Oakmont Country Club, Championship golf course in Plum, United States.
Oakmont Country Club is a championship golf course in Plum, Pennsylvania, considered one of the most demanding layouts in North America. The grounds roll across hilly terrain without artificial water hazards, relying instead on more than two hundred bunkers and fast, sloped greens to challenge players.
Henry Fownes built the course on old farmland in a year with 150 men and about two dozen mule teams; it opened in 1903 and is his only design. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1987 and has hosted a record ten U.S. Opens, most recently in 2025, plus three PGA Championships and six U.S. Amateurs.
The Church Pews bunker takes its name from 13 grass-covered ridges that resemble pews, and it comes into play on holes three and four. The stimpmeter, used to measure green speed, was devised by Edward Stimpson after he played the 1935 U.S. Open here.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike cuts through the property, separating holes two through eight from the main grounds. Visitors should rely on signage for orientation and expect playing pace and ground conditions to vary with the rolling terrain.
The Church Pews bunker comes into play on holes three and four, measures about 100 by 40 yards (91 by 37 m), and holds 13 grass-covered ridges that resemble church pews. For years Oakmont's bunkers were raked with wide-tined rakes that left deep furrows; the rakes were last used in a U.S. Open in 1962 and dropped by the club in 1964.
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