Next up: Chambers Bay. Sigh.

[Terry Lavin]

This is the site of the next major. Really?  Is it worthy?  I'm just not getting it. It looks like pinball golf, random bounces and tricked up runouts. It looked that way at the U.S. Am and I've seen nothing since to persuade me otherwise.

Yes, I've never played it. Yes, I recognize that my take on the course lacks a lot of merit as a result. But, apart from the understandable Pac NW boosterism, I've seen very little favorable chatter. At the risk of offending Richard Choi and the several other locals who have been beating a quiet drum, I ask:  What am I missing?  This is shaping up as a most forgettable site for a U.S. Open. Go ahead, beat me up. Some bum is likely to do the same to Chambers Bay.

[Mark Pritchett]

 I talked to a friend who played it a few years ago and he told me he wasn't sure if it was a golf course or a motorcross track. 

[Richard Choi]

Judge, if those are your criticisms, they are pretty much word for word what PGA Tour players used use to complain about the Old Course. I would say Chambers Bay is in a GREAT company.

BTW, no offense taken.

[Terry Lavin]

Richard,

No offense intended. You've been generous with your offerings. Just trying to provoke discussion.

[Scott Wintersteen]

I will remain optimistic.  I can't remember when there was a course that had so much flexibility in how the USGA could set it up.  I will be tuning in. 

[Richard Choi]

Judge, what about the US Amateur viewing made you feel this way? Those "random" bounces ended up fielding perhaps one of the best final 8/4 matchups ever. Are they really that random if they so readily identified the best players?

[Josh Tarble]

The pictures I've seen look like it's what Erin Hills wanted to be.

As far as a TV broadcast, I think it has a chance to be one of the more memorable venues.  Right on the water, significant elevation changes and balls rolling around after landing.

The tournament itself can't be much more boring than last year.

[jeffwarne]

The pictures I've seen look like it's what Erin Hills wanted to be.

As far as a TV broadcast, I think it has a chance to be one of the more memorable venues.  Right on the water, significant elevation changes and balls rolling around after landing.

The tournament itself can't be much more boring than last year.

"Random" bounces should be more interesting than predictable shedding by domed microsurfaces

[Josh Tarble]

Jeff,

Not only that, which you are correct, but when the players do miss the green it seems like there will be a much wider variety of recovery shots required.

[Greg Gilson]

I am certainly not a "local" - I am from Melbourne, Australia. I was fortunate enough to spend 2 days playing up & down the moto cross track about 3 years ago and have been a committed CB fan ever since. I am a Tour Operator and have managed to arrange 2 groups of 16 to visit there this year - one 2 weeks ago & 1 in 2 weeks time. The 16 Aussies who played it  already left in awe as well. Its such a fun golf course with great variety of holes, elevation changes, fairway width and shot options. Hopefully the USGA does not US Open it to death but , based on what I saw 2 weeks ago, it still looks like fun...for us.

The pictures should be amazing as well.

[Tim Leahy]

"Its alot of fun." Isnt that what you would say about a mini golf course?
All the US Am needed was a windmill and a clown's mouth. Hopefully the Open wont be a circus too.

[William_G]

thanks Terry for bringing this up

there is no doubt the vista from the rim of the old quarry site will be fantastic as seen today on FOX

my buddies and I who have all played it a few times agree that there is should be no doubt the pros, AND mostly the caddies will ask if the 13th is the last ffing uphill hole

as Richard has said the flexibility of the course is unique and the changes that have been made are mostly untested by anyone and particularly in June....so it's going to be a question of whether the US Open goes back to Chambers Bay based on how it plays etc...

[Greg Gilson]

Hi Tim, pretty much all my favorite courses have "a lot of fun" in common with each other. I have not played mini golf, nor any venues with windmills or  clown's mouths...but I didn't see any at CB 2 weeks ago...so you should be safe.

[Brent Carlson]

Judge,

I'm certainly not qualified to say if Chambers is worthy of an Open.  Your comparison of Erin Hills is apropos.  They are eerily similar in so many ways.  I'm interested in your comments once you play CB.

The positives of CB are:

- strategic golf (although less so now than the original design)
- wall to wall fescue
- lots of contour - this is one course that you will not tire of playing
- it's the anti bomb and gouge in my opinion

On the downside the walk is more extreme than need be, and it's becoming overly penal.  

Time will tell how the course is received.  I'm excited to see how the Open plays out.  Prepare for visual overload from the course to the water to the snow-capped mountains.  Should be good...

[Richard Choi]

Visually, on TV, this course will be DYNAMITE. Fox picked a great venue to debut their coverage. I hope they do the course proud.

