S. Open	Johnny Miller
1969	U.S. Amateur	Steve Melnyk
1962	U.S. Open	Jack Nicklaus
1953	U.S. Open	Ben Hogan
1951	PGA Championship	Sam Snead
1938	U.S. Amateur	Willie Turnesa
1935	U.S. Open	Sam Parks, Jr.
1927	U.S. Open	Tommy Armour
1925	U.S. Amateur	Bobby Jones
1922	PGA Championship	Gene Sarazen
1919	U.S. Amateur	S. Davidson Herron

[edit] Oakmont's course

The course, the only one in the world designed by Henry Fownes (pronounced as "Phones"), was opened in 1903 and is generally regarded in the golf community as one of the most difficult in the United States. It's USGA course rating of 77.5 is among the highest in the county.^{[citation needed]} It features large, extremely fast, and smooth greens that tilt and undulate in unique ways. All the greens are original except for the 8th which was moved several yards to the left to make way for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the late 1940s. Par for the members is 71. For the 2007 U.S. Open it plays to a par of 70 with number 9 playing as a long par 4 instead of a par 5 as it does for member play.

[edit] Tilt

In addition to the one-of-a-kind greens surface that Oakmont boasts, the undulating tilt and slope of the course adds a whole other dynamic to a round. Most noted on holes 1, 3, 10 and 12, Oakmont's greens pitch away from the fairway.^[6]

[edit] The Church Pews

One of Oakmont's most famous hazards is the Church Pews bunker, a large bunker that measures about 100 yards long and almost 40 yards wide with twelve grass covered ridges running across it. It comes into play on the 3rd and 4th holes. A smaller version comes into play along the left side of the 15th hole.

For many years the bunkers on the course were groomed with a special kind of rake with wider tines, creating deep furrows into which a ball might roll. The rakes were last used in U.S. Open competition in 1962 and eliminated from the club in 1964.^[7]

[edit] Oakmont scorecard

Oakmont

Tee	Rating/Slope	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	OUT	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	IN	TOTAL
Green	77.5 / 147	482	340	428	609	382	194	479	288	477	3679	462	379	667	183	358	499	231	313	484	3576	7255
Blue	74 / 134	441	325	390	512	349	168	370	225	462	3242	440	328	562	153	340	434	211	296	430	3194	6436
White	72.4 / 130	423	317	378	504	347	152	357	209	459	3146	436	307	550	139	332	428	189	276	420	3077	6223
Black	75.6 / 136	418	309	339	467	275	143	274	185	431	2841	431	271	466	129	327	421	135	259	412	2851	5629
Par	Men's	4	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	36	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4	35	71
Handicap	Men's	1	5	3	15	11	9	13	7	17		2	12	8	14	18	6	10	16	4
Par	Women's	5	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	37	5	4	5	3	4	5	3	4	5	38	75
Handicap	Women's	7	13	5	1	11	17	9	15	3		4	10	2	16	12	6	18	14	8

A hole-by-hole course map from GOLF magazine (June 2007) can be viewed here [2] Flyovers of the holes can be seen here [3]

[edit] U.S. Open Championships at Oakmont

Photo galleries of the U.S. Opens at Oakmont from the USGA's official site can be seen here [4]

[edit] 1927

Won by Tommy Armour, who defeated Harry Cooper in a playoff. Their 72 hole score was 13 over par. The par 72 course played to 6929 yards in 1927. [5] The average score for the field was 78.6 (+ 6.6) and the field recorded just 2 rounds under par. The total purse of prize money was $800.[6]

[edit] 1935

Won by Sam Parks, Jr. at 11 strokes over par. The par 72 course played to 6981 yards in 1935 and the average score for the field was 80.55 (+ 8.55) and the field recorded 3 rounds under par. The total purse of prize money was $5,000.

[edit] 1953

Ben Hogan won his second of three straight majors in 1953 at Oakmont by six strokes, coming in at five under par. Questionable scheduling conflicts made it difficult to play all four majors that year, as the PGA Championship, then a match-play event, and the British Open overlapped in early July. Hogan won The Masters by five strokes and the British Open at Carnoustie by four strokes. The par 72 course played at 6916 yards in 1953 and the average score for the field was 77.12 (+ 5.12) and the field recorded 20 rounds under par. The purse was $14,900 and the champion earned $5,000.

