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Nine things to know: Oak Hill Country Club

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ROCHESTER, NY - JUNE 07: A view of the sixth hole at Oak Hill Country Club on June 7, 2021 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Gary Kellner/PGA of America).

ROCHESTER, NY - JUNE 07: A view of the sixth hole at Oak Hill Country Club on June 7, 2021 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Gary Kellner/PGA of America).



    Escrito por Bradley S. Klein @PGATOUR

    Oak Hill Country Club, host of this week’s 105th PGA Championship, typifies distinctly American golf architecture. Located in the leafy Rochester suburb of Pittsford, New York, the course has a major feel and features holes lined with massive trees. The rough is thick and gnarly. The magic carpets down the middle are inviting and yet precariously dotted with hazards. And the feel of the place makes one thankful to be back at one of the game’s mature playing grounds.

    Oak Hill has 36 holes, with the East Course claiming the mantle of the tough, broad-shouldered guardian of par. The West Course, a gem in its own right, is marginally more fun and welcoming.

    Here are nine things to know about Oak Hill:


    Ben Hogan once called this hole the toughest opening test in championship golf. The opening tee shot is from an elevated tee to a slight dogleg-left. A great drive can take advantage of a fairway down slope at 290 yards. Allens Creek runs across the fairway hole at the 360 mark. The danger off the tee is out of bounds to the right and three bunkers on the left. The green is well guarded by grass hummocks and a greenside bunker short right. (Source: PGA of America)

    Ben Hogan once called this hole the toughest opening test in championship golf. The opening tee shot is from an elevated tee to a slight dogleg-left. A great drive can take advantage of a fairway down slope at 290 yards. Allens Creek runs across the fairway hole at the 360 mark. The danger off the tee is out of bounds to the right and three bunkers on the left. The green is well guarded by grass hummocks and a greenside bunker short right. (Source: PGA of America)

    A precise tee shot is needed on this short par 4 due to the severely narrow fairway and deep fairway bunkers on both sides. The elevated green slopes severely from back to front. An approach shot below the hole gives the player the best chance for a birdie. (Source: PGA of America)

    A precise tee shot is needed on this short par 4 due to the severely narrow fairway and deep fairway bunkers on both sides. The elevated green slopes severely from back to front. An approach shot below the hole gives the player the best chance for a birdie. (Source: PGA of America)

    The first par 3 requires a shot with a mid or long iron to a green that slopes predominately from back to front. Three deep bunkers guard the green in front. A ball that lands on the front third of the green has a minimal chance of staying on due to an aggressive false front. (Source: PGA of America)

    The first par 3 requires a shot with a mid or long iron to a green that slopes predominately from back to front. Three deep bunkers guard the green in front. A ball that lands on the front third of the green has a minimal chance of staying on due to an aggressive false front. (Source: PGA of America)

    The only par 5 on the front requires a very precise tee shot to have a chance of reaching the green in two. Bunkers and out of bounds guard the right side while trees run along the left. The green slopes from back to front with deep bunkers short-left and short-right guarding the green. (Source: PGA of America)

    The only par 5 on the front requires a very precise tee shot to have a chance of reaching the green in two. Bunkers and out of bounds guard the right side while trees run along the left. The green slopes from back to front with deep bunkers short-left and short-right guarding the green. (Source: PGA of America)

    A two-tiered green surrounded by four deep bunkers requires an accurate tee shot to have a chance at birdie. A shot that misses long will make it very challenging to save par. When planning an approach, pay attention to the hole location to ensure the best chances for a scoring opportunity. (Source: PGA of America)

    A two-tiered green surrounded by four deep bunkers requires an accurate tee shot to have a chance at birdie. A shot that misses long will make it very challenging to save par. When planning an approach, pay attention to the hole location to ensure the best chances for a scoring opportunity. (Source: PGA of America)

    This long par 4 doglegs slightly to the right, with fairway bunkers on the left and water up the right. An exacting tee shot is a must to have a chance at hitting this green in regulation. Allens Creek meanders across the fairway and protects long and left of this multi-tiered green complex. A thoughtful approach shot depending on the hole location is needed for any opportunity for a birdie. (Source: PGA of America)

    This long par 4 doglegs slightly to the right, with fairway bunkers on the left and water up the right. An exacting tee shot is a must to have a chance at hitting this green in regulation. Allens Creek meanders across the fairway and protects long and left of this multi-tiered green complex. A thoughtful approach shot depending on the hole location is needed for any opportunity for a birdie. (Source: PGA of America)

