Chambers Bay

Last updated

Chambers Bay
Chambers Bay Golf Course (17998597488).jpg
Chambers Bay Golf Course
Club information
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
USA Washington relief location map.jpg
Icona golf.svg
Coordinates 47°12′N122°34′W / 47.20°N 122.57°W / 47.20; -122.57
Location University Place, Washington, U.S.
EstablishedJune 23, 2007
17 years ago
TypePublic
Owned by Pierce County
Operated by KemperSports
Total holes18
Events hosted U.S. Amateur (2010),
U.S. Open (2015),
U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (2021),
U.S. Women's Amateur (2022)
Greens Poa annua
(full green replacement 2017-2019),
formerly fine fescue [1]
Website chambersbaygolf.com
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Par 72
Length7,585 yards (6,936 m)
Course rating 78.1 [2] (Teal)
Slope rating 146 [2] (Teal)

Chambers Bay is a public golf course on Puget Sound southwest of Tacoma, Washington, United States, in the city of University Place. The British links-style course is owned by Pierce County and opened for play on June 23, 2007. [3] It hosted the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and the U.S. Open in 2015. [1] [4]

Contents

Design

Chambers Bay was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. [3] [5] The 250-acre (100 ha) course is the centerpiece of a 930-acre (380 ha) county park that also includes walking trails and other spaces. Pierce County bought the land, a former sand-and-gravel quarry, for $33 million in 1992; the property was popular with off-road four-wheelers and dirt-bikers for years while the park was under development. [3] [6]

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, himself a golfer, proposed the conversion of the quarry into a golf course with the intention of hosting the United States Open and other major golf championships. [7] The proposal was controversial but was pushed through by Ladenburg, who also selected the design team and managers for the future course. [8] [9] The course's location was intended to resemble the Oregon Dunes and its design as a prominent public course was inspired by Torrey Pines Golf Course near San Diego; [10] the course itself was British links-style due to the Pacific Northwest's similar climate. [11] The course cost $20.7 million to build and was labeled "Ladenburg's Folly" by critics, but was well received by golfers. [7] [12]

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. [13] [14] At the time, it was still permitted as a working mine, which meant fewer restrictions for the course architects. [3] [15]

On February 8, 2008, USGA announced that Chambers Bay would host the 2015 U.S. Open. [12] According to a USGA-commissioned financial analysis, the U.S. Open generated $134 million in economy development regionally, including $16.8 million in tax revenue. The event had approximately 110,000 unique visitors, of which one-third were from outside Washington state. [16] To transport visitors for the tournament from Seattle, a Sounder commuter train platform was planned to be constructed at Chambers Bay. USGA and Sound Transit later cancelled plans for the train service, citing logistical and financial challenges. [17] [18]

Layout

Five sets of tees are available, ranging from 5,250 to 7,585 yards (4,800 to 6,935 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

Chambers Bay
Tee Rating/Slope 123456789Out101112131415161718InTotal
Navy75.6 / 139559395167530465418482557227380039845728148549613939617254133657165
Sand72.4 / 135501365145480441369449523202347536042526245340711635914251430386513
WhiteM:70.2/127 L:76.2/137465337130424423315435488168318533040224643738310332311948728306015
SI Men's313175911711510814261812164
Par543544453374444434353572
SI Women's311177913511584146101612182
Blue71.5 / 1284363011113473232834154411322789311378219348309912799246224895278

Championship Tees [19]

HoleNameYardsParHoleNameYardsPar
1Puget Sound598/4965/410High Dunes4364
2Foxy399411Shadows5374
3Blown Out198312The Narrows3114
4Hazard's Ascent495413Eagle Eye5344
5Free Fall488414Cape Fear5464
6Deception Point495415Lone Fir246/1673
7Humpback508416Beached4234
8High Road Low Road614517Derailed2183
9Olympus224/217318Tahoma604/5255/4
Out4,019/3,91036/35In3,855/3,69735/34
 Championship tees: Rating=78.1,  Slope=146Total7,874/7,60770

