Winter 2004

LESCONEWS

Vol. 42 No. 1

Oakmont is steeped in tradition, but prepared for the future

	Oakmont Superintendent John Zimmers (right) prepares to step aboard the LESCO Store-on-Wheels operated by Ken Painter.

The course Fownes designed and introduced to the golfing world in 1903 is now 100 years old. And what good years they have been. During its first century, the prestigious club located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania garnered a reputation as one of the toughest golfing venues in North America, consistently ranked among the top ten courses in the U.S., was named a National Historic Landmark and hosted more major championships than any other course.

As Oakmont Country Club crosses the threshold into its second century, it shows no signs of retreat. This historic course hosted the 2003 U.S. Amateur last August and is in the midst of preparing for an unprecedented eighth U.S. Open in 2007. The Open will be the seventeenth major tournament played at the club.

	When Oakmont Superintendent John Zimmers (right) and LESCO Sales Representative Chad Lamantia get together there is no shortage of things to talk about. The club is in the midst of restoring and modernizing certain aspects of the course as it heads for the 2007 U.S. Open.

Through the years, many of the features that make Oakmont instantly recognizable – the famous church pews bunker, the historic green and white Tudor-style clubhouse and the bridge over what is now the Pennsylvania Turnpike, but was originally railroad tracks – have remained essentially the same. But just as much has stayed the same, a lot has also changed. After all, it has been 100 years.

Perhaps no one is more aware of the changes than John F. Zimmers, Jr. who is in his fifth year as the grounds superintendent at Oakmont and at the helm of what he calls a “restoration/modernization” program. Although the term may seem contradictory it is actually quite appropriate for what Oakmont Country Club is focused on accomplishing. Much of the work being done is intended to restore the course to its original look and style, but at the same time changes are being made that will allow Oakmont to maintain its challenge for 21st century golfers.

“What we’re trying to do is take a 100-year-old golf course, protect the integrity of its history and its architecture and modernize it to today’s playing standards,” Zimmers said.

Seventeen flagsticks
At the time Oakmont was built and for many years afterward, it was a wide-open golf course. In fact, the famed Bobby Jones once commented that a golfer standing at the rear of the clubhouse could look out over the course and see 17 of the 18 flagsticks.

“If you think about that for a minute, that’s pretty unique,” Zimmers said. “His comment pretty much tells you it was very open and more of a links-style course. But in the 1960s a beautification program came along and the club planted all kinds of trees. The fairways were literally lined with trees and you could no longer see each hole.”

	With the restoration program now in progress, some Oakmont bunkers that were added over the years have now been removed. At one time there were close to 300, but now there are slightly less than 200.

But now, as the club endeavors to take the club back to its original look, approximately 4000 trees have been removed and another 70 or 80 will soon follow. Prior to any work being done, every tree on the course was carefully evaluated using old aerial photographs.

“We’re very sensitive to making sure that when we try to take it back and restore it that we are really getting it right,” Zimmers said. “The fact that the course is a National Historic Landmark makes the restoration especially important.”

Bunkers – something Oakmont is famous for – and the reshaping of certain greens to their original square-like appearance are other areas of concentration for Zimmers and his crew. Again the aerial photos proved valuable for studying the shape of the original greens as well as restoring old bunkers and eliminating some that had been added over the years.

“We have just under 200 bunkers now, but at one time there were close to 300,” Zimmers said. “The bunkers here are very, very penal. There are some big holes in the ground out there. Some are over 12-feet deep.”

A tough test
With its tremendous bunkering, tight fairways and fast, sloping greens, Oakmont has never had a problem challenging golfers. And with the addition of 200-plus yards a couple of years ago, it probably never will. But if you have any doubt abut how difficult this course really is, consider that not one golfer broke par when Oakmont hosted the U.S. Amateur last summer. The average score was a 79. That tells you something.

“We had good press after the Amateur,” Zimmers said. “Both NBC and ESPN said we were ready for the Open now and the best quote from Tom Meeks (USGA Senior Director of Rules and Competitions) was ‘There were no winners. There were two survivors.’”