    With Allens Creek winding up the right side of the hole then crossing the fairway, plus a thick strand of trees left, this tee shot must be carefully placed. Many players may use a fairway wood or long iron to ensure safety off the tee. The approach shot is uphill to one of the most challenging greens on the course. (Source: PGA of America)

    With Allens Creek winding up the right side of the hole then crossing the fairway, plus a thick strand of trees left, this tee shot must be carefully placed. Many players may use a fairway wood or long iron to ensure safety off the tee. The approach shot is uphill to one of the most challenging greens on the course. (Source: PGA of America)

    Compared to the previous two holes, the driving area is rather generous. The fairway zig gags between a bunker on each side that could provide challenge on an errant tee shot. Three deep greenside bunkers guard this rather large green. (Source: PGA of America)

    Compared to the previous two holes, the driving area is rather generous. The fairway zig gags between a bunker on each side that could provide challenge on an errant tee shot. Three deep greenside bunkers guard this rather large green. (Source: PGA of America)

    The par 4 ninth is a tough uphill dogleg right with a fairway that narrows the farther up a tee shot goes. Any drive on the right side runs the risk of out of bounds or being blocked out by overhanging trees. The approach shot is likely a mid-iron to a green that slopes from back to front. Missing long or left could provide a challenging up and down for par. (Source: PGA of America)

    The par 4 ninth is a tough uphill dogleg right with a fairway that narrows the farther up a tee shot goes. Any drive on the right side runs the risk of out of bounds or being blocked out by overhanging trees. The approach shot is likely a mid-iron to a green that slopes from back to front. Missing long or left could provide a challenging up and down for par. (Source: PGA of America)

    The fairway on the par 4 10th slopes severely downhill at the 275-yard mark towards Allens Creek that crosses the fairway at 350 yards. Two greenside bunkers short and a run-off area on the back left corner forces players to aim for the middle of the green. Shots finding the putting surface will leave players with a good look at birdie as this is one of the flattest greens on the course. (Source: PGA of America)

    The fairway on the par 4 10th slopes severely downhill at the 275-yard mark towards Allens Creek that crosses the fairway at 350 yards. Two greenside bunkers short and a run-off area on the back left corner forces players to aim for the middle of the green. Shots finding the putting surface will leave players with a good look at birdie as this is one of the flattest greens on the course. (Source: PGA of America)

    This long par 3 is surrounded by three greenside bunkers, one short-left and two long right, along with Allens Creek protecting the front right hole location. A large green offers a variety of hole locations which forces the player to be precise in their plan of attack; this can be a tall order from 245 yards. (Source: PGA of America)

    This long par 3 is surrounded by three greenside bunkers, one short-left and two long right, along with Allens Creek protecting the front right hole location. A large green offers a variety of hole locations which forces the player to be precise in their plan of attack; this can be a tall order from 245 yards. (Source: PGA of America)

    A short uphill par 4 with trees on both sides requires an accurate tee shot. A small right fairway bunker demands a carry of at least 285 yards. The short approach shot is hit to a green that slopes from back left to front right with three greenside bunkers guarding the front. (Source: PGA of America)

    A short uphill par 4 with trees on both sides requires an accurate tee shot. A small right fairway bunker demands a carry of at least 285 yards. The short approach shot is hit to a green that slopes from back left to front right with three greenside bunkers guarding the front. (Source: PGA of America)

    Oak Hill’s most notable par 5 heads back uphill towards the clubhouse. Allens Creek crosses the fairway at the 325 mark, which will force most players to layup short. A tee shot short of Allens Creek leaves the player with 300 yards to the hole uphill. Two fairway bunkers guard the right side of the fairway 125 yards out. The green sits in a hollow, providing patrons a beautiful amphitheater setting. (Source: PGA of America)

    Oak Hill’s most notable par 5 heads back uphill towards the clubhouse. Allens Creek crosses the fairway at the 325 mark, which will force most players to layup short. A tee shot short of Allens Creek leaves the player with 300 yards to the hole uphill. Two fairway bunkers guard the right side of the fairway 125 yards out. The green sits in a hollow, providing patrons a beautiful amphitheater setting. (Source: PGA of America)

