The Resurgence of Oak Hill
By Charles Gwynn
Rochester, NY is unquestionably one of the United States hotspots for golf. Nearby courses such as Irondequoit Country Club, Country Club of Rochester, and Monroe Golf Club were all graced with Donald Ross' design, but all stand in the shadow of the juggernaut Oak Hill Country Club.
Oak Hill is home to two 36-hole layouts, the East and the West courses, both designed by Donald Ross. It is well known that the East course has long been a standard for championship golf in America, formerly hosting 2 U.S. Opens, 3 PGA Championships, 2 U.S. Amateurs, 2 Senior PGA Championships, a U.S. Senior Open and a Ryder Cup. It is the only golf course in America to have hosted all six of the rotating men’s championships.
However, even with its exhaustive history, some of Oak Hill’s original character had slowly faded away. Years of tree growth and small modifications led the course further away from Ross’ original creation. Green’s grew inwards becoming circular, straying from Ross’ geometric designs. Bunkers lost their depth. Trees blocked views of the properties' rolling hills.
Encapsulated by a 1970s renovation by George and Tom Fazio to bring the course back up to championship standards, Ross' character was lost. A pond was added, old holes were destroyed, being replaced with more penal and demanding creations. Unfortunately, public opinion was critical of the efforts.
The modernization of the golf course, in an attempt to stay relevant at the championship level, came at the expense of what Oak Hill East was.
Enter Andrew Greene. In 2019, Oak Hill embarked on a full course restoration with one goal in mind: Restore the East course to Donald Ross’ original vision. Tree removal had been occurring at Oak Hill since 2013, but in 2019 mass removal began. Holes 5 and 6 were ripped up and remade. Every green was rebuilt, restoring the original shaping and creating more pin-positions in the process. Bunkers were restored to Donald Ross style. Now deeper and more challenging, they play like hazards which is essential due to the wider playing areas, a result of tree removal. New bunkers add depth to the golf course, framing holes better and attracting more attention from the eye. The original challenge and charm of Donald Ross’ course is restored.
This week, Andrew Greene will become one of the most well-known names in golf. His work has been applauded by members frivolously over the past couple of years, and architects, superintendents, and golf course critics have all taken notice. But this week, Oak Hill’s restoration is on full display. Oak Hill begins a new chapter of its history as the first of many major championships are played on the newly restored East course. Oak Hill attempts to prove that when restored correctly, vintage course ideology can withstand the test of modern golf on the championship stage.
I had the opportunity to play the course shortly after its renovation, in the summer of 2021. It was easy to see the brilliance in the recent work, and inspiring to see the effectiveness of such a project. Oak Hill is as enjoyable as any golf course for member play, and as challenging as any for championship tests. The resurgence of Oak Hill is on full display this week and I am excited to tune in.
