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THE Pittsburgh region of Pennsylvania is a hot bed of golf with 50 or so courses, public and private, close to the city. We were on a limited time scale so our options were restricted (a good excuse for a return visit....) and, of course, not to pay homage to Oakmont would be akin to visiting St Andrews and not seeing the Old Course. Even better, we were invited to play it. Now I know its reputation is not misplaced.
It has been described as arguably the toughest course in the world and while I think that Carnoustie in a three club wind is a tad more demanding tee to green I wouldn't care to tackle Oakmont in any sort of breeze on the grounds that I'd probably three putt every green! They were polished marble, lethal even on a still day such as we found.
But what a golf course! From even the middle tees which we played it makes every demand of technique and character. It would be easy to burst into tears, or heave the clubs into a passing lake. Then you recall that Johnny Miller smoothed it around in 63 to win the 1973 US Open and you begin to doubt the evidence of your eyes.
The clubhouse itself is worth a pilgrimage. It seeps history and traditions and is the closest I've seen to the venerable home of The Royal Liverpool -- Hoylake -- which is virtually a shrine to the Golden Age of British golf.
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