What you can learn from US Open

Chipping was a key shot to save par (Mark Newcombe/Visions in Golf)

It's a little known fact that half of Oakmont's 400 active members have handicaps in single figures. So why did the course that hosted last week's US Open pose such a problem for the world's best golfers?

The United States Golf Association, the tournament's organising authority had much to do with the degree of difficulty - narrowing the fairways, allowing the rough to grow and speeding up the greens - ensuring that the pros who qualified had their game tested to the extreme.

But when faced with tough conditions on their own course, should club golfers be in much trepidation if they learn a few basic skills about handling themselves and the elements?

Here's a few tips on how to escape from the type of places that Oakmont included in its examination.

Escaping from deep rough

Use your own sensible judgement as to a realistic distance you can carry the ball back into play on the short grass, faced with the depth and thickness of the grass around the ball.

A shorter, heavier iron - a wedge or sand iron - should give you a more direct route back into play for a ball in the deepest of lies. Ensure you deliver a sharp, steep angle of attack to get quick elevation.

With slightly improved lies, opt for 9- or 8-iron but make sure you take a firm grip so the club head doesn't twist in your hands at impact.

Mickelson hacks from the tough Oakmont rough (Mark Newcombe/Visions in golf)

...and from semi-rough (first cut)

Though you're irritated to have only missed the fairway by a few inches don't be tempted into blasting the ball with a straight-faced club.

This type of lie demands a certain amount of finesse and will tend to fly a little further when grass gets trapped between the ball and the face of the club.

Consider a little more loft in your club selection than the distance to your target area demands and swing easy.

Deep-faced fairway bunkers

At Oakmont the bunkers were not only numerous but often deep. They were strategically-placed to cause indecision as to whether a player risked getting enough elevation and power to reach the green or fall into more trouble.

The alternative was to play out safe and leave an appropriate yardage in an attempt to save par with a short iron and a putt.

Many opted for the risky option and fell foul of the deep rough and sloping lies around the green.

Face with a good lie towards the back of a fairway bunker with not too much lip to it, waggle your feet into a solid stance, grip down on the handle and concentrate on the front of the ball (nearest your target). This will help nip it off the surface with minimal sand. Remember, too to keep leg movement to a minimum, swing easily and retain your height through the swing.

If the ball is towards the face of the bunker, opt for a sand iron and make sure you at least get the ball back into play. Your handicap strokes are there for a reason. Use them!

Chipping uphill

Many players at Oakmont, when the ball rolled off the slippery greens found themselves faced with an uphill lie with the ball settled in rough just below the surface.

Not only did it create problems getting the ball out but also forced an awkward stance.

Faced with chipping from an a uphill lie, don't lean into the hill as this de-lofts the club and can send the ball too far. Your weight should favour your right side (for a right-hander) with shoulders parallel to the slope and the ball forward in your stance.

Take a light grip and keep the follow-through short for better control. The ball should pop up and stop quickly.

Nick Dougherty - sensible use of the hybrid off many tees (Mark Newcombe/Visions in Golf)

Avoid compounding mistakes

If you make a bad swing or your escape shot fails to clear the rough at the first attempt. Don't get flustered. Re-group your thoughts, concentrate and go through your routine.

Bubba Watson made an elementary mistake at the 9th hole in the third round of the US Open while in contention and didn't take his time when he fluffed a chip from greenside rough. It cost him a triple bogey which could have been avoided and was crucial to his finishing position.

Keep it in the fairway

When the rough's high it's important to keep your driving under control.

With a straight-faced driver that's more difficult, so when the fairways are narrow, consider opting for a 3-wood or hybrid club from the tee. It might leave you further back but you're on the short grass and able to control your approach far better than a leaked drive into the rough.

Lag putts on fast greens

The greens at Oakmont were running between 12 and 13.5 on the stimpmeter - that's faster than Augusta National - reputedly the fastest greens on the planet.

A stimpmeter is used by officials to roll a ball down a chute at a set height and the distance the ball rolls on a flat part of the green in feet (an average of opposite directions) determines the unit of pace on the green (e.g. a reading of '12' on the stimpmeter reveals that an average of 12 feet was achieved).

Few greens in the UK reach that kind of speed, apart from a handful of dry seaside links, but when the greens are fast, distance control is often more vital than direction. Work on your speed of putt to ensure you at least get the ball within the equivalent of an imaginary 2ft circle around the hole. Avoiding a 3-putts can be a score-saver.