GolfHos

This part of the country is hurting for a major championship layout, we currently have only one that the PGA or USGA have deemed worthy enough. There are rumors that this is a US Open caliber tract of land, I'll let you know. It's spendy and the only reason I'm playing is I have a rich friend who's birthday it is. I'm buying him a Seahawk golf shirt to ease my guilt.  :-[

Sidebar:
My game is still bad, I'm not expecting brilliance, just out for a cheap good time (much like the girl I took to the prom), and to see this course.

http://www.chambersbaygolf.com/layout10.asp?id=173&page=3342

Man, what a gorgeous looking track. 

But what sort of arseholes use a water pattern as the background image for their golf site?   >:(

By the way, I don't see a PGA event or a professional USGA event coming there.  Many/most links (and links wannabee) courses don't lend themselves to crowds at all (*).  That place would be perhaps irreversibly trashed after 50K spectators a day for a week.  Depends on the course I suppose but there doesn't appear to be a lot of crowd room based on those photos.

USGA amateur events, Walker and Curtis Cups, and so forth...  [sm_thumbsup]

* See Bandon, Ballybunnion, Lahinch

Alright, I've just spent 15 minutes on that site and now I'm thoroughly jealous.  I don't know whether to karmlize or smitilize you for playing there without me.   ;D >:( ;D >:( ;D >:( ;D >:(

Wow, that looks incredible.  8)

Bastage...

Did you see the cost? You know I wouldn't be going if not for...

Anytime any of you guys work your way this far north and west we'll go...although going in (and I think MFAWG will agree) I know of several courses as pretty and cheaper around here, my mind may change tomorrow.

Agreed, will let you know tomorrow, photos can be deceiving, I thought I heard rumors about an event in the near (10 years  :-\) future.

Did you see that it's a walking only course? I don't know that I've played a walking only course.

Yup, it's  150 bones PLUS tipping the mandatory caddy, so call it an even 2 bills.

I was thinking about going in late October, but I don't think it's going to happen.

Honestly, I can't see it being worth the price, although my perception might be colored by being very disappointed with Newcastle at about the same price.

$135.00 non county resident, not much better  :-\ $115.00 after October 15.

Caddies are not mandatory.

We are allowed push/pull carts.

Thought this nugget was interesting.
The pull-carts utilized at Chambers Bay are designed for minimal wear and are designed to be wheeled across tees and greens. This allows for an easy transition between holes and a quicker pace of play.

Call it a buckandahalf at 8 pct.

Why WOULDN'T you take a caddie?

The quick answer is...

...I suck.

And I'm playing with guys that suck, in fact it wouldn't be a stretch to say that we are the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.

And I want to pay someone 35 dollars + tip to see me suck why?

Don't answer it's rhetorical.

Thats a sweet looking track and links courses are my favorite. I'll have to let my brother know about this one he goes up to Tacoma 6 times a year to visit a female acquaintance.

That does indeed look sweet. I'll have to add it to my list for future reference.

Gregg,
That's awesome.  Have a great time.

Well? 

I've heard a lot of good things about Chambers Bay already. I'm sure it's going to make all the Best New Course lists, not that such things mean that much. It looks like a lot of fun, so have a great time.

LOL!
OK here goes.I'm trying to be very objective, I was afforded to the opportunity to be objective because I didn't have to pay the 150 dollars, having said that I think if I did pay I would have been sadly unimpressed.

What defines a links course? Is it that it is built hard by the sea and shaped by wind and grazing animals, is it severely undulating greens, I'm not sure, but what I think we have here is a golf course built in a former rock quarry near a body of water calling itself a links course. I thought the walking only thing would be really cool, after about the 5th hole I was drained as I felt I was walking uphill the entire time, seriously uphill, and it wasn't in fact until we reached the 12th hole that the marshal said that was the last uphill hole  :-\

Beautiful course in a very beautiful setting, but one of the few times I would say that a course needs carts, by their own admission (I asked) they do not draw an older crowd and I'm sure it is because they cannot walk this course.

US Open...I don't see it, Uisce hit the nail on the head just from the few pics on their web page, space, where to fit 50,000 people, after seeing the course I agree, we'd be standing in sand and dunes all day.

If you play and the sticker shock doesn't scare you away, bring your most comfortable pair of shoes (I didn't and I think I'm gonna lose a nail) and you better be in shape 'cuz it's a workout.

