[Richard Choi]

I was going to wait till Friday to post this, but I am WAY too anxious for this and cannot wait.

The best amateur players around the world will gather in Puget Sound for the ultimate prize in amateur golf (http://www.2010usamateur.com/). The stroke rounds will be held at both Chambers Bay (http://www.chambersbaygolf.com/layout10.asp?id=173&page=3342) and The Home Course (http://www.thehomecourse.com/sites/courses/layout9.asp?id=542&page=29878).

The schedule is as follows:
Sat & Sun (8/21-8/22): Practice play at both Chambers Bay and The Home Course
Mon & Tue (8/23-8/24): Stroke Play at both Chambers Bay and The Home Course
Wed (8/25): First round match play with top 64 players (18 holes)
Thu (8/26): Second and third round match play (36 holes)
Fri (8/27): Quarterfinals (18 holes)
Sat (8/28): Semifinals (18 holes)
Sun (8/29): Finals (36 holes)

Course Setup:
Chambers Bay
Par: 36-35-71 AND 37-34-71 (#1 and #18 can play either as par 4 or par 5 depending on conditions)
Yardage: 7,742 (I expect most rounds to play 200 to 300 yards shorter)
Architects: Robert Trent Jones II, Bruce Charlton, Jay Blasi

The Home Course
Par: 36-36-72
Yardage: 7,312
Architects: Mike Asmundson

The weather is expected to be in 60's and 70's and mostly sunny.

I will try to find out the local rules on waste areas and bunker as there are acres and acres of sand at Chambers Bay (it is too bad the DJ incident happened after my marshalling orientation with USGA, I could have asked the head rules guy).

With the favorable weather we have had over last few weeks, I expect the courses to play very firm. I suspect there will be some eyes rolling when they first see the big bounce off the green at Chambers.

The holes to watch for:

#1: This will be a brutal opening hole. I full expect it to play over par (when it is played as a par 4). I am looking forward to seeing how the players play from the left side of the green (about 30 feet below the green).

#4: Normally a par 5, but will play as a par 4. Long uphill hole with a brand new green. I just hope they keep the green speed consistent here with the new grass.

#7: A dogleg right hole with two big mounds in the middle of the fairway. It is a severe uphill to the green (about 2 extra clubs). I suspect this hole will play over par as well.

#8: I am really curious on how the players handle this hole. No bunkers, just dead straight, slightly uphill with lots of fairway movements. Should be a birdie hole.

#10: Must keep the balls out of the bunkers. Curious to see whether or not players layup with a 3-wood.

#12: A half-par hole. I wonder if anyone (but the shortest hitters) will layup and how many will 3 putt even if they hit the green.

#14: Will be neat to see how they utilize the speed slot from the back tees.

#15: They have built a 240 yard tee. I wonder how many times they will use it.

#16: A pin in the back of the green is very tricky as green gets very narrow, will be interesting to see how many bump & run into it.

#17: Will they able to hold the green if the pin is in the right peninsula?

Who will be here for US Amateur? Anyone interested in GCA dinner?

[Richard Choi]

A really good article on the course preparations - http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/08/15/1301997/chambers-ready-for-close-up.html

[Bob Jenkins]

Richard,

I assume there is a reason you skipped over hole #9?

Leary and I are suspicious.

Bob J

[Garland Bayley]

The viewers at home will literally wet themselves with excitement when they see the view from the 9th tee if the weather is good and the air clear so all of the view can be taken in. If the wind blows, the players will wet themselves for another reason.

[Sean Leary]

The viewers at home will literally wet themselves with excitement when they see the view from the 9th tee if the weather is good and the air clear so all of the view can be taken in. If the wind blows, the players will wet themselves for another reason.

Garland, You are still standing as the only person in the world who likes the 9th hole

I hope it blows a bit as well. Even 15MPH would make a big difference. The faster they can get the greens the lower the scores will be , IMO.

[Richard Choi]

The 9th hole is in the same category as Matrix 2 & 3 for me... it never happened.

[Garland Bayley]

I can hardly wait until Ran does Chambers Bay and tells you all what a good hole #9 is.