[edit] 1962

At the 1962 U.S. Open, an up-and-coming 22-year-old named Jack Nicklaus defeated the world's top player at the time, Arnold Palmer, in a Monday playoff round in Palmer's home state. Both competitors had completed the 72 holes with at 1-under par (283). Nicklaus and Palmer played in the same group for all five rounds. It was the first professional victory for Nicklaus, and the first of his 18 professional majors. Palmer would win the next major, the 1962 British Open, and his fourth Masters in 1964, but never another U.S. Open. In 1962 par was reduced by a stroke to 71 course length slightly reduced to 6893 yards; the average score for the field was 75.86 (+ 4.86) and the field recorded 19 rounds under par. The purse was $81,600 and the champion earned $17,500.

[edit] 1973

Johnny Miller shot a final round 63 (-8) to set a record low score at a U.S. Open, and finished at five under par to win by one stroke. Following an overnight rainstorm, Miller entered the final round in 12th place at three-over, six strokes behind the four co-leaders.[7] Miller had carded a disappointing five-over 76 on Saturday, and his tee time on Sunday was about an hour ahead of the final pairing, which included Arnold Palmer.

Miller birdied the first four holes and hit all 18 greens in regulation, and used only 29 putts. Miller and four others were the only ones to break par during the final round in 1973. The par 71 course played at 6921 yards and the average score for the field was 75.45 (+ 4.45) and the field recorded 40 rounds under par. The purse was $219,400 and the champion earned $35,000.

His record low score (9 birdies with 1 bogey) led the USGA to set up the course at the following year's championship, now known as The Massacre at Winged Foot, in an extremely challenging manner; Hale Irwin's winning score in 1974 was seven strokes over par.

Johnny Miller's 63: - club selection and results - 17-June-1973

• 1. - 469 yards, par 4 - Driver, 3-iron to 5 feet, birdie
• 2. - 343 yards, par 4 - Driver, 9-iron to 1 foot, birdie
• 3. - 425 yards, par 4 - Driver, 5-iron to 25 feet, birdie
• 4. - 549 yards, par 5 - Driver, 3-wood, bunker shot to 6 inches, birdie
• 5. - 379 yards, par 4 - Driver, 6-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts, par
• 6. - 195 yards, par 3 - 3-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts, par
• 7. - 395 yards, par 4 - Driver, 9-iron to 6 feet, 2 putts, par
• 8. - 244 yards, par 3 - 4-wood to 30 feet, 3 putts, bogey
• 9. - 480 yards, par 5 - Driver, 2-iron to 40 feet, 2 putts, birdie

• 10. - 462 yards, par 4 - Driver, 5-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts, par
• 11. - 371 yards, par 4 - Driver, wedge to 14 feet, birdie
• 12. - 603 yards, par 5 - Driver, 7-iron, 4-iron to 15 feet, birdie
• 13. - 185 yards, par 3 - 4-iron to 5 feet, birdie
• 14. - 360 yards, par 4 - Driver, wedge to 12 feet, 2 putts, par
• 15. - 453 yards, par 4 - Driver, 4-iron to 10 feet, birdie
• 16. - 230 yards, par 3 - 2-iron to 45 feet, 2 putts, par
• 17. - 322 yards, par 4 - 1-iron, wedge to 10 feet, 2 putts, par
• 18. - 456 yards, par 4 - Driver, 5-iron to 20 feet, 2 putts, par [8]

[edit] 1983

In 1983, Larry Nelson was six over par at 148 after the first two rounds. He then established the 36-hole record at the U.S. Open when he finished 65-67 to score a 4-under par 280, defeating Tom Watson by a single shot. Nelson's two-round total of 132 (10 under par) broke the previous record by four shots, established by Gene Sarazen 51 years earlier. Nelson's record performance, although not receiving level acclaim to Miller's 63 finish, has yet to be equaled.^[8] The par 71 course played at 6972 yards in 1983 and the average score for the field was 76.13 (+ 5.13) and the field recorded 27 rounds under par. The purse was $506,184 and the champion earned $72,000.

