Oakmont_002
Say hello to Diamond, the Zimmers' dog and a popular figure around the grounds department. He has a fan in the UPS man, who brings along a bone for Diamond with each days delivery.
Say hello to Diamond, the Zimmers' dog and a popular figure around the grounds department. He has a fan in the UPS man, who brings along a bone for Diamond with each days delivery.
A digital countdown until the 2007 U.S. Open greets you right as you walk in the door of the grounds department at Oakmont.
When you remove north of 5,000 trees over the course of the last decade, which is what has taken place at Oakmont, industrial vacs like these are absoulte necessities.
Large tents like these began popping up all around Oakmont in early March. These are right behind the maintenance area and largely house opeartions for the set-up of the other areas around the course -- hospitality, merchandise, media, etc.
The skeet shooting facility at Oakmont is closed for the season as support facilities for the Open invade its space.
This used to be the employee parking area for Oakmont's grounds department until it was swallowed up by the work surrounding the Open.
This clearing just opposite of the main offices for the grounds department will feature a hospitality tent that will welcome maintenance volunteers in June.
This greenhouse has become a makeshift paint studio for everything from signs to ball washers.
These ball washers had just received a fresh coat of paint when I found them. And in all reality, the fumes made me a little dizzy.
Freshly painted and awaiting placement out on the course, this sign politely reminds folks to stay off the grass!
After a lengthy frost delay on Tuesday, the maintenance staff finally hits the course at Oakmont.
Guess what? John Zimmers and most of the rest of the staff at Oakmont are big Steelers fans. What a shock.
Aside from a handful of stubborn foursomes braving the cold temperatures, the main activity at Oakmont was maintenance-related. Here, the ninth fairway gets a light, narrow-tined aerification.
This is the 20,000-square-foot ninth green that also serves as the practice green. The slight elevation change near the back of the green separates the two, and during the Open, players will be practicing on the back half while tournament play comes through the front half.
The mowing just keeps on coming. This is the third hole, with Church Pews in the background.
It's snowing! That's right, mowing and snowing going on at the same time. This is the 12th hole.
