So when brings the 121st US Amateur Championship back to Pittsburgh next month what will the Oakmont Country Club have to do to get the course ready for another major championship?
In a nutshell, not much.
"Really, for any championships that we host – whether it be a US Amateur or a US Open – the only thing that changes on the golf course is the length of the rough, "explains Oakmont's Head Professional Devin Gee. "For a US Amateur the rough will be anywhere from 3-to-3-and-a-half inches. Our normal rough height is 2-and-a-quarter to 2-and-a-half inches so we'll grow it anywhere from half an inch to an inch."
That means if you are lucky enough to play Oakmont today and miss a fairway you'd still be able to find your ball but come the US Amateur you'd have a – ahem – rougher time. When the Open returns in 2025, forget about it. "The rough length will vary anywhere from 4-6 inches," Gee says.
But other than that, what you see at Oakmont is what all golfers get. "The big thing that changes at most golf courses is fairway width," Gee explains, "a lot of times they'll narrow fairways for a US Open or US Amateur and at Oakmont the fairway width remains the same day in and day out regardless of major championships. If you play there today you are going to play US Open and US Amateur fairway width."
Another Oakmont's challenge that has stood the test the world's best golfers for well over 100 years - the countless bunkers. The famous Church Pews between the third and fourth fairways are certainly not least but others, both fairway and greenside can be more daunting.
"One of the famous quotes at Oakmont is that a shot poorly played should be a shot irrevocably lost," Gee chuckles. "That theme is seen in our fairway bunkers. If you hit it in one of our fairway bunkers, that's a one shot penalty."
Which brings us to Oakmont's greens and another saying associated with the course.
"We love to say that we slow the greens down for major championships and there may be some truth to that," Gee laughs, then points out that thinking is partly seasonal. "The best time to play golf in Pittsburgh is September and October, particularly for green speed. When we have events in September and October the green speeds are unbelievably fast; so fast that you'd never any golf tournament on them." (Except for the Wednesday SWAT apparently.)
Gee says the greens will be tough enough for the world's best amateurs. "It'll be very similar to a US Open," he says, "they'll in the 13-14 range (on the stimpmeter) maybe a little bit faster as your get toward the final days so they'll be fast; fast enough."
Some future stars are bound to emerge from this year's US Amateur in a few weeks but, as always when a major championship comes to town, Oakmont itself will be the star of the show.
The qualifying medal rounds will be played August 9 and 10 at Oakmont and Longue Vue Country Club continuing with the match play at Oakmont August 11-15.
