The first hole at Chambers Bay
heads out towards Puget Sound
USGA Photo
Editor's Note: This story was published prior to the
2015 U.S. Open. We would love to know what you
thought about Chambers Bay, now that the dust has
settled.
-------------------------------
by Greg Austin, AmateurGolf.com Player
Staff
I recently had the opportunity to play three
rounds of golf at the site of the 2015 US Open,
Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place,
Washington. Bottom line -- I cannot wait to see PGA
professionals tackle this course in US Open
conditions!
There are very few, true, links-style courses on
this side of the Atlantic, but this one is a true gem. I
have not had the opportunity to play the four courses
at Bandon Dunes, but I believe that Chambers Bay
must give them a run for their money and may even
surpass them in some aspects.
GETTING THERE
With just a 45 minute drive from the Seattle-
Tacoma International airport, Chambers Bay is easily
reachable for the golf traveler. There are not many
places to stay in the immediate vicinity, but Seattle is
a beautiful place to visit and the short drive from
Seattle or Tacoma to Chambers Bay each day is quite
easy.
CLUBHOUSE LETS THE COURSE DO THE
TALKING
Driving onto the property at Chambers Bay, you
are not immediately overwhelmed. There is not a
Donald Trump-style grandiose entry gate, fountain or
clubhouse. The sign out front blends into the local
landscape, and the on-site clubhouse is small and
unassuming. This may be a problem when it comes to
hosting the Open in a few years, but it allows the
average golfer to get onto the golf course before
feeling overwhelmed.
The personnel in the pro shop were extremely
helpful and friendly. We got checked in easily enough
and proceeded back out to meet the shuttle bus down
to the first tee area and caddie shack and then on
down to the driving range.
TAKE A CADDIE IF YOU CAN
Since this course was built on the site of an old
rock quarry, the clubhouse is at the top of the huge
pit that contains the course. One thing that should not
be missed is to walk out the back of the clubhouse
and take in the amazing view. The clubhouse
commands a view of the entire course. There are only
one or two holes that cannot be seen from the back
deck. It's a beautiful sight that every visitor needs to
take in.
Since Chambers Bay is a walking only facility,
they offer free pull carts to every golfer or the chance
to employ a caddie. The caddie fee was quite
reasonable when compared to most courses. I am not
one to usually employ a caddie, but having heard
about the undulations on this course, I thought that
bringing along some local knowledge would be highly
useful. This turned out to be a great choice. The
caddie not only saved my back by carrying my bag,
but he definitely helped me out with reads on every
green and suggestions on where best to TRY to hit my
drives and approach shots.
It's amazing how quickly you lose depth
perception when there are no trees on a golf course.
Chambers Bay literally has one tree on the course.
Lone Fir is situated behind the green on the par-3 15th
hole. I highly recommend hiring a caddie and tipping
generously.
PRACTICE AREA
Prior to starting our round, we took the bus to the
bottom of the road to the practice area. They have a
nice grass range and chipping area available for use
with your paid green fee. This was our first chance to
get used to hitting off the sand-based dirt and
practicing our knock-down shots for the windy
conditions. We took the bus back up to the starting
area and hit the practice green. This was our first hint
of the true challenge of this course.
THE GREENS - WELCOME TO LINKS GOLF
The greens at Chambers are extremely difficult to
read. They are hard as a rock, with a very strange
crusty grass on them. You need to hit your putts firm
to hold their line, but beware of being above the hole.
THE COURSE
The first hole is a long par-4 that heads toward
Puget Sound. The tee shot is essentially blind since
you can't see over the rolling hills in the fairway to the
landing area.
We quickly learned through the first several holes
that the caddie knew best. You need to play the slope
and the roll on every shot. Short wedges don't check
up. Long irons will roll for dozens of yards. And the
breaks on the greens can either be subtle or severe,
but you better play them correctly.
Most of the holes have generous landing areas off
the tee, but if you happen to miss the fairway, you will
either be in unpredictable rough or a very difficult
fairway bunker. If you don't judge your lie correctly,
you could spend your next several shots getting out.
If you manage to hit the fairway, you need to pay
attention to the pin placement on the green, the slope
of the green, and where the danger is.
The par-4 7th hole is a true beast. This dogleg
right hole turns and heads straight up the hill to an
elevated green with a severe false front. There is a
monstrous fairway bunker that runs the entire length
of the right side of the hole, and there are two large
mounds in the fairway approximately 100 yards short
of the green. If your approach shot lands on the front
of this green, it will most likely roll 40 yards back
down the hill for a devilish short wedge shot.
Once you survive the 7th hole though, you don't
get a rest. The 8th hole is the number one handicap
hole and is a narrow par-5 that you demands a
straight drive. If you manage to hit a monster drive in
the fairway, you might have an opportunity to go for
the green in two. But, you better get the ball on the
correct level or you will just be looking at a 3-putt
par. The 9th hole is one of the signature holes at
Chambers Bay. From the back tees, it is a 224 yard
par-3 that plays 80 feet downhill to a green with a
significant amount of slope. The safe play is actually
to land short left of the green and roll up onto the
putting surface. Anything left of that landing area
though could get caught up in the high grass on an
extreme slope. Short right will put you into a tough
bunker. And anything long will bounce downhill quite a
distance past the green. As brutal as this all sounds
though, you can't keep yourself from smiling the
entire time!
Chambers Bay rewards good shots and calls for
creativity. You might need to play your shot 90
degrees away from the hole in order to get anywhere
near making your putt. The views are spectacular!
And even when it's raining, the scenery is
unbelievable. Puget Sound, the boats, and the islands
across the sound are simply spectacular!
On the back nine, Chambers Bay gives you a
chance to get a few strokes back with a couple of
short holes at No's. 10 and 12. The 12th is a narrow,
drivable par 4 that allows you to hit anything from 7
iron to a driver off the tee. With the entire hole
situated in a half-pipe, it invites aggressive play. And
when the pin is located in the back, it's a blast to use
the bank behind the green and feed the ball 20 yards
back down the hill to easy birdie distance. Of course,
just as many double bogeys are found on this hole as
birdies, but it's a blast.
The finishing holes at Chambers Bay make sure
that you take some beautiful images home with you.
With 15, 16 and 17 playing right along the railroad
tracks and Puget Sound, make sure you ask your
caddie about the wind and where to land your ball.
Turn back toward the clubhouse and head slightly
uphill and make a birdie on the par-5 18th and there's
nothing in your head except anticipation for your next
round at Chambers.
Amazingly enough, most of the locals that I spoke
to had only played Chambers one or two times. Many
of them thought it was too hard and couldn't believe it
when my 20-handicap friend said he loved the course.
No doubt, the walk is one of the more difficult
ones you will encounter (the hike up to the 7th green
was worth the entire caddie fee I paid to not have to
carry my bag) but don't let the "walking
only" aspect of Chambers Bay stop you from
playing there.
SUMMARY:
Chambers Bay is one of the few places that tests
every part of your golf game while making you smile
the entire time. I play a fair amount of golf, and my
primary goal is to play as many different courses as I
can. But as soon as another chance presents itself, I
cannot wait to get back out to Chambers Bay and play
again. And I know it will be an amazing week of golf
for spectators and pros alike, when the world's best
players tackle this course in US Open conditions in
June of 2015.