    The shortest par 4 on the course will provide the player with a risk-reward decision to lay up or go for the green off the tee. Individuals who layup short of the green must avoid the two fairway bunkers on the left, and one on the right. Those who decide to go for the green may be pleased to have their ball land in one of the three greenside bunkers. Any shot that misses long will provide the toughest of all finesse wedge shots, as this green slopes severely from back to front. (Source: PGA of America)

    The shortest par 4 on the course will provide the player with a risk-reward decision to lay up or go for the green off the tee. Individuals who layup short of the green must avoid the two fairway bunkers on the left, and one on the right. Those who decide to go for the green may be pleased to have their ball land in one of the three greenside bunkers. Any shot that misses long will provide the toughest of all finesse wedge shots, as this green slopes severely from back to front. (Source: PGA of America)

    The shortest of the par 3 holes at Oak Hill is no walk in the park. Short and left are deep bunkers that will make for a difficult up-and-down should the player find them off the tee. A tightly mown run-off area right of the green drops off dramatically in elevation, leaving the player with a tough shot from a very tight lie to this multi-tiered green. (Source: PGA of America)

    The shortest of the par 3 holes at Oak Hill is no walk in the park. Short and left are deep bunkers that will make for a difficult up-and-down should the player find them off the tee. A tightly mown run-off area right of the green drops off dramatically in elevation, leaving the player with a tough shot from a very tight lie to this multi-tiered green. (Source: PGA of America)

    A well hit tee shot will take advantage of a slope in the fairway at the 275-yard mark leaving the player with a short shot into a receptive green. Two bunkers line the right side of the fairway: the first at 280, the second at 330. A miss left or long of the green will roll away significantly due to the tightly mown run-off area. (Source: PGA of America)

    A well hit tee shot will take advantage of a slope in the fairway at the 275-yard mark leaving the player with a short shot into a receptive green. Two bunkers line the right side of the fairway: the first at 280, the second at 330. A miss left or long of the green will roll away significantly due to the tightly mown run-off area. (Source: PGA of America)

    A par 5 for the membership becomes a long par 4 for the Championship. The tee shot must go at least 280 to provide a full view of the green. Errant tee shots right will provide serious trouble for the players looking for a birdie coming down the stretch. An undulated green will force players to be precise with their landing spots depending on the hole location. A miss long left will send the ball away from the green, challenging the player with a tough shot from a tight lie. (Source: PGA of America)

    A par 5 for the membership becomes a long par 4 for the Championship. The tee shot must go at least 280 to provide a full view of the green. Errant tee shots right will provide serious trouble for the players looking for a birdie coming down the stretch. An undulated green will force players to be precise with their landing spots depending on the hole location. A miss long left will send the ball away from the green, challenging the player with a tough shot from a tight lie. (Source: PGA of America)

    This hole is equally beautiful as it is demanding; the fairway is only 20 yards wide at the 300-yard mark. Three deep bunkers guard the right side off the tee, along with trees on both sides. The green slopes severely from back to front with three bunkers right and one on the left, likely proving to be a very challenging finish. (Source: PGA of America)

    This hole is equally beautiful as it is demanding; the fairway is only 20 yards wide at the 300-yard mark. Three deep bunkers guard the right side off the tee, along with trees on both sides. The green slopes severely from back to front with three bunkers right and one on the left, likely proving to be a very challenging finish. (Source: PGA of America)


    1. A MECCA FOR ROSS DESIGNS

    The courses at Oak Hill date to a 1924 routing by masterful Golden Age architect Donald Ross after the club moved to its current site. It was originally located next to the Genesee River in downtown Rochester before moving so that the University of Rochester could expand. Ross took a wide-open, 360-acre parcel of land and created a pair of contiguous courses inside what would become the region’s most highly prized residential area.

    In fact, this section of metropolitan Rochester would become a mecca of Ross-designed private clubs. Irondequoit Country Club abuts Oak Hill to the south; Country Club of Rochester lies two par 5s to the north; Monroe Golf Club is a mile to the southeast; and over on the west side of town is Brook Lea Country Club – all Ross’ handiwork. A purist in search of the master’s finest work might even venture a little farther afield into upstate New York to capture the full scope of Ross’ genius. Teugega Country Club in Rome and Thendara Golf Club, where the front nine is a timeless Ross design, are highly recommended.