[Steve Lang]

   hey..  put Ms Sheila and I also in the "liked the 9th at CB" basket, but I'm not going to gush about it.. definitely nice view, but plays like all drop shot par3's,  get it aboard or face some misery

[Jason Mandel]

Rich,

I just sent you a PM.  Would love to do a GCA dinner.  Saturday night would work well for me if that worked for anyone else.

Jason

[William_G]

The article in the News Tribune indicate that the USGA Gilhuly and Davis really don't know how this course will play as it is a brand new creation with a bunch of new tees, hydroseeded fescue everywhere over the past year and a new green on #4 as it I think it was so severe previously. Can't wait to see how the young guys do? 10.5 to 11 on the stimp, will probably lead to some interesting hole locations. Congrats to Pierce County! Thanks, just finished nine holes with my son as thunder and lightning moved thru Eugene!   PS. Definitely need wind for #9 and the whole course otherwise the scores will be very low.

[Tim Gavrich]

I won't be there, but my high school teammate Will Smith of Avon, CT qualified and will be competing.  He's a rising college freshman who will be attending William and Mary in the fall...on a soccer scholarship.  He's not playing college golf, but he's qualified for the US Am.  Gives you an idea of how good an athlete he is.

[Jerry Kluger]

When we played number 9 the hole location was at the very front of the green and it turned out the best way to play it was to hit short and have the ball bounce on to the putting surface.  There is nothing wrong with the hole rather the problem is the number of drop shot par 3s - Richard did point out that there is a back tee on number 17 which is level with the green so it will not play as a drop shot from there - the 17th hole will be really difficult with the wind blowing from the player's right, the green has an upper shelf on the right with a ridge in the middle of the green and a deep bunker on the right side.   

[Tom Yost]

One thing I noticed on #9, the apparent bail out left of the green tends to feed balls onto the green but into the ridge which subsequently feeds the ball right down and off the front of the green into the front hazard.


Semi-related:
Richard "Brush Tee" Choi demonstrates proper technique on the tee of #5

[Garland Bayley]

... a new green on #4 as it I think it was so severe previously. ...

Wrong. The new green is because the grass wouldn't grow previously. I had been shaped in a fashion that sent all traffic though the same areas and the grass could not stand the abuse.

[William_G]

Garland, I stand corrected, I guess I'm not good with semantics, but how about the severity of the design, limited the access to and from the green, is that right? FWIW, I played it with a temporary.

[Richard Choi]

William, it is true that the back side of the green was raised and it just naturally lent people to walk the front side of the green. Now the exit is more torwards the middle and there is much more room in the back so that people are encouraged to leave their bags there.

I think the one thing that will come into play is with relatively low temperatures and low humidty, balls won't carry as much as what players are used to. The balls just don't carry much around here. Whenever I go on a golf trip, I usually have to club down.

With ~7500 yard par 71 setup, it is going to be brutally long for the players even with the firm fairway.

[Sean Leary]

Richard,

Is 18 playing as a par 4?

[Richard Choi]

The official program is listing #1 and #18 both as 4/5 par. I suspect that they will play as par 4 and par 5 respectively during the stroke play, but they will mix it up during match play.

[Sean Leary]

Richard,

Thanks. Just trying to figure out the par 71.

[William_G]

Richard, I played in April 09 on the way to Quilceda Creek, it was warm, and we played it back. The greens were furry, the ball flew well, and I scored well. I think it will be interesting, but I think scores could be low.

[Richard Choi]

Sean, #4 is par 4 instead of par 5, thus par 71.

The score will all depend on the firmness of the greens. If the wedge approach shots are bouncing 10 - 15 feet in the air, it will be very very difficult to go low.

[jonathan_becker]

Richard,

Anything to note about #6?  I have not played CB, but a friend of mine just played it and he stated that 6 was his favorite hole on the course.

[Richard Choi]

#6 is one of the prettiest hole on the course. You just have to make sure you avoid the mound on the right. The green is guarded by bunkers on both right and left, but I don't think it will cause too much problem as most people will be hitting a wedge in. I expect this to be one of the birdie holes.

[William_G]

Looking dry at CB, firm and fast...way different than WS

[Richard Choi]

A nice mention of Marc Mandel and his brother and fellow GCA'er Jason in The Times Herald! Looking forward to meeting them.

http://www.timesherald.com/articles/2010/08/19/sports/doc4c6cb05c20956964435118.txt

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