By Frank Pingue
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -Shortly beyond the third tee box at Oakmont Country Club sits the only tree on the interior of the course, a stately American elm whose sprawling branches provide the only reprieve from the blaring sun at this week’s U.S. Open.
The 120-year-old tree may not be anywhere near as famous as Oakmont’s Church Pews Bunker but it has been more popular this week for sun-kissed golf fans drawn in by the promise of shade and cool grass under its canopy.
“We’ve been here since about 8 o’clock this morning in the sun the entire time and this is the only shade we could find,” Mark Finley, a 41-year-old accountant from New Jersey, told Reuters while he set up his chair under the tree.
The typical American golf course has trees, and lots of them. There was even a time when Oakmont, which opened in 1904 and this week is hosting the U.S. Open for a record 10th time, was transformed into a traditional “parkland” course with trees.
Oakmont, the vision of late founder Henry C. Fownes, was originally designed as an “inland links” course styled after the open and barren nature of Britain’s traditional links courses despite not being set along a large body of water.
During the 1950s thousands of trees were planted and by the early 1980s the course hardly resembled its original rugged identity as trees flanked all 18 holes.
But, in a bid to revive Oakmont’s original links-style identity, a tree-removal process began in earnest during the mid-1990s and ultimately led to some 15,000 trees removed.
While there are still trees along the outer edges of the course, the purge left just one remaining on the interior of the layout. The tree does not come into play, leaving the layout effectively treeless.
Devin Gee, head professional at Oakmont, told Reuters the tree at the Oakmont’s third hole has not only escaped weather-related damage but has never been suggested for removal.
“I wouldn’t say it’s because people think it’s such a magnificent tree,” said Gee. “It doesn’t come into play, it doesn’t come into line of flight or the way the hole plays in any way whatsoever.
“But it’s left standing, it’s just sort of been the one that made it through for sure.”
For golf fans looking to get their souvenir U.S. Open pin flag signed by the likes of world number one Scottie Scheffler and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, the tree is serving as the perfect waiting area.
“It’s a pretty nice day out, pretty hot, sun is beating down on us a little bit so to get out of the sun we came over here for shade and are waiting to see if we can get an autograph,” said Rocco Jerrome, a 15-year-old golf fan from West Virginia.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)
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