The 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont was not the first time that rough inside the ropes was cut with push mowers. The last time it happened to this extent was at The Country Club in 2022. This is one of the many ways in which maintenance for a U.S. Open is not the same as at your home course, nor should it be.
Contrary to many comments on social media, this practice is not a “flex” by Oakmont Country Club or the USGA. Neither of us are looking for the hardest way to do anything. In reality, with as difficult as course preparation is at a U.S. Open, if an “easy button” is available it might be the best option.
In this case, there were some important reasons why a team of staff and volunteers lined up to push mow everything inside the ropes prior to the championship:
- Oakmont experienced one of their wettest Mays in recorded history in the month before the championship. Leading up to and during advance week the course received inches of rain. The risk of ruts, mud and getting large equipment stuck inside or outside the ropes isn’t worth it when you have another option.
- The specific height of cut in the rough was easier to achieve with push mowers than it was with larger equipment.
- Lighter equipment has less of a footprint. When the rough is high and dense like it was at Oakmont, using push mowers means there is less work required to get the rough standing back up after mowing.
- Moving smaller mowers on trailers or in the back of utility vehicles is much easier with a course full of spectators. Getting rough units (one of the largest pieces of maintenance equipment) around during the day takes too much time when time is at a premium.
This was not a statement by the USGA or Oakmont Country Club suggesting that this is how rough should be cut. In fact, we have been very intentional and clear that there is a difference between championship preparation and daily maintenance. This is one of those examples.
Northeast Region Agronomists:
Darin Bevard, senior director, Championship Agronomy – dbevard@usga.org
Elliott L. Dowling, regional director, East Region – edowling@usga.org
Brian Gietka, agronomist – bgietka@usga.org
Information on the USGA’s Course Consulting Service
Contact the Green Section Staff