Oct 4, 2015 By Mike Dudurich for The 4 min read

This one is about me.

I’ve spent the last several months writing in this space about the virtues of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, et al, the superstars of the PGA Tour. That attention was well warranted as that group has taken over leadership of the game in spectacular fashion.

Today, however, I want to tell you about what has become an annual once-in-a-lifetime experience.

On a cool, breezy afternoon Friday, I was fortunate enough to play Oakmont Country Club.

The occasion was what has become an annual gathering of OCC’s director of golf Bob Ford and three friends. Teams are chosen, handicaps assigned and it’s on with the “grudge match.”

It starts with the needling and wise-cracking that is a staple in this group and that is taken onto one of the greatest golf courses in the world.

As we were buffeted by the fall breezes that ramped up to something a bit more on occasion, the feeling and the visual of playing this special place was amazing.

If officials there were given a couple weeks to grow the rough a bit, the U.S. Open could be played there right now. It is in spectacular condition, as green as it could possibly be, but is very bouncy despite the calendar saying we’re in October.

Taking those initial steps down the first fairway begins a journey through history and my mind wanders every time I play there. I remember the great shots I’ve witnessed there, the disasters I’ve seen, all the time remembering the opportunities I’ve had to see the greatest players in the game there.

As you walk around this tree-less tract of land, which has about 9,000 less trees than it did several years ago, your mind becomes a very busy place. Appreciating the history occupies a big chunk of mental energy as well as trying to figure out a way to get your golf ball in the hole in the fewest possible strokes.

The idea is to formulate a plan to make smart mistakes. It’s not possible to go around Oakmont and not find yourself in a bunker or in nasty rough, so you try to be passively aggressive in your approach. This isn’t the place to be a bomber off every tee, that just won’t work.

For the most part, I was able to pull off something of a game plan. I hit the ball well, actually finding nine fairways off the tee. I found bunkers many fewer times than in previous rounds, but when I did, they doled out severe penalties.

After this year’s disaster at Chambers Bay, the 2016 U.S. Open will be one of the best of all time. How do I know this? Because I just played the layout the field of 156 will have to defeat and it’s going to infinitely harder than it was Friday.

But that young quartet of superstars I referred to earlier is supremely talented, which should make for some great drama.

As it is every year after our grudge match, I may only play a few more rounds before the snow falls, but if that’s the case, I’ll have another great memory of a round of golf on an historic place that took us only 3:45 to complete.

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A familiar face appeared out of nowhere last Monday at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort where the West Penn Golf Association was holding its Four-Ball and Senior Four-Ball Championships.

I heard the familiar voice and turned to see Dennis Clark, the resort’s director of instruction from 2004-2012.

He responded to a phone call from Nemacolin owner Maggie Hardy Magerko earlier in the year and returned to help out on the golf side as the resort went through a transition stage.

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If you have an interesting story about your club or course or an individual who has done something special, let me know. Send your story ideas to mike.dudurich@gmail.com.