GCA Evans Scholarship Fundraiser at Chambers Bay

[Garland Bayley]

As a kick off to tomorrow's fundraiser, Bill Cosgrove invited folks to play his home course today with him and one Jordan Wall. Well when "folks" showed up to finally meet this legend of the Pacific Northwest, with camera in hand in hopes of finally getting a picture of him with recognizable GCA folks, guess what? No Jordan Wall. Jordan was alleged to be sick and could not make it. This of course lends further credibility to the idea that Jordan Wall does not exist, and that the Seattle area GCAers are carrying on an elaborate hoax of the phantom 1 handicapper, Seattle Golf Club caddying, high school student, GCA afficiando Jordan Wall.

The real test will be tomorrow at Chambers Bay where there will be many cameras available to capture the likeness of this legend. It seems we will more likely capture a photo of Sasquatch than we will of Jordan Wall.

To further deepen the mystery of the alleged Jordan Wall, this "folk" recieved an email mesage from the alleged Jordan Wall saying that he will be coming tomorrow with his uncle who is not the person he originally named as he gave me the wrong name and the person he originally named was his coach. To tell you the truth, I fully expect a high school golf coach to show up tomorrow with a person who claims to be the uncle of Jordan Wall. I suspect I would be better off hunting Sasquatch at my local Golf Galaxy.

[Jeff Doerr]

Garland, I'll pack an extra set of batteries for my camera - just in case!

[Garland Bayley]

Thanks to Tiger Bernhardt who had the idea of having a GCA website event at Chambers Bay and who made the contacts and arrangements to get it off the ground, 16 website members and 7 guests were able to get a talk, tour, and round of golf at this stunning new course in WA. We all made donations to the Evans Scholarship, thereby creating a win/win all the way around.

My bad news is that I got back and replayed the pictures on my digital camera and they are all severely overexposed. So although I met Jordan Wall, and can verify it was the same Jordan Wall since he wore that same pink shirt we have seen on the website, I have no pictures to prove it and you will have to take my word for it (either that or conclude I am now in cahoots with Seattle area members in carrying out the hoax).

I can say this. Any pictures I have either taken before or have seen done by others, do not do the course justice. It is stunningly beautiful, varied, fun, challenging, etc.

There were others there with cameras that I hope will add to this tread in the next few days.

[Garland Bayley]

I also need to thank Robert Trent Jones, II, KemperSports, and Pierce County Washington for serving as wonderful hosts for the event.

I for one was treated exceptionally well, with a caddy fresh off of the PGA Tour. Ryan Moore's caddy from last year took exceptional care of my clubs and they will probably be in revolt for some time now that they have been returned to my haphazard care.

[Jordan Wall]

Garland,

Jeff took many pictures.
I'm sure he will post the two good ones of me (the only ones taken of me I might add  ).  
One is of my Uncle and I (not my golf coach), and the other is of me 80 yards left of number 16...double bogey, yaaaaay, my first double of the day...on the way to a pathetic 81...but it was fine, I can blame it on the mats...

It was a great course, I thank greatly Kemper Sports and the Jones design firm, and specifically Jay Blasi and Nyk Pike.  Good times, just as the debates after the rounds...I thought things here got harsh, but dang, you get a group of guys with beer and a mix of opinions, and there can come some good discussion..Cheers, good to meet everybody.

Jordan

[Pat Howard]

A big Thank You to all involved in getting this gathering to take place. It was great to hear all about the course from conception to semi-finished product. And what a course it will be, even the scale of the site is truly amazing!

It was great to finally put some faces with names. Ari Techner, Jeff McCoy and I had a great time along with our two caddies, and we even managed to mix in a few good golf shots. Ari nearly aced the 15th hole playing a beautiful knockdown 4-iron to just behind the cup.

I can't wait to get back and see the course as it matures and the greens gain some speed. Should be a great track for many years to come.

Thanks again to everyone!

[Garland Bayley]

I must point out that Jordan pulled a Babe Ruth during the event. During the tour, RTJ staff showed us #12 which is a driveable par 4 which was found, not built. As many of you know much of the course was built, because it was built on a gravel and sand mining site, and was by no means a natural landscape. So when I saw the pin set on the edge of a precipice, I asked Jordan if he was going to birdie it. He said of course, and it turns out that was the only hole he birdied.
He says he drove the green, but he didn't say from what tee.  

