When the U.S. Open returns to Oakmont this June, golf enthusiasts
will hardly recognize the place. But it looks much as it did when the
elder
Fownes built it more than 100 years ago. In fact, that was the
idea. “We simply
acted as custodians and caretakers of our
architectural heritage, an agenda our
membership would never have
supported,” says Studer. “The issue was never about
the virtues or
liabilities of trees. Our sole motivation was to reclaim Fownes’
legacy
and protect his vision for the golf course.”
Like many early American courses, Oakmont originated as a fallow,
fast-running track. After visiting the primordial courses of the
British Isles,
Fownes developed an affection for open, links-style
terrain, commissioning a
crew of 150 men and 25 donkeys to clear-cut
the club’s original 191 acres on the
outskirts of Pittsburgh.
Fownes’ son, William (W.C.), safeguarded Oakmont’s open, windswept
character until his death in 1950. A 1949 aerial photo shows that the
property
was virtually treeless. “We quickly converted the 1949 aerial
into our
restoration master plan because it best represented the
culmination of the
Fownes family vision,” says Studer.
The restoration was necessary because the post-Fownes era was
marked by a nationwide tree-planting barrage, a movement of which
Oakmont was at
the fore. In the name of beautification, the club, led
by influential member
Fred Brand Jr., planted heaps of ornamental
saplings in virtually every open
space of the course. By the 1973 U.S.
Open, Oakmont had planted more than 3,200
trees.
By 1993 those trees had grown and Oakmont bore little resemblance
to its original identity. A dense framework of vegetation choked the
holes and
the shade promoted soft fairways and soggy greens. The
vistas, once sweeping
from the Tudor-style clubhouse, felt
claustrophobic.
Now most of the trees are gone, the views restored and Oakmont
once again plays fast and firm. In addition, Oakmont has set an example
for
other courses. Countless green committees, USGA agronomists and
course
architects have made visits to study Oakmont’s renaissance. And
clubs like
Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Shinnecock Hills, Olympic and
National Golf Links of
America continue to remove trees and underbrush
that threaten turf quality, hole
strategy and aesthetics.
Restoration specialist Ron Prichard says Oakmont inspired him to
be more proactive with tree removal in his work. Says Prichard:
“Oakmont’s
prestige and standing in the world of golf serves as a real
validation for tree
management everywhere.”
Since 1995 Oakmont’s restoration has continued in open daylight.
Thanks to a high-speed logging saw, current superintendent John Zimmers
has made
quick work of Oakmont’s remaining interior hardwoods. At last
count, just two
majestic elms are still standing—one near the 3rd tee
and the other between the
4th and 5th fairways.
Says Studer: “If Fownes returned today, his comment might be
‘What’s all the fuss? It looks like it did when I was last here.’”
