Oakmont as a Viewing Experience

[mshills]

46 minutes ago, aiyyer said:

What are the practice rounds like? 

I will let you know. 🙂

[aiyyer]

We have tickets for Monday. 😂😂

Never done a US Open practice round and hoping enough players show up. And a good way to see the course 

[mshills]

18 minutes ago, aiyyer said:

We have tickets for Monday. 😂😂

Never done a US Open practice round and hoping enough players show up. And a good way to see the course 

Same on all points. Might be smaller crowd too, not sure. 

Edited June 4 by mshills

[aiyyer]

Parking is 20 minutes away which sucks.

[RickyBubbs]

On 6/4/2025 at 8:48 PM, aiyyer said:

Parking is 20 minutes away which sucks.

Not if you break down on the turnpike. It's right off the 8th hole if I remember correctly. I always felt like what golf courses needed were more turnpikes. 

[QuigleyDU]

Probably going to be a very unpopular opinion. But I think Oakmont is overrated. Yes, it is freaking hard. But watching a bunch of stuff on it. I think it’s a pretty boring layout.

[StoutKing]

44 minutes ago, QuigleyDU said:

Probably going to be a very unpopular opinion. But I think Oakmont is overrated. Yes, it is freaking hard. But watching a bunch of stuff on it. I think it’s a pretty boring layout.

I kind of see what you're saying.  I've never played it.  That being said three well traveled golfers have told me it's their favorite course in the world, so there must be something there.

[QuigleyDU]

1 hour ago, StoutKing said:

I kind of see what you're saying.  I've never played it.  That being said three well traveled golfers have told me it's their favorite course in the world, so there must be something there.

Never been there in person. So could very well be wrong.

[Rdailey9108]

Im going Sunday in sure its gonna be a mad house. Luckily I live here so I know how to navigate the area.

[aiyyer]

11 hours ago, QuigleyDU said:

Probably going to be a very unpopular opinion. But I think Oakmont is overrated. Yes, it is freaking hard. But watching a bunch of stuff on it. I think it’s a pretty boring layout.

It’s a great layout. Went there for the US AM. No trees and it’s a different aesthetic without being linksy. Oakmont bakery outside in the city is a must stop! 
They had a US Open gift shop outside and down the road from the clubhouse. Not sure if that’s still open style probably use the adjacent field for reserved player /staff parking. 

Edited June 8 by aiyyer

[StoutKing]

11 hours ago, Rdailey9108 said:

Im going Sunday in sure its gonna be a mad house. Luckily I live here so I know how to navigate the area.

It's fun to be at the right kind of mad house.  Know what I'm saying?  Competition is great.

[Hankshank]

Living on the other side of the big waters the viewing experience for me and I guess for many other reading this thread is limited to a TV one,

 

it’s quite different to see a tournament on-site and on TV. I remember last time, when DJ won, that the viewing show on TV not was overly spectacular. Have things changed since then, in ways that might cater for a improved TV experience?

 

 

Edited June 8 by Hankshank

[italianstallion]

3 hours ago, Hankshank said:

Living on the other side of the big waters the viewing experience for me and I guess for many other reading this thread is limited to a TV one,

 

it’s quite different to see a tournament on-site and on TV. I remember last time, when DJ won, that the viewing show on TV not was overly spectacular. Have things changed since then, in ways that might cater for a improved TV experience?

 

 

 

In 2016 the entire final round was overshadowed by "is DJ going to be assessed a penalty or not." The USGA took all the winds out of the sails of that championship. Thankfully he won by enough that it ultimately didn't matter that they assessed the penalty. Although, I guarantee that penalty shot was only assessed because he won by so much, just so the USGA could prove a point about the rules. If it was a one shot victory the penalty never would've happened.

 

In addition, Fox had the broadcast rights. This go around NBC has them. 

[Godfather]

I’m taking my 12yo son on Sunday. We have to do a 4-hour drive plus shuttle to get there on Sunday morning so reserving a favored spot will likely not be possible.
 

Any more spectating tips from  those that have watched on-site would be much appreciated!

[aiyyer]

Oakmont Bakery is a must visit.

 

[Ajgaguy83]

9 hours ago, aiyyer said:

Oakmont Bakery is a must visit.

 

 

Is this it? https://oakmontbakery.com/ 

 

We want to make sure we check out the right venue/location.

[aiyyer]

Yes that’s the place. Awesome weather and crowds today. The shuttle service was superbly organized and took about 25 minutes. We went early, walked all 18 and left around 3. Oakmont is a beast to walk and luckily the weather was mild today. Light colored sneakers  would be a mistake! The Red shuttle drops you off near the merchandise and closer to the 3rd tee.  

[aiyyer]

And you could get really close to the players. 

