Visitors expected to fill hotels, rent private homes for U.S. Open in Oakmont

Mark Miller believes his Indiana Township home is a perfect accommodation for people coming to town for the U.S. Open golf tournament in Oakmont next week.

Situated about 5 miles from the picturesque golf course, the property boasts an in-ground pool, hot tub, wet bar and gourmet kitchen. It sits on 8 acres, making the four-bedroom home private and quiet, Miller said.

Miller, 60, is one of hundreds of locals offering their properties to golfers, fans or anyone else who might be willing to pay top dollar for a comfortable home near the Oakmont Country Club during the U.S. Open, which runs from June 12 to 15.

When the event last was hosted in Oakmont in 2016, Miller said, he made about $20,000 renting the property to professional golfer Brooks Koepka and his staff. Miller stayed on his boat, docked nearby in Sharpsburg, so they could have the house to themselves.

Miller was hoping to snag a similar deal again this year. As of late May, he’d had no luck in getting any offers for the property.

“I’ve not had any nibbles on it,” he said, adding he supposes people are opting for properties closer to the course.

He dropped his asking price from $40,000 to $25,000 in hopes of attracting a renter.

Miller said he listed the property as a rental for the week through Berkshire Hathaway and on Accommodation for The Event, a site that helps homeowners connect with people looking to stay in private homes when they travel to golf events around the world.

About 300 properties were listed on the site as of last week, with prices ranging from $5,000 to $65,000. Listings touted proximity to the golf course and a variety of amenities, from swimming pools and golf course views to fire pits and parking spots. One listing included on-site charging for an electric vehicle. Another offered a yacht docked in New Kensington.

Accommodation for The Event, based in Ireland, operates independently of the U.S. Open and other golf tournaments. Roughly two-thirds of attendees who use the site are from large companies, many of which rent places where they can entertain and sleep larger groups, said Brian Higgins, an accommodation manager with the agency.

Higgins could not provide details on how many homes have been rented through Accommodation for the Event this year or what average costs were. Typically, he said, prices of around $2,000 or $3,000 per person for a 10-day period is the standard.

Homeowners set their own prices, he said, after paying a $295 listing fee.

Location is king

The biggest factor when people are searching for places to stay is location, Higgins said.

“The proximity to the venue is obviously a large factor,” he said. “Anywhere within an hour or even a 90-minute drive in some locations means a property is desirable.”

Sandy Katz, 68, is hoping proximity to the golf course will help him.

His home on College Avenue — which is listed on the Accommodation for The Event site — is less than 2 miles from Oakmont Country Club.

“We had heard about the opportunity to rent homes and that people would be paying premium prices,” Katz said.

He and his wife are prepared to stay with a relative who lives nearby if someone wants to rent the property, which he priced for $24,900 for five- to 14-day rental.

“There seems to be a lot of inventory, and it’s coming down to it, so we’re not sure if we’re going to be successful or not,” said Katz, who is looking forward either way to attending a few days of the U.S. Open.

Katz said he wants to interview potential renters, who must be 25 or older. He checked to ensure his homeowners insurance will cover short-term renters — it will — before deciding to list the house.

If no one rents it, Katz said, he’ll just stay there and enjoy the proximity himself. A golf fan who has played the Oakmont course a few times, he’s eager to be near the action.

So is Oakmont Mayor Sophia Facaros.

“It’s an exciting time in that we get to showcase our community to the world,” Facaros said, emphasizing how the influx of visitors supports local restaurants and retailers.

“Quite a few people rented their homes. It’s not really public knowledge who they rent to. Everyone’s anxious to watch which golfers are renting which homes.”

Facaros could not provide any details on how many homes were rented.

Some opt to rent only a parking spot or two on their properties, she said.

Facaros said she has heard “very few” bad experiences among the Oakmont residents who have rented their homes for past tournaments. Many find their tenants have been good guests, and they enjoy pocketing the extra cash.

It works out well for renters, too, she said.

“They like renting because they want to be able to walk to the club instead of driving,” the Oakmont mayor said. “And hotels will raise their prices that week on purpose, so it’s almost more beneficial for them to rent homes, rather than staying in a hotel Downtown or over the river.”

