Oak Hill Country Club
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Oak Hill Country Club, located in Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester, has a rich history of great golf. It started out in 1901 as only 9 holes on 85 acres (0.3 km²) on the banks of the Genesee River in Rochester. The clubhouse was no more than a converted farm house. However, at the time golf was a relatively new sport in America, and as popularity of the sport grew, so did the country club. By 1921 Oak Hill had doubled in size and had a new clubhouse, so when the University of Rochester proposed a land swap in 1921 it was a tough decision for members. However, the country club decided to take the university up on their offer, and moved the club to a 355 acre (1.4 km²) plot in nearby Pittsford, NY. This decision ended up benefiting Oak Hill, University of Rochester and the City of Rochester.
Now with triple the land of the old country club, Oak Hill had room for two 18-hole courses. Designed by Donald Ross, they became the East Course and the West Course, and a golf legend was born. In 1941 the Times-Union, a local paper at the time posted a $5000 purse which attracted the greatest golfers in the world, including names such as Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, and Ben Hogan. This tournament, won by Snead, put Oak Hill on the national golf map. Several major tournaments would be held at Oak Hill over the next 62 years.
Major Tournaments Held at Oak Hill Country Club
- 1949 U.S. Amateur
- 1956 US Open
- 1968 US Open
- 1980 PGA Championship
- 1984 US Senior Open
- 1989 US Open
- 1995 Ryder Cup
- 1998 US Amateur Open
- 2003 PGA Championship
The East Course at Oak Hill has stumped even some of the greatest golfers who have ever played the game.
- "It's the hardest, fairest golf course we've ever played" -Tiger Woods
- "I have to say that Oak Hill is the best, fairest and toughest championship golf course I've ever played in all my years as a tour professional. It is totally awesome" -Ernie Els
The course record of 64 was shot by Ben Hogan in 1942.