[Hankshank]

TV Viewing : 

I remember it as like open air in counter to stuffy wood courses like Pinehurst and Colonial. But still pretty barren in terms of spectacle (I don't know if any of you guys watch Pro cycling - what brought me and my wife there, apart from the thrill of the competition between Pogacars and Vingegaards,  was people pointing out the fantastic scenerys in eg Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. Some golf courses have that, Rancho Mirage, AN, Old course,  Black Desert).
Layout wise I remember hole 17 being somewhat more interesting than the other holes down the stretch, not just a matter of hitting balls straight and long. But OK, its been a while, my memories of it are a little blurry.

I'm sure you Americano guys who have the possibility to visit the actual course, posting nice photos like the above see it differently. But well, it takes more to make a golf course come through to the 2 dimensional TV screen. (Whatever happened to 3D TV?)

 

And sure Italianstallion, the DJ debacle did mess the last round up. It was a terrible time those years with little home judges replaying rounds slow motion trying to find millimeter faults. The same messed Lexi and fellow countrywoman Anna up. Good that they got rid of that. 

 

Why that chipmunk?

 

 

Edited June 10 by Hankshank

[italianstallion]

4 hours ago, Hankshank said:

TV Viewing : 

I remember it as like open air in counter to stuffy wood courses like Pinehurst and Colonial. But still pretty barren in terms of spectacle (I don't know if any of you guys watch Pro cycling - what brought me and my wife there, apart from the thrill of the competition between Pogacars and Vingegaards,  was people pointing out the fantastic scenerys in eg Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. Some golf courses have that, Rancho Mirage, AN, Old course,  Black Desert).
Layout wise I remember hole 17 being somewhat more interesting than the other holes down the stretch, not just a matter of hitting balls straight and long. But OK, its been a while, my memories of it are a little blurry.

I'm sure you Americano guys who have the possibility to visit the actual course, posting nice photos like the above see it differently. But well, it takes more to make a golf course come through to the 2 dimensional TV screen. (Whatever happened to 3D TV?)

 

And sure Italianstallion, the DJ debacle did mess the last round up. It was a terrible time those years with little home judges replaying rounds slow motion trying to find millimeter faults. The same messed Lexi and fellow countrywoman Anna up. Good that they got rid of that. 

 

Why that chipmunk?

 

 

 

Having played the Old Course and Oakmont I'll comment. The Old Course's grandeur is amplified by two things: first the perspective of the town in which it resides in and it's location on the bay/River Eden. But one of the complaints many have of St. Andrews is that it's flat and if you plopped it anywhere else it wouldn't be as spectacular. Now, I think you and I know that isn't the case in reality, but that opinion does exist and it is as valid as yours for someone who hasn't seen the Old Course.

 

Oakmont doesn't have those same long range vistas. Its located in a valley with the clubhouse on one high side of the valley and the 3rd hole opposite at the other high side of the valley (and in this case the river is a turnpike). Visually you can look across the properly from nearly every point and see the rest of the course (green on six, tees on 13, 16, 17 being the exception). From across the property the land does look uninteresting, as shown in these two photos here: 

 

But when you get on the ground and look at the holes individually, that's where things really start to pop. I think the issue is the property is so big and massive that all the features and land movement just blend together in overview shots, and camera lenses distort what things really look like from afar. In reality there's a huge elevation difference between the first tee and first green, and a huge elevation difference between the second tee and third green. Everything in between is moving a lot. It doesn't help you, but being on the ground does make a world of a difference in understanding this particular golf course, just like the Old Course. My advice: take in the camera work of the individual holes rather than the aerials and overviews, because the former will help you understand the course much more than the latter.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10 by italianstallion

[aiyyer]

Visually because of the openness, the walk looks intimidating. The walk from 3 to the clubhouse and views from 3 to 16/17 seems like an eternity and it’s not. There are some great locations to sit and watch. The bleachers are ideally located in all cases and you can get multiple tee shots and greens from one viewpoint. Walking through the spectator rough was a slog and felt like walking thru sand but should be nice and trampled by now!

[Hankshank]

TV viewing in general 

I found the 2014 Pinehurst extremely boring, but lastly it was much better watching it on TV. Suppose TV technology with drones and stuff has improved TV live golf. You don't notice it from one year to another, but in a rotation of the major champs a lot happens. Have some hopes for the coming weekend. 

 

 

Edited June 10 by Hankshank

[Forged4ever]

On 6/7/2025 at 10:28 PM, QuigleyDU said:

Never been there in person. So could very well be wrong.

 Been there Played that and you're not wrong😊

 

Greens 'n rough....

 

Greens 'n rough....

 

Greens 'n....

 

Just my .05 worth🪙

 

Cheers🍻

RP

Edited June 10 by Forged4ever

[Forged4ever]

8 hours ago, Hankshank said:

Why the chipmunk?

Are you speaking to the logo?

 

That's a squirrel...

 

Introduced in 1962 for the US Open...

