Photo Tour - Chambers Bay - US Open Edition - Extras

[Richard Choi]

You may have noticed that this week's edition (#12) was a bit late.

This was due to me trying to process another 100 or so pictures of Chambers that I took while I was out there on Sun. I am going to go back and add some new photos to the old thread. I already added some new photos to #1, #2, #3, and #9 (the view from the lower tee!).

I also took some photos to show logistical changes that are happening at Chambers Bay.

Chambers Bay has a new synthetic turf tee area for the driving range. Helps keep rest of the real turf in great shape for the tournament.


Here are all the tents that are going up.







The biggest concern about Chambers hosting US Open was conditioning. Conditioning, especially the greens located below the steep wall on the east side has never been great since the opening and has required a lot of attention and care just to get them in playable shape.

I am happy to report that greens are in really good shape right now and are rolling very true. Even the greens in shades like #7, #12 and #14 are in good shape.

#1 Green


#2 Green


It also looks like they have not cut any rough since last year and been feeding them heavily. All of the rough area surrounding fairways are very green, creating a weird contrast against yellow fairways.

#1 Right Rough


#4 Side Slope Rough


#7 Left Rough


#8 Left Rough


Luckily, I only lost one ball, but a playing partner ended up losing about 7 or 8 as unless you knew exactly where the ball landed, it is almost impossible to find a ball in the rough right now.

Length wise it is not worse than other PGA Tour set ups I have seen, but the balls really settle down in fescue and it is very difficult to get them out just to the fairways. Most balls missing the fairways will probably mean about 1/2 stroke penalty during US Open.

[Keith OHalloran]

Richard, are all the greens open for play right now?

[Richard Choi]

They are. However, #15 is only open for the tee shot. An attendant will retrieve the ball for you.

[Richard Choi]

Some early US Open articles are starting to show up. Especially after today's media day.

Chambers Bay will host a different kind of U.S. Open

USGA executive director: Players who don't learn Chambers Bay won't win US Open

[Richard Choi]

I really agree with everything Mike Davis says in this video...

http://www.foxsports.com/golf/video?vid=435467843602

[Richard Choi]

Transcript of Mike Davis' press conference at the media day:

http://www.golfmagic.com/news/golf-news/us-open-2015-no-study-no-chance-at-chambers-bay/21194.html

Choice quotes:

“I would contend that there is no way a player would have success here at Chambers Bay unless he really studies the golf course and learns it,” said Davis, chief of tournament organiser the United States Golf Association.

“The idea of coming in and playing two practice rounds and having your caddie just walk it and using your yardage book, that person's done. [They ] will not win the US Open.”

Davis added: "There's going to be some players who just love this ground game, who love the imagination, who embrace it. Then there's other players who just want predictability. It would not be a US Open if we didn't get some chirping."

The players have so many options that you're going to see a group of three players where somebody may hit driver, somebody may hit a three wood, and then somebody else will hit a long iron.

[Jim Nugent]

Richard, some smart pro should hire you as a personal consultant to Chambers Bay during the Open. 

[Richard Choi]

Greg Norman's thoughts on Chambers Bay...

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/04/27/3763296/greg-norman-warns-golfers-to-shape.html

Norman, a Hall of Famer and three-time PGA top money winner, has played golf around the world. So, he was asked what Chambers reminded him of.

“Nothing … nothing like it,” he said.

It’s a links-style course built on sand and covered by “fine fescue.” American golfers, he said, aren’t used to playing links courses, and certainly not on fescue grass.

And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”

The slopes and undulations will force players to forget the high-flight approaches in favor of low-trajectory punch shots that trace the natural geography of the course.

“A one-dimensional player won’t do well around here,” he predicted. “(It favors) a multidimensional player who can see it and execute the shots he needs to … also a player who can visualize what a ball is going to do rolling out.”

[William_G]

good quotes from Greg, very accurate read on CB

FWIW it was a quarry site, LOL

thank you Richard

[Garland Bayley]

Greg Norman's thoughts on Chambers Bay...
...

And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”

...

Who does he mean by "nobody"? Tenby, Pennard, Bude and North Cornwall, Perranporth, and West Cornwall all have the vertical terrain of Chambers.

Royal Porthcawl certainly has a good degree of it.

[Greg Gilson]

I love Royal Porthcawl but I certainly don't see any of it in CB (or vice versa).

[Garland Bayley]

I love Royal Porthcawl but I certainly don't see any of it in CB (or vice versa).

