Chambers Bay facts for kids
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Chambers Bay Golf Course
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| Club information | |
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 Location in the United States
Location in Washington (state)
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| Coordinates | 47°12′N 122°34′W / 47.20°N 122.57°W |
| Location | University Place, Washington, U.S. |
| Established | June 23, 2007 18 years ago |
| Type | Public |
| Owned by | Pierce County |
| Operated by | KemperSports |
| Total holes | 18 |
| Tournaments hosted | U.S. Amateur (2010), U.S. Open (2015), U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (2021), U.S. Women's Amateur (2022) |
| Greens | Poa annua (full green replacement 2017-2019), formerly fine fescue |
| Website | chambersbaygolf.com |
| Designed by | Robert Trent Jones Jr. |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,585 yards (6,936 m) |
| Course rating | 78.1 (Teal) |
| Slope rating | 146 (Teal) |
Chambers Bay is a famous public golf course located in University Place, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It sits right on the beautiful Puget Sound. This course is designed in a special "links" style, like the old golf courses in Britain. Pierce County owns Chambers Bay, and it first opened for golfers on June 23, 2007. It has hosted several big golf tournaments, including the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and the U.S. Open in 2015.
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Designing the Golf Course
Chambers Bay was designed by a well-known golf course architect named Robert Trent Jones Jr.. The golf course covers about 250-acre (100 ha) of land. It is the main part of a much larger 930-acre (380 ha) park owned by the county.
Pierce County bought this land in 1992 for $33 million. Before it became a golf course, the area was a large quarry where sand and gravel were dug up. It was also a popular spot for people who enjoyed riding off-road vehicles and dirt bikes.
John Ladenburg Sr., who was the Pierce County Executive at the time, had the idea to build this golf course. He wanted it to be good enough to host major championships like the U.S. Open. Building the course was a big and expensive project, and some people worried it was a waste of money. However, when the U.S. Open came to Chambers Bay, it brought in about $134 million for the local economy. This showed that the project was a success. By August 2022, Chambers Bay had hosted four national championships in its first 15 years.
Building the Course
During construction, a huge amount of dirt and sand was moved. Workers took out about 1.4 million cubic yards (which is over 100,000 truckloads!). This material was cleaned and then brought back to shape the golf course. At the time, the land was still allowed to operate as a mine. This meant there were fewer rules for the architects, making it easier to create the course's unique design.
Playing at Chambers Bay
Chambers Bay offers five different sets of tees for golfers. These range in length from 5,250 to 7,585 yards (4,800 to 6,935 m). Since it is a public course, people who live in Pierce County get special discounted prices to play.
The course is designed for walkers only. This means you walk the entire course instead of riding in a golf cart. You can choose to hire a caddie to help you, but it is not required. Golf carts are only allowed for players with medical conditions or disabilities. If you use a cart, you must also hire a caddie to drive it.
One unique feature of Chambers Bay is its greens. They do not have a "fringe" area, which is usually a slightly longer grass around the putting green. Instead, the fairway grass smoothly transitions right into the green.
Chambers Bay is also known for having only one tree on the entire course. This single Douglas fir tree stands proudly behind the 15th green.
How the Course is Run
KemperSports Management, based in Northbrook, Illinois, operates Chambers Bay. This company also manages other famous golf courses, like Bandon Dunes in Oregon.
The golf course is part of a larger area called Chambers Creek Properties. This property offers many other fun activities besides golf. There is a three-mile (5 km) walking trail that loops around the area. Part of this trail even goes through the west side of the golf course.
In 2016, there was a plan to build a resort at Chambers Bay. This resort would include an 80-room hotel, spaces for events and meetings, and a restaurant by famous chef Tom Douglas.
After the 2015 U.S. Open, the local economy saw a big boost. It is estimated that the tournament brought in about $150 million in new money. Most of this came from tourism and service industries.
Major Golf Events
Chambers Bay has been chosen to host several important golf championships. The United States Golf Association (USGA) selected it for the U.S. Amateur in 2010 and the U.S. Open in 2015.
For the 2010 U.S. Amateur, Chambers Bay was set up as a par-71 course, measuring 7,742 yards (7,079 m). At the time, this made it the longest course in USGA history! However, this record was broken the very next year by another course.
All tickets for the final round and weekly passes for the 2015 U.S. Open sold out almost a year before the event. The tournament was eventually won by golfer Jordan Spieth.
Chambers Bay also hosted the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship in 2021. This "Four-Ball" event is one of the newest championships created by the USGA. In May 2021, the USGA announced that Chambers Bay would host the 2022 United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship as well.
Course Challenges
During the 2015 U.S. Open, some golfers found the greens at Chambers Bay challenging. The course's design and the condition of the greens were different from what many players were used to.
In 2017, the type of grass on the greens was changed. Originally, the greens had fine fescue grass. However, in the weeks before the 2015 U.S. Open, warm and dry weather meant the greens needed more water. This allowed another type of grass, called poa annua, to grow more easily. Eventually, the course decided to let the greens fully transition to poa annua.