 

Maddie just informed me that I'm an idiot cuz a chipmunk is a type of squirrel though in my defense, the animal chosen was in fact a "squirrel," not a chipmunk and while all chipmunks are squirrels, and the Tamias Striatus chipmunk is found in Western PA, not all squirrels are chipmunks, and besides Madison🥰,  it's name is "Rocky The Flying Squirrel," NOT "Rocky The Flying Friggin Chipmunk," lol 🐿️

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friend⛳️

RP

Edited June 10 by Forged4ever

[mshills]

Small adds to the above.
 

There were far more players there on Monday than I expected, especially with lots of air travel delays due to weather. 
 

Parking is not close to the course, but the shuttle service is efficient and no problem at all. No chance would I try to drive my car close, park, and walk. Concessions are expensive as you expect at any event. Volunteers are friendly and having a blast out there. 👍🏼
 

The course is a tough walk, nearly as tough as Augusta National. Bring a water bottle for the complimentary hydration stations. Hoofing this course in humid conditions will dry you out in a hurry. 
 

Every time club meets ball there is a chance of disaster. The course is just so stressful. There is no breather. The setup looks quite hard but not stupid (other than a 300 yard par 3 which is freaking stupid.) Greens are fast, but likely pretty receptive due to the weather. Rough is gnarly. Fairway bunkers are punishing. Green side bunkers are too — choose your miss carefully. Some green side are a better miss than in the rough. Others are NOT. Fairways are totally reasonable width, nothing silly there.  
 

My SWAG is winner ends up -5 with a dozen players under par for the week. 

[Forged4ever]

18 minutes ago, mshills said:

Small adds to the above.
 

There were far more players there on Monday than I expected, especially with lots of air travel delays due to weather. 
 

Parking is not close to the course, but the shuttle service is efficient and no problem at all. No chance would I try to drive my car close, park, and walk. Concessions are expensive as you expect at any event. Volunteers are friendly and having a blast out there. 👍🏼
 

The course is a tough walk, nearly as tough as Augusta National. Bring a water bottle for the complimentary hydration stations. Hoofing this course in humid conditions will dry you out in a hurry. 
 

Every time club meets ball there is a chance of disaster. The course is just so stressful. There is no breather. The setup looks quite hard but not stupid (other than a 300 yard par 3 which is freaking stupid.) Greens are fast, but likely pretty receptive due to the weather. Rough is gnarly. Fairway bunkers are punishing. Green side bunkers are too — choose your miss carefully. Some green side are a better miss than in the rough. Others are NOT. Fairways are totally reasonable width, nothing silly there.  
 

My SWAG is winner ends up -5 with a dozen players under par for the week. 

Haha, I got -3 with 6🤙

 

I gotta feeling that the bottom end with the trunk slammers is gonna be ugly😬

 

I have +25(82-83) on that end...

 

Enjoy the day👊

RP

Edited June 10 by Forged4ever

[mshills]

[mshills]

I think they will get the course setup correct.
 

No one wants to see good iron shots bounce off the greens like trampolines. That’s a goat rodeo setup if you do that. The balance is making them receptive enough while maintaining the extreme speed, and based on what I saw yesterday, I’m optimistic (even though I’m playing this weekend and won’t see much.)

[johnseg]

1 hour ago, Forged4ever said:

Are you speaking to the logo?

 

That's a squirrel...

 

Introduced in 1962 for the US Open...

 

Maddie just informed me that I'm an idiot cuz a chipmunk is a type of squirrel though in my defense, the animal chosen was in fact a "squirrel," not a chipmunk and while all chipmunks are squirrels, and the Tamias Striatus chipmunk is found in Western PA, not all squirrels are chipmunks, and besides Madison🥰,  it's name is "Rocky The Flying Squirrel," NOT "Rocky The Flying Friggin Chipmunk," lol 🐿️

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friend⛳️

RP

Squirrels are funny. I live in Gray Squirrel country vs Red Squirrel. If there are Reds around, you won't usually see many Grays. While about half the size the Red Squirrel will dominate. Grays are way more chill.

 

All that said I don't know much about the Brown Squirrel.

 

 

 

This is the Pennsylvania Chipmunk

 

[beamlith]

On 3/7/2025 at 7:50 PM, Carolina Golfer 2 said:

Didn’t go in 2016 but did in 2007.   
 

Thursday we walked the course and the front 9 wasn’t too bad.  Back was near impossible as so many holes were closed off for crossing.  So on Friday we camped out early in the top row of bleaches behind 10 tee and 18 green.   You could also see 9 green (behind us) 11 green and 12 tee.  We were there from 7 am to 7:30 or 8:00 PM
 

The back 9 access may have changed with all the tree removals before the 2016 Open 

Do you think this it would be pretty easy to get a spot if I'm in at 6 am on Friday? I'm hoping to see as many shots as I can before my volunteer shift. Is there a better spot on the course for seeing a lot of the back nine at once?