THE SUN SETS OVER HOMES IN THE RIVER’S EDGE MIXED-HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN OAKMONT. SEVERAL OWNERS IN THIS REGION ARE RENTING HOMES TO FANS COMING TO THE U.S. OPEN THIS WEEK. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

All over Pittsburgh, one word has been whispered among homeowners as the U.S. Open this week brings an estimated 200,000 fans to Oakmont — renting.

Golf’s biggest fans surely were willing to pay top dollar for a private residence, close to Oakmont Country Club, right?

But to those in the thick of it, the answer has not been so lucrative or straight forward.

As the 2025 U.S. Open Golf Championship kicks off this week, all eyes are on Oakmont with Oakmont Country Club hosting the 125th tournament for the a record 10th time and the first time in nine years. Clocking in at 1.8 square miles, Oakmont is home to an estimated 6,628 people, according to 2020 Census data. The community makes up only 3% of their expected visitors attending the Open.

John Marzullo, Realtor of the John Marzullo Team, took full advantage of the prime real estate offered in his community, reaching out months ago to seek out residents interested in renting out their homes. An Oakmont resident himself, he created a special website that at its peak listed 60 homes for rent during the Open. He lined up a professional photographer and developed a marketing strategy.

“The USGA doesn’t do much with hospitality, and so it felt like there was a need there to solve,” Marzullo said.

He met with each household, having the owners sign a contract laying out the basic agreement and information for renting.

THE U.S. OPEN TROPHY AT OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB | PHOTO BY FRED VUICH/USGA

Jeff and Shelly Barton — just a 5-minute drive from Oakmont Country Club — were interested in renting, but they weren’t sold on the high demand involved in the preparation.

They said the prerequisites of the agreement required a hefty amount of work to prepare.

They would have to provide a certain number of towels and linens, cleaned, for the duration of a renter’s stay. They also had to meet square footage requirements and clean out dressers and closets. Any personal items — clothes, pictures, everything — would have to be stored away.

The Bartons asked for $25,000 to rent their home, but didn’t get any takers. They said the price was on par with what other houses on the site were offering. Jeff said they knew of a few houses in Oakmont that had been rented out for the Open.

They did give the borough credit for helping with the preparation; the USGA is running shuttles between the club and the Oakmont business district. During the past Open, the business district turned into a “ghost town,” he said, with most fans shuttling back to satellite parking lots miles away once daily tournament play ended.

Amanda Allis, membership and events director of the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce, said they have been working hard to close the gap between the local citizens and businesses and the visiting patrons.

Because Oakmont is committed to host the U.S. Open three more times before 2050 (in 2033, 2042 and 2040), chamber and borough leaders want to ensure a stronger connection between the fans visiting the fairways to the rest of the town.

For out-of-towners staying in Oakmont residences, Allis has made care packages, with gift cards, goodies and brochures for local businesses. So far, she has delivered 25, and still has three more requests to fulfill.

Allis hopes with changes in transportation in the last decade — Uber and Lyft becoming more mainstream, giving individuals more freedom with their transport — more visitors to the Open will stop by the other gems of Oakmont, some of which have extended their hours to better accommodate this week’s schedule.

Between shuttle stops and schedules, state Department of Transportation signage all over the town and expected traffic on Hulton Road, Allis said she thinks people will be surprised at how well the surplus of visitors will be handled.

“The USGA very much has Oakmont in mind,” she said. “They’re very, very understanding of the fact that this is a unique and adorable community, and they want to have as little of a negative impact as possible,” Allis said.