Charlton said they were constantly thinking “outside of the box” for the project. They wanted to have echoes of some of the great European courses such as the Old Course at St. Andrews and Royal Dornoch in Scotland and Ballybunion or Royal County Down in Ireland, yet still have its own identity and character.
Your first impression, as you look down from a high point along the Grandview trail that parallels the eastern border, is that it’s conspicuously devoid of trees. You see ribbons of green fairways among soft-shouldered dunes. For anyone who loves golf, it gets the blood churning.
Three of the holes near the starter’s hut are roughy parallel, No. 1, No. 18 — which share a fairway — and No. 10. Huge sandy dunes which frame the holes appear to be in a quite natural setting. But these holes, particularly No. 1 and No. 10, had to be shaped out of a 60-foot dune wall that ran across the length of all three holes. The fairways have been lowered 45 feet to allow the golfers to drive through.
You also will notice a half dozen giant concrete walls parallel to the 18th fairway. These are the remnants of gravel sorting bins once used by the mining companies. The designers loved them and incorporated them into the ambiance, believing that they not only retain the area’s character but
offer a
sort of “Stonehenge” appeal.
The first three holes, along with No. 15, 16, 17 and No. 18 tee, are adjacent to the water, with wonderful views of water traffic and the Fox, McNeil, Anderson and Ketron Islands. No. 2 tee is actually sheltered by dunes but on the second shot the Sound is revealed.
“You touch the water early and late,” Blasi said. “We tried to build that sense of drama.”
Besides the high dunes, there is an abundance of sandy waste areas. They are to be avoided, if possible, but you can play out of them. It takes a delicate shot because your club might pick up some of the heavy sand as it whips through.
One of the course’s most vast waste areas — seven acres — is just off the tee and along the right side in a very difficult par 4, 480-yard (sand tees), dogleg-right, mostly uphill No. 4 hole. Like many of the holes, however, a golfer can bump-and-run a shot up the left side of the fairway onto the green, using side and kick slopes to guide the ball toward the three-tier surface.
In a unique twist certainly for this region (but a throwback to ancient times), the golfer has a choice of two greens on No. 5. You can go the short route, to a par 4, 320-yard green on the left side or one that is 441 yards away down the middle.
During some pre-opening rounds to assess the course, there was some discussion that holes No. 7, 8 and 9 are the “Amen Corner” of Chambers Bay because of their difficulty. There’s some argument for that. The par-4, 449-yard (sand tees) No. 7 is perhaps the most difficult to par because it’s all uphill, there’s a large waste area on the right with two dunes in the center of the fairway and a roller coaster green. That’s followed by the No. 1 handicap hole, the narrow par-5, 523-yard (602 yards from the tips) No. 8 that has big trouble on both sides. Then No. 9 is a 168-yard, par-3, with a 90-foot drop off onto a smallish green.
No. 12, a short 262-yard, par 4, is the best example of how the architects used the natural setting to subtly crave out a hole. They used the same path used by the miners and kept the dunes protecting the green on either side relatively intact. The green, however, dips and rises dramatically. From the tee, you might be tempted to go for it, which is exactly what the designers want you to do.
Holes such as No. 5, No. 9 and No. 14 have the best vantage points to see the whole layout along with the Sound and islands. It’s breath-taking, especially on the tee from 14.
The par-3, 127-yard No. 15 hole is what many might call the signature hole because of the lone fir behind the green. It’s the course’s natural landmark.
The wind can be a factor — for and against — down the stretch and along the water. No. 16 has a relative pea-sized green, difficult to target. The par-3, 142-yard 17th is surrounded by bunkers and waste area. Then the par-5, 514-yard (604 from the tips) 18th hole is a magnificent final test. The designers shaped a ring of dunes around the hole — just in case 100,000 or so fans want to sit in grandstands to watch the little white ball.
In the meantime, there should be plenty of tee times available between U.S. Opens. Because it’s a Pierce County project, county residents get a break on greens fees. It will cost $85 Monday through Thursday in season and $100 on the weekends, not including caddy fees ($35 plus gratuity). For non-Pierce County residents, the fees jump to $135 and $150.
It is believed that once the word gets out the course can attract close to 40,000 rounds a year. Because the terrain drains so efficiently and there is a “play with the elements” attitude with links golf, the county promoters believe it will have high year-round use.
“In the end, it’s very unique to the area, offering challenges to the top flight players and fun to play for the intermediate and beginning players,” Tipton added. “It’s been quite an evolutionary process to take a property that was not pristine with a moon-like landscape and shape it into the something that’s easy to walk through with these exciting holes. It’s amazing what can be done in 12 to 15 months.”