Oakmont Country Club facts for kids

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Oakmont Country Club
Club information
Oakmont in November 2009
Location in the United States Show map of the United States Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°31′34″N 79°49′35″W / 40.5261°N 79.8264°W / 40.5261; -79.8264
Location	Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Established	1903; 122 years ago (1903)
Type	Private
Total holes	18
Greens	Poa annua
Fairways	Bentgrass, Poa annua
Website	oakmont-countryclub

Designed by	Henry Fownes (1904), Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner (2023-2024 restoration)
Par	71 (70 for U.S. Open since 2007)
Length	7,431 yards (6,795 m)
Course rating	77.7
Slope rating	142
Course record	63 – Johnny Miller (1973 U.S. Open)



Oakmont Country Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark

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Nearest city	Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Built	1903
Architect	Fownes, Henry C.; Stotz, Edward
Architectural style	Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No.	84003090
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 17, 1984
Designated NHL	June 30, 1987

Oakmont Country Club is a famous golf course located in Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. It was built in 1903 and is mostly in Plum, a town near Pittsburgh. Many people consider it the oldest and one of the best golf courses in the United States. It was even named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Part of the course is separated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike highway. Oakmont has hosted the U.S. Open golf tournament a record ten times, most recently in 2025.

About Oakmont's Golf Course

A portion of the club from 1500 feet above the surface

The golf course was designed by Henry Fownes and opened in 1903. Henry Fownes spent a year building Oakmont on old farmland. He used 150 men and many mule teams to create the course. This land was perfect for a "links-style" course, which means it's open and natural, like old courses in Scotland.

The course is known for being very challenging. It has almost no water hazards and, since 2007, very few trees. It has 168 sand bunkers, which are sandy pits that make the game harder. Golf experts often say it's one of the toughest courses in the United States. The greens, which are the areas around the hole, are very fast and have many slopes. The rough, which is the long grass outside the fairways, is thick and difficult to hit from.

Most of the greens are still in their original spots. Only the eighth green was moved a little to make space for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the late 1940s. The course originally had very few trees. However, trees were added in the 1950s and 1960s. After the 1994 U.S. Open, most of these trees were removed. Between 5,000 and 8,000 trees were taken out during a renovation in 2007 alone. The greens are covered with a type of grass called Poa annua. For regular players, the course is a par 71.

The course is also famous for its slopes. On holes one, three, 10, and 12, the greens slope away from the fairway, making it tricky to land the ball close to the hole.

The Church Pews Bunker

One of Oakmont's most famous challenges is the "Church Pews" bunker. This huge sand trap is about 100 yards long and 40 yards wide. It has 13 grass-covered ridges that look like church pews. This bunker affects play on both the third and fourth holes.

For many years, the sand bunkers at Oakmont were raked in a special way. They used rakes with wider teeth, which created deep grooves in the sand. This made it even harder to hit the ball out of the bunkers. These special rakes were last used in the U.S. Open in 1962 and were removed from the club in 1964.

Oakmont's Rankings

Oakmont Country Club is always ranked as one of the top golf courses. Golf Digest magazine often lists it among the five best golf courses in America. In 2007, it was ranked fifth by the magazine. It is one of the few courses that has been in the top 10 every year since the magazine started its rankings. GolfLink.com also ranks Oakmont as the third toughest course overall.

Oakmont Scorecard

Tee	Rating/Slope	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
2025 U.S. Open		488	346	462	611	408	200	485	289 250	472	3,761 3,722	461	400	632	182	379	507	236	312	502	3,611	7,372 7,333
Par	2025 U.S. Open	4	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	4	35	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4	35	70
Championship	M:77.7 / 142	482	346	467	612	410	203	487	293	475	3,775	460	398	663	186	381	509	237	317	505	3,656	7,431
Green	M:76.3 / 140	465	345	460	560	405	195	435	250	475	3,590	460	380	615	175	380	485	230	315	500	3,540	7,130
Blue	M:74.2 / 136 W:80.4 / 145	445	335	415	535	370	180	390	225	460	3,355	445	355	590	155	360	460	210	295	450	3,320	6,675
White	M:72.3 / 131 W:77.9 / 139	420	320	390	485	320	150	370	210	445	3,110	430	295	570	140	345	435	200	265	420	3,100	6,210
Brown	M:70.0 / 128 W:74.9 / 135	410	316	340	465	315	150	355	170	380	2,900	390	295	540	130	280	415	140	250	365	2,805	5,705
Gold	M:67.6 / 126 W:72.0 / 129	375	270	340	425	275	105	270	170	380	2,610	390	270	470	130	270	345	135	240	365	2,615	5,225
Fairway Tees	M:63.9 / 115 W:67.9 / 121	337	221	272	352	219	104	238	101	351	2,195	341	207	434	113	230	332	128	176	296	2,257	4,452
Par		4	4	4	5	4	3	4	3	5	36	4	4	5	3	4	4	3	4	4	35	71
Handicap	Men's	5	9	1	7	11	17	3	13	15		4	16	2	18	12	8	14	10	6
Handicap	Women's	9	7	3	5	11	13	15	17	1		10	8	4	6	12	14	16	18	2

