Oak Hill Country Club, East Course - Rochester, New York

Jason Dufner won his first major at the PGA Championship, hosted by Oak Hill Country Club. This week’s course review takes a look at the golf offering at one of America’s most revered golf courses.

Just a few minutes’ drive from Rochester, New York, Oak Hill is a landmark of golf in America’s North-East. The time-weathered but immaculate course started life in 1901 as a relatively unknown nine-hole facility before a redesign in 1926 which extended the number of holes to eighteen. Legendary golf course architect Donald Ross was responsible for the construction of two championship courses which make up the golf offering at Oak Hill today.

One of the first things that many golfers notice about Oak Hill is the lush condition of the course when compared to the flat and barren landscape in the surrounding area. The greens, fairways, and forest that surround the course were created over the years through an intensive planting scheme and set Oak Hill apart from other courses in the surrounding area.

At almost 7000 yards in total, the par 70 East Course has hosted several important championships over the years including the PGA Championship, US Open, and Ryder Cup. Here are some highlights from the course to look out for:

• The opening hole, a par-four, provides a challenging welcome to the course. The hole veers to the left, and a crisp short game is needed to negotiate the bunker-guarded green.
• The super-short 177-yard par 3 sixth hole may be the least lengthy on the course, but this tricky hole calls for absolute accuracy to avoid the creek which runs along its left side.
• At the opposite extreme is the 594-yard thirteenth hole, which plays downhill until the approach shot to an elevated green. Bunkers abound on this hole, which will test all aspects of your game.

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