[Jim Adkisson]

Many thanks to the folks at RTJ Golf, Kemper Sports and Chambers Bay for getting us on site for a pre-opening preview...

Like Pat, I will be very interested to get back and see how the course matures...green speeds need to be brought to an acceptable level and bunker sand needs to be cleaned up...these are things that should happen very soon as the maintenance staff seems to be quite dedicated and experienced...

The feature that will most improve the experience, will be when the waste areas age...the raw mounding of these areas with track marks from the equipment used to either remove, add or shape the material is interesting in that it really enhances the feeling of playing in a former industrial mining pit...(wait to see photos of the "sorting bins" off of 17!)...BUT...as a golf course, it will be much better when these waste areas are further sculpted by wind and water and the native grasses and scrub take over.

IMHO, there were 2 best "sets" of holes on the course...

The "isolated" holes: #1 "Puget Sound" on the front and a slew of holes on the back...the spectacular #10 "High Dunes" , drivable #12 "The Narrows" (not for me...but Scott from BC made the fringe) and then the finishing quartet of 15 through 18 that play hard along the Sound and back up to the caddy shack...all of these gave me the feeling that our group (and the one just in front on the longer holes) were the only folks out on the links...

and the "high" holes...#5 "Free Fall", #8 "High Road/Low Road" where our fun loving caddy Dan said we were on our own if we chose the low road! #9 "Olypmus" a mid iron parachute drop par 3 where Cos swore my ball rattled the cage before rolling to about 7 feet...birdie coverted! (gotta toot my own horn at some point!)...and on the back #13 "Eagle Eye" and most impresively #14 "Cape Fear"...a 450 yard par four that can be stretched out to 521...with the F/F conditions and the speed bump contures of the fairway, it left even a short hitter like myself with a reasonable distance shot into the green...Scott from BC scorched a wind cheating drive and a beautiful second shot to set up an impressive birdie....the fun of all of these holes was in the elevation and the ability to see the entire property, Puget Sound, The Olympic Mountains (on a clearer day) and the town to the south...it was like standing on the 14th tee at B. Trails and looking back over BD and Pacific.

Thanks to all involved in setting this day up...it was great to meet with the folks who were in charge of making this unique and spectacular course and more fun to meet some more of the characters from the Northwest that frequent GCA.

[Garland Bayley]

... and most impresively #14 "Cape Fear"...a 450 yard par four that can be stretched out to 521...with the F/F conditions and the speed bump contures of the fairway, it left even a short hitter like myself with a reasonable distance shot into the green...Scott from BC scorched a wind cheating drive and a beautiful second shot to set up an impressive birdie....

Not only did Scott scorch a wind cheating drive, he took the riskiest line and got a turbo boost from the downhill slopes on that side of the center hazard. I found I had only reached his ball after two shots taking the long detour around the right hand edge of the fairway.

This is the hole Tom Doak had commented on how it lined up with the cape in the background, a technique that Alister MacKenzie had used to good effect in the past. Overall, one very impressive golf hole!

[Jordan Wall]

I must point out that Jordan pulled a Babe Ruth during the event. During the tour, RTJ staff showed us #12 which is a driveable par 4 which was found, not built. As many of you know much of the course was built, because it was built on a gravel and sand mining site, and was by no means a natural landscape. So when I saw the pin set on the edge of a precipice, I asked Jordan if he was going to birdie it. He said of course, and it turns out that was the only hole he birdied.
He says he drove the green, but he didn't say from what tee.  

Garland, you dont even know how Babe Ruth it was.

My buddy, Pat Howard, who definitely beat me, was on the 15th tee when we were on 12, and for those of you who dont know, the two tee boxes are meched together as one.  So his entire group (Pat, Ari, Jeff, and caddies) plus my group stands still watching me.  Of course Pat was giving me crap..you cant drive this green...so what did I do?  I literally pulled out a Babe Ruth by pointing my driver at the flag, then went on put it 20-feet from the hole.  Of course, I have no problem bragging about my birdie and driving that green, because of all my shanks, mishits, etcetc that occured on the other 17 holes.

But, yea, Pat can vouche for me, as can Ari and Jeff, that I pulled the Babe Ruth, for real!

[Pat Howard]

I must point out that Jordan pulled a Babe Ruth during the event. During the tour, RTJ staff showed us #12 which is a driveable par 4 which was found, not built. As many of you know much of the course was built, because it was built on a gravel and sand mining site, and was by no means a natural landscape. So when I saw the pin set on the edge of a precipice, I asked Jordan if he was going to birdie it. He said of course, and it turns out that was the only hole he birdied.
He says he drove the green, but he didn't say from what tee.  

