Latest news with #FredVuich
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Yahoo
U.S. Open: The story behind the Oakmont Chainsaw Massacre
OAKMONT, Pa. — On the list of 'sounds you don't want to hear after midnight,' the angry whine of chainsaws is way high on the leaderboard. So in the early 1990s, when the wife of Oakmont's club pro, up in the small hours to feed her infant child, heard the distinctive buzz of chainsaws radiating out from the course, she asked her husband what on earth could be happening. Bob Ford, Oakmont's longtime professional, attempted to dodge his wife's question, but finally came clean: the trees that had enshrouded Oakmont for decades were coming down. Advertisement The Oakmont Chainsaw Massacre divided the posh private club, as well as the many pros who had battled its sloping fairways and rippling greens. But when the tree-ectomy was complete, when the course had been stripped nearly bare of its thick tree canopy, virtually everyone who came to the historic course understood: this was the original idea all along. Designed by a steel magnate, amateur golfer and genuine hard-head by the name of Henry Fownes, Oakmont was always meant to stand alone. Fownes intended the course, which opened in 1904, to resemble the links of Scotland. In Fownes' mind, vicious rough, scorecard-devouring bunkers and grease-slick greens would provide more than sufficient challenge. No trees were needed, so he cleared them out. Advertisement But as demanding as Fownes was, his son W.C. ratcheted up the tension and pressure even higher on Oakmont's players. The course's bunkers, already fearsome, frequent, deep and positioned to induce maximum fear, were raked in deep furrows, the Allegheny River sand carved by a hundred-pound rake called the 'Devil's Backscratcher.' 'The virility and charm of the game lies in its difficulties. Keep it rugged, baffling, hard to conquer, otherwise we shall soon tire of it and cast it aside,' W.C. Fownes allegedly once said. 'Let the clumsy, the spineless and the alibi artist stand aside!' For nearly six decades, the clumsy, the spineless and the alibi artists — whatever those are — made their way around the vast links of Oakmont as best they could. But in 1962 came a decisive moment, and not just because a young, pudgy kid named Jack Nicklaus knocked off legend and local hero Arnold Palmer in a playoff. Writing of Oakmont, Herbert Warren Wind — the journalist who created the term 'Amen Corner' — called the course an 'ugly, old brute.' That national shaming enraged Oakmont's members. Fred Brand Jr., also a member of the tree-laden Augusta National, undertook a mission to begin planting pines and pin oaks all over the property. More than 3,000 trees covered Oakmont by the time that Johnny Miller won the 1973 U.S. Open with a classic final round of 63, and thousands more blanketed the property by the time the tournament returned 11 years later. By 1993, more than 3,000 trees lined Oakmont. (Fred Vuich /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Fred Vuich via Getty Images) By then, it had become clear to many of Oakmont's more historically-minded members that in adding so many trees, something ineffable had been lost. No longer was Oakmont a Scottish challenge in western Pennsylvania; now it was simply one of hundreds of tree-lined courses, more distinguished by its name than its topography. Advertisement So in the early 1990s, a group of members began an audacious, borderline reckless plan — the slow removal of trees. The idea, apparently, was the frog-in-boiling-water theory, turning up the temperature degree by degree, winnowing the course tree by tree, so slowly that no one — in theory — would notice. But you can't really hide chainsaws, even if you clean up all the debris every single morning. So once the removal came to light, after an estimated 1,000 trees had vanished, Oakmont's remove-the-trees contingent pushed hard to get its way. The pro-tree contingent included a significant percentage of Oakmont's membership, as well as luminaries like Palmer, Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino. Today, the only trees at Oakmont are the ones lining the outer edges of the property. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) But groundskeepers and course professionals believed in restoring Oakmont to Fownes' original vision, and over the course of 20 years, untold thousands of trees all over the course eventually came down. The course is magnificent in its stark, open beauty now, and in perhaps the best testament to the Chainsaw Brigade's mission, many other old-money courses around the country, like Shinnecock, the National Golf Links and Chicago Golf Club, have pursued tree-removal initiatives of their own. Advertisement 'I always regard Oakmont as the finishing school of golf,' Bobby Jones once said. 'If you have a weakness, it will be brought to light playing there. It is not tough because it is freakish. The holes are all fair. They are fundamental from an architectural and scientific point of view.' Today, you can stand at Oakmont's Scottish-inspired clubhouse and look out over the entire, sloping property. The Church Pews, the Piano Keys, the cut where the Pennsylvania Turnpike bisects the course — they're all out there, the vast emptiness making them all seem closer than they truly are. Oakmont hides nothing any more, because Oakmont has nothing to hide. The challenge is all right there in front of you. Just because you can see what's coming doesn't mean you can defeat it.