Navy Tees

HoleNameYardsParHoleNameYardsPar
1Puget Sound559510High Dunes3984
2Foxy395411Shadows4574
3Blown Out167312The Narrows2814
4Hazard's Ascent530513Eagle Eye4854
5Free Fall465414Cape Fear4964
6Deception Point418415Lone Fir1393
7Humpback482416Beached3964
8High Road Low Road557517Derailed1723
9Olympus227318Tahoma5415
Out3,80037In3,36535
 Navy tees: Rating=75.6,  Slope=139 [2] Total7,16572

Source: [20] [21]

Chambers Bay has just one tree, a Douglas fir behind the 15th green. [22]

Operation

The course is operated by Kemper Sports Management, which also operates the near by Lake Spanaway Golf Course in Spanaway. As well as Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast. [3]

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. [3]

In 2016, a resort was proposed by a private developer, including an 80-room hotel, event and meeting space, and a Tom Douglas restaurant. [23]

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. [4] [24] Chambers Bay was set as a par-71 at 7,742 yards (7,079 m) for the U.S. Amateur in 2010, [25] the longest course in USGA history. [26] The record only lasted until the following year when Erin Hills surpassed it by 18 yards. [26]

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. [27] The tournament was eventually won by Jordan Spieth. [28] Chambers Bay Golf Course hosted the 2021 edition of the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, which replaced the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 2015. [29]

In May 2021, the USGA selected Chambers Bay to host the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur, scheduled for August 8–14, 2022. The tournament was won by Saki Baba. [30] In March 2023, the USGA selected Chambers Bay to host the 2027 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2033 U.S. Amateur. [31]

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. [32] 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." [33]

In 2017, the fine fescue greens were allowed to transition to poa annua, the dominant species. [34] [35] [36] [37] 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. [1] [37] [38]

Related Research Articles

The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open national championship of golf in the United States. It is the third of the four men's major golf championships, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour. Since 1898 the competition has been 72 holes of stroke play, with the winner being the player with the lowest total number of strokes. It is staged by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in mid-June, scheduled so that, if there are no weather delays, the final round is played on the third Sunday. The U.S. Open is staged at a variety of courses, set up in such a way that scoring is very difficult, with a premium placed on accurate driving. As of 2024, the U.S. Open awards a $21.5 million purse, the largest of all four major championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golf course</span> Series of holes designed for the game of golf

A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard round of golf consists of 18 holes, and as such most courses contain 18 distinct holes; however, there are many 9-hole courses and some that have holes with shared fairways or greens. There are also courses with a non-standard number of holes, such as 12 or 14.

The U.S. Women's Open, one of 15 national golf championships conducted by the United States Golf Association (USGA), is the oldest of the LPGA Tour's five major championships, which includes the Chevron Championship, Women's PGA Championship, Women's Open Championship, and The Evian Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinehurst Resort</span> Golf resort in North Carolina, United States

Pinehurst Resort is a golf resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments including four U.S. Open Championships, one U.S. Women's Open, three U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship, and the Ryder Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pebble Beach Golf Links</span> Public golf course in California, U.S.

Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public golf course on the west coast of the United States, located in Pebble Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sahalee Country Club</span> Country club in the northwest United States

The Sahalee Country Club is a private golf course and country club in the northwest United States, located in Sammamish, Washington, a suburb east of Seattle. In the Chinookan language, Sahalee means "high heavenly ground." The 27-hole course is located on a heavily forested plateau immediately east of Lake Sammamish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakmont Country Club</span> Country club in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Oakmont Country Club is a country club in the eastern United States, located mostly in Plum with only a very small portion of the property located in Oakmont, suburbs of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania. Established 121 years ago in 1903, its golf course is regarded as the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the United States." It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates seven holes (2–8) from the rest of the course.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympic Club</span> Athletic club and golf club in San Francisco

The Olympic Club is an athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltusrol Golf Club</span> Golf course in New Jersey, USA

The Baltusrol Golf Club is a private 36-hole golf club in the eastern United States, located in Springfield, New Jersey, about twenty miles (30 km) west of New York City. It was founded 129 years ago in 1895 by Louis Keller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakland Hills Country Club</span> Golf club in Michigan, United States

Oakland Hills Country Club is a private golf club in the central United States, located in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, a suburb northwest of Detroit. It consists of two 18-hole courses designed by Donald Ross: the South Course (1918) and the North Course (1923).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scioto Country Club</span> Country club and golf course in Ohio, US

Scioto Country Club, is a private country club and golf course in the central United States, located in Upper Arlington, Ohio, a suburb northwest of Columbus. It hosted the U.S. Senior Open in August 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ridgewood Country Club</span> Country club in New Jersey, U.S.

