Chambers Bay
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location | University Place, Washington, U.S. |
| Established |
June 23, 2007 9 years ago |
| Type | Public |
| Owned by | Pierce County |
| Operated by | KemperSports |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted |
U.S. Amateur (2010), U.S. Open (2015) |
| Website | chambersbaygolf.com |
| Designed by | Robert Trent Jones, Jr. |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,585 yards (6,936 m) |
| Course rating | 78.1[1] (Teal) |
| Slope rating | 146[1] (Teal) |
Bay
Bay
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.[2] The course hosted the 2015 U.S. Open.[3]
Design
Chambers Bay was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.[2][4] The 250-acre (100 ha) course is the centerpiece of a 930-acre (380 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.[2]
Construction
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.[5][6] At the time, it was still permitted as a working mine, which meant fewer restrictions for the course architects.[2][7]
Layout
Five sets of tees are available, ranging from 5,250 to 7,585 yards (4,800 to 6,940 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 course
Championship Tees[8]
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par | Hole | Name | Yards | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puget Sound | 598/496 | 5/4 | 10 | High Dunes | 436 | 4 | |
| 2 | Foxy | 399 | 4 | 11 | Shadows | 537 | 4 | |
| 3 | Blown Out | 198 | 3 | 12 | The Narrows | 311 | 4 | |
| 4 | Hazard's Ascent | 495 | 4 | 13 | Eagle Eye | 534 | 4 | |
| 5 | Free Fall | 488 | 4 | 14 | Cape Fear | 546 | 4 | |
| 6 | Deception Point | 495 | 4 | 15 | Lone Fir | 246/167 | 3 | |
| 7 | Humpback | 508 | 4 | 16 | Beached | 423 | 4 | |
| 8 | High Road Low Road | 614 | 5 | 17 | Derailed | 218 | 3 | |
| 9 | Olympus | 224/217 | 3 | 18 | Tahoma | 604/525 | 5/4 | |
| Out | 4,019/3,910 | 36/35 | In | 3,855/3,697 | 35/34 | |||
| Championship tees: Rating=78.1, Slope=146 | Total | 7,874/7,607 | 70 | |||||
Navy Tees
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par | Hole | Name | Yards | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puget Sound | 559 | 5 | 10 | High Dunes | 398 | 4 | |
| 2 | Foxy | 395 | 4 | 11 | Shadows | 457 | 4 | |
| 3 | Blown Out | 167 | 3 | 12 | The Narrows | 281 | 4 | |
| 4 | Hazard's Ascent | 530 | 5 | 13 | Eagle Eye | 485 | 4 | |
| 5 | Free Fall | 465 | 4 | 14 | Cape Fear | 496 | 4 | |
| 6 | Deception Point | 418 | 4 | 15 | Lone Fir | 139 | 3 | |
| 7 | Humpback | 482 | 4 | 16 | Beached | 396 | 4 | |
| 8 | High Road Low Road | 557 | 5 | 17 | Derailed | 172 | 3 | |
| 9 | Olympus | 227 | 3 | 18 | Tahoma | 541 | 5 | |
| Out | 3,800 | 37 | In | 3,365 | 35 | |||
| Navy tees: Rating=75.6, Slope=139[1] | Total | 7,165 | 72 | |||||
Chambers Bay has just one tree, a Douglas fir behind the 15th green.[11]
Operation
The course is operated by Kemper Sports Management of Northbrook, Illinois, which also operates Bandon Dunes on the southern Oregon coast.[2]
The course is part of the Chambers Creek Properties which includes numerous non-golf recreational opportunities including a three mile loop (5 km) walking trail, part of which travels through the west side of the golf course.[2]
Events
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.[3][12] Chambers Bay was set as a par-71 at 7,742 yards (7,079 m) for the U.S. Amateur in 2010,[13] the longest course in USGA history.[14] The record only lasted until the following year when Erin Hills surpassed it by 18 yards.[14]
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.[15] The tournament was eventually won by Jordan Spieth.[16]
Criticism
During the 2015 U.S. Open, Chambers Bay was subject to criticism for its bumpy greens, unfair course design, and poor accessibility for spectators.[17][18] Former U.S. Open 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".[19]
References
- 1 2 3 "Course rating and slope database, Chambers Bay". USGA. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Smith, Craig (June 23, 2007). "Chambers Bay golf course opens today". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- 1 2 "Chambers Bay will host U.S. Open". Seattle Times. February 8, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Ask the Architect, Robert Trent Jones II". March 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
- ↑ Newnham, Blaine (April 12, 2007). "Chambers Bay is a bit of Scotland near Tacoma". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Hanson, Scott (April 19, 2014). "How 3 visionaries brought the U.S. Open to Chambers Bay". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Kelley, Steve (February 17, 2008). "Bruce Charlton felt the sand and saw a U.S. Open". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Chambers Bay Yardage Guide with US Open Tees Sold at Club 4/4/2015
- ↑ "Course Routing". Chambers Bay. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Scorecard". Chambers Bay. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ Booth, Tim (May 1, 2008). "Chambers Bay's "Lone Fir" hacked". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ↑ "USGA Awards 2015 U.S. Open, 2010 U.S. Amateur to Chambers Bay in Washington State and 2011 U.S. Amateur to Erin Hills Golf Club in Wisconsin" (PDF). USGA. February 7, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
- ↑ "It's Uhlein's time". USGA. August 29, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- 1 2 "U.S. Am courses give USGA advance look". Golfweek. August 22, 2011.
- ↑ "USGA announces its Sunday round at 2015 U.S. Open is all sold out". Seattle Times. July 18, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ↑ Auclair, T.J. (June 20, 2015). "Spieth wins 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay". PGA of America. Associated Press. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
- ↑ DiMeglio, Steve (June 20, 2015). "Players: U.S. Open deserves better than setup at Chambers Bay". USA Today.
- ↑ Cannizzaro, Mark (June 23, 2015). "US Open will return to Chambers Bay, whether players like it or not". New York Post.
- ↑ Campbell, Paul (June 22, 2015). "Was the 'unplayable' Chambers Bay golf course fit to host the US Open?". The Guardian.
External links
Coordinates: 47°12′N 122°34′W / 47.20°N 122.57°W