    2. CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE

    Oak Hill-East has been home to the U.S. Open (1956, 1968, 1989), the PGA Championship (1980, 2003, 2013), the U.S. Senior Open (1984), a Ryder Cup (1995), and the Senior PGA Championship (2008, 2019). Also: two U.S. Amateur Championships, with another on the books for 2027. And it’s no wonder golf’s major governing bodies keep coming back. The grounds are spacious and fan friendly, and access is easy thanks to a local highway network.

    Cary Middlecoff, Lee Trevino and Curtis Strange won the U.S. Opens there, while Jack Nicklaus, Shaun Micheel and Jason Dufner were victorious in Oak Hill’s PGA Championships.

    The wins by Middlecoff and Strange represented their second U.S. Open titles. For Strange, it also was his second consecutive victory in the U.S. Open (of note, Matt Fitzpatrick is trying to follow in his footsteps by winning a major at Oak Hill the year after claiming one at The Country Club of Brookline). Trevino’s win in the 1968 U.S. Open not only was the first of his six majors, but also his first PGA TOUR win.

    Micheel and Dufner both claimed their lone majors at Oak Hill (and for Micheel, it was his lone win on TOUR), while the 1980 PGA was Nicklaus’ fifth and final victory in that event. He is tied with Rochester native Walter Hagen for the most wins in the PGA’s history.

    Jason Dufner admires the Wanamaker Trophy after his two-stroke victory at the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in 2013. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

    Jason Dufner admires the Wanamaker Trophy after his two-stroke victory at the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in 2013. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

    Most importantly, the course is a demanding test of driving and iron play, its par-4s as tough as those at any major venue. For this week the course will play to a newly lengthened distance of 7,394 yards (par 70) and present the equivalent of a 77.2 rating/151 slope. From where the pros will play, your average 14-index golfer would be playing to a 26 handicap.

    3. ICE AGE REMNANTS

    You can thank the Ice Age and its leftover moraine – a mass of rocks and sediment carried down and deposited by a glacier – for Oak Hill’s character. Golf architecture is all about utilizing geology: landforms, soil conditions, and slope. The crumpled landforms remaining as the great Wisconsin ice sheet melted and receded some 12,000 years ago scraped the land and gave form and character to golf ground across the Northeast.

    Nowhere is this more evident than along the Great Lakes. At Oak Hill that means the occasional elevated platform around which Ross tended to cluster pockets of greens and tees. Three in particular structure the routing at Oak Hill-East. The first one includes the clubhouse setting and the way a number of tees and greens converge upon/diverge from it: First tee, ninth green, 10th tee, 13th green, 14th tee, and 18th green. Another nodal point is over on the east side of the course, where we find the second green, third hole, fourth tee, 12th green, and 13th tee. The final moraine, subordinate in its impact, is the setting for the 14th green and 15th tee.

    4. RESTORING A GEM

    The East Course has changed considerably over the years. Robert Trent Jones. Sr. modernized bunker locations in the mid-1950s by removing short-carry hazards and placing bunkers on the flanks of fairway landing areas at the 250- to 260-yard mark. Prior to the 1980 PGA, George and Tom Fazio created three new holes (Nos. 5, 6 and 15), introduced two ponds, and moved the 18th green to create more spectator room.

    Oak Hill Country Club has undergone multiple alterations in his storied history. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

    Oak Hill Country Club has undergone multiple alterations in his storied history. (Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

    5. INTRODUCING ANDREW GREEN

    From 2019-20, the club underwent a massive restoration directed by architect Andrew Green. He studied old maps, photos, and drawings; peeled back layers of tree growth; opened up the greens to reclaim lost hole locations and add more variability in setup; and revisited bunkering by reproducing Ross’ original strategy, at times placing those bunkers farther from the tee to account for today’s driving distances. He widened fairway landing areas for everyday players but tightened them for the professionals. And Green recreated the par-3 fifth hole that captured an original Ross par 3 and rebuilt it on a more dramatic scale. Ross’ epic par-4 fifth hole is now the sixth hole in the rotation, but on a grander, more strategic scale. Green also got rid of an ill-fitting pond on the par-3 15th to create a short-but-interesting drop-shot hole.

    Green first made his mark with Inverness Club in Toledo. Then came dramatic restorations of Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland; Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio; Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club (South Course); and Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island.

    His body of work speaks for itself.

