So, gents, I am just back from my latest round at CB, and I have to report that the course is in the best condition I have ever experienced down there. They have been rolling the greens a bit, and the 3 problem greens (#7, #12 and #13) are now almost indistinguishable in quality from the others. In fact, the temporary green on #4 is not that much slower than the others. With only the untrained feel of a hack golfer to guide me, I would guess that the greens might be stimping at 8 now, no matter what they may say down there, but the biggest thing is that the greens are very, very, very uniform across the entire course.
I would like to stress that neither green conditioning nor overall course presentation should be a impediment to anyone playing CB now; in fact, I would encourage those who are able to visit soon, do so in short order because the course is playing quite well right now. Those of you who have paid attention to my previous posts regarding CB will recognize that I am not a mere shill for the course, I have been quite honest in my assessments to date--The course is simply spectacular right now...
I snapped a few shots to address some questions that have come up regarding some recent alterations, etc at Chambers Bay...
Here is the new back tee built just off the practice green, ostensibly creating a +/- 440yd option for #10
I wonder if that tee could alternatively be used to turn #1 into a dogleg right, reverse camber +/- 490 yd opening hole--Yowza!
There was concern raised over the growth of rough to the right side of #5...here is my ball in the thickest of the rough in between the fairway and the waste area right...Not really much of a deterrent--the flag is just barely evident in the horizon in the middle of the frame
Here is the previously "grass-challenged" #7 green, which is looking quite sharp. The slightly brownish areas are a result of our unseasonable sensational weather here the last week, and I hope we can agree that the "tanning" of the course is a nice look as it reflects firming up of the fairways and greens..
For you turf wonks, here is as close as I could get to ground level, so make what you will of the grass leaves!
Here is the view from the new way back tee on #8, which should make it clock in at about 625 yds and makes the initial tee shot a bit of a slider left. It does bring in the possibility of a big block over the cliff to the right...
Here is a shot of the previously similarly "grass-challenged" #12 green. Some of you may recognize this middle right hole location which is on an elevated shelf along the runoff from the hillside right. This whole shelf has been mostly unpinnable for the better part of a year as there has been ragged grass throughout this area and much of the right half of the green....No such problems now!
Here are two examples of perhaps the biggest single change at Chambers Bay--the maturation and continued growth of the native areas. The fescues and the native grasses have thickened up significantly, and (for this hack at least) the notion that one could comfortably navigate around CB with a single sleeve of balls is a much dicier proposition. The grassy areas close to the waste area and bunker edges are much "scruffier' now and balls can dive in deep...
The above two shots were from just barely off the right side of #18 fairway...
Anyway, I must repsectfully disagree with a handful of previous posters who have expressed disdain for the course conditioning. It is in tremendous shape now. I would still continue to monitor the conditions, though, as this has been an extraordinarily warm stretch of weather for us, and the course is still in its "toddler"-hood...