A ‘special’ place

Local tourism agency Visit Pittsburgh estimated about 200,000 people will descend on the region during the U.S. Open.

Many of those people will spread out to hotels and houses beyond Oakmont.

Airbnb said searches for Pittsburgh and the greater Pittsburgh metro area jumped by more than 130% and 80%, respectively, for check-ins around the time of the U.S. Open this year, compared to the same dates last year.

Vrbo reported a 285% uptick in demand year-over-year for local rentals on those dates.

Reginald Jones, managing director of the U.S. Open, has visited the region periodically in the months before the tournament. He and other staffers have stayed throughout the area, from Downtown Pittsburgh to Harmar, Bakery Square in Pittsburgh’s East End to Monroeville.

When it comes time for the event itself, Jones said, fans, workers, media and athletes will stay throughout Allegheny County. The U.S. Open staff alone includes 2,000 people who need accommodations.

When the U.S. Open last came to Oakmont in 2016, Jones said, about 40% of attendees came from out of state. About 25% more were from outside Western Pennsylvania.

He anticipated about two-thirds of this year’s attendees will be coming to the area from out of town.

“We find Pittsburgh to be one of the better host sites that we have for the championship, both in what the market provides us and is able to support us with, and certainly the great support we get from golf fans,” Jones said.

“We have found the market to be very central. It’s close to a lot of golf enthusiasts in the northeast. Oakmont as a venue and community is one that’s very recognizable. People want to be there because they recognize it as one of the special places in golf.”

Hotels hike rates

Local hotels are looking to capitalize on the throngs of visitors.

Glenn Conroy is general manager of the Oakmont Inn across from the golf course. A large company, which he declined to identify, booked the entire 10-room inn for the event.

“It’s a wonderful deal for us,” Conroy said. “We love being a part of the U.S. Open feel.”

He did not divulge the price but said the company is paying “well into six figures.”

Hotels farther away see a boost, too, said Kelly Giger, director of sales and marketing at The Oaklander in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

Some groups booked rooms there up to a year in advance, she said. Some people are arriving as early as June 8. Practice rounds for the golfers begin the next day.

Rates are around $775 during the prime days of the U.S. Open. Typically, rooms at The Oaklander go for between $289 and $599 per night, depending on what’s happening in the city and the type of room.

“We do expect to be sold out over those dates,” Giger said. “We’re sitting with just a handful of rooms to sell at this point.”

Giger said the hotel typically sees 70-75% occupancy that time of year if there isn’t a major event.

At least one professional golfer is staying at The Oaklander for the U.S. Open, Giger said, though she said she could not disclose who.

Tourism boost

Having major events that draw new visitors to the region is a huge benefit for the hospitality industry, according to Giger.

Hotels launch social media campaigns and coordinate with Visit Pittsburgh, the nonprofit organization that promotes tourism, to attract guests. And they often hope that positive experiences for one event will encourage return business.

“It’s very impactful for hotels and the hospitality industry, because it really puts Pittsburgh on the map,” Giger said. “It shows planners and organizers that we’re able to host these large events.”

The Omni William Penn in Downtown Pittsburgh expects to book all 597 of its rooms, said Bob Page, area director of sales and marketing.

The USGA reserved a block of rooms to house media and vendors, Page said.

“Unless there’s a major convention, we typically would not be sold out through this week, so the U.S. Open helps that,” Page said.

Prices fluctuate based on demand, Page said. He declined to say how much the hotel expected to make per room during the U.S. Open, but listings on the hotel’s website showed rooms starting at $929 per night during that time frame.

The hotel’s concierge will be ready to guide people traveling between Downtown and Oakmont, Page said, and they’ll have maps and written directions available.

While Page said local hospitality leaders are excited about the U.S. Open, they’re also looking ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft. The April 23-25 event, held on the North Shore and Point State Park, could attract up to 1 million people.

Big events like those are great for filling hotel rooms, Page said. But they also can be leveraged to attract more major events and inspire more travelers to visit Pittsburgh.

“I do believe it will increase tourism in Pittsburgh,” he said of events like the U.S. Open and NFL Draft. “It will absolutely have an impact on future business.”