US Open Track Talk: Oakmont vs. Chambers Bay

Which is the better test, worthy of selecting a US Open Champion – Chambers Bay or Oakmont?

US Open tracks seem to evoke the same story every year. The golf course is long, the rough thick, the greens firm and lightning quick.

Until we see the field hit meaningful golf shots on Thursday, though, we never really know how tough the course will play. We can make all the bets we want, but can never really predict who will stay on the leaderboard on Sunday afternoon.

Now, we have nearly three days of US Open coverage to digest. We may not be close to knowing the final round pairings, but we know how Oakmont is treating the best players in the world.

Let’s look back to a year ago, when these men took to the Pacific Northwest, and braved the unknown slopes of Chambers Bay.

How do the two tracks differ? In a word, consistency.

Off the tee at Chambers Bay, players never really knew where they could miss. At Oakmont, they know they simply can’t.

Last year at Chambers Bay, the field were left in shock at times. The undulation of Chambers Bay’s fairways could take a two yard miss and turn it into disaster. At the same time, it could bring wayward tee shots back into position.

At Oakmont, the players know exactly what they need to do. The diabolically thick rough punishes players much like a St. Andrews pot bunker, so it’s find the fairway, or pay the price. Oakmont puts good ball striking at a premium, but upon hitting a good tee ball, you can pick up your tee and walk, knowing it’s where it’s supposed to be.

Into the green, both courses test the players’ patience.

At Oakmont, you need to be in perfect position to attack the tricky hole locations. Out of the rough, anything close to the green is a success. Players know that leaving the golf ball on a false front will bring it back 10 yards off the green. They know that leaving the ball below the hole is a must, or they’ll face a blazingly fast putt coming back.

This means having a great deal of patience when hitting into the green.

Chambers Bay tested patience in an entirely different way.

Many seemingly good shots, struck solid and landing pin high were susceptible to gravity, sending the ball 80 or more yards off the front, or taking 90 degree turns into deep green side bunkers.

Even on what felt like perfect shot, players had to be patient and wait to see where their ball ended up. Then, patience was tested by the horrible breaks nearly every player in the field received.

At Chambers Bay, consistency was non-existent.

On the dance floor, consistency is still the story.

The biggest knock on Chambers Bay was the lack of consistency in the greens. Golf and vegetables aren’t often spoken about in the same sentence, but words such as “broccoli” and “cauliflower” were apt descriptions of the greens.

Players voiced their frustrations with the greens, none more than Billy Horschel.

"“These greens aren’t very good. I’m not going to hold my tongue on this. This is very disappointing to hold a championship-caliber tournament on greens like this. Very inconsistent. We’re not looking for perfection but they sure aren’t very good.”"

Now, the greens at Oakmont may receive even more attention from fans and players alike, but that’s only because they are the fastest greens in the world.

Greens that register at a 15 on the Stimpmeter force players to think carefully and putt defensively, but they can trust that good putt will roll true on its line.

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In summary, both golf courses are all-time tough, US Open-worthy. The rough, bunkers and fast greens at Oakmont make it the tougher of the two tracks, even though it’s been softened by heavy rain. Yet, I can guarantee that you will not hear a quarter of the complaints that Chambers Bay received.

The key difference: at Oakmont, the player makes the golf shot; at Chambers Bay, the golf course could change that. It all comes down to consistency.

Both are incredibly tough US Open tests, but the toughest test of Chambers Bay was one of patience and response to silly bounces.

For that reason, Oakmont is without a doubt the better track to determine our US Open Champion.

Next: US Open Day Two Recap

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