Chambers Bay conditions update

[Brent Carlson]

Greg Chambers...Whatever.....It's Disneyland for golfers. I return to "Never-Never Land.. I think the US Open should be played on a REAL links course.

And those courses would be......?

Shinnecock Hills? Check.
Pebble Beach (maybe a links with a broad definition of such)? Check.
Pinehurst 2 (plays linksy in its current set-up)? Check.
Erin Hills (all fescue, played linksy in the U.S. Am a few years ago)? Check.

What's your real objection here?

Phil,

I've never played Shinny, but Pebble, Pinehurst and EH are nowhere near links golf like we will see this week.  They are great courses but Chambers is pure links golf, even more so than many top rated links I've played in GB & Ireland.

[Richard Choi]

If you want to talk about a "real links" course, there is no such beast in US (at least one that host a US Open). None of the courses listed by Phil qualifies as true links (at least according to the book "True Links" by George Peper"). In US, the only qualifying courses are the ones at Bandon Dunes and one nine holer in Mass. The only reason Chambers was left out was because it was not near an "open" sea (even though it is next to seawater).

Chambers Bay is going to be the closest thing to "true links" that US Open will ever get, unless USGA decides to host one in Scotland.

I guess USGA can always go back to a "classic parkland" course with 25 yard wide fairways and 6 inch rough.

[Marc Haring]

Jim, I was speaking of the Scottish golfer, Jamie Donaldson.   But, I take your point.  I don't have the list of previous top 10 or so finishers over last decade(s) on links and I'm sort of guessing and shooting in the dark.  I just suspect that the majority of top finishers are links tested and proved.   

Not sure if our Welsh friends would welcome Jamie Donaldson being described as Scottish.

As for the Euro's having an advantage, I think we are pragmatic enough to recognise that such theories are purely fanciful. I think Tom Watson's regular annihilation of the field in the 80's put paid to that!

I actually have a theory about Rory in that he can't hit a knock down shot. It's just not in his bag. He's won at Hoylake but the wind never blew and he is creative but if the wind blows his ball blows with it. His missed cut at the Irish Open at RCD backs up my theory but i'm open to counter arguments. 

[Richard Choi]

Greg Chambers...Whatever.....It's Disneyland for golfers. I return to "Never-Never Land.. I think the US Open should be played on a REAL links course.....and, personally, I wouldn't pay $300 to play on a phony links course when I can travel the same distance and play the real deal. 

Let me be the first to say on behest of everyone in PNW, how unbelievably disappointed we are that you will not grace us with your patronage.

We will try to console ourselves with measly US Open... just to think we coulda had CRAIG F'IN SWEET play on our course. Not sure how Chambers Bay is going to recover from that. I suspect it is going back to a gravel pit in a few years.

[Daryl David]

Greg Chambers...Whatever.....It's Disneyland for golfers. I return to "Never-Never Land.. I think the US Open should be played on a REAL links course.....and, personally, I wouldn't pay $300 to play on a phony links course when I can travel the same distance and play the real deal. 

Let me be the first to say on behest of everyone in PNW, how unbelievably disappointed we are that you will not grace us with your patronage.

We will try to console ourselves with measly US Open... just to think we coulda had CRAIG F'IN SWEET play on our course. Not sure how Chambers Bay is going to recover from that. I suspect it is going back to a gravel pit in a few years.

+1

[William_G]

LOL Richard

[Jon Wiggett]

USGA should be emphasising the quality of the playing surface and the challenge of the set up. After all, there is already plenty of green and over manicured crap to be seen on the tour already  .

Jon

[Steve Lang]

  Jon,

i'm sure you'll be hearing some of the players calling the CB setup "crap"... as they slam the trunk of their rental car on friday and exit the PNW.

they'll get over it

[Pete_Pittock]

weekly forecast pretty much the same every day highs around 70; lows around 50;, wind under 10; possible light rain Fri-Sat (total about .2")

[Craig Sweet]

Richard Choi...Chambers Bay is a gravel pit..NOT a "true" links course.   Not even close....It's Disneyland for those who love make believe....It's as manufactured as the car sitting in my driveway....it's as manufactured as Whistling Straits.  The land all around Chambers Bay is heavily wooded...not exactly linksy.

And yeah...I can drive to Bandon in the same time it takes me to drive out to Tacoma and play an ACTUAL links course. I don't have to "squint" and try and make myself believe I'm playing a genuine links course when I know it really isn't.

[Richard Choi]

I am just devastated. Not sure I am even going to watch US Open anymore...