Garland, you dont even know how Babe Ruth it was.

My buddy, Pat Howard, who definitely beat me, was on the 15th tee when we were on 12, and for those of you who dont know, the two tee boxes are meched together as one.  So his entire group (Pat, Ari, Jeff, and caddies) plus my group stands still watching me.  Of course Pat was giving me crap..you cant drive this green...so what did I do?  I literally pulled out a Babe Ruth by pointing my driver at the flag, then went on put it 20-feet from the hole.  Of course, I have no problem bragging about my birdie and driving that green, because of all my shanks, mishits, etcetc that occured on the other 17 holes.

But, yea, Pat can vouche for me, as can Ari and Jeff, that I pulled the Babe Ruth, for real!

Jordan,

You hit a great shot! From our vantage point it looked like you'd end up about 10-15 ft. from the hole, very nice.

I wish you guys had looked back to see Ari's shot on 15! It landed a foot from the cup and he ended up with a tap in 2.

[Jordan Wall]

Pat,

I saw Ari's shot.
You musta missed my "nice shot", but then again it might have been drained out a bit by my excitement of actually hitting a shot which the caddies said could have "been within two feet of the hole"...I'll take 20 feet any time.

About Ari's shot.  It must be noted that Jeff, Pat, and Ari are crazy good players, as they played the tips (7600 yards) without ever having previously seen the course.  Ari busted a 4-iron into a stiff wind from about 180 yards, which was a big 4-iron into a wind that large.  Almost went in, was a great shot.

For another interesting shot, I think Jeff Doerr about made the first eagle at Chambers.  Hole 2, he was somewhere between where my first and seconds shots ended up, which was perfect, because I went from dune to bunker and so he was in the fairway.  He hits a bullet 9-iron, from 130ish, not getting more than two feet off the ground.  It hits the pin, but goes into a bunker.  It was exciting, at least.
 

[RJ_Daley]

Yikes, you guys sound like all you were missing was Moe Norman there making more shots.

I suspect some of you gents were captured on the u-Tube videos that Peter posted.  So Jordan, after the Babe Ruth moment, how did you miss that 20ft putt and virtual immortality?  

[Michael Dugger]

For all the hell Jordan catches around here, I found him to be a pretty normal kid.  

I expected him to be more of a motor mouth, but he's almost quiet!  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Michael,
I find Jordan to be person of fine form and character, whom I feel has a great life full of experiences and opportunities just right ahead of him. As sincere as a young person I have ever met, and I compliment the job his parents have done, raising him in such a manner one would only hope and aspire their own children to be.

[Peter_Herreid]

Maybe to bring this back to some architecture and away from the Jordan Wall homage   , I am curious as to what some thought of the pace of play at Chambers Bay, and whether anyone thinks that the architecture may be playing a role in this...

For all the weeping and moaning and bleating on we do here about the pace of play, it should be noted that 24 or so more or less healthy-bodied men and young men played Chambers Bay yesterday, and no one finished in less than 4.30 minutes.  The tail end of the outing drifted right up to the 5 hr mark...This was on a course that very few balls were lost, scoring should have been secondary to the experience, and the greens were Stimping in the 6-7 range, so putting was a hammer and hope affair anyway...

Also, everyone had a caddy, or was a caddy!

We should have been the poster children for getting around that place in 3.45 or so max--no one out there except for us...

Given recent threads, where we were more than willing to assign blame for slow play to everyone else but ourselves, what do we think about yesterday?  Was the problem us, or was it the course itself?--there were no other outside influences to pin this on...

Very interesting experiment!  Perhaps if we ourselves don't feel the need to keep up when given a blank slate, then perhaps we might be hypocritical in criticizing others, who often have paid a lot more for the privilege of relaxing or "stopping to smell the flowers" than we did yesterday.

on the other hand, is the routing plan/architecture inherently flawed in a way to perpetuate slow play at Chambers Bay?

Your thoughts, participants...

[Pat Howard]

it should be noted that 24 or so more or less healthy-bodied men and young men played Chambers Bay yesterday, and no one finished in less than 4.30 minutes.  The tail end of the outing drifted right up to the 5 hr mark

Which is why Ari, Jeff and myself didn't stick around to wait for the other groups to finish (probably a good 2½ hour wait). We finished our round in just under 4 hours and realized that we were a good 5 holes ahead of Jordan's group, the second group out. Granted, we were a 3-some with no one in front of us...

