Photo: DanielPenfield · CC BY-SA 4.0
Oak Hill Country Club
Pittsford, New York, United States
18 Holes · Par 70 · Private club — no published green fee; play is by member invitation · Parkland
— About
About Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, a suburb southeast of Rochester, New York, is a private club with two Donald Ross courses, and its East Course is the one that has carried its reputation. The club was founded in 1901, and Ross's courses opened in 1926. The East Course has hosted three U.S. Opens, in 1956, 1968 and 1989, four PGA Championships, in 1980, 2003, 2013 and 2023, and the 1995 Ryder Cup. It is set up as a par 70 for major championships. The landscape is a product of planting rather than nature. The property was open farmland, and a member named John R. Williams planted roughly 75,000 seedlings, which grew into the trees that now line the fairways. Allen Creek runs through the site and comes into play on a number of holes. Robert Trent Jones, then George and Tom Fazio, changed the course over the years, and Andrew Green restored much of Ross's character in 2019 and 2020. Brooks Koepka won the first PGA Championship on that restored layout, beating Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland by two strokes. Play is limited to members and their guests.
- The East Course has hosted three U.S. Opens (1956, 1968, 1989), four PGA Championships and the 1995 Ryder Cup.
- A member, John R. Williams, planted about 75,000 seedlings that turned open farmland into a heavily wooded course.
- Andrew Green restored the East Course around 2019 and 2020, removing a pond at the 15th and reworking the 5th and 6th.
- Brooks Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship here by two strokes over Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland.
- The par-5 13th sits at the centre of a three-hole stretch, 13 to 15, often cited as the heart of the course.
History of Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill was founded in 1901 and opened its two Donald Ross courses, the East and the West, in 1926 on land at Pittsford. The ground was open farmland until club member John R. Williams planted about 75,000 seedlings, which grew into the trees that now define the property. Robert Trent Jones renovated the course in the mid-1950s, ahead of the 1956 U.S. Open, and George and Tom Fazio altered it later. After the 2019 Senior PGA Championship, architect Andrew Green began a restoration guided by Ross's sketches and older imagery, restoring green shapes and giving the course more options for pin locations. The work carried into 2020, in time for the 2023 PGA Championship, the fourth held on the East Course, which Koepka won.
Signature holes at Oak Hill Country Club
The 13th, a par 5, anchors the stretch from 13 to 15 that most writers treat as the course's core. Two holes were changed in the restoration and are worth noting. On the 15th, a par 3, Andrew Green removed a pond and replaced it with a swale several feet below the putting surface, and the current 5th and 6th are inspired by the original 6th and 5th. Allen Creek also comes into play across about half the holes, which is why Oak Hill rewards a golfer who can hold a line through the trees.
When to play Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill is private, so the real answer is whenever a member invites you. The 2023 PGA Championship, the club's most recent major, was played in May. Because access is by invitation only, the calendar matters less than the invitation. Ask your host about the club's playing dates, since the East Course also serves as a championship venue, and about how the two courses, East and West, are used during your visit.
Playing Oak Hill Country Club: tips
Oak Hill is a private club, and the East Course is available only to members and their guests. There are no public tee times and no published green fees. Rochester's airport, code ROC, is the nearest commercial airport to Pittsford. The club's mailing address is 145 Kilbourn Road, Rochester, and its phone number is on the club website. Ask your host about caddies, carts, dress rules and arrival time, since the club publishes no visitor guidance for outside players, and about how the day will be arranged.
Visit Oak Hill Country Club
145 Kilbourn Road, Rochester, NY 14618
Pittsford, New York, United States
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Oak Hill Country Club
Can the public play Oak Hill Country Club?
No. Oak Hill is a private club, and the East Course is played by members and their guests. There are no public tee times and no published green fee.
Which majors has Oak Hill's East Course hosted?
Three U.S. Opens (1956, 1968, 1989) and four PGA Championships (1980, 2003, 2013, 2023), plus the 1995 Ryder Cup. Brooks Koepka won the most recent PGA Championship there.
Who designed Oak Hill's East Course?
Donald Ross designed it, and it opened in 1926. Robert Trent Jones and the Fazios later changed it, and Andrew Green restored much of Ross's design in 2019 and 2020.
What is the nearest airport to Oak Hill?
Rochester's airport, code ROC, is the nearest commercial airport. Oak Hill sits in Pittsford, a suburb southeast of the city of Rochester, so ask your host about ground transport.