The 18 hole Oakmont course at the Oakmont Country Club is the oldest top ranked golf course in the US and is located in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and
Oakmont,Pennsylvania, USA. It ranks annually in the top five courses in America and is the first US golf club to be designated as a National History Landmark.
Oakmont Country Club has hosted more tournaments than any other golf courses in the US. It has 7,229 yards of golf for a par of 71 from the longest tees. The course rating is 76.8 while the slope rating is 144. Oakmont is the most difficult course in North America and is famously known for its 210 deep bunkers, extremely fast greens, thick rough and tight fairways. The eastern holes (2-8) are separated from the rest of the course by the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
History
Oakmont Country Club was designed by Henry Clay Fownes and opened in 1903. It is managed by Tom Wallace as the General Manager. It has been time and again ranked as one of the top golf courses in the US as well as the world. The course has played host to most major tournaments including eight United States Open, five U.S. Amateurs, three PGA Championships and two U.S. Women’s Open. Oakmont has also been the site where most of the champions have reached glory.
Oakmont Golf Course
Designed by Henry Fownes, the Oakmont course is considered as one of the toughest courses in the United States. It has been rated 77.5 by the USGA and is the highest in the country. The course has extremely fast and smooth greens, bunkers and Scottish-style links with no water hazards and has a par of 71. The greens on the course are original excepting for the 8th. Oakmont is the true golfer’s course.
Oakmont’s Famous Hole
The 18th hole at the Oakmont has been considered as the best par-4 in golf and was also once voted the PGA tour’s most difficult. The area surrounding the hole is extremely picturesque.
Tilt
The undulating tilt and slope of the course has always been a much discussed topic since it adds a certain dynamic to a round. The greens pitch away from the fairway on holes 1,3,10 and 12.
The Church Pew Bunker
A large bunker measuring 100 yards by 40 yards with twelve grass covered ridges running across it is one of the famous hazards at the Oakmont. These have been nicknamed as the Church Pews. It comes into play on the 3rd and 4th holes and a smaller version along the left side of the 15th hole too.
Major Tournaments at Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont has hosted the US Open eight times in the year 1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1994 and 2007, three PGA Championships in 1922, 1951 and 1978, five US Amateurs in 1919, 1925, 1938, 1969 and 2003 and has also been selected to host the US Women’s Open in 2010.