Chambers Bay is a public golf course in the northwest United States, located in University Place, Washington, on Puget Sound southwest of Tacoma. The British links-style course is owned by Pierce County and opened for play on June 23, 2007. It hosted the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and the U.S. Open in 2015.
DesignEdit
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Chambers Bay was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The 250-acre (100Â ha) course is the centerpiece of a 930-acre (380Â ha) county park. Pierce County bought the land for $33 million in 1992; the property was formerly a sand-and-gravel quarry, popular with off-road four-wheelers and dirt-bikers.
ConstructionEdit
During construction, 1.4 million cubic yards (1.1 million m³) of dirt and sand (over 100,000 truckloads) were removed, cleaned off site, and returned to sculpt the course. At the time, it was still permitted as a working mine, which meant fewer restrictions for the course architects.
LayoutEdit
Five sets of tees are available, ranging from 5,250 to 7,585 yards (4,800 to 6,935Â m), and as a municipal course, Pierce County residents receive discounted rates. The course is for walkers only, caddies are available but are optional. Motorized carts are permitted only for those with medical conditions or disabilities, and a caddie must be hired as the driver.
The greens do not have fringes - it is a transparent transition from fairway to green.
Card of the courseEdit
Championship Tees
Navy Tees
Source:
Chambers Bay has just one tree, a Douglas fir behind the 15th green.
OperationEdit
The course is operated by Kemper Sports Management of Northbrook, Illinois, which also operates Bandon Dunes on the southern Oregon coast.
The course is part of the Chambers Creek Properties which includes numerous non-golf recreational opportunities including a three-mile loop (5Â km) walking trail, part of which travels through the west side of the golf course.
In 2016, a resort was proposed by a private developer, including an 80-room hotel, event and meeting space, and a Tom Douglas restaurant.
After the 2015 U.S Open was played at Chambers Bay, the local Pierce County economy saw an increase in revenue of roughly $150 million. The money was generated by numerous factors relating to the 2015 US Open, such as, fans flooding hotels, restaurants, car rentals, and other local businesses. Although the US Open generated large amounts of money, prior to the Open, Pierce County was solely responsible for all expenses, such as security costs for the Open. The estimated $150 million generated was the accumulated amount from all of the surrounding counties such as King and Snohomish. What is unjust is the fact that Pierce County had to pay expenses and to close down the course for business for over a month, while the other counties that received some of the economic gain due to the Open did not contribute to help Pierce County during that time.
EventsEdit
Chambers Bay was the site of the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and hosted the U.S. Open in 2015; these events were awarded by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in early 2008. Chambers Bay was set as a par-71 at 7,742 yards (7,079Â m) for the U.S. Amateur in 2010, the longest course in USGA history. The record only lasted until the following year when Erin Hills surpassed it by 18 yards.
Eleven months prior to the event, the USGA announced in July 2014 that all final round tickets and weekly ticket passes for the 2015 U.S. Open were sold out. The tournament was eventually won by Jordan Spieth. As the proven host of champions, Pierce County will once again welcome some of golf’s top players to Chambers Bay Golf Course for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2021. Established in 2015, the “Four-Ball†as it is known, is the newest USGA championship and replaces the now-retired U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship which was established in 1922. Not only does Chambers Bay have the privilege of being the first municipal course to host this event, it joins an elite list of courses including Olympic Club, Winged Foot, and Pinehurst, that have hosted a U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open, and U.S. Four-Ball Championship.
CriticismEdit
During the 2015 U.S. Open, Chambers Bay was subject to criticism for its bumpy greens, unfair course design, and poor accessibility for spectators. Nine-time major champion Gary Player called it "the worst golf course I might’ve ever seen in the 63 years as a professional golfer," and Henrik Stenson said that the greens were like "putting on broccoli."
In 2017, the fine fescue greens were allowed to transition to poa annua, the dominant species. In the weeks leading up to the 2015 U.S. Open, warm and dry weather forced extra watering of the greens, which allowed the invasive poa to thrive.
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Official website
- Chambers Bay photos
