Oakmont, on the bank of the Allegheny River, has long been tied to river recreation. For more than 100 years, the river provided leisure for residents. In the 1880s and 1890s, sculling races drew competitors from around the world to the Hulton Course, which ran from 12 Mile Island to Plum Creek, and during the biggest races a train of flatcars with bleachers followed the rowers along the riverbank. Founded in 1903, the Oakmont Yacht Club was the oldest inland yacht club in the country, while canoeing, sailboat races, and pleasure boats made the river a busy place. Chateau Beach at the northern end of town was popular for camping and canoe rentals, and Hulton Grove was a favorite summer picnic spot. The Willows Pool opened in 1926 and quickly became a destination for people from across the area, and the Willows Night Club was a popular venue for big band and jazz music during the Roaring Twenties. In 1903, Oakmont Country Club opened on the hilltop above Oakmont, and from that time on the town became associated with the golfing world.