While Pittsburgh’s revitalized downtown is considered “criminally underrated,” visitors seeking more bucolic landscapes and small-town charm should head about 13 miles east of the city to the riverfront community of Oakmont. Prized for its prime location on the Allegheny River, Oakmont was first settled in the early 19th century and later became a hub for manufacturing. Its national reputation took shape in the early 20th century, when Henry Fownes, a wealthy Pittsburgh steel tycoon and avid golfer, began searching for a site to build a challenging, British-style golf course. He purchased nearly 200 acres in Oakmont to create Oakmont Country Club, which opened in 1904. Today, it is widely regarded as “the hardest golf course in America” and has hosted over 20 USGA championships.
While the prestigious club is private and accessible only to members or championship ticket holders, the borough of Oakmont brims with history and is worth a visit even if you don’t golf. Oakmont’s main thoroughfare – split between Allegheny River Boulevard and Allegheny Avenue and bisected by railroad tracks and the Arboretum Trail – is lined with restaurants, shops, the historic Oaks Theater, and Riverside Park. Throughout the borough, leafy residential streets are dotted with elegant homes, including one you can tour, as well as the quaint Oakmont Inn.
Oakmont is about a 45-minute drive from Pittsburgh International Airport, which opened a sleek new terminal in 2025. The best time to visit is June through September when temperatures hover between 75 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Golfing in Oakmont
The Oakmont Country Club golf course has been ranked as one of the top 100 golf courses in the world. Between 1919 and 2025, it hosted 10 U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships. Nearly every major golf legend has played on its greens, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, and Tiger Woods. Due to its narrow fairways and fast greens, the course is challenging even for the best golfers and demands high accuracy on every shot. The course is anchored by the elegant, Tudor-style clubhouse, which overlooks the ninth hole. “Playing at this course is a once in a lifetime treat,” wrote a Google reviewer. “Immaculately maintained, incredibly challenging, and yet it never feels unfair. The clubhouse is a veritable golf museum — photos, signed memorabilia, and framed letters from many of golf’s greats.”
While the course itself is open only to members, nonmembers can purchase tickets during major championships and walk the grounds. Upcoming events include the U.S. Open in 2033, 2042, and 2049, as well as the U.S. Women’s Open in 2038. Even if you can’t get on the course, Oakmont Country Club’s website offers a digital tour so you can know what to expect if you ever have the chance to play.
In the center of town, the Oakmont Golf Center is an indoor golf facility with Trackman simulators available year-round, along with golf instruction. About a 15-minute drive away is the 3 Lakes Golf Course, a public 18-hole course.
What to see and do in Oakmont
Oakmont’s walkable downtown will bring you past historic sites, delicious eateries, and beautiful homes. While most residences are private, you can tour the Kerr Memorial Museum, a doctor’s home and office that was built in the late 19th century. The museum is a time capsule into the life of Dr. Thomas Kerr and his family, who lived in the Queen Anne-style residence until 1994. A few blocks away is the circa 1938 Oaks Theater, the borough’s beloved cultural institution, which hosts movies, game nights, and dance festivals in a beautiful space that harkens to its Art Deco-era beginnings. Enjoy Oakmont’s prime riverfront setting by walking into Riverside Park, a sprawling green space with tennis courts, a playground, and a baseball field, as well as a walking path along the Allegheny River.
To fuel this Oakmont walking tour, stop into Oakmont Bakery, which opened in 1988 and has won multiple best bakery honors from local publications over the years. The European-style shop has a vast number of delicious treats, including cakes, cookies, bagels, breads, donuts, and more. Another longtime Oakmont classic is Hoffstot’s Cafe Monaco, which has been in business for more than five decades and serves beloved Italian specialties, including fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna, veal marsala, and chicken piccata. If you’re staying in Oakmont for a couple of nights, you can book a room at the Oakmont Inn, a charming bed-and-breakfast across from Oakmont Country Club. Its 10 rooms and suites are refined and cozy havens with patterned wallpapers, elegant wood furnishings, and comfortable beds. Some of the rooms even boast views over the golf course’s greens. Amenities include a delicious daily breakfast, a spacious veranda and game room, and even an outdoor putting green.
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Read the original article on Islands.