    The 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in 2023 will add to the legacy of one of the game's most historic venues. (Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)

    The 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in 2023 will add to the legacy of one of the game's most historic venues. (Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)

    6. IT’S CHAPTER FOUR FOR THE FIFTH

    Ross originally had a par-3 sixth hole on the East Course, but it was deemed “too squeezed in” and so the club created an alternative par-3 fifth that was used for the 1968 U.S. Open. It was a dull, flat hole; the Fazios put back their version of a par-3 sixth when they rebuilt part of the course prior to the 1980 PGA Championship.

    That 167-yarder was the scene of four holes-in-one within a 90-minute span on Day 2 of the 1989 U.S. Open. Doug Weaver, Mark Wiebe, Jerry Pate and Nick Price aced the hole thanks to a hole location in a front punchbowl. That par-3 was taken out by Green’s restoration, with Ross’s old par 3 now sitting behind the fourth green as a 180-yard fifth hole to a well-bunkered, two-tiered green.

    It is the fourth iteration of the par-3 fifth, and likely here to stay. Meanwhile, the plaque honoring those four aces, which was once on the tee, occupies a spot where no hole exists.

    7. THE SIXTH IS A BEAST

    The beast of the course is this 503-yard par 4. The original Ross-designed par 4 here was always notorious thanks to the proximity of Allen Creek, which could gather stray tee shots as well as approaches. That version of the hole existed for 40 years; the latest restoration, though, made it longer. The current sixth green sits roughly in the place of the previous par-3 sixth green.

    There is water off the tee on the right, and water again up by the green, both back and left. In a nod to Ross’ design the water no longer is tight to the putting surface, as it was with the prior version of the hole. The beauty of the hole is that the green allows for very distinct hole locations, such that a hole cut on the left favors a drive down the tight right side, while a right hole location favors a drive down the left for a better approach angle.

    8. INTRIGUING FLEXIBILITY

    Dense, three-inch rough, narrow fairways (25-26 yards wide), and tree-lined corridors – despite much tree management – delineate lines of play. Despite concerns about an early spring date for a course this far north, the place is primed for peak performance. The only telltale sign of leftover winter is that the deciduous trees still will be budding out and not quite in full bloom. The club’s director of agronomy, Jeff Corcoran, and his crew have delivered an ideal playing surface. And Kerry Haigh, Chief Championships Officer for the PGA of America, has the ability to flex the setup enough to keep players a little off-balance.

    Among the expected twists will be the tee shot on the 628-yard, par-5 13th hole, a 325-yard carry to clear Allen Creek. Otherwise, it’s basically a lay-up for most of the field playing it as a three-shot par 5. But on at least one day, and possibly two, the tees will be moved up 25 yards to give more players a chance of carrying the drive 300 yards to get over the creek and within range of the green for their second shot.

    The 13th hole at Oak Hill Country Club during the 95th PGA Championship in 2013. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

    The 13th hole at Oak Hill Country Club during the 95th PGA Championship in 2013. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

    The short, uphill par-4 14th hole, 320 yards to a pedestal green surrounded by deep bunkers, affords another opportunity for moving the tee up. This likely will be the case one day, maybe two, depending upon weather and wind.

    Of course, the real flex on a course with such compelling green contours is simply the day-to-day movement of hole locations and the effect this has on players’ thinking and strategy.

    9. THE LONG WAY HOME

    There is some brawn to the finish at Oak Hill’s East Course. The short, par-3 15th hole, a mere dropshot to a narrow green, marks the staccato interlude before Oak Hill-East’s epic three-hole run of stout par 4s. The closing holes measure 458, 502, and 497 yards.

    It was on this stretch at the 1995 Ryder Cup that captain’s pick Curtis Strange – and the U.S. team’s hopes – came to a crashing halt with his trio of bogeys. It was also at the 18th that Shaun Micheel seized the 2003 Championship from Chad Campbell with a 7-iron from 174 yards that stopped inches from the hole for a clinching, tap-in birdie. It was not only Micheel’s lone major triumph, it was also his lone PGA TOUR win in 401 starts.

    Shaun Micheel's clutch approach to secure win at 2003 PGA Championship


    HoleParYardage
    14460
    24405
    33230
    45615
    53180
    64503
    74461
    84429
    94482
    353,765
    104430
    113245
    124399
    135623
    144320
    153155
    164458
    174502
    184497
    353,629
    707,394

    Bradley S. Klein is a veteran golf writer and author of 10 books on course design. A former PGA TOUR caddie, he was architecture editor of Golfweek for over two decades and is now a freelance journalist and course design consultant. Seguir Bradley S. Klein em Twitter.