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U.S. Open

Oakmont Country Club



    The Country Club of Birmingham: West

    The Country Club of Birmingham: West

    3325 Country Club Rd

    Birmingham, AL 35213-3636

    United States

    Overview

    Starting 40 years ago, the Country Club of Birmingham’s West Course, one of two Donald Ross designs at the club, was repeatedly ranked on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest. Then it fell off in 1984. Pete Dye convinced the club that he could restore the Ross glory to its West Course, but sent his younger son, P.B., to the course. P.B. proceeded to turn the turfgrass black with grass-killing chemicals, then stirred up clouds of red dust gouging his bulldozer into every tee, fairway and green. When he was finished, the West had become a P.B. Dye design, and some members were so unhappy, they didn’t talk to Pete for years. Two and a half decades later, Pete finally talked his way back into the club’s good graces and promised “to fix things.” He brought in a new crew, toned done some of the more outrageous features of P.B., and made it more playable. Today, Birmingham West is still not back to being a Donald Ross design, but it sure is an authentic Pete Dye design.

    About

    Holes 18
    Length 7122
    Slope 140
    Facility Type Private
    Designer Donald J. Ross, ASGCA/Pete Dye (2009)

    Awards

    100 Greatest
    100 Greatest the Second 100
    Best Courses in Every State

    Ranking history:

    100 Greatest: Ranked for 16 years from 1969-1984.

    Second 100 Greatest: Ranked 173rd, 2017-'18. Ranked 187th, 2019-'20. Ranked 200th, 2021-'22.

    Best in State: Ranked second from 2011-'24. Ranked third, 2025-'26.
    Current ranking: 3rd.

    Golf Digest Logo Panelists

    Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists

    4.1

    100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES

    Shot Options
    7.201
    Character
    7.2373
    Challenge
    7.3254
    Layout Variety
    7.1817
    Fun
    7.1585
    Aesthetics
    7.1559
    Conditioning
    7.3569

    Reviews