The Ridgewood Country Club (RCC) is a country club located in Paramus, New Jersey, a suburb northwest of New York City in Bergen County. It was founded in 1890 in neighboring Ho-Ho-Kus, but has been at its current location since 1926. Its facilities were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congressional Country Club</span> Golf course and country club

Congressional Country Club is a country club and golf course in Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Congressional opened in 1924 and its Blue Course has hosted five major championships, including three U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship. It was a biennial stop on the PGA Tour, with the Quicken Loans National hosted by Tiger Woods until 2020. Previously, Congressional hosted the former Kemper Open until its move to nearby TPC at Avenel in 1987. Congressional hosted its third U.S. Open in 2011. Tournament winners at Congressional have included Rory McIlroy, Ken Venturi, Ernie Els, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods, among many others. Congressional is generally considered one of the most prestigious golf clubs in the world.

Shoal Creek Club is an invitation-only private golf club in the southeastern United States, located in Shelby County, Alabama, southeast of Birmingham. Opened 47 years ago in 1977, the course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and is rated as the top golf course in the state. Shoal Creek is consistently listed as one of United States top courses, most recently being ranked #50 in Golf Digest and #70 in Golf Week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellerive Country Club</span> Luxury country club

Bellerive Country Club is a golf country club in the central United States, located in Town and Country, Missouri, a suburb west of St. Louis. With the Old Warson, Westwood, and St. Louis country clubs, it is considered one of the "big four" old-line elite St. Louis clubs. The course has hosted three major championships: the U.S. Open in 1965, and the PGA Championship in 1992 and 2018.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a complex of five links and a par-3 golf course on the West Coast of the United States, located alongside the Pacific Ocean in southwest Oregon, just north of the city of Bandon.

John W. Ladenburg Sr. is an American attorney and politician. Ladenburg was appointed to the Tacoma City Council in 1982 and elected to a full term in 1984. He was elected Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney in 1986, defeating incumbent Bill Griffies. Ladenburg served as Pierce County prosecutor for three terms and was elected county executive in 2000. He was re-elected county executive in 2004 and left office in 2009 after reaching the term limit for the office. One of Ladenburg's principal accomplishments in office was spearheading the development of Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, a municipal facility that hosted the 2010 United States Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open golf championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Country Club of Detroit</span> Country club in Michigan, U.S.

Country Club of Detroit, founded in 1897, is a private country club in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. The architectural firm of Smith Hinchman & Grylls, known today as the SmithGroup, designed the Tudor Revival styled country club in 1927. H. S. Colt redesigned the country club's original golf course—designed by Bert Way—in 1912 and his partner Charles Alison later modified the design. In 1952, the club commissioned Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to complete a full redesign, and in 2011, the club fully renovated the course. in order to return to the original Colt and Alison design with a slightly updated interpretation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 U.S. Open (golf)</span> Golf tournament

The 2015 United States Open Championship was the 115th U.S. Open, played June 18–21, 2015 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington, southwest of Tacoma on the shore of Puget Sound. Jordan Spieth won his first U.S. Open and consecutive major titles, one stroke ahead of runners-up Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen. This was the first U.S. Open televised by Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports, launching a 12-year contract with the United States Golf Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lido Golf Club</span> Golf course

