Garland, while you may think "the rest of the population is too sedentary", that's their market.
I'm 39, healthy, and weigh more than I should. However, I had absolutely no trouble returning to the rink after 15 years and just completed a 35+ hockey season.
At this point, I would remind you that a hockey rink is dead flat.
If I find it a challenging walk, what about anyone that has had a knee or hip replaced, is over 60 and overweight, or plays golf for recreation and not exercise?
I am nearing 60, 70 lbs. overweight, with arthritic knees. I remind you that it is a sport. Those wanting only the amusement part of golf can play it on their computer.
Specifically:
* The course itself is pretty long. Anyone ambitious enough to try the Navy (7109) or Teal (7585) tee box usually has to walk back and up to their marker.
I would have to go back and look to see if this is true. My impression was that you have to walk past Navy and Teal to reach Sand. Perhaps from 4 to 5 you go back, maybe a few others, but my recollection is that for the vast majority of holes, the Navy marker is the first and closest that you come to. On 17, it is definitely the harder walk to play Sand.
The course was laid out for the Sand (6541) player. This is the main reason we are reading about pace-of-play issues. When it is busy there won't be anything even close to a 4-hr round here.
I think pace of play is about ego in this case not layout.
* All the par 3s seem to play like #3 (called "Blown Out") where a missed green usually finds someone trekking down into the morass. With too-soft sand it can take someone a while to resurface.
You are probably right here about #3 and #9. Since I was on the dance floor there I did not observe this difficulty.
* Some holes are severely uphill. #4, #7, #12 mainly.
Severely? Only #12 begins to approach that designation. And it is short and over quick enough.
* I actually found the severely downhill holes like #9 and #14 to be even harder to navigate. Trying to get down the hill with a bag on uneven terrain wasn't easy and proved to be pretty stressful on the calves and ankle.
Admittedly walking downhill can be tough on muscles not used to walking inclines. I walk them all the time on my course and found #9 and #14 to be hardly severe. For me, severe is reserved for slopes you worry about your spikes holding on to.
I walked. I enjoyed it. I'll walk it again if in the area. However, comparing this to other courses across the country I'll say it is definitely in the top decile on the difficulty scale. (Garland, I'll take your word for it that your course is even harder to trek. Place that in the top decile too.) Considering that golf cars aren't an option (I think it is walking only), they've purposely eliminated a good part of their prospective clientele.
On my last trip, I walked Hideout in UT, Black Mesa in NM, Rustic Canyon and Wildhorse in CA, and Eagle Point in OR. Hideout and Black Mesa are much harder walks than my home course or Chambers. Rustic Canyon and Eagle Point are similar, and Wildhorse easier. I guess Florida must be flatter than the mountain west.
Folks in the Pacific Northwest are generally hearty and more health-conscious than the normal American. Doesn't Chambers aspire to attract players from far-flung places? My impression is that they need to draw visitors and not just those that can make it by car. Maybe I'm off on that.
13.8% tax is pretty hefty!
Hey, ever come from out of town and visit Orlando? IMHO Florida has the taxation capital of the world.