Oakland Hills Golf Course, America

America Oakland Hills golf course, Birmingham, Michigan, America.

This was the course dubbed "the monster" by Ben Hogan after his win there in the US Open of 1951. He added, "If I had to play that course every week, I'd get into another business". Originally, the course had been set out in 1917 by Donald Ross, the golf-course architect from Domoch who had such an impact on American golf-course design at the beginning of the twentieth century.

However, Ross's course was felt to be too easy for the modem professional and was remodelled by Robert Trent Jones for the 1951 US Open. Jones narrowed the landing areas of the drives and added bunkers that most players had difficulty carrying from the tees; he also allowed the rough to grow in. Many players did not like his alterations, especially when Ben Hogan, then at the height of his powers, opened with a 76. However, Hogan followed this with rounds of 73, 71 and 67 to win from Clayton Heafner, with Bobby Locke and Jimmy Demaret down the field. His last round is considered to be one of the greatest ever played. The course, at nearly 7,000 yards (6,400m), has a championship par of 70 with as tough a finishing stretch as any other course in the world. The best championship score was the 272 made by David Graham when he won the USPGA Championship there in 1979 after a play-off. The unknown Steve Jones won with a total of 278 in 1996, beating Davis Love III and Tom Lehman by one shot in a gripping finish. He became the first prequalifier to have won the US Open since Jerry Pate in 1976.