I gotta remember to turn the date off. This is the 1st and 18th view from clubhouse, note the elevation, cuz you'll be walking up it for the next 2 1/2  hours.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3841.jpg)

Must be 5 straight away 406 yard par 4.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3847.jpg)

Still 5 taken from the tee. Beautiful camera shot.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3848.jpg)

The "Quarry" the wise guy in the group said he was waiting for Mr. Slate to come by, check WIKI if unsure of that reference.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3844.jpg)

9th hole par 3 144 yards severely downhill.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3852.jpg)

Close up same hole, I hit a 9 iron long and left, I think you can see that the green was wicked undulating as most of them were, I told the guys just before I hit I can't get this within 20 feet...2 feet tap in par...one of the few highlights.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3853.jpg)

Bags in carts on greens sped up play, kinda  :P. It's allowed 'cuz they are "Riksha" models.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3857.jpg)

It's a beautiful course, in a beautiful setting but 150 bones, not for me, like I've said before there are much better and much cheaper around here.

I hope MFAWG plays it next month so you can get his take.

You can argue all day about what makes a course a links, but one thing that is pretty universally accepted is that it has to play firm, fast, and with the ability to run the ball. So was it firm around the greens or did you have to fly the ball into holes?

Also, were there uphill holes too? I hate courses that insist on making you climb so that you can hit the downhill shot all day.

It was all that, very firm, very fast, even with the greens having been sanded in the last 3-4 weeks. Of the 14 non par 3 holes I'm guessing 7-10 of them you could have played a bump and run shot from 100 yards in, in fact I distinctly remember putting from 10 yards off on 3 holes.

Uphill shots? Oh yeah...more than you can imagine, nothing blind unless you were in a wrong spot.

But did you enjoy the round? Any time you get to play for free is a good time but was it fun?

It definitely looks young in your photos as compared to the ones on the site.  I imagine it's going to take 2-3 years to grow into itself.

I agree with Blader's assessment about links being primarily defined by the ability to play the ball down.  This means more than just being able to run the ball up on approaches.  It also means having multiple options in doing so.  So many wannabee links courses give you a shaved false front giving you a shot if your drive is in just the right position.  They call this good and break out a big "LINKS COURSE" stamp.   [sm_disgust]

I love being able to stand 140 yards out from the green and try to figure out exactly which of the half-dozen available options I'm going to give a whirl.  That happens very infrequently in the U.S. and never in Utah.  I'm sure some of the A++ designs out there afford you the opportunity but I believe they're few and far between.

Most links courses are not strenuously uphill nor are do they have big drop-offs as shown in your photo.  Seems that might be the quarry history coming into play.  You can only move so much earth.  Which is another point, links courses are built on links land.  Generally there's not much in the way of pushing dirt around to create the course.  The course was already there for millennia and then some day a guy came along and noticed it.

All in all, appears to be a very nice course.  It might not be pure links but we takes what we can get, doesn't we?   :)

Absolutely, good group of guys, we all get along great, it was my buddy's 50th birthday so we were on him all day. Yeah don't get me wrong I had a great time except for one small detail, weatherman said it was going to be 67 and sunny, I did not believe trust him and wore black pants.

I was sweating and dripping in places people should not sweat and drip in.

Post round pic, we were all dead dog tired.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/gvandel454/Golf%20Stuff/100_3859-1.jpg)

Blader and JDerion are one in the same, wow.

I think you just might like this course then, I tried things I haven't tried in years, up to and including the 5 wood from the fringe and an 8 iron knock down from 100 yards.

Very nice...tough walk though.

When you say nice course though (open question to anyone who reads this) does price ever factor into the equation?

(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2000/02/03/Usualsus1.jpg) ...Redfoot, Bugs Marylin, The Barbershop in Skokie...

(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2000/02/03/UsualSus2.jpg) ...KOBAYASHI PORCELEIN...

(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2000/02/03/UsualSus33.jpg)

(http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2000/02/03/UsualSus3.jpg)


Dammit, I knew it!  [sm_oops]

When I think of a nice course the first thing I ask myself is would I play it again or more importantly the desire to play it again. I have to want to play a course again for me to even consider it a "nice" course. Only after that do I consider the cost. Then it goes back to the desire thing again.

Karma.   [sm_thumbsup]

Not in my assessment of the course.  A nice course is a nice course. 

Price is definitely a factor as to whether or not I'll play it again.  Pebble Beach is a nice course but you won't catch me on it again for $475.

Blader is many people.  JDerion is but a few. 

I don't know if these facts are mutual exclusive. 

(http://videowatch.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/verbal.jpg)