	The Par 4 third hole at Oakmont is distinguished by the legendary and intimidating “Church Pews” bunker.

According to Zimmers, the amateurs hit the ball every bit as long and, in many cases, longer than the professional golfers. He feels fortunate to have had them on the course because they are an excellent test of how Oakmont will perform during the U.S. Open in 2007.

“Hosting the Amateur was a great opportunity for us to evaluate where the players are driving the ball and where they’re landing. It helps us determine if the driving zone is too large, if the bunkers are in the right locations and whether or not we need more length,” Zimmers said. “At this point, we probably don’t have to do much more considering the average score was a 79. But we’re also looking at quality of turf, moving people, the logistics for the tents and things like that.”

Just because everything went well at the Amateur does not mean Zimmers and his crew have time to relax. Quite the contrary. Along with all the logistical details, the removal of more trees and additional work on the bunkers and greens, the grounds crew will be concentrating on the drainage ditches filled with deep, dense fescue that run parallel to the fairways. They are another Oakmont trademark.

Fownes created the dual-purpose ditches to act as a hazard for the golfer and to drain the course following heavy rains. Although the ditches only carry water on occasion, they are as close as Oakmont comes to a water hazard. There are no lakes, ponds or creeks that come into play on the course.

“These ditches are really neat and they drive golfers crazy,” Zimmers said. “We want to go in and clean them out as part of our restoration process.”

	Assistant Superintendent Doug Drugo is one of two assistants at Oakmont Country Club. The other is Jim Thomas.

Intense maintenance
Although the restoration/modernization program that is going on as Oakmont heads for the U.S. Open in 2007 is important, it does not take precedence over the high standards Zimmers sets for day-to-day maintenance on the 350-acre site. The superintendent and his two assistants – Doug Drugo and Jim Thomas – and a 40-person crew dedicate themselves to providing the club’s 400 or so golfing members with the conditions they expect and deserve. To help them get the job done, they rely on products from LESCO and the service they receive from LESCO Sales Representatives Chad Lamantia and Ken Painter.

“With the size of the property, the number of bunkers plus a very large range with an indoor hitting facility that is open all year, there is a lot to be accomplished,” Zimmers said. “Plus we put a great deal of emphasis on green speed. We are right around 12 every day and that’s pretty demanding. The greens are either triple cut or double cut and rolled every day. Fairways are mowed five times a week. We are right at that point of being ready for a championship every day.”

The Oakmont greens are perennial Poa annua and were built on native clay soil. They are another Oakmont tradition and have not been changed in 100 years.

	As part of the restoration/modernization program underway at Oakmont, some 4000 trees have been removed and certain greens have been reshaped to their original square-like configuration.

“Penn State has come here and is fascinated by these greens,” Zimmers said. “People are trying to duplicate this grass. They’re trying, but they can’t quite get it yet. This Poa looks like bermuda combined with one of the new bentgrasses. That’s how tight it is and how short it is.”

Something else unique to Oakmont is the fact that the Pennsylvania Turnpike bisects the golf course. Golfers reach holes two through eight by crossing a bridge over the highway. And even though only the one bridge is needed to accommodate golfers, a second bridge was recently added to handle the crowds that will be on hand during the Open.

Best of both worlds
Zimmers is a Rutgers University graduate who considers it an honor to be the superintendent at Oakmont Country Club. Although he is at a relatively early stage in his career, he already has experience at both ends of the golf course maintenance spectrum.

After serving as an assistant at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware and Congressional Country Club in Maryland, Zimmers accepted the grow-in superintendent position at Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon, Ohio – a premier facility with the latest in agronomics and technology. He spent four years at Sand Ridge before moving on to Oakmont.

Although Zimmers left behind a contemporary golf course that he helped bring to life, he went on to embrace history and tradition at a golf course created a century ago. You could say John Zimmers has experienced the best of both worlds.

	The Oakmont putting surfaces – the No. 7 green is shown here – are perennial Poa annua and were built on native clay soil. They have not been changed in the 100 years the club has been existence.		Although Oakmont Country Club has hosted more major tournaments than any other course, the club never underestimates the importance of its membership. The standards set for day-to-day maintenance are very high.

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