NBC Sports
06-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
U.S. Open 2025: Hole-by-hole look at Oakmont Country Club
OAKMONT, Pa. — A hole-by-hole look at Oakmont Country Club, site of the 125th U.S. Open to be played June 12-15: No. 1, 488 yards, par 4 Nothing says 'Welcome to Oakmont' quite like the opening hole, one of the toughest starts in major championship golf. The narrow fairway is lined by bunkers on both sides. The downhill approach is to a green that is partially blind and slopes away from the fairway. The ideal shot is short the green to allow the slope to carry it onto the green. Stroke average in 2016: 4.453. Rank in difficulty: 1 No. 2, 346 yards, par 4 Short but difficult, accuracy is everything on a shot that has five bunkers on the right and a ditch to the left. The green has bunkers on both sides, and the putting surface slopes sharply from back to front, with several undulations. The USGA likely will move the tee forward for one weekend round and tempt players to try to reach the green. Stroke average in 2016: 4.126. Rank in difficulty: 13 No. 3, 462 yards, par 4 The famous Church Pew bunkers are on the left side. The deep bunkers on the right are no picnic, either. The second shot with a short iron is uphill, making it a blind approach to a green that slopes gently away from the fairway. Anything short could roll back down the hill. Anything long will go through the green to a closely mown area. Stroke average in 2016: 4.320. Rank in difficulty: T-6 The Fourth Hole of Oakmont Country Club in the Oakmont, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich) Fred Vuich/USGA Museum No. 4, 611 yards, par 5 The Church Pews are still on the left side as this par 5 runs adjacent to the previous hole, with more deep bunkers on the right. A big drive in the fairway allows for players to go for the green in two. Otherwise, laying up requires a shot that must avoid bunkers on the right, though that's the best angle to approach the green. Stroke average in 2016: 4.971. Rank in difficulty: 17 No. 5, 408 yards, par 4 Another short par 4 that plays tough. The fairway narrows about 160 yards from the green, and the approach shot is to a green that is well below the fairway. This is where Dustin Johnson's ball moved on the green, eventually leading to a two-shot penalty that wasn't assessed until after he had won. Stroke average in 2016: 4.131. Rank in difficulty: 12 No. 6, 200 yards, par 3 The first par 3 is slightly downhill to a narrow green that slopes toward the tee. The worst place to miss is the bunker to the right. Stroke average in 2016: 3.142. Rank in difficulty: 11 No. 7, 485 yards, par 4 The fairway is parallel to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and is pinched by deep bunkers. The approach is to a green that slopes from back to front, and staying below the hole is important. Missing to the left is the toughest spot from which to save par. This was the hardest green to hit in 2016 among par 4s. Stroke average in 2016: 4.327. Rank in difficulty: 5 No. 8, 289 yards, par 3 This par 3 is so long that a good short game is required. At full length, it is the longest in U.S. Open history. While the green is open, a bunker juts out some 80 yards before the green. Carry that, and the ball is likely to run all the way onto the green. The putting surface is not as heavily contoured as others at Oakmont. Expect the hole to tip out at 300 yards one round just because. Stroke average in 2016: 3.304. Rank in difficulty: 8 The Ninth Hole of Oakmont Country Club in the Oakmont, Pennsylvania on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich) No. 9, 472 yards, par 4 This hole runs the other direction next to No. 1, with a narrow landing area that can't be seen from the green. There is a ditch left and bunkers to the right, and the fairway slopes to the right. The green is large and unlike any other — the back portion, which is in play, is the practice green. Stroke average in 2016: 4.432. Rank in difficulty: 2 No. 10, 461 yards, par 4 The tee shot is downhill to a narrow landing area, and the fairway slopes from right to left. Now there is a ditch intersecting the fairway for anyone driving it too far. There are deep bunkers on the left side of the fairway. The green slopes from front right to back left, and it is among the hardest at Oakmont. Stroke average in 2016: 4.333. Rank in difficulty: 4 No. 11, 400 yards, par 4 The tee shot is uphill toward the clubhouse, so the landing area can't be seen from the tee. The green is slightly diagonal and guarded by deep bunkers. This should yield more birdies than usual for Oakmont. After the previous four holes, it might feel like a breather. Stroke average in 2016: 4.072. Rank in difficulty: 14 No. 12, 632 yards, par 5 The longest hole on the course, so the power hitters might have a chance to reach in two, but keeping it in the fairway is difficult because the ball rolls out. Second shots are played to a narrow landing area guarded by ditches and bunkers. The green slopes from front to back. This should be a true three-shot hole and all the shots have to be precise. Stroke average in 2016: 5.144. Rank in difficulty: 10 The 13th Hole of Oakmont Country Club in the Oakmont, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich) No. 13, 182 yards, par 3 The shortest of the par 3s typically plays the easiest. The green is surrounded by bunkers, some that appear to be as large as the green. The putting surface slopes from back to front, and it is critical to be below the hole for a good chance at birdie. Stroke average in 2016: 2.989. Rank in difficulty: 16 No. 14, 379 yards, par 4 The fairway slopes from right to left and narrows about 270 yards from the tee, just as a group of bunkers ends. The green is long and divided into sections by ridges. Because players will have a wedge, this should be a shot easily controlled. Stroke average in 2016: 3.991. Rank in difficulty: 15 No. 15, 507 yards, par 4 The longest par 4 on the course, this has a blind tee shot to the landing area, and the fairway slopes to the right. The approach is to a green that is deepest on the course and framed by one of the longest bunkers at Oakmont. Stroke average in 2016: 4.387. Rank in difficulty: 3 No. 16, 236 yards, par 3 The large green has a deep bunker on the right. But anything to the left makes for a tough par save because the green slopes to the right. Anyone choosing to play short of the green has a straightforward shot at saving par. Larry Nelson holed a 60-foot birdie putt here on his way to victory in 1983. Stroke average in 2016: 3.241. Rank in difficulty: 9 The 17th Hole of Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania on Friday, May 31, 2024. (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich) No. 17, 312 yards, par 4 This is a reachable par 4, and it can be a problem for anyone who misses. Players can lay up with a mid-iron and take on a precise approach with a wedge. Missing the green presents trouble because of the slopes around the putting surface, five bunkers and deep rough. The most troublesome bunker is short and right of the green, and it's called 'Big Mouth.' Stroke average in 2016: 3.887. Rank in difficulty: 18 No. 18, 402 yards, par 4 The closing hole is renowned for great drives by the winners, Angel Cabrera in 2007 and Dustin Johnson in 2016. The tee shot must be long and straight, and it narrows about 260 yards off the tee. The second shot is uphill to a large green so undulated that playing it safe could also mean the player faces a difficult two-putt.
