The infamous Church Pews bunker at Oakmont is regarded by some as the most daunting bunker in golf. It is cleverly comprised of twelve mounds of fluffy fescue grass rising within the middle of an enormous bunker which borders the third and fourth fairways. Early on it was about 7 pews, but has been extended to 12 and has grown by 130 yards in hopes of catching a few long-ball worshipers. The pews run perpendicular to the fairways and are about the size and shape of a bench. Oakmont has never had water hazards, which may be one reason it's famous designer, H.C. Fownes, got a little crazy with more than 350 bunkers in the original design in 1903. That's a whopping 19 bunkers per hole! Today's count is down to 210 which should certainly provide mucho-grande sand opportunities for the upcoming U.S. Open.

And just in case the bunkering isn't tough enough, the super-quick Oakmont greens are something to behold as well. The greens were so fast that, the Stimpmeter, the device developed to gauge green speed, was originally developed by Edward Stimpson specifically to measure Oakmont's greens. Phil Mickelson believes they are probably the toughest in America. The club's ground keepers must cultivate and harvest their own poa annua for their greens, as the seeds for this otherwise considered pesky weed can't be purchased. For a fascinating overhead look at Oakmont visit Golf.com's hole by hole illustrations. Suffice to say, Oakmont is going to give the field an incredible contest of skill and courage. I can't wait!