Oakmont vs The Best In The World

I guess it may be a generational thing, but as a Baby Boomer with a lifelong love affair with golf having the US Open return to Oakmont is something I really get excited about. Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy the US Open for a lot of reasons, but returning it to Oakmont is special. Not just because of the rich history of hosting USGA Events which is deep with a total of 16 and this making the 9th US Open, but simply the challenge it will present for the best players in the world.

The Course

Oakmont is 112 years old and there has never been the need to “Tiger-Proof” it.  It has 5 par 4’s that are less than 400 yards, no trees, and no water, just grass and a whole lot of sand.  When you look out from the clubhouse it is not visually intimidating, but it is deceptively difficult.  It is the exact opposite of a Robert Trent Jones course which are usually visually intimidating golf courses.  Now understand that I have tremendous respect for Mr. Jones and the TPC in particular, but as a friend of mine once said, “he is the only guy that builds a golf course you can burn down.”

Unlike Chambers Bay, it is not a bomb and gouge type of golf course. It will require the utmost in course management, ball striking and shot making. It will be an endurance contest that will be won by the player with the most mental toughness.

From course expert Joe Passov:

“No course on earth plays so much viciously harder than it looks than Oakmont.  No trees, no water, few forced carries and huge greens normally add up to a sea of red numbers for the game’s best, but not here.  Not with the ferocity of these greens (which they actually slow down for U.S. Opens), a lethal combination of speed, contour and firmness, plus brutal rough and more than 200 bunkers.  Gene Sarazen described Oakmont as possessing ‘all the charm of a sock to the head.’ Echoed Johnny Miller, ‘It’s the most difficult test of golf in America.’  And that’s coming from two guys who won majors here.

The Rough

The rough will make missing a fairway a real penalty and possibly a disaster.  In the words of Bob Friend, PGA Tour Champions player and Oakmont member, “The rough will be absolutely ferocious.”

The Greens Cause Nightmares

There is the rumor that they actually have to slow the greens down for the Open.  I think it is closer to fact than fiction, after all they are responsible for the development of the Stimpmeter because Edward Stimpson decided the greens at Oakmont for the 1935 U.S. Open were unplayable and had no way to prove it.

The greens affect more than just putts.  Approach shots must be absolute exact.  Shots that would be considered nearly perfect on any other course won’t fly at Oakmont.  Anything from above the hole will take a miracle to stay on the green, whether a chip or a putt.  It is not just the speed but also the contour.

Lee Trevino had this to say about playing in the Open at Oakmont, “Every time I two-putted I felt I had gained a shot on the field.”

The Bunkers

When you combine the greens with the rough you still have to add the 210 bunkers which include the “Church Pews.”

The Members

Oakmont may be a “country club,” but it is a golf club in the purest sense.  There is no question that Oakmont is a players club with deep traditions but the thing that really fascinates me is that they seem to be somewhat of a cross between masochistic and sadistic.

It is pretty well summed up by USGA Executive Director Mike Davis, “I really do believe this is the one golf course in the United States that, if we had to make a call one to two weeks before the U.S. Open and say, ‘We’re in a pinch, can you host the national Open Championship?’ this place could do it.”

“We putt everything out,” says club president Bill Griffin.  “And the 12-inch putts around here are by no means gimmes.”

They also openly delight in bringing guests, especially those that are scratch elsewhere, and introducing them to the course for the first time.  As one of them said:

“You don’t lose balls at Oakmont — you just lose your mind.”

When you consider that the first US Open was won there in 1927 by Tommy Armour at +13 and the last one in 2007 was won by Angel Cabrera +5, it is a sure bet that the bogey to birdie ratio is going to be lopsided.

I love watching great players on great golf courses playing great golf, but I guess there is a sadistic streak in me somewhere.  Maybe I should apply for membership.

Cover Photo via Instagram