The reason you can see the sea from all holes at Porthcawl is because as you go inland, you are on higher and higher ground. In fact, the par 5 early in the round probably goes up steeper than anything at CB.

[Richard Choi]

John Ladenberg, the man who built Chambers Bay and brought the US Open here discuss the entire history. Pretty insightful.

http://www.iheart.com/show/139-The-Furness-Show/?episode_id=27243371

[William_G]

Greg Norman's thoughts on Chambers Bay...
...

And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”

...

Who does he mean by "nobody"? Tenby, Pennard, Bude and North Cornwall, Perranporth, and West Cornwall all have the vertical terrain of Chambers.

Royal Porthcawl certainly has a good degree of it.

he means" "nobody" that will play the US Open in 2015" " has seen the hike they will face

[Richard Choi]

Seattle Times talks fescue...

http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/golf/officials-hope-us-open-golfers-will-be-fans-of-fescue-grass-at-chambers-bay/

[Phil McDade]

Greg Norman's thoughts on Chambers Bay...
...

And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”

...

Who does he mean by "nobody"? Tenby, Pennard, Bude and North Cornwall, Perranporth, and West Cornwall all have the vertical terrain of Chambers.

Royal Porthcawl certainly has a good degree of it.

I assume by nobody, Norman's talking about those who will actually play this year's U.S. Open. Given the courses you mention, I'm guessing it's a pretty accurate statement. You think this year's qualifiers to the Open have played Pennard? I'd be surprised if half of them could locate the country it's in.

[Garland Bayley]

Sherwood is a much more difficult hike, which is pertinent when talking about difficulty. I imagine a few have played Porthcawl if you insist on this being a links issue.

[Carl Nichols]

Sherwood is a much more difficult hike, which is pertinent when talking about difficulty. I imagine a few have played Porthcawl if you insist on this being a links issue.

Norman's quote was plainly about links courses:  And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”

[Garland Bayley]

Sherwood is a much more difficult hike, which is pertinent when talking about difficulty. I imagine a few have played Porthcawl if you insist on this being a links issue.

Norman's quote was plainly about links courses:  And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”

Norman's leading quote in the article is "Get fit." His point was walking difficulty. It being a links relates to his second concept of being creative. I was simply addressing his stressing of the walking difficulty. Links courses that are as difficult to walk are easy to find, although admittedly not many PGATour types may have played them.

[Matthew Essig]

Gil Hanse and Holly Sonders are hosts to a video tour of each hole now. They are not playing the course, so 60-120 seconds a hole of flyovers, ground views, and a lot of talk about the architecture.

Hole 1: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453456451892
Hole 2: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453466691781
Hole 3: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453468739581
Hole 4: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453470787756
Hole 5: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453471811649
Hole 6: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453472835925
Hole 7: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453477443752
Hole 8: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453479491600
Hole 9: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453480515599
Hole 10: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453480515836
Hole 11: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453482563634
Hole 12: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453482051890
Hole 13: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453485635700
Hole 14: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453485635693
Hole 15: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453488195728
Hole 16: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453489731687
Hole 17: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453496387708
Hole 18: http://www.foxsports.com/golf/usga/video?vid=453493827539

[Richard Choi]

Phil visits Chambers and calls it... "interesting".

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/05/28/3813785_mickelson-finally-visits-chambers.html?rh=1

Spent 30 min alone at #1 green with Pelz and Bones. Probably a smart move.

[Richard Choi]

A very good interview with Jay Blasi...

http://www.golfadvisor.com/articles/jay-blasi-golf-architect-interview-15241.htm

[Tim Fenchel]

Richard,

Could you clarify something for me?

In the very first photo at the top of this thread (showing the synthetic turf for the range)...what is the large concrete structure toward the top middle of the photo?  The contractors son in me has several ideas but I don't have the courage to throw any of them out there.

The structure looks large enough to drive a golf cart through which in my mind rules out any kind of stormwater management system.  Above the structure there clearly is level ground for a good bit of the photo.

I've consulted with Google Earth but I've yet to solve this puzzle.

Thanks.

[Matthew Essig]

It is a passenger walkway that goes underneath the road. It will make walking from the range to 1st/10th tees easy. I am assuming it will be players/caddies/special personnel/moving carts only.

[Richard Choi]

Matthew is correct. It is used to shuttle people and equipment between the course and the practice area without having to cross the street.

Golf Digest has interviews about Chambers Bay from the players who played it during US Am in 2010.

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/us-open/2015-06/us-open-preview-how-will-chambers-bay-play