Chambers Bay Info

[Jordan Wall]

Just got this in an email by being a Chambers Bay 'Insider'.

Anyways, it sorts out the whole links thing, and pretty much sums up what the course is about.  Whether it is links or not, it's truly a great course ad there are definitely some fun shots to play.


"As many of you have discovered, Chambers Bay is not a links style course, it is a links course with playing conditions and features we only find in Scotland, Ireland and a very few locations in the continental United Sates.  Of which makes the strategies we utilize when playing links golf very unique to our every day parkland rounds.  As Chambers Bay is fescue grass from tee to green the course is designed to play the ball low to the ground while utilizing the slopes and mounds around the greens to get the ball close to the hole.  These firm conditions allow the ball to roll into the best angles to the greens and hole also these mounds and slopes can make the misplayed shot find areas where recovery is a very big challenge so to better enjoy your round start the day hitting some bump and run shots and putts as fescue will react very differently then your typical bent grass greens and fairways."

[Garland Bayley]

Jordan,

Have you caddied there lately? If so, how long are the rounds running, and how heavily is it played now?

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan,

Have you caddied there lately? If so, how long are the rounds running, and how heavily is it played now?

I'm caddying this Saturday.

Opening day rounds were at five hours.

Tee times are totally booked for a month in advance last time I checked.

[Patrick Schultheis]

Jordan - Did they really send that to you?  Forgive me, but it's virtually unintelligible.

[Garland Bayley]

Jordan - Did they really send that to you?  Forgive me, but it's virtually unintelligible.

Kind of hard to figure out what they were trying to say wasn't it?  

[Bill_McBride]

Literal translation:  fescue = firm = fast.

[Brian_Ewen]

But what does it link ?

[Brad Swanson]

The last sentence is a longer run-on than Ladanian Tomlinson running through the 28th place Indianapolis Colts rushing defense (eat your heart-out Flemma! ).

Cheers,
Brad

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Yikes.....get an editor.  

Jordan, how are the green speeds?  Hopefully faster than they have been.  

Actually Jordan assuming that the online tee time tool is correct there are several tee times tomorrow(8/9)and Friday(8/10) and through the weekend.  After peering over the edge yesterday I was interested to actually see how busy the course was.  Seemed like considerable space available.

I think it is a disservice to give the idea that the course is difficult to get a tee time when there would seem to be space daily.

[Jim Nugent]

Jordan - Did they really send that to you?  Forgive me, but it's virtually unintelligible.

Bill got it right.  They are saying Chambers Bay is a links course, and you should use the ground game if you want to get close to the hole.  

[Daryl David]

I can testify to the length of rounds and that there has not been any improvement.  Recently I was the 8th group to go off in the morning. We finished the 9th at 2.5 hours!  I would have walked off except for the fact that I know there were several open holes in front of the offending groups that were lounging at the half way house and on the 10th tee.  I begged the starter to take us out to 11 in a cart.  We then breezed around the final 8 holes in 1 hour, returning to squeeze in on the 10th to finish for a total of 3:50.  If I had stayed in place, it would have been 5 plus hours.

There were no rangers on the course.  The staff said it was his day off.  I don't believe Kemper has a handle yet on how to pace the course. If things don't change soon, Chambers will have to spend a lot of effort living down the reputation of a long slow slog.

As far as the course being links or links style, the debate is meaningless.  At this point the course is not firm enough to provide a ground game.  The fescue is downright lush and without significant drought each summer, I doubt it will ever play like a links in the UK.  Too much rain here in the lovely Puget Sound region.

[RJ_Daley]

As for the longish rounds, I'm willing to give any course operator the benefit of the doubt and a couple years of operations to get the kinks knocked out.  Some showcase courses are just going to be long rounds and I think one has to accept that.  Look at Whistling Straits or Pebble, or you name the high profile destination venue.  People pay big bucks and they are going to take more time and savor it.

When you charge the big bucks, and have the top of the line reputation of trophy a course all the golfers dream to play, you have to take the good with the bad.  You must consider that it may be someone's one and only chance to play such a venue and they are both nervous, and dumbfounded as to what club, where to hit it, etc.  They may not have worked with a caddie, or don't feel comfortable it an option to have one.  They may be taking pictures for their funeral photo board... who knows what all things slow a first timer or vacationer who dreamt to play one of these.  

[Richard Choi]

I can testify to the length of rounds and that there has not been any improvement.  Recently I was the 8th group to go off in the morning. We finished the 9th at 2.5 hours!  I would have walked off except for the fact that I know there were several open holes in front of the offending groups that were lounging at the half way house and on the 10th tee.  I begged the starter to take us out to 11 in a cart.  We then breezed around the final 8 holes in 1 hour, returning to squeeze in on the 10th to finish for a total of 3:50.  If I had stayed in place, it would have been 5 plus hours...

As far as the course being links or links style, the debate is meaningless.  At this point the course is not firm enough to provide a ground game.  The fescue is downright lush and without significant drought each summer, I doubt it will ever play like a links in the UK.  Too much rain here in the lovely Puget Sound region.

That is unfortunate. But I am afraid with the greens fee price and the views, CB is going to follow Pebble Beach when it comes to pacing. Good thing I have a tee time at 7AM end of this month.

Puget Sound summer has been wetter than usual. But I don't believe UK (especially Scotland) is any drier than Puget Sound.

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan - Did they really send that to you?  Forgive me, but it's virtually unintelligible.

I wasn't quite sure about it either.
But, it seemed like something this group would be interested in.

Have you been to Chambers yet?

[Garland Bayley]

This is off topic, but it seems Jordan's buddy is tied with Tiger at Tulsa.

However, there is a Mr. Wall occupying the very bottom of the leaderboard.

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan,

Have you caddied there lately? If so, how long are the rounds running, and how heavily is it played now?

4 hours, 45 minutes the first round
3 hours, 50 minutes the second

And, I am never double bagging at Chambers Bay again, period..lol!

[Wyatt Halliday]

By second round, are you implying that the afternoon is the time to play??

Are you available to loop in October??

[Jordan Wall]

By second round, are you implying that the afternoon is the time to play??

Are you available to loop in October??

It's busier in the morning, so yes, faster rounds would likely happen in the afternoon.

And, I'd be happy to caddy, though it would have to be a weekend or perhaps a Friday if I had it off from school...