Oakmont - Favorite clubhouse

[Tim Fenchel]

I have always been intrigued by clubhouses.  The architecture, setting, ambiance, course vistas, locker rooms, grill rooms, a splash of Clubman before a round...all of it.
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[/size]For some reason Oakmont's clubhouse is without question, my favorite in the U.S. (I delineate between U.S. and U.K. clubhouses)  Maybe its because I am a life long Pennsylvanian. Something about those green and white Tudor dormers. While I haven't been INSIDE, I was able to steal a few minutes on the back outside deck underneath those great ceiling fans at the last Open in 2007.
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[/size]I'd love to know what its like on the inside.
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[/size]Wondering what some of your favorite clubhouses are.

[MClutterbuck]

Some of my favourite outside/inside in a very eclectic list:


Indian Creek, FL.
The Preserve, CA.
Martindale, Bs.As.
Roaring Fork, CO.
San Andres Golf Club, Bs. As.
Llao Llao, Bariloche

[Mac Plumart]

Oakmont is awesome.

The Golf Club is ideal for a small private club.

Valley Club is perfect.

Chechessee Creek is great.

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Oakmont is awesome.

The Golf Club is ideal for a small private club.

Valley Club is perfect.

Chechessee Creek is great.

Mac, really hard to argue with any of your nominations - all are special in their own right.  Oakmont has my favorite locker room by far - it's a place where time appears to stand still - "real" spike marks on the benches, handwritten score sheets from tournaments past and frosty pints for a post-round beverage...it really doesn't get much better...

[BCowan]

As for Locker room and men's grill I'll nominate Bloomfield Hills. 

[Ryan Taylor]

As for Locker room and men's grill I'll nominate Bloomfield Hills. 

I nominate Milwaukee Country Club for best locker room.

[Tom Allen]

Inside--I second The Golf Club.
Outside, I like Oakland Hills.

[David Whitmer]

I also love The Golf Club. Other US clubhouses I like that I have been to are Atlanta Athletic Club; East Lake; Desert Mountain Cochise (sitting on the patio looking at the Arizona sunset is awfully nice); Chicago Golf Club; Inverness Club; and Dismal River.

Outside the US, I like Muirfield; the R & A; and Castle Stuart.

[Andrew Buck]

Olympia Fields is pretty stellar from an old school locker room/mens grill perspective.

[Sinclair Eaddy]

My favorites are:

Burning Tree (D.C.) - most of the clubhouse is occupied by the locker room, dining room and bar
The Lodge at Sea Island

[Nigel Islam]

Merion
Crystal Downs
Oakmont
Camargo

[Jon Cavalier]

Some of my favorite clubhouses:


Newport:





Yeamans Hall:





Boston Golf Club:





Old Town Club:





Maidstone:





Sleepy Hollow:





Valley Club of Montecito:





Winged Foot:





Bayonne:





Oakmont:





Myopia Hunt Club:





And my favorite of all, National Golf Links:

[Buck Wolter]

I'm sure it serves them well but that looks like a house not a clubhouse. I hate the sunsetter awnings and the big hedge blocking the view--looks like it would smell like Grandma's house.

[BHoover]

What, no interior clubhouse photos too?

[Jon Cavalier]

What, no interior clubhouse photos too?

Brian:

I'll admit that it's usually easier to just ignore your mopey, miserable, insulting remarks in response to every other one of my posts, but my curiousity has finally gotten the better of me, so I'll ask the question:

What is your issue with me, exactly?

- Jon

[BHoover]

I was only hoping to see some interior pics. Why so touchy?

[Jon Cavalier]

Well, Brian, when someone I've never met, or even spoken to, publicly calls me a "belt-notching d-bag" with "no redeeming qualities," (implying that they do, in fact, know me, when they don't) and then proceeds to take little pissy shots every time I post something on this website, I start to wonder what I've done to offend that person.


When Kavanaugh shits all over my posts, at least he has the balls to own it.

[Phil McDade]

Jon:


Thanks as always for another great set of pics -- I've always liked the look of Myopia Hunt Club's clubhouse, and can't say I've ever seen that particular angle-- holy smokes that is close to the run of play!


I've also always liked the look of The Country Club in Brookline -- another great-looking old-school clubhouse. I can't say I've been inside Milwaukee CC's clubhouse, but it comes complete with overnight rooms and graciously sits on the land there (read Ran's review of Milwaukee CC for the club's interesting decision to move the clubhouse from the highest point on the course -- unlike many clubhouses -- to a somewhat lower spot, to the betterment of the course, particularly the 18th).


One from Scotland -- the old clubhouse at the crazy 60-some acre Stonehaven course, near Aberdeen, which looks out over the course's cliff-hanging holes (including the 1st that sweeps toward the ocean; the golfer has to negotiate Hitler's bunker along the way) and oozes old-school Scottish golf.

[Sean_A]

I like

Royal Zoute




New Zealand


Castle Stuart
 

Woking


Tadmarton Heath
   

Ciao

[Bill_McBride]

Unless they've been replaced, the lockers at Oakmont are probably the crummiest I've seen, beat up metal.  But just fine in that setting!

[Terry Lavin]

Well, Brian, when someone I've never met, or even spoken to, publicly calls me a "belt-notching d-bag" with "no redeeming qualities," (implying that they do, in fact, know me, when they don't) and then proceeds to take little pissy shots every time I post something on this website, I start to wonder what I've done to offend that person.


When Kavanaugh shits all over my posts, at least he has the balls to own it.

You're not wrong. It behooves me to ask BHoov to stop being a dick. It's tiresome.

[Eric Smith]

There is much to like about so many of the clubhouses mentioned here (I haven't been to Oakmont). If pressed to choose a favorite I will second Chechessee Creek. It is everything I love about building architecture and then some. Another in a similar vein is Royal Porthcawl. Just right. Ballyneal is also of a similar ilk. Ok that's three I'll stop.

[Terry Lavin]

Oakmont is great.  So is Olympia Fields. And Medinah. And LACC. And Friar's Head. And Cherry Hills.

Best locker room is San Francisco Golf Club.

[Benjamin Litman]

Twenty-two replies and still no mention of the oldest clubhouse in the country? I'll give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and assume reverence by omission. Stanford White's 1892 masterpiece at Shinnecock Hills--the quintessential clubhouse on a hill--is without peer, from sunrise to sunset and every angle.

[Keith Phillips]

Many terrific suggestions.  I apologize for my inability to post photos, but would add Sunningdale and Loch Lomond in Britain, Baltusrol in the US (classic) and Capilano in Canada.  And Chicago Golf Club, for the metal lockers and more!