[Peter_Herreid]

That's right, Pat--I remember seeing you guys way off in the distance ahead of the rest and mistaking you guys for walkers on the trail on a couple of holes...

Anyway, I think the multiplicity of severe uphill holes heading up into the ridge at various points in the round could add up to some very lengthy rounds, if not paramedic attention for some unsuspecting players...

[RJ_Daley]

Pete, I think the architecture has little to do with slow play other than providing a stuning place that folks want and need to take their time.  

Really, I think if you consider all the top trophy courses, most of them all play 4 1/2 to 5 hour rounds what with photos, oogling and spending a lot of time fidgeting and fussing on every shot, because most folk only get "once in a lifetime" chances to play such venues and desparately want to play well.  

If a course like CB would get to a point where it is frequented by a majority of golfers that have played the course multiple times, perhaps the pace will speed up.  But for the foreseeable future, I really think it will be in the once in a lifetime category for most, and they will take their time to fully enjoy every aspect.

It is an odd case for CB given it is technically a muni course where pace of play is often or always should be an issue and should have rangers to push the crowd along.  But, I think they are going to have to be patient and diplomatic with their nudges to first time golfers to keep it moving at first at CB.

[Jordan Wall]

Peter,

I think you are correct when you talk about how the uphill nature of some holes will affect play.

Also, I think the waste bunkers and the course itself, being how difficult it should become, will cause for long rounds.  I considered my foursome a group full of decent players, and I think whenever we hit it into a waste bunker there was usually no chance of getting to the green.  Given the wind, and the amount of waste bunkers, I can only imagine how high handicappers (20+) will handle this, especially when those tricky greens get fast!  
Plus, #12 by itself should cause long waits, no?

[RJ_Daley]

Pete to continue the camparison with what you describe regarding a few of the inclines going up towards 7-8-9tee, and other areas, I'd have to say it very much compares to Whistling Straits, which of course is also only walking w/caddies.  There are a few pretty steep green to tee inclines and some longish walks to negotiate there.  

Another somewhat comparable in style and setting, even more difficult walk is Arcadia Bluffs.  But, they almost insist on carts last time I was there.

[RJ_Daley]

Jordan, excellent point about 12.  That is really the downside of most any golf course design of a driveable par 4 on a difficult course.  It will tempt the strong players to go for it - waiting a long time while the tee backs up waiting for green to clear rather than the LZ to clear, miss it, and spend a bunch of time looking for the ball in the rough.

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan, excellent point about 12.  That is really the downside of most any golf course design of a driveable par 4 on a difficult course.  It will tempt the strong players to go for it - waiting a long time while the tee backs up waiting for green to clear rather than the LZ to clear, miss it, and spend a bunch of time looking for the ball in the rough.

Though I liked 12's green, I cant say I really understood the hole.

The landing area is so small that, though it is bowl like, it is better to take your chances at the green, because mising left will cause a kick to a frontal bunker and in some cases on the green.  Missing right is fine, just a pitch to a severely undulating green will be the result.  Any time a player plays for a lay up, he takes a big risk to go into a dune, as the fairway is just so small.  The fact that not every player will have the length to drive the green (its uphill, I may add) makes me even more confused as to the minimal width of the fairway.

But, yes, the fact that laying up presents almost nothing good to the player in comparison with going for the green, will cause 95% of players to go for the green, which causes waits.

Pace of play will definitely be an issue at Chambers.

[Pete_Pittock]

A hearty thank you to the Jones Group, Pierce County and Kemper Sports for the opportunity to play Chambers Bay, even on mats.
     The course kept my interest on every shot with all the strategery required. Lots of angles to consider. And wind. And drop shots. And some blind shots. The California greens have a lot of contour and character, and the surrounds can be used to great effect on a number of holes. The teeing areas really are an extension of the fairways rather than seperate (sic) entities. Made some visits into the grey sand bunkers and they are very playable.  
     I'm leery of new courses with hole names, but here they are as practical as the holes are memorable. Need a better name for 7-9. Orca's Jaws?
     

[Pete_Pittock]

In the preview they said you should get around with one ball.
Although mine made it through unscathed, many took that as a negative challenge. Judging from what I saw, sherpas may be better suited   on the side hills of 1, 8 and 10, but our caddies were very good at tracking our mishits.

And the company was great.