You can see a map of each hole from Golf Magazine (June 2007) here: [1] You can also see flyovers of the holes here: [2]

Major Golf Championships at Oakmont

Oakmont has hosted the U.S. Open 10 times, which is more than any other golf course. The most recent U.S. Open held here was in 2025.

Oakmont has also hosted other major golf tournaments:

Three PGA Championships
Six U.S. Amateurs
Two U.S. Women's Opens
Three NCAA men's championships (in 1916, 1930, and 1937)

Year	Major Event	Winner	Winning Score
2025	U.S. Open	J. J. Spaun	279 (–1)
2021	U.S. Amateur	James Piot	2 & 1
2016	U.S. Open	Dustin Johnson	276 (–4)
2010	U.S. Women's Open	Paula Creamer	281 (–3)
2007	U.S. Open	Ángel Cabrera	285 (+5)
2003	U.S. Amateur	Nick Flanagan	37th Hole
1994	U.S. Open	Ernie Els	279 (–5), Playoff
1992	U.S. Women's Open	Patty Sheehan	280 (–4), Playoff
1983	U.S. Open	Larry Nelson	280 (–4)
1978	PGA Championship	John Mahaffey	276 (–8), Playoff
1973	U.S. Open	Johnny Miller	279 (–5)
1969	U.S. Amateur	Steve Melnyk	286
1962	U.S. Open	Jack Nicklaus	283 (–1), Playoff
1953	U.S. Open	Ben Hogan	283 (–5)
1951	PGA Championship	Sam Snead	7 & 6
1938	U.S. Amateur	Willie Turnesa	8 & 7
1935	U.S. Open	Sam Parks Jr.	299 (+11)
1927	U.S. Open	Tommy Armour	301 (+13), Playoff
1925	U.S. Amateur	Bobby Jones	8 & 7
1922	PGA Championship	Gene Sarazen	4 & 3
1919	U.S. Amateur	Davidson Herron	5 & 4

Famous U.S. Opens at Oakmont

1927 U.S. Open

The first U.S. Open at Oakmont was won by Tommy Armour. He beat Harry Cooper in an 18-hole playoff. The course was a par 72 and played at about 6,929 yards. Most players found it very tough. Only two rounds were scored under par during the whole tournament.

1935 U.S. Open

Sam Parks Jr. won this U.S. Open. He finished 11 strokes over par. The course was still a par 72, playing at about 6,981 yards. Only three rounds were scored under par by any player.

1953 U.S. Open

Ben Hogan won this tournament by six strokes. He finished five strokes under par. The course was a par 72 and played at about 6,916 yards. This year, 20 rounds were scored under par.

1962 U.S. Open

This U.S. Open was famous because a young 22-year-old player named Jack Nicklaus beat the top player, Arnold Palmer. They both finished the 72 holes tied. Nicklaus then won in a Sunday playoff round. This was Nicklaus's first big professional win. The course's par was changed to 71 this year. It played at about 6,893 yards.

1973 U.S. Open

Johnny Miller made history in 1973. He shot an amazing final round of 63, which was eight strokes under par. This set a new record for the lowest score in a U.S. Open. He won the tournament by one stroke.

Miller started the final day in 12th place, six strokes behind the leaders. It had rained overnight, making the course a bit softer. Miller started with four birdies in a row. He hit every single green in regulation, meaning he got his ball on the green in the expected number of strokes. He also used only 29 putts. Only Miller and four other players managed to score under par that day. The course was a par 71 and played at about 6,921 yards.

