
US Open '25: Decades ago under dark of night, Oakmont began removing trees and started a golf trend
Last month, Scottie Scheffler made mention of a trend in golf design that rubs him wrong — removing trees from courses.
This week, the world's best player and favorite to win the U.S. Open will play a course that did just that, but didn't become one bit easier the way some layouts do when the trees go away. Under the dark of night three decades ago, the people in charge of Oakmont Country Club started cutting down trees. They didn't stop until some 15,000 had been removed.
The project reimagined one of America's foremost golf cathedrals and started a trend of tree cutting that continues to this day.
While playing a round on YouTube with influencer Grant Horvat, Scheffler argued that modern pro golf — at least at most stops on the PGA Tour — has devolved into a monotonous cycle of 'bomb and gouge': Hit drive as far as possible, then gouge the ball out of the rough from a shorter distance if the tee shot is off line.
'They take out all the trees and they make the greens bigger and they typically make the fairways a little bigger, as well,' Scheffler said. 'And so, the only barrier to guys just trying to hit it as far as they want to or need to, it's trees.'
With or without trees, Oakmont has stood the test of time
Scheffler and the rest in the 156-man field that tees off Thursday should be so lucky.
While the latest Oakmont renovation, in 2023, did make greens bigger, fairways are never wide at the U.S. Open and they won't be this week.
Tree-lined or not, Oakmont has a reputation as possibly the toughest of all the U.S. Open (or any American) courses, which helps explain why it is embarking on its record 10th time hosting it. In the two Opens held there since the tree-removal project was completed, the deep bunkers, serpentine drainage ditches and lightning-fast greens have produced winning scores of 5-over par (Angel Cabrera in 2007) and 4 under (Dustin Johnson in 2016).
In an ironic twist that eventually led to where we (and Oakmont) are today, the layout was completely lined with trees in 1973 when Johnny Miller shot 63 on Sunday to win the U.S. Open. That record stood for 50 years, and the USGA followed up with a course setup so tough in 1974 that it became known as 'The Massacre at Winged Foot' — won by Hale Irwin with a score of 7-over par.
'Everybody was telling me it was my fault,' Miller said in a look back at the '74 Open with Golf Digest. 'It was like a backhanded compliment. The USGA denied it, but years later, it started leaking out that it was in response to what I did at Oakmont. Oakmont was supposed to be the hardest course in America.'
It might still be.
In a precursor to what could come this week, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott played practice rounds last Monday in which McIlroy said he made a 7 on the par-4 second and Scott said he hit every fairway on the front nine and still shot 3 over.
Nicklaus: Trees should only come down 'for a reason'
While Oakmont leaned into tree removal, there are others who aren't as enthused.
Jack Nicklaus, who added trees to the 13th hole at Muirfield Village after seeing players fly a fairway bunker on the left for a clear look at the green, said he's OK with tree removal 'if they take them down for a reason.'
'Why take a beautiful, gorgeous tree down?' he said. 'Like Oakmont, for example. What's the name of it? Oak. Mont. What's that mean? Oaks on a mountain, sort of. And then they take them all down. I don't like it.'
A lot of Oakmont's members weren't fans, either, which is why this project began under dark of night. The golf course in the 1990s was barely recognizable when set against pictures taken shortly after it opened in 1903.
Architect Henry Fownes had set out to build a links-style course. Dampening the noise and view of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which bisects the layout, was one reason thousands of trees were planted in the 1960s and '70s.
'We were finding that those little trees had all grown up and they were now hanging over some bunkers,' R. Banks-Smith, the chairman of Oakmont's grounds committee when the project began, said in a 2007 interview. 'And once you put a tree on either side of a bunker, you lose your bunker. So, you have to make a decision. Do you want bunkers or do you want trees?'
Oakmont went with bunkers – its renowned Church Pew Bunker between the third and fourth fairways might be the most famous in the world – and thus began a tree project that divides people as much today as it did when it started.
'I'm not always the biggest fan of mass tree removal,' Scott said. 'I feel a lot of courses that aren't links courses get framed nicely with trees, not like you're opening it up to go play way over there.'
Too many trees, though, can pose risks.
Overgrown tree roots and too much shade provide competition for the tender grasses beneath. They hog up oxygen and sunlight and make the turf hard to maintain. They overhang fairways and bunkers and turn some shots envisioned by course architects into something completely different.
They also can be downright dangerous. In 2023 during the second round of the Masters, strong winds toppled three towering pine trees on the 17th hole, luckily missing fans who were there watching the action.
'There are lots of benefits that trees provide, but only in the right place,' said John Fech, the certified arborist at University of Nebraska who consults with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
When Oakmont decided they didn't want them at all, many great courses followed. Winged Foot, Medinah, Baltusrol and Merion are among those that have undergone removal programs.
Five years ago, Bryson DeChambeau overpowered Winged Foot, which had removed about 300 trees, simply by hitting the ball as far as he could, then taking his chances from the rough.
It's the sort of golf Scheffler seems to be growing tired of: 'When you host a championship tournament, if there's no trees, you just hit it wherever you want, because if I miss a fairway by 10 yards, I'm in the thick rough (but) if I miss by 20, I'm in the crowd,' Scheffler told Horvat.
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
How well that critique applies to Oakmont will be seen this week.
