World's best golfers to face more daunting test after renovations at Oakmont Country Club

When Scottie Scheffler steps up to the tee box for the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, some of the world’s most notable greens might look a bit farther away.

As Jon Rahm eyes an approach shot, he will have to navigate around certain bunkers a bit differently.

Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have grown accustomed to the famed course’s lightning-fast greens, but they will have to adjust to some different shapes and edges to add to the challenge.

Passersby have noticed construction equipment occupying the same hallowed fairways and greens where Tommy Armour (1927), Sam Parks Jr. (1935), Ben Hogan (1953), Jack Nicklaus (1962), Johnny Miller (1973), Larry Nelson (1983), Ernie Els (1994), Angel Cabrera (2007) and Dustin Johnson (2016) produced memorable shots en route to earning U.S. Open championships at Oakmont.

Work is underway to renovate the course, upping the level of skill, strategy and patience needed by the world’s best golfers when they return for the 2025 U.S. Open.

“The restoration work underway at Oakmont is truly an exciting and historic project,” Oakmont president Ed Stack said. “This long-term investment our members are making in the golf course will allow us to continue to challenge the best players in the game with one of the world’s toughest tests of championship golf.

“As we host major men’s and women’s championships, which attracts thousands of attendees from near and far, we could not be happier to have an opportunity to showcase our great city of Pittsburgh to the world.”

The first phase of the renovations began in March and is wrapping up on the front nine.

The second phase, which will focus on the back nine, will resume in late September. The entire project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The course, which has hosted the U.S. Open a record nine times, along with two U.S. Women’s Opens, six U.S. Amateurs and three PGA Championships, remains open during the renovation. Only the back nine is currently open for members, and all 18 holes will ready for play later this month. When the project switches to the back nine in the fall, only the front nine will be playable. Some work will continue throughout the summer.

Oakmont hired well-known golf course architect Gil Hanse to head the renovations. His main focus is reshaping and rebuilding bunkers close to the style that Henry C. Fownes, the course’s original architect, intended.

Hanse is designing renovation of all bunkers, replacing the irrigation system, adding about 200 yards in length to the 7,255-yard course and restoring greens to their original size.

Oakmont golf professional Devin Gee said because of the mostly warm and dry spring, work has gone better than expected.

“We’re putting in an all-new irrigation system and redoing all the bunkers,” Gee said. “That’s something that hasn’t been done in 18 years. We’re adding a little length to the championship tees, and the green expansion is recovering green edges to the original size.”

Oakmont grounds superintendent Mike McCormick said the green shrinkage occurred for various reasons, including sand buildup from the bunkers.

“Because Oakmont has a lot of historic artifacts, Gil was able to see how Fownes originally made the greens,” Gee said. “He’s just restoring them to the original size Fownes intended them to be. We’ll be able to utilize more pin placements.”

Oakmont is well-known for the famous “Church Pew” bunkers that stretch for 100 yards and are 40 yards wide between the third and fourth fairways and the “Big Mouth” bunker on No. 17, as well as its firm and fast greens and high, thick rough alongside the manicured fairways.

McCormick said the changes will continue to test the best players in the world.

“We’re definitely trying to bring the Church Pews back into play,” said McCormick, who oversees the project and is involved with a number of parties to make sure it goes as smooth as possible. “The players are so talented, so we’re adding length where we can. We want them to be challenged.”

Oakmont Country Club has made numerous changes over the years.

After the 1994 U.S. Open, the club membership decided to remove more than 10,000 trees from the course, returning to Fownes’ original design in 1903. The club planted 5,000 trees in 1953. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

“Sure, the timing of the renovations is occurring because the Open is coming in 2025,” Gee said. “But it was also time for this to occur.”