Chambers Bay: Host it and they will come...

[Howard Riefs]

In the 3 months after Chambers Bay hosted the US Open, 41% of rounds played were from out of state residents, which is twice the historical average.

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/us-open-has-transformed-chambers-bay-into-bona-fide-golf-destination


Impressive.  Most impressive.  Anticipate that Erin Hills will see a similar bump. 

[BHoover]

This was what I had in mind when I decided to see Erin Hills before the bump in traffic (and most likely price) due to the US Open.

As for Chambers Bay, it seems that more people were intrigued by the course than those who were turned off by it. I saw plenty of Facebook and Twitter comments about CB being a "clown show" but apparently plenty thought otherwise, quite correctly I might add.

[Scott Weersing]

Ok, there was a bump in out of state golfers. But will they recommend the course to others? How many people return to play it again?


I like the course a lot, except for the ninth hole, but I am not the general, golf playing public that loves carts, Rees Jones, Tom Fazio and signature holes.


 I wonder what Kemper Sports is doing to ensure a good experience and get people to recommend the course to other golfer when they return home. A golf course needs to exceed expectations in order for people to say, yeah, you should go play it, even though there are no carts and it is links golf.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Howard,
 
Historically, when the USGA announces the site of an Open, there's a significant bump in guest play, both before and after the Open.

[Jerry Kluger]

Chambers Bay is unlike Pebble Beach or Bethpage or Pinehurst as it is a single course so it isn't great for a buddies trip, etc. so I would think that it won't ever have the number of out of area players that the others do. 

[Steve Lang]

  Certainly not a resort destination, University Place, but we played Gold Mountain and CB in the same day.. don't really have to go back to either, plenty of other places to explore up in the NW!

[Kalen Braley]

I would love to play it again, but not at the rates they are asking for it now...

Just don't see it as a value anymore...

[Tom_Doak]

Howard,
 
Historically, when the USGA announces the site of an Open, there's a significant bump in guest play, both before and after the Open.

This is known in the business world as "free advertising," pure and simple.  Perhaps your friend Mr. Trump could explain it to you.

[Patrick_Mucci]

This is known in the business world as "free advertising," pure and simple. 


Perhaps your friend Mr. Trump could explain it to you.

Tom,

These days our conversations are limited to me providing him with advice on political matters and not golf course architecture.😜

[Ronald Montesano]

After four days of walking 36 at Bandon, a friend and I finished off the week with 18 at Chambers. We were absolutely annihilated by those hills. I cannot imagine walking 36 at Chambers, but perhaps that's 50 years for you.


I would be surprised if there hadn't been a bump in OOS traffic. Who wouldn't want to see holes that played to such drama on television? Golfers with the wherewithal will find Chambers Bay to be affordable. CB is 25 miles from a city of world importance in Seattle, and the entire area is gobsmack beautiful. If there were land to build that second course so critical to a Mike Keiser plan (not that he's involved here), the one that turns a course into a destination, they would come.


I don't believe that other area courses will be enough to bring people in. I suspect that a Chambers Jr./Lite would be what is needed in a second course.

[Mark Pearce]

This is known in the business world as "free advertising," pure and simple. 


Perhaps your friend Mr. Trump could explain it to you.

Tom,

These days our conversations are limited to me providing him with advice on political matters and not golf course architecture.😜

I'm not sure I'd be that keen to admit if I was giving Donald Trump political advice!

[Jay Flemma]

Rightfully so that they come.     It's a terrific design - every hole is fascinating and the entire course together has a majestic flow to it.  You totally want to right back out and play more the minute after you get done.

Well...in winter, maybe you want a cup of hot cocoa and a slug of something in it before you go back out, but it's a 36 a day kind of place.

[Jeff Shelman]

I think the one thing that Chambers has going for it that maybe Erin Hills doesn't is the proximity to a pretty major city and being the biggest brand name in town for public golf.

No offense to Milwaukee, but it isn't the business center that the Seattle is.

For much of the country, Seattle is a long ways away. Because of that, I think people traveling for business build in a little extra time to make sure they are there, etc. If you're already doing that, it isn't that hard to find time on the front or back end to go down to Chambers Bay. I did that about a year before the Open and I actually ended up in Seattle the week of the Open, so I made time to get to a practice round.

Milwaukee seems different. It's a place that is easier to get in and out of as so much of the country is a 90-minute or 2-hour flight. And if you are going to try to add on some public golf in Milwaukee, do you go to Erin Hills? Or Kohler? There is certainly other good golf in Seattle, but Chambers is the clear place that an out-of-towner without access wants to see.

I think Milwaukee is a more likely golf destination, but Chambers is easier if you are in town for business. That rounds from outside the area are up isn't a huge surprise to me.

[Ronald Montesano]

Well...in winter, maybe you want a cup of hot cocoa and a slug of something in it before you go back out, but it's a 36 a day kind of place.

You must be one fit fiddle, Flemma! I would need to work my way up to 36 a day, one extra hole at a time! Of course, we did play it in overcast, drizzly weather, bordering on cold, so something in the spring or early fall might be a bit easier.


The rest of what you wrote is true, indeed.

[Garland Bayley]

Well...in winter, maybe you want a cup of hot cocoa and a slug of something in it before you go back out, but it's a 36 a day kind of place.

You must be one fit fiddle, Flemma! I would need to work my way up to 36 a day, one extra hole at a time! Of course, we did play it in overcast, drizzly weather, bordering on cold, so something in the spring or early fall might be a bit easier.


The rest of what you wrote is true, indeed.

Sorry Ron,


300 lbs and 60 years can do it. No fiddle necessary.

[Phil McDade]

I think the one thing that Chambers has going for it that maybe Erin Hills doesn't is the proximity to a pretty major city and being the biggest brand name in town for public golf.

No offense to Milwaukee, but it isn't the business center that the Seattle is.

For much of the country, Seattle is a long ways away. Because of that, I think people traveling for business build in a little extra time to make sure they are there, etc. If you're already doing that, it isn't that hard to find time on the front or back end to go down to Chambers Bay. I did that about a year before the Open and I actually ended up in Seattle the week of the Open, so I made time to get to a practice round.

Milwaukee seems different. It's a place that is easier to get in and out of as so much of the country is a 90-minute or 2-hour flight. And if you are going to try to add on some public golf in Milwaukee, do you go to Erin Hills? Or Kohler? There is certainly other good golf in Seattle, but Chambers is the clear place that an out-of-towner without access wants to see.

I think Milwaukee is a more likely golf destination, but Chambers is easier if you are in town for business. That rounds from outside the area are up isn't a huge surprise to me.

I think this is pretty accurate. EHills has been open a fairly long time, and my impression is that it already gets a decent amount of out-of-state traffic, particularly the Chicago area, as it is easily accessible from major highway corridors. I'm sure it will get some kind of boost post-U.S. Open, because Fox will make it look like a really cool course (which, in many parts, it is). But there is a lot of other solid golf out here, and while I'm sure some serious types will include EHills in a Wisconsin destination trip, I'm not sure the course in and of itself will generate that much more. I think Sand Valley might -- maybe -- generate as much out-of-state interest.

[Ruediger Meyer]

Am I the only one that finds it interesting that they don't mention the overall number of players at all? They say the demographics changed but nowhere in the press release is the amount of rounds played to be found

[Matthew Essig]

Am I the only one that finds it interesting that they don't mention the overall number of players at all? They say the demographics changed but nowhere in the press release is the amount of rounds played to be found

That could be because they don't want the readers to have a skewed view of the overall number as that number would be smaller than normal... but that would just be a result of the course being closed for a couple of months. They could just post the number and explain that the course was closed for a good portion of time, but people like to focus on the numbers of everything and would probably skip over that important factor (people like to focus on the what and don't think of the why).

[Ruediger Meyer]

But the change in demographics was for the months after the championship. Was the course still closed in July/August?