___
AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Toronto Star
10 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Saskatchewan Roughriders sign all-star running back Ka'Deem Carey
REGINA - The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed all-star running back Ka'Deem Carey, the CFL club announced Monday. Carey was a CFL East all-star with Toronto last season after rushing for a team-high 1,060 yards with seven touchdowns. He had 79 yards and a TD in the Argonauts' 41-24 Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg. However, he was among Toronto's final round of cuts before the start of the season. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The move comes after Riders running back A.J. Ouellette left Saskatchewan's 31-26 season-opening win over Ottawa on Thursday with a suspected head injury. Before joining Toronto, Carey spent four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. He helped the Stamps win a Grey Cup as a rookie in 2018 and led the CFL in rushing in both 2021 and 2022, earning a CFL all-star nod in the latter season. Over 62 regular-season games, the 32-year-old from Tucson, Ariz., has totalled 3,915 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. The Roughriders also added American linebacker Braxton Hill and American offensive lineman Darius Washington. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.


Winnipeg Free Press
33 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Saskatchewan Roughriders sign all-star running back Ka'Deem Carey
REGINA – The Saskatchewan Roughriders have signed all-star running back Ka'Deem Carey, the CFL club announced Monday. Carey was a CFL East all-star with Toronto last season after rushing for a team-high 1,060 yards with seven touchdowns. He had 79 yards and a TD in the Argonauts' 41-24 Grey Cup victory over Winnipeg. However, he was among Toronto's final round of cuts before the start of the season. Before joining Toronto, Carey spent four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders. He helped the Stamps win a Grey Cup as a rookie in 2018 and led the CFL in rushing in both 2021 and 2022, earning a CFL all-star nod in the latter season. Over 62 regular-season games, the 32-year-old from Tucson, Ariz., has totalled 3,915 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The Roughriders also added American linebacker Braxton Hill and American offensive lineman Darius Washington. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.


Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
US Open: When it starts, how to watch, what's at stake, betting odds for golf's next major
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — The U.S. Open long has been regarded the toughest test in golf, and this year it returns to what is arguably the toughest course in America. Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh is the talk of the 125th U.S. Open, a course built in 1903 that is more about being feared than being fair. The rough is as thick as ever. The greens are as fast as any. There's also the famous Church Pew bunkers between the third and fourth holes. Scottie Scheffler shot 69 in his U.S. Open debut as a Texas teenager. He missed the cut the next day in 2016. Now he's the favorite as he comes to Oakmont having won three of his last four tournaments, including the PGA Championship. Here is a look at what you need to know leading up to the U.S. Open: When is the US Open? Golf's second-oldest championship — it dates to 1895 — starts Thursday at 6:45 a.m. Players in groups of three will start on the first and 10th tees, morning and afternoon. The biggest names typically start on No. 10 in the morning or on No. 1 in the afternoon to get peak TV coverage. The top 60 and ties make the 36-hole cut Friday and advance to the weekend. How can I watch the US Open? NBC and its platforms get their first major of the year, and there is wall-to-wall coverage of the U.S. Open. Thursday starts on USA Network from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Peacock takes over until 8 p.m. Friday starts on Peacock at 6:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., and then NBC goes until 8 p.m. Saturday has USA Network from 10 a.m. to noon, and NBC goes from noon until 8 p.m. The final round Sunday starts at 9 a.m. until noon on USA Network, and NBC takes over until the end. Who are the betting favorites? The odds keep getting better for Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world. BetMGM Sportsbook has him at +275. Next in line is defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (+750). Rory McIlroy was the second favorite on the BetMGM Sportsbook money line last week at +700. He missed the cut at the Canadian Open last week and goes into the U.S. Open at +1200, along with Jon Rahm. They are followed by Xander Schauffele at +2200. Phil Mickelson needs the U.S. Open to complete the career Grand Slam and this likely is his last appearance. The 54-year-old Mickelson is at +25000. Who are the players to watch? Scottie Scheffler is being compared to Tiger Woods based on modern statistics. He is being compared to Jack Nicklaus for the way he plays the game from tee-to-green with minimal mistakes. He has won three of his last four starts going into Oakmont. A victory at the U.S. Open would send Scheffler to the British Open with a shot at the career Grand Slam. Rory McIlroy is No. 2 and the Masters champion, along with becoming the latest player to complete the Grand Slam. There was thought the Masters title would give him freedom because he had gone 11 years without any major. But he missed the cut in Canada last week and said he found it hard to get motivated when he was practicing. Xander Schauffele is coming off a year in which he won two majors. He was out with two months because of a rib injury. But he plays this major well. Schauffele has played the U.S. Open eight times and only once has finished outside the top 10. Not to be overlooked is Bryson DeChambeau as the defending champion. He loves brute tests like Oakmont. And he was in the mix in the final round at the Masters and the PGA Championship. DeChambeau won his two U.S. Opens at Winged Foot (2020) and Pinehurst No. 2 (2024). What's at stake? The U.S. Open trophy doesn't have a name. The winner also gets the gold medal named after four-time champion Jack Nicklaus. The prize money hasn't been announced yet, but it was $21.5 million last year, with $4.3 million going to the winner. The champion also gets a 10-year exemption to the U.S. Open, along with a five-year exemption to the Masters, PGA Championship and British Open. What happens in case of a playoff? The U.S. Open has gone the longest of the four majors without a playoff. That was in 2008, when Tiger Woods famously made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to force an 18-hole Monday playoff against Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. That took 19 holes for Woods to win. Since then, the U.S. Open has gone to a two-hole aggregate playoff on the Sunday after the conclusion of regulation. That has not been used yet. What's the weather forecast? Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. There's been a lot of rain in the last week that has softened the course. The weekday rounds should be reasonably dry. But there's a good chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and lingering rain on Sunday. What happened last year? Bryson DeChambeau got up-and-down from 55 yards away in a bunker, making a 4-foot putt for a 1-over 71 and a one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy at Pinehurst No. 2. McIlroy had the lead late in the round but bogeyed three of his last four holes. That included missing a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and a par putt just inside 4 feet on the last hole. DeChambeau captured his second U.S. Open. McIlroy left without talking to the media. ___ AP golf: