greggdrews
Active member
I like the idea of how much they can change the holes up. Also love them hitting off of uneven tee boxes like 99% of us have to do all the time. Looking forward to this more and more.
Chambers Bay: Will it Be a Good Site for the U.S. Open?
LordByron
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I have always heard that the U.S. Open is supposed to be the most intense mental test of golf. 2-3% grade slope on a tee box here or there isn't much but its just enough to get in a guys head. I'm not sure if I like it or not, but throwing additional variables at tour players seems kind of fun to me.
Dr RosenRosen
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- #53
There may be some merit to Ryan Palmer's claim that the green complexes are ridiculous. For example, #7's green had to be completely redone because it determined to be too difficult. Before the change, I watched my playing partner stuff an iron from 125 on the right side of the green, only to have the ball catch a slope and roll past him leaving him 135 yards. (Actually one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen on a golf course.) On that same green, I had [miraculously] ended up behind the green in two. I finished with an 8 on the hole. (Part difficulty. Part terrible short game...)
#12 is also diabolical depending on the pin position. There is a massive slope in the middle of the green. One time, the pin was right on the edge of the slope. Every person in our group had a 4 putt or worse...(Pretty depressing considering it is a driveable par 4.)
#9 is also crazy in that any shot hit to the middle of the green will end up in the bunkers below the hole.
That being said, the USGA has had years to consider how balls will land on the green. The USGA completely changed two green complexes (#7 and #13 I think??) because they were deemed unreasonable for the PGA players. I doubt the USGA will allow the greens to play and roll in absurd ways.
#12 is also diabolical depending on the pin position. There is a massive slope in the middle of the green. One time, the pin was right on the edge of the slope. Every person in our group had a 4 putt or worse...(Pretty depressing considering it is a driveable par 4.)
#9 is also crazy in that any shot hit to the middle of the green will end up in the bunkers below the hole.
That being said, the USGA has had years to consider how balls will land on the green. The USGA completely changed two green complexes (#7 and #13 I think??) because they were deemed unreasonable for the PGA players. I doubt the USGA will allow the greens to play and roll in absurd ways.
The most recently linked article said the greens would be running at 12 or 12.5. I don't remember all the greens like you, but I remember enough of them with their big undulations and unusual shapes and thought "oh boy, that's going to be brutal"...especially considering it was hard enough the 3 or 4 times I played it when our common complaint was the greens were weirdly slow.
I acknowledge it is arbitrary, but somehow the potential of too fast greens for their natural slope creating super hard playing conditions seems perfectly fine to me, especially for an US Open.
cjroman
Club Hoing Ain't Easy
Poulter is a twit...I wouldn't think many of his peers pay any mind to what he opines about.
sparksjr
Active member
so do you guys who actually have played this course have fun when you are there? kinda sounds miserable.
I was with THPers every time, so of course I had fun.
Dr RosenRosen
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- #60
I have loved it every time I play it. I really enjoy courses that make you think. Chambers makes you think and play shots differently than any other course I've ever played.
Both times I played it I really enjoyed it. As others have said, it's a very unique course and you have to think your way around it to score well. Knowing where the bounces go is key.
If those greens are really rolling at 12 or so though, it's gonna be a circus. There are some serious slopes on some of the greens.
If those greens are really rolling at 12 or so though, it's gonna be a circus. There are some serious slopes on some of the greens.
impistolpete
Esquire
The greens are so much better than they were when I played with Frank last year.
The fairways are wide but can punish a drive that misses the landing zone. Same with the greens - bad shots punished and good shots rewarded.
I can't wait. Going Tuesday and Saturday.
The fairways are wide but can punish a drive that misses the landing zone. Same with the greens - bad shots punished and good shots rewarded.
I can't wait. Going Tuesday and Saturday.
I'll be there Saturday as well. Hoping parking and transportation isn't a complete freaking nightmare hahaha
Dr RosenRosen
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- #65
I'll be there Monday - Wednesday and Friday. Taking my kids for two of the practice rounds. That should be an adventure in itself.
Spieth has one
SaskeyInWash
New member
Thet also redesigned part of the 1st green and took out some slope from the left half of the 8th green since that US AM to get more balls to stay on the green.
All in all, I don't give a rats ass if the pros like it or hate it.
For me it'll be pretty special to have a Major being played on a course I've played and can relate to. It should be some awesome viewing, either in person or on the tube.
For me it'll be pretty special to have a Major being played on a course I've played and can relate to. It should be some awesome viewing, either in person or on the tube.
SaskeyInWash
New member
I don't believe the USGA gives a rats ass either, its one of a couple tournaments a year that it could be placed in a parking lot and all the pros would show up. 9000+ people signed up for US Open qualifying this year.
BrianW
Active member
As for the transportation, when Sahalee hosted PGA and US Senior open parking was at Marymoor Park and had buses driving people to and from the course. It worked just fine. It was about a 15 minute bus ride as I recall. Ive played Chambers Bay twice and shot 94 both times. Didnt seem crazy hard to me. That was from the white tees. I did think the greens were not that good. Its not my favorite course in the area, but that might be my lack of exposure to links type courses. I did like Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes much better.
Philly Golf Guy
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Here are some great quotes from Davis about CB and the US Open.
“I would contend that there is no way a player would have success here at Chambers Bay unless he really studies the golf course and learns it,” said Davis, chief of tournament organiser the United States Golf Association.
“The idea of coming in and playing two practice rounds and having your caddie just walk it and using your yardage book, that person's done. [They ] will not win the US Open.”
Davis added: "There's going to be some players who just love this ground game, who love the imagination, who embrace it. Then there's other players who just want predictability. It would not be a US Open if we didn't get some chirping."
The players have so many options that you're going to see a group of three players where somebody may hit driver, somebody may hit a three wood, and then somebody else will hit a long iron.
“I would contend that there is no way a player would have success here at Chambers Bay unless he really studies the golf course and learns it,” said Davis, chief of tournament organiser the United States Golf Association.
“The idea of coming in and playing two practice rounds and having your caddie just walk it and using your yardage book, that person's done. [They ] will not win the US Open.”
Davis added: "There's going to be some players who just love this ground game, who love the imagination, who embrace it. Then there's other players who just want predictability. It would not be a US Open if we didn't get some chirping."
The players have so many options that you're going to see a group of three players where somebody may hit driver, somebody may hit a three wood, and then somebody else will hit a long iron.
Philly Golf Guy
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Norman, a Hall of Famer and three-time PGA top money winner, has played golf around the world. So, he was asked what Chambers reminded him of.
“Nothing … nothing like it,” he said.
It’s a links-style course built on sand and covered by “fine fescue.” American golfers, he said, aren’t used to playing links courses, and certainly not on fescue grass.
And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”
The slopes and undulations will force players to forget the high-flight approaches in favor of low-trajectory punch shots that trace the natural geography of the course.
“A one-dimensional player won’t do well around here,” he predicted. “(It favors) a multidimensional player who can see it and execute the shots he needs to … also a player who can visualize what a ball is going to do rolling out.”
“Nothing … nothing like it,” he said.
It’s a links-style course built on sand and covered by “fine fescue.” American golfers, he said, aren’t used to playing links courses, and certainly not on fescue grass.
And nobody’s ever seen a links course with the vertical terrain of Chambers. “… Links courses with this much elevation change we don’t play,” Norman said. “That’s the big difference.”
The slopes and undulations will force players to forget the high-flight approaches in favor of low-trajectory punch shots that trace the natural geography of the course.
“A one-dimensional player won’t do well around here,” he predicted. “(It favors) a multidimensional player who can see it and execute the shots he needs to … also a player who can visualize what a ball is going to do rolling out.”
Tadashi70
Well-known member
So you're telling me you saw someone stuff, meaning hit it well, a 125 yard shot that ended up 135 yards away on his next shot?
Dr RosenRosen
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- #74
Yup. Craziest thing I've ever seen on a golf course. Felt terrible because this was one of the few good shots the guy hit that day. Just happened to hit it on the wrong quadrant of the green.
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On hole #7 before the redesign there was no reason that couldn't happen. It was insane haha.