Oakmont – Inside the Bernhard Academy’s American Home

Nestled among the hills of Pennsylvania, Oakmont isn’t just a legendary golf venue, it’s also the Bernhard Academy’s only US base, and the site of some of its most inspiring work.

Returning to Oakmont for the 2025 US Open felt like coming home for the Academy. Having already delivered training there 18 months earlier, Phil Helmn was stunned by the transformation. “They’d rebuilt the driving range, redesigned the practise facilities, even reshaped bunkers. It was phenomenal,” he recalls.

But it wasn’t just the physical changes that left an impression. It was the culture. The leadership team, under Mike McCormack, operates with discipline, precision, and purpose. The Academy team had a front-row seat to watch excellence unfold, not just in turf care, but in team culture.

That’s what made the experience at Oakmont so special. It wasn’t just about hosting the US Open. It was about being part of a workplace where excellence is the baseline. For the Bernhard Academy, observing and supporting this ethos aligned perfectly with their mission: to help individuals and teams raise their game.

In many ways, Oakmont exemplifies what the Academy teaches, leadership with integrity, teamwork built on trust, and performance under pressure.