Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont in November 2009
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| Club information | |
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| Location | Plum, Pennsylvania |
| Established | 1903 |
| Type | Private |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Website | oakmont-countryclub |
| Designed by | Henry Fownes |
| Par | 71 (70 for men's majors) |
| Length | 7,254 yards (6,633 m) |
| Course rating | 76.9 |
| Slope rating | 142 |
| Course record | 63 – Johnny Miller (1973 U.S. Open) |
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Oakmont Country Club
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| Nearest city | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°31′32.73″N 79°49′36.35″W / 40.5257583°N 79.8267639°WCoordinates: 40°31′32.73″N 79°49′36.35″W / 40.5257583°N 79.8267639°W |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Fownes, Henry C.; Stotz, Edward |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 84003090 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 17, 1984 |
| Designated NHL | June 30, 1987 |
| Designated PHLF | 1985 |
Oakmont Country Club is a country club in Plum and Oakmont, suburbs of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania. Established in 1903, its golf course is regarded as the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the United States." It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates seven holes (2–8) from the rest of the course.
The course, the only design by Henry Fownes, opened 114 years ago in 1903. With a crew of 150 men and a little under two dozen mule teams, Henry Fownes spent a year building Oakmont on old farmland, which was ideal for a links-style course. It straddles the Allegheny River Valley and uniquely has virtually no water hazards, and, since 2007, almost no trees. With a USGA course rating of 77.5 and some two hundred bunkers it is generally regarded in the golf community as one of the most difficult in the United States. It features large, extremely fast, and undulating greens. All are original but the 8th, which was moved several yards to the left to make way for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the late 1940s. Originally a links course, trees were added in the 1950s-1960s. Most were removed beginning after the 1994 U.S. Open, with between 5,000 and 8,000 eliminated during a 2007 renovation alone. Greens are planted with Poa annua, and par for members is 71.
The course is also noted for its slope. In particular, on holes 1, 3, 10, and 12, the greens pitch away from the fairway.
One of Oakmont's most famous hazards is the Church Pews bunker that comes into play on the 3rd and 4th holes. It measures approximately 100 by 40 yards (91 by 37 m) and features twelve grass covered traversing ridges that resemble church pews.
For many years, Oakmont's bunkers were groomed with a rake with wider than normal tines, creating deep furrows. The rakes were last used in U.S. Open competition in 1962 and eliminated from the club in 1964.
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. 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 number 5, while GolfLink.com ranks it at #3 overall.
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