Considered one of the toughest courses in the world, Oakmont Country Club was the stage for the 2025 U.S. Open and a true test for any professional golfer.
The story begins with Henry Fownes, who, after selling his steelworks to the legendary businessman Andrew Carnegie, discovered his passion for golf. His ambition was clear: to create a course that would challenge the best players in the world. In 1903, he purchased 191 acres in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and assembled 150 men to hand-dig the first 12 holes before winter arrived. The remaining holes were completed in 1904, and on October 1 of that year, he officially unveiled his innovative course.
What set Oakmont apart from traditional Scottish links courses was not just its design, but its location. While the original Scottish courses sat along the coast, Oakmont was inland in the United States. Without trees, featuring eight par-5s, a par-6, and ultra-fast greens, the course intimidated players from day one. At first glance, it might have seemed like the fantasy of a retired magnate, but Fownes had a very specific goal: to recreate the brutality and magic of Scottish links in the heart of America.
Today, when a professional faces Oakmont and feels the pressure of the terrain, it’s worth remembering that it all began with an industrialist’s obsession to build the most relentless golf course in history, where precision, strategy, and mental toughness are tested on every hole.