Chambers Bay Golf Course hosts the US Open against all odds

It's new, it's public and it's in the Pacific Northwest. So how did Chambers Bay score the US Open?

In 2008 the Chambers Bay Golf Course near Tacoma, Washington, did like the old Kenny Rogers song and made a huge gamble. The county-owned course with a view of Puget Sound played its cards right and walked away from the table as host of the 2015 US Open championship.

It was a remarkable accomplishment, since the course had only been in business for eight months. The odds were certainly against the course hosting such a prestigious event, but really, organizers had little to lose in applying. 

To begin with, no US Open has ever been played in the Pacific Northwest since the USGA was formed in 1895. In addition, the Open is usually awarded to established courses over 50 years of age, like Pinehurst, North Carolina; Pebble Beach, California; or Winged Foot, New York.

Chambers Bay is owned by Pierce County and is only the third municipal public course ever to host the Open. The club has little experience in hosting a major tournament, other than the US Amateur Championship in 2010. There were numerous logistical challenges with parking, hotel rooms and hosting 35,000 spectators every day. Like Kenny sang, you’ve got to know when to hold ‘em. Chambers Bay never walked away. 

The course is located in University Park, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. Its name comes from Thomas McCutcheon Chambers, 1795-1876, an early pioneer, businessman and judge. The golf course is part of a regional park with walking trails, a picnic area, a playground and access to two miles of beach.  

US Golf Association

The US Open is an international tournament sponsored by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the governing body of golf, and is open to amateurs and professionals from around the world. Any golfer can enter and successfully make his way through local and sectional qualifying tournaments. In 2014, more than 10,000 golfers attempted to qualify for 156 spots in the tournament. Although the tournament is dominated by PGA professionals, a completely unknown amateur could finish first and hoist the US Open trophy. 

The golf course 

Chambers Bay is built on an old sand and gravel quarry. The remnants of the original buildings can be seen on Hole 17. Marketing material for Chambers Bay says the course is a “tribute to the ancient linksland of Scotland.” That means it’s open to the ocean, wind and fog. 

The course is hilly, with a sandy base covered in natural grasses, massive sand bunkers and fine fescue grass greens—a first for the Open. Although there are no water hazards other than Puget Sound along hole No. 16, there are 40 large sand traps and 50- to 70-foot sand dunes running along the fairways. The single fir tree on hole No. 15, which does not come into play, generates a feeling of solitude, with Puget Sound in the background.    

The golf architect, Robert Trent Jones Jr., is one of the most accomplished designers in the world and is responsible for many fine courses, including the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. When it opened, Chambers Bay was voted the Best New Golf Course and ranked No. 26 on the list of America’s greatest public golf courses by Golf Digest. Since 2007 the course has acquired a long list of awards. The course was designed as a walk-only course and hiring a caddy is highly recommended. The price for a round of golf for Canadians is US$299.

Preparing for the Open 

Mike Davis, executive director of the USGA, and Matt Allen, general manager of Chambers Bay, had a lot to do once the tournament was awarded. Hosting a major event like the US Open meant upgrading the the course.

Chambers Bay was stretched to 7,742 yards, the longest course in Open history. Twelve of the eighteen holes needed some tweaking. Four greens—Nos. 1, 4, 7 and 13—had to be rebuilt, along with new pro tees. Improvements were needed to drainage systems. The course built deeper bunkers, reduced false fronts and improved the clubhouse. Most importantly, the fescue grass in the rough had to be left to grow for two years, making for a snarly rough, a tradition in the US Open. The entire course had to be made firm and fast, which meant drying out the fairways and greens.

Chambers Bay is not a typical over-manicured PGA course with tree-lined fairways, soft sand and smooth greens. This course looks like a links course used in the British Open, complete with pot bunkers.

Critics of the course have already emerged. PGA pro Ian Poulter called the course a “complete farce,” although he has never played it. Davis responded that no golfer could just show up with a caddy and yardage book and hope to win. Rory McIIroy shot back with, “What’s Mike Davis’s handicap?”  

Yes, the USGA is taking a gamble on Chambers Bay. But Kenny said “every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser.” Beginning June 18, the golfers will play their hands.