Walk onto the first tee at Oakmont Country Club and you’ll feel it immediately. That sense of impending doom? Yeah, that’s normal. For over a century, this patch of Pennsylvania dirt has been the ultimate arbiter of who can actually play golf and who just thinks they can. But if you haven’t seen Oakmont before and after the massive renovations that have defined its modern era, you might not realize that the "Church Pews" bunker isn't the only thing that makes this place a monster. It’s a completely different landscape now than it was in the 1990s.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle the membership agreed to it.
Back in the day, Oakmont looked like your standard, leafy American country club. It was pretty. There were thousands of trees—mighty oaks, maples, pines—lining every single fairway. It felt enclosed. Private. Then, the chainsaws came out. Between 1993 and the 2016 U.S. Open, the club famously removed somewhere around 5,000 to 8,000 trees. The goal was simple but brutal: return the course to its 1903 roots as a wind-swept, treeless "inland links."
Why the Oakmont Before and After Transformation Had to Happen
You have to understand the philosophy of Henry Fownes, the guy who designed this place. He didn't want a "parkland" course. He wanted a penal masterpiece. He famously said that a shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost. By the 1950s and 60s, trees had grown so thick that they were actually protecting players. If you hooked a drive, a branch might knock it back into the fairway. Or, you’d have a shady, comfortable lie in the grass.
The USGA and the club’s leadership realized that the "pretty" version of Oakmont was actually a diluted version of its true self.
The change was jarring. Membership was divided. Imagine waking up one morning and your favorite landmark tree is just... gone. But the result was a visual explosion. Suddenly, you could stand on the porch of the clubhouse and see almost every single hole on the property. The wind became a factor again. The scale of the bunkers, which are basically craters, became terrifying because there was nothing to hide them.
The Gradients of Cruelty: It’s All in the Dirt
It isn't just about the trees, though. When people talk about Oakmont before and after, they often miss the subtle technical shifts in the greens. Oakmont greens aren't just fast; they are legendary. During the 1935 U.S. Open, the stimpmeter wasn't even a thing yet, but Edward Stimpson was so frustrated by the speed of Oakmont's greens that he invented the device just to prove they were insane.
In recent years, the club has undergone another massive project. This one was more "under the hood."
- They installed PrecisionAire systems under every green. This allows them to control moisture and temperature to a degree that was impossible twenty years ago.
- The fairways were re-contoured. They didn't just mow the grass shorter; they literally reshaped the land to ensure that if a ball isn't hit perfectly, it won't just sit there. It will roll into a bunker or deep rough.
- The sand itself was changed. They use a specific type of angular sand that stays put on the steep faces of the bunkers, making sure that "fried egg" lies are a constant threat.
The Brutality of the 2025-2026 Restorations
If you’ve been following the news about the 2025 U.S. Open prep, you know they haven't stopped tinkering. Gil Hanse, the architect who has become the go-to guy for USGA restorations, has been meticulously moving bunkers back. Why? Because players hit the ball 330 yards now.
🔗 Read more: Finding the Sky Sports F1 UK Logo-World PNG and Why the Branding Actually Works
The Oakmont before and after 2024 comparison shows bunkers that used to be "out of play" for pros are now right in the landing zones. They also expanded the greens back to their original dimensions. This sounds like it would make the course easier (bigger targets, right?), but it’s actually the opposite. By expanding the greens to the edges of the slopes, they’ve created "pinnable" areas that are basically on the side of a cliff.
It’s diabolical.
I remember talking to a local caddie who’s been there for thirty years. He said the biggest shock isn't the lack of trees anymore; it's the drainage. You can have a literal monsoon hit Oakmont, and thirty minutes later, the greens are back to 14 on the stimp. That kind of consistency makes it impossible for players to catch a break. The "soft" Oakmont of the mid-20th century is officially dead.
🔗 Read more: Serie del Caribe calendario 2026: Why This Year’s Schedule Is a Logistics Nightmare (and a Fan’s Dream)
What Most People Get Wrong About the "New" Oakmont
There’s a common misconception that the tree removal was just for aesthetics. People think they wanted it to look like Scotland. While the visuals are a nice perk, the real reason was turf health. Trees suck up water and block sunlight. By removing them, the club could grow the most dense, punishing rough imaginable.
In the "before" era, the rough was often patchy because of the shade. Now? It’s a thick, tangled mat of Kentucky Bluegrass and Fescue. If you miss the fairway by three yards, you’re hacking out with a wedge. There is no "going for it" from the rough at the modern Oakmont.
Specific Holes That Changed Everything
- The 3rd Hole: The Church Pews. This is the most famous bunker in golf. Before the major restoration, there were trees surrounding this area. Now, it sits completely exposed. The wind whips across it, making that long carry over the pews much more psychological.
- The 8th Hole: This par 3 used to have a massive tree to the left that gave players a sense of perspective. Without it, the hole looks like a 250-yard desert. It’s visually overwhelming.
- The 12th Hole: This is a long par 5. Before, you could aim at specific trees to line up your second shot. Now, it’s just a sea of green and sand. It requires a level of internal navigation that most pros struggle with.
How to Apply the Oakmont Mentality to Your Own Game
Looking at the Oakmont before and after story isn't just for golf historians. There are actual lessons here for the average weekend warrior.
🔗 Read more: Germany National Football Team: What Most People Get Wrong
First, look at your own local course. Are there "safe" misses you've been relying on? Oakmont teaches us that the best way to improve is to remove the safety nets. If you want to get better, practice on the hardest surfaces you can find. Don't look for the "pretty" lie in the shade.
Second, focus on green speed. Most amateurs lose strokes because they can't handle fast greens. While you probably won't find 15-speed greens at your muni, practicing on the slickest practice green available will sharpen your touch like nothing else.
Finally, understand the power of the "links" mindset. Even if you aren't in Pittsburgh, playing the ground game—letting the ball roll and using the contours—is often smarter than trying to fly everything to the hole. Oakmont forces you to play chess with the dirt.
Next Steps for Your Next Round:
- Record your misses: For one round, don't just track "Fairway Hit." Track why you missed. Was it a tree? A bunker? A bad roll?
- Practice the 4-footer: Oakmont is won and lost on the short, slick putts. Spend 20 minutes specifically on downhill 4-footers.
- Study the map: Before you play your next "new" course, look at an aerial view. See if you can identify the "Fownes-style" penalties before you even tee off.