The only faux pas during US Am was due to USGA turning the dial to 11 just to see how firm the course can get during the stroke play. There is very little chance of that happening in June (even if USGA wanted it). US Am conditions were perfect during the match play portion and I expect the course to play exactly like it during US Open.

If playing this course is like playing a putt-putt, I need to play where you are playing putt-putt because that place must be phenomenal.

But I agree completely that playing Chambers is about as fun as it gets playing golf.

[Jason Thurman]

I don't know if Chambers Bay is a great course or not. That's part of why I'm so excited to see it. I can't recall a US Open course that was less of a known quantity. It looks very photogenic and unlike anything we've seen in a US Open before. Those facets of the course seem to promise compelling television, and hopefully after four rounds we'll have an idea whether the compelling tournament we watched was played on a great course or not.

[Richard Choi]

and hopefully after four rounds we'll have an idea whether the compelling tournament we watched was played on a great course or not.

Could we though? Really?

All I remember from watching US Open at Merion was how narrow the fairways were how there was absolutely no thinking involved whatsoever and that angles did not matter there.

If I did not know about Merion outside that telecast, my opinion of Merion would be pretty much identical to Torrey Pines (that is not good).

How USGA sets up courses for US Open, which is very extreme, is not a fair representation of the course in a normal light.

If Chambers Bay does shine through, it would be in spite of US Open conditions, not because of it.

[mike_beene]

Unfortunate to use this course the same year we go to St Andrews. It would have been better in a Muirfield year. This could be the year of the wild driver in the majors.

[Jason Thurman]

Agreed Rich. As the old expression goes, Mike Davis and his "setups" could ruin a wet dream. It's not that I think this US Open will allow me to develop a definitive opinion on Chambers Bay, but I do look forward to seeing the course for four days in tournament conditions and think I'll definitely have a better feel for it afterwards.

You've been on the course recently and know it as well as anyone. Have you seen anything in the preparation leading up to next month's tournament that tips you off to how the USGA will neuter the course's architecture? It's not a question of "If" with these guys, but a question of "How" and "To what extent." What are your thoughts?

[Richard Choi]

I have documented most of the neutering (just rough); 2nd, 6th, and 7th (the worst). All of the other holes are playing as they normally would (or pretty close to it). As narrowing the fairway goes this is probably the least amount that USGA has done it (other than Pinehurst last year) in a very long time.

USGA will mostly mess with distance and firmness. Many holes will vary 50+ yards in tee placement to the next.

[Ben Sims]

Being a tad over a mile from the 13th green as I sit on the couch writing this, I'm sure my defense will be chocked up to Pac NW boosterism. Admittedly enough, I rankled a bit in reading His Honor's indictment. Though it appears he lacks sufficient evidence to support the charge. But rather than engage in a conversation on Chambers Bay's merits--Rich has more than adequately covered them--I'd rather sling mud. So...

Where was this argument when the USGA recently visited the hallmarks of American golf? Congressional, Torrey Pines, fucking Olympia Fields! The true greats! Let me tell you, when the final put drops on a fine spring Sunday in Augusta, guess what I'm looking forward to the most? You guessed it. Tree-lined, rough-choked ribbons of beautifully moist bluegrass in an oppressively humid and thunderstorm prone area of our great country, that's what! You know, the kind of rough so dank that you could roll that kush and sell it on Colfax Ave baby! And damn if Mike Davis and his cronies aren't going to ruin that dream for a second year in a row.

[Terry Lavin]

Ben,

Plenty of people cast broadsides against Torrey and Congressional and Olympia Fields. That is the thought for this provocative thread. Thanks for biting...er..,posting.

[Jud_T]

I loved watching the match play there and am intrigued by the "it's what Erin Hills wishes it was" concept.  Any U.S. Open where one has to consider what happens after the ball lands ON EVERY SHOT brings it one event closer to being in the same ballpark of viewing interest as the British Open, at least in this household.  Only problem for me is that it's going to have to be ridiculously good to stop me from heading directly to Bandon any time soon.

[David_Tepper]

Speaking of Mike Davis, here are some comments from him on the course:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2015/04/27/usga-director-learn-chambers-bay-or-you-wont-win-us-open/26474785/

[David Davis]

As far as I'm concerned it will be awesome to see. The anticipation is similar to the excitement and doubt that existed around Pinehurst. Anything closer to links golf will be a huge improvement on the long lush treelined slogs with 15 cm rough protecting fairways that are 6 paces wide that is often the US Open.

I hope the wind is up and fierce and comes in from a different direction everyday.