[edit] 1994

In 1994, a 24-year-old Ernie Els outlasted Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie in another Monday playoff round to capture the U.S. Open, his first major and first victory in the U.S. The three in the playoff completed the four rounds at five under par (279), but all were well over par during the playoff round, played in oppressive heat and humidity, as temperatures approached 100°F (38°C). [9] Montgomerie shot a 42 on the front, ending with a 7-over 78 and was eliminated, but Els and Roberts were tied at 3-over 74, with Roberts missing a short putt on the 18th hole to win outright, so they kept playing. On the second extra hole, Roberts bogeyed and Els made a par to win the championship. The par 71 course played at 6946 yards in 1994 and the average score for the field was 74.25 (+ 3.25); the field recorded 62 rounds under par. The purse was $1.75 million and the champion earned $320,000.

[edit] 2007

Angel Cabrera of Argentina shot five over par (285) to defeat Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk by a stroke. A course renovation had deepened the bunkers and removed over 4000 trees that had been planted mostly in the 1960s, returning the course to its original appearance. [10]

The course was lengthened to 7230 yards and par was reduced by a stroke to 70, as the uphill 9th hole became a par-4. The par-3 8th hole played at 300 yards in Round 4, the par-5 12th hole at over 660 yards, and the par-4 15th at 500 yards. The average score for the field in 2007 was 75.72 (+ 5.72), with every hole averaging an over-par score.[11] The field recorded just 8 rounds under par, only two per round. Cabrera had two of these sub-par rounds, shooting a 69 (-1) on Thursday and Sunday.

The weather was much more agreeable than in 1994: the high temperatures were 75-79°F for the first three rounds and 90°F for the final round, and there were no weather delays in any of the rounds. The total purse was $7.0 million and the champion earned $1.26 million.

[edit] Quotes from notable golfers

• USGA Sr. Director of Rules and Competitions Mike Davis: "There's a reason [the U.S. Open is] coming back to Oakmont. This really is the gold standard for championship golf. It doesn't get any better than Oakmont."^[9]
• Phil Mickelson: "It's really a neat, special place."^[10]
• Johnny Miller: "It's probably the best course in the world . . . This is the greatest course I've ever played."^[10]

On Oakmont's greens:

• Tiger Woods:"That golf course is going to be one of the toughest tests that we've ever played in a U.S. Open, especially if it's dry, it will be unreal because those greens are so severe."^[6]
• Arnold Palmer: "You can hit 72 greens [in regulation] in the Open at Oakmont and not come close to winning."^[10]
• Rocco Mediate said of the greens that they are "almost impossible"
• Sam Snead once commented that he tried to mark his ball on one of Oakmont's greens but the coin slid off.^[6]
• Lee Trevino claimed every time he two-putted at Oakmont he knew he was passing somebody on the leader board.^[6]
• Johnny Miller said that Oakmont's are the greatest set of greens for testing a player's ability to putt.^[6]
• USGA Sr. Director Mike Davis: "[Oakmont's greens are the] scariest in golf."^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Ward-Thomas, P., Wind, H.W., Price, C., Thomson, P. (2002). World Atlas of Golf. London: Hamlyn. ISBN 0-600-60720-8. 

[edit] External links

• Oakmont's Official Site
• U.S. Open video of all 8 touraments at Oakmont
• U.S. Open.com - 2007 U.S. Open Fact Sheet
• 2007 U.S. Open - course statistics - all rounds
• Oakmont Guide at GolfClubAtlas.com
• GCSAA.org - superintendents' fact sheet - 2007 U.S. Open
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette guide to the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont
• Description of Oakmont's clubhouse

v • d • e Golf Digest's Top 10 Golf Courses in America 1. Pine Valley Golf Club · 2. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club · 3. Augusta National Golf Club · 4. Cypress Point Club 5. Oakmont Country Club · 6. Pebble Beach Golf Links · 7. Merion Golf Club (East Course) 8. Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) · 9. Seminole Golf Club · 10. Crystal Downs Country Club

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Coordinates: 40.529° N 79.823° W