US OPEN PREVIEW
HOLE 2, PAR 4, 346 YARDS “Creating an enticing space”
sistent theme of greens that were much more squared off than they’d become, with grass banks dropping off into the recessed bunkers the way a tablecloth falls over the sides of a table. The major- ity of the work involved enlarging and recreating the plateau edges and con- necting them more dramatically to the rebuilt bunkers (as well as to numerous historical bunkers that were revived), adding about 15 percent more put- ting surface and numerous new hole locations. Since the Fowneses constantly add- ed and removed bunkers, there was no definitive version of Oakmont to guide the design details. So, Hanse and Wag- ner attempted to recapture what they and the club determined to be a best version of each individual hole, inde- pendent of others – the model for one might have been a 1938 aerial, and for another a 1926 plan or ground-level perspective. The result is a kind of all- star lineup of Oakmont holes, a team of historical greats all playing together in their prime. Every hole at Oakmont has seen substantial changes, includ- ing the new green structures, but these five will have the biggest impact on how Oakmont looks and plays.
“a shot poorly played should be a shot ir- revocably lost”). Ex- tra tweaks preceded most major tourna- ments – by Fownes, by superintendents and by consulting
LANDING ZONES An expanded fairway and rearranged bunkers entice play at the second.
With a ditch guarding the fairway left, bunkers on the right and one of Oak- mont’s most severely sloping greens pitched back left to front right, many players elect to hit an iron for safety on the short, uphill second. To entice them to select longer clubs off the tee, the previously narrow fairway has been expanded on the right to create a land- ing area more attractive to hybrids and metal clubs. Hanse and Wagner also repositioned a string of bunkers on the right to cut diagonally into the fairway to more clearly divide the short landing zone for irons from the second expand- ed area. Of course, some long hitters will still launch driver near the green, though an additional bunker short right and an extended cross hazard 30 yards short of the putting surface offer more robust defence. HOLE 3, PAR 4, 462 YARDS “Deadly front hole locations” Oakmont’s third has undergone several significant changes but remains one of the most recognisable holes in golf due to the Church Pews bunker fram- ing the left side of the fairway. New tees add nearly 40 yards, and Hanse and
architects, including the lengthening of the design’s original 6 400 yards (it was one of the longest courses in the US right out of the box), ongoing bunker modifications (including the creation in the 1930s of the famous Church Pews bunker), the planting of forests of trees between holes, and, decades later, their total removal. The latest round of upgrades ahead of the 2025 US Open, Oakmont’s record 10th played June 12-15, have been car- ried out by Gil Hanse and partner Jim Wagner. Nearly 150 yards have been added with new tees on holes like three and 11 that extend the championship length to 7 372 yards (6741m), playing to a par of 70 (the uphill par-5 ninth will be a 472-yard par 4). More significantly, the greens were expanded to their for- mer perimeters. Hanse and Wagner studied photos of the course from the years prior to 1947 when the Fowneses were still in charge and observed a con-
56 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2025
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