We played from the sand markers (about 6550 yards), rather than the sand tee setup (about 6350 yards). The rating/slope of the course from those tees is 72.2/129. My handicap is currently 1.9, up from the 0s during the early summer. I have started to play well again recently.
I shot a rather easy 76 on Tuesday. I three-putted twice by missing short putts on the second and third holes of the day (we teed off on no. 10 for maintenance reasons), but then started to get the hang of the slower greens, which were rolling about 8 - 8.5 feet. I lost three strokes on what I would consider very unfortunate results on tee shots. On no. 14, I tried to drive it over the centerline bunker (shouldn't have tried, too far to carry), but landed in and cozied up to the front lip, which led to double bogey. On no. 2, I tried to hit the bunt driver, but pulled it left into a little grassy crevice short of the bunker, and was lucky to escape with bogey.
Based on my experience, a player will lose shots at Chambers Bay in unusual ways, that one will be sailing along smoothly, and then something strange will happen. If I had been competing Tuesday, and was subject to these odd breaks, it may have been demoralizing or infuriating. Otherwise, I found the course pretty easy. I was driving the ball straight but not far. The correct club to hit on the par threes was 9-iron, 8-iron, 9-iron, 7-iron. I purposely laid up for a full third shot on three of the par fives, and in each case this was better than getting close but missing the target. On the fourth par five, no. 4, I tried to get close with a 4-wood from 210 yards, way uphill, and I had to hit a really good, 30 yard, bump and run to keep it within 15 feet of the hole. I should have laid up there, too.
I made two birdies, both on par fives, one was luck and one was skill. On hole no. 8, I hit one too many clubs, but the ball banked off a huge backboard behind the green and rolled down to 6 inches for a tap-in. I like the sideboards and backboards, but I'm afraid they will make the game too easy for the great players. I think Chambers Bay is too easy for national championships. We shall see if narrowing fairways to 35-40 yards will toughen it up enough to challenge them. I liked the idea of Torrey Pines and the longer, wider U.S. Open setup, but there are just too many greens at Chambers Bay where misses are funneled back onto the green.
Greens were mostly easy to read. At Chambers Bay it's all about getting used to the slower fescue surfaces. The ball still breaks a lot in places, so for a tournament they could temporarily speed up the greens, resulting in huge breaking putts, with severe uphill and downhill considerations. I misread a pin-high birdie putt at no. 6 quite badly. I consider a misread putt to be high praise for a golf course.
Also, it may have been easy because they have to use easy pin placements to keep the players moving. My sense is they use mostly easier pin locations, though holes 1, 5, 13, and 16 were all difficult pins.
The community sense of the course is fabulous, with regular train activity and a steady stream of hikers and onlookers. The Puget Sound was calm and glassy smooth, not an unusual site.
I'll go ahead and give this course a Doak rating. For me, the design is a 6, possibly a 7, but fescue playing surfaces raise the course a full point, and the unique setting makes Chambers Bay a solid 7, possibly an 8.