[Craig Sweet]

Richard, you've obviously have been enchanted by fairie dust....I'm surprised that on a web site where there can be a hundred page discussion about the original shape and location of a bunker, that so many people rattle on about this being a "true links" experience, and are so !!!!wowed!!!! by this faux links.  I am just as shocked that the USGA has bought into, and enabled, this gimmick.   I have seen your 18 hole documentation, but unlike you my nipples are not tingling.  I hope this isn't a total circus next week. But then, I guess that would be fun to watch....so long as no one gets hurt.

[Richard Choi]

That cuts so deep... You are like Marquis de Sade of GCA.

[Greg Chambers]

Craig Sweet, the discussion on this thread is about the course conditions at Chambers Bay.  Nobody gives a flying fuck that you think the golf course resembles Disneyland...or that your nipples don't tingle thinking about the golf course.  If you don't like it, don't watch.  You have that right.  And nobody's forcing you to pay the green fee.  So do us all a favor and quit posting on this thread.

[Matthew Essig]

[Jim Nugent]

I know some of you will get a kick out of this.

https://twitter.com/bubbawatson/status/609418048106139648

If that link doesn't work...

http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2015/6/12/8773561/bubba-watson-putt-video-chambers-bay-us-open-2015

Are the players likely to have some putts like that in the Open?  Also, was that the only way Bubba could hole that putt or get close to the hole? 

[Matthew Essig]

I know some of you will get a kick out of this.

https://twitter.com/bubbawatson/status/609418048106139648

If that link doesn't work...

http://www.sbnation.com/golf/2015/6/12/8773561/bubba-watson-putt-video-chambers-bay-us-open-2015

Are the players likely to have some putts like that in the Open?  Also, was that the only way Bubba could hole that putt or get close to the hole?  

Maybe on occasion, but he could have hit that just outside the left edge.

[Richard Choi]

You would never hit a putt like this if the pin in on the same level as the ball. I do it all the time just for fun.

However, if the pin is straight below you on another level, you may need to hit something like this so that your ball is coming from a different angle.

[Garland Bayley]

To play golf in this gravel pit it will cost me $275-$299 PLUS 14.4% tax!   Holy cow...pretty precious fescue.

Play Bandon! No sales tax!

[Garland Bayley]

Jim, I was speaking of the Scottish golfer, Jamie Donaldson.   But, I take your point.  I don't have the list of previous top 10 or so finishers over last decade(s) on links and I'm sort of guessing and shooting in the dark.  I just suspect that the majority of top finishers are links tested and proved.   

Methinks the Welsh people are not going to be happy with you.

[Jason Thurman]

Is this Photoshopped?

[Matthew Essig]

Jason,

No.

[Garland Bayley]

Richard Choi...Chambers Bay is a gravel pit..NOT a "true" links course.   Not even close....It's Disneyland for those who love make believe....It's as manufactured as the car sitting in my driveway....it's as manufactured as Whistling Straits.  The land all around Chambers Bay is heavily wooded...not exactly linksy.

And yeah...I can drive to Bandon in the same time it takes me to drive out to Tacoma and play an ACTUAL links course. I don't have to "squint" and try and make myself believe I'm playing a genuine links course when I know it really isn't.

In my opinion, you are barking up the wrong tree about why Chambers in not a true links. The reason Chambers is not a true links is that the wind doesn't blow there like it would on the ocean front. There are links courses that are next to wooded land in the British Isles. Just because there is wooded land next door does not disqualify it as a links. Cut down the trees and you have a sandy links next door too. The reason that the land is shaped at Chambers Bay does not disqualify it as a links. Much of Bandon is shaped too. In fact Chambers is shaped to resemble links much more than some unshaped "links" courses in the British Isles.


EDIT: Characterization of it being as manufactured as Whistling Straits simple shows a lack of knowledge of either how Whistling Straits was built, or how Chambers Bay was built. Before and after photos would show you that the basic land forms for Chambers Bay were there before it was built. Chambers Bay gets criticized for going up the hill and back down again too often. That's because they used what was there. If it were done like Whistling Straits, there would have been no need leave the course open to such criticism. Furthermore, if you read about a links course in the British Isles that lets you see the sea from all 18 holes, that is because the land slopes continually up from the sea and you get a situation similar to what you have at Chambers Bay.

[Jason Thurman]

Thanks Matthew. I assumed it had to be when I saw the ball lying on short grass, but I failed to consider the possibility that he had hit the ball into an adjacent hole's corridor.

[Matthew Essig]

Jason,

 

The picture was taken on #1. Who knows what happened on the other holes.....