Oakmont Country Club

Oakmont Country Club 18th hole clubhouse Oakmont Country Club- 18th hole & clubhouse

Oakmont Country Club

History

In 1903 steel baron Henry Fownes bought 191 acres of farmland in Oakmont and established the Oakmont Country Club.

Henry designed the course himself- the only course he would design.

The course opened to membership from October 1, 1904

Championships

Oakmont Country Club has hosted more championships than any club in the USA.

This includes six U.S. Amateur championships (note Bobby Jones won in 1925).

The club has also hosted three PGA Championships won by Gene Sarazen (1922). Sam Snead (1951), and John Mahaffey (1978).

Two U.S. Women's Opens (1992 & 2010) were won by Patty Sheehan and Paula Creamer respectively..

And nine U.S. Opens were hosted dating from 1927.

Winners were:

Tommy Armour 1927, Sam Parks Jr 1935 , Ben Hogan 1953

Jack Nicklaus 1962, Johnny Miller 1973, Larry Nelson 1983

Ernie Els 1994, Angel Cabrera 2007, and Dustin Johnson 2016

U.S. Open Trophy

In 2025 the Open returns to Oakmont!

Course

The original course was built as a big ‘playing field’ reminscent of some of the old links in the U.K.

What Muirfield is to the Open Championship and Scottish golf, Oakmont is to U.S. golf!

Over the years Oakmont has evolved with extensive treeing of the site and then a major project to eliminate the trees and return to the playing fields look and playability.

A major freeway was built (The Pennsylvania Turnpike), bisecting the course in two.

Remarkably it is not seen from the course and has little impact on the site other than vehicle noise.

Henry Fownes designed Oakmont as a links like championship course in a parkland setting.

It is both challenging and playable for members and guests.

And it is one of the better championship courses in the modern era.

Perhaps the point of differentiation for Oakmont is that the natural sloping landscape has been used for both fairways and greens.

The first hole is a perfect example with the downhill sloping fairway running seamlessly into a downhill sloping green.

The bunkering dictates lines of play, so on the first if you can hit the fairway you can expect a short approach- aerial or along the ground.

Even a putter will work from a good distance out..

Right from the start you are asked to play your own game in getting the ball near the pin- fly it in and stop it, or bump and run (or putt).

Likewise holes which play uphill or a across a slope will offer greens with the same camber as the fairway and offer the player choices on how to approach..

In a sense Oakmont is a simple course- it is just comes down to bunkers and greens.

Notable Holes include:

- Hole 1, a downhill par 4 to a downhill sloping green which can be super quick! A nice opening hole. (see video above)

- Hole 3, a world famous uphill par 4 with the Church Pews bunkers left

Oakmont Country Club hole 3 Oakmont Country Club- hole 3

Oakmont Country Club- hole 3 "Church Pews"

Oakmont Country Club- hole 3 "Church Pews 2"

- Hole 4, a winding downhill par 4 heavily protected by bunkers both sides (including the the Church Pews left).

Oakmont Country Club- hole 4 approach

- Hole 9, a strong uphill par 4 with a lovely clubhouse backdrop

Oakmont Country Club- hole 9

- Hole 10, a downhill par 5 with a creek crossing the fairway the second shot and some nice bunkering

Oakmont Country Club- hole 10 approach

- Hole 12 is a downhill par 5 with bunkers on both sides of the fairway requiring a strategic approach

- Hole 14, an uphill par 4 with the clubhouse as a backdrop. The uphill approach is dominated by the need to carry the bunkers..

Oakmont Country Club- hole 12 approach

Oakmont Country Club- hole 14 green

- Hole 17, a seriously good short par 4 with an uphill tee shot leaving players needing an accurate short iron in to a spectacular raised green well protected by deep bunkers.

Oakmont Country Club- hole 17, approach left