The Lido Golf Club was a golf course in Long Beach, Nassau County, Long Island, New York.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Booth, Tim (June 5, 2019). "New greens in place, Chambers Bay ponders majors future". Golfweek. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Course rating and slope database, Chambers Bay". USGA. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Smith, Craig (June 23, 2007). "Chambers Bay golf course opens today". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Chambers Bay will host U.S. Open". Seattle Times. February 8, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Ask the Architect, Robert Trent Jones II". March 2008. Archived from the original on March 29, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  6. ↑ Sheinin, Dave (June 17, 2015). "In 10 years, Chambers Bay went from abandoned quarry to U.S. Open host". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Voepel, Dan (January 9, 2008). "Ladenburg's Folly? Not according to the golf world". The News Tribune . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Chambers Bay and John Ladenburg: He Built It, They're Coming".
  9. ↑ "Ladenburg realizes dream of hosting U.S. Open at Chambers Bay | the Spokesman-Review".
  10. ↑ Ballengee, Ryan (June 15, 2015). "How Chambers Bay fulfilled its destiny and landed the U.S. Open". Yahoo! Sports . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  11. ↑ Goldman, Tom (June 20, 2015). "A Sea Change At Chambers Bay, Where U.S. Open Meets U.K. Aesthetics". NPR . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Craig (February 9, 2008). "2015 U.S. Open: Chambers Bay strikes green". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  13. ↑ Newnham, Blaine (April 12, 2007). "Chambers Bay is a bit of Scotland near Tacoma". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  14. ↑ Hanson, Scott (April 19, 2014). "How 3 visionaries brought the U.S. Open to Chambers Bay". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  15. ↑ Kelley, Steve (February 17, 2008). "Bruce Charlton felt the sand and saw a U.S. Open". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  16. ↑ Grimley, Brynn (January 7, 2016). "U.S. Open brought $134 million to region, report says". The News Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  17. ↑ Baker, Geoff (November 24, 2014). "USGA working hard to ensure smooth transportation for U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in June". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  18. ↑ Grimley, Brynn (November 18, 2014). "Sounder trains no longer an option for U.S. Open at Chambers Bay". The News Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  19. ↑ Chambers Bay Yardage Guide with US Open Tees Sold at Club April 4, 2015
  20. ↑ "Course Routing". Chambers Bay. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Scorecard". Chambers Bay. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
  22. ↑ Booth, Tim (May 1, 2008). "Chambers Bay's "Lone Fir" hacked". Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  23. ↑ Eldridge, Keith (October 17, 2016). "Puyallup company chosen to build resort at Chambers Bay Golf Course". KOMO . Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  24. ↑ "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.
  25. ↑ "It's Uhlein's time". USGA. August 29, 2010. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  26. 1 2 "U.S. Am courses give USGA advance look". Golfweek. August 22, 2011.
  27. ↑ "USGA announces its Sunday round at 2015 U.S. Open is all sold out". Seattle Times. July 18, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  28. ↑ Auclair, T.J. (June 20, 2015). "Spieth wins 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay". PGA of America. Associated Press. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  29. ↑ Bell, Gregg (May 22, 2021). "Low scores, beloved Chambers Bay greens as 10-under sets early pace at U.S. Amateur 4-Ball". The News Tribune. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  30. ↑ "17-year-old wins U.S. Women's Amateur with wild 11&9 beatdown at Chambers Bay". Golf.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  31. ↑ Pine, Julia (March 6, 2023). "Two Future USGA Amateur Events Headed to Chambers Bay" (Press release). USGA. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  32. ↑ DiMeglio, Steve (June 20, 2015). "Players: U.S. Open deserves better than setup at Chambers Bay". USA Today.
  33. ↑ Campbell, Paul (June 22, 2015). "Was the 'unplayable' Chambers Bay golf course fit to host the US Open?". The Guardian.
  34. ↑ Herrington, Ryan (July 9, 2017). "Chambers Bay to change greens from fine fescue to Poa annua". Golf World. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  35. ↑ "Welcome/Status report". Chambers Bay. (blog). August 25, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Chambers Bay greens get a facelift". Seattle Times. Associated Press. July 9, 2017. p. C8.
  37. 1 2 "Chambers Bay greens get facelift in hopes of wooing US Open". USA Today. Associated Press. July 8, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  38. ↑ Gray, Will (July 9, 2017). "Chambers Bay overhauls greens, eyes Open return". Golf Channel. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.