Oakmont Country Club Possesses The Most Bunkers On The PGA Tour In 2025, But How Many Are There?

It's not just the thick rough and quick greens that players will need to watch out for at Oakmont Country Club, with the course possessing a mammoth 168 bunkers

Shane Lowry plays a bunker shot at Oakmont Country Club
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Oakmont Country Club is known as one of the toughest courses in the world and, for the 125th US Open, it's set-up to be another brutal test.

Not only is the thick, juicy rough in-play, but greens rolling at 15 on the stimpmeter will also test the player's patience and feel.

However, perhaps one area that is being overlooked at Oakmont Country Club is the bunkers, specifically 168 of them, which will only add to the difficulty competitors face at the US Open.

Tyrrell Hatton strikes a bunker shot at the US Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

In fact, the 168 bunkers on the course is the most on the PGA Tour in 2025, with an average of nine featuring per hole at Oakmont Country Club.

The most famous bunker on the course, and one of the most famous in golf, is the Church Pew Bunker, which measures 110-yards long by 42-yards wide. Spanning 26,000-feet, it sits between the par 4 third and par 5 fourth.

The Church Pews at Oakmont Country Club from above

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Throughout Oakmont's history, there were reportedly up to 350 bunkers scattered around its layout, but that number is considerably lower than that of 100 years ago.

Another aspect that is different involves the way that the maintenance staff look after the bunkers. Emil Loeffler Jr, who was the course's greenkeeper from 1916 - 1948, used to use a heavy-steel rake to create furrows measuring two-to-three inches deep in the bunker.

Because of the depth of these ridges, players would have to chip out sideways and, at one point, those at the 1953 US Open threatened to boycott the event until they were removed from the fairway bunkers.

Nowadays, players don't have that issue, but will need to call upon their high degree of skills to get around Oakmont Country Club in a suitable score.

Going into the third men's Major of 2025, Scottie Scheffler starts as favorite, with the World No.1 recently claiming the PGA Championship.

Bryson DeChambeau is the defending champion after his victory at Pinehurst last year, with Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele among the notable players looking for another Major win following their successes in the past 12 months.

Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover news and social media.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. His favorite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: Ping G430 LST 15°, 19°

Irons: TaylorMade P.7CB

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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