Johnny Miller's Record-Breaking 63

Here's how Johnny Miller played each hole on June 17, 1973:

Hole	Yards	Par	Club selections	Score	Result	To par
1	469	4	Driver, 3-iron to 5 feet	3	birdie	–1
2	343	4	Driver, 9-iron to 1 foot	3	birdie	–2
3	425	4	Driver, 5-iron to 25 feet	3	birdie	–3
4	549	5	Driver, 3-wood, bunker shot to 6 inches	4	birdie	–4
5	379	4	Driver, 6-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts	4	par	–4
6	195	3	3-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts	3	par	–4
7	395	4	Driver, 9-iron to 6 feet, 2 putts	4	par	–4
8	244	3	4-wood to 30 feet, 3 putts	4	bogey	–3
9	480	5	Driver, 2-iron to 40 feet, 2 putts	4	birdie	–4
Out	3,479	36		32		–4
10	462	4	Driver, 5-iron to 25 feet, 2 putts	4	par	–4
11	371	4	Driver, wedge to 14 feet	3	birdie	–5
12	603	5	Driver, 7-iron, 4-iron to 15 feet	4	birdie	–6
13	185	3	4-iron to 5 feet	2	birdie	–7
14	360	4	Driver, wedge to 12 feet, 2 putts	4	par	–7
15	453	4	Driver, 4-iron to 10 feet	3	birdie	–8
16	230	3	2-iron to 45 feet, 2 putts	3	par	–8
17	322	4	1-iron, wedge to 10 feet, 2 putts	4	par	–8
18	456	4	Driver, 5-iron to 20 feet, 2 putts	4	par	–8
In	3,442	35		31		–4
Total	6,921	71		63		–8

1983 U.S. Open

In 1983, Larry Nelson made a big comeback. After the first two rounds, he was six strokes over par. But then he shot amazing rounds of 65 and 67. He finished four strokes under par, winning by one stroke. His score for 36 holes set a new U.S. Open record that stood for many years. The course was a par 71 and played at about 6,972 yards.

1994 U.S. Open

In 1994, 24-year-old Ernie Els won his first major title. He had to play an extra playoff round on Monday against Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie. All three players had finished the main tournament tied at five strokes under par. The playoff was played in very hot and humid weather. Els eventually won in a sudden-death playoff. The course was a par 71 and played at about 6,946 yards.

2007 U.S. Open

Ángel Cabrera from Argentina won the 2007 U.S. Open. He finished five strokes over par, winning by one stroke. Before this tournament, the course had been renovated. Many bunkers were made deeper, and over 4,000 trees were removed. This brought the course back to its original links-style look. The course was also made longer, playing at about 7,230 yards. The par was reduced to 70. Every hole averaged an over-par score, showing how tough the course was. Only eight rounds were scored under par during the entire tournament.

2016 U.S. Open

Oakmont hosted the U.S. Open for the ninth time in 2016. Dustin Johnson won his first major title here. He finished four strokes under par, winning by three strokes.

2025 U.S. Open

Oakmont hosted the U.S. Open for the tenth time in 2025. J. J. Spaun won his first major title here. He finished one stroke under par, winning by two strokes.

Future U.S. Opens

Oakmont is scheduled to host the U.S. Open again in 2033 and 2042.

What Golfers Say About Oakmont

Many famous golfers have shared their thoughts on Oakmont:

USGA Director Mike Davis said: "This really is the gold standard for championship golf. It doesn't get any better than Oakmont."
Lee Trevino said: "There's only one course in the country where you could step out right now — right now — and play the U.S. Open, and that's Oakmont."
Phil Mickelson called it "a neat, special place."
Johnny Miller said: "It's probably the best course in the world . . . This is the greatest course I've ever played."

Quotes About Oakmont's Greens

The greens at Oakmont are especially famous for being difficult:

Tiger Woods said: "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."
Arnold Palmer once said: "You can hit 72 greens [in regulation] in the Open at Oakmont and not come close to winning."
Rocco Mediate said the greens are "almost impossible."
Sam Snead joked that he tried to mark his ball on one of Oakmont's greens, but the coin slid off because it was so sloped.
Lee Trevino claimed that every time he took only two putts on a green at Oakmont, he knew he was moving up the leaderboard.
Johnny Miller said Oakmont's greens are the best for testing a player's putting skills.
USGA Director Mike Davis called Oakmont's greens the "scariest in golf."

The Stimpmeter

The stimpmeter is a tool used to measure how fast golf greens are. It was invented by Edward Stimpson, an amateur golfer, shortly after he attended the 1935 U.S. Open at Oakmont.