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September 2008
U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open Championship Preparations
The championship tradition that began during initial planning continues. This is the first installment in the series on Championship preparations for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open scheduled to be held at Chambers Bay. Stay tuned for more Championship news updates in future months.
~ The planning process in now in full swing as the USGA has partnered with Pierce County and KemperSports to enhance the Robert Trent Jones II designed course. Larry Gilhuly, Director of the USGA Northwest Region Green Section has now made two Turf Advisory Service Visits to Chambers Bay, focusing on Championship preparations.
~ The USGA made it clear that their primary focus is to support developing and maintaining firm and fast playing conditions on greens, tees and fairways. Firm and fast greens are being developed and maintained by weekly cultivation and sand topdressing. The topdressing is supplemented with grooming, rolling and mowing 4 to 7 times per week. Chambers Bay will be the first modern golf championship to be played on 100% fine fescue greens.
~ Sand topdressing is planned in conjunction with cultivation on all tees and fairways at least twice more this year. A minimum of 4 to 6 more sand topdressings and cultivations are planned for each year in 2009 and 2010 to develop and maintain firm, fast conditions on all turf at Chambers Bay.
~ Course improvements planned to begin by December 2008, and scheduled to be finished by Spring of 2010 include: a) construction of a new practice facility, b) construction of new tees on holes 1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 15, and 17, c) rebuilding many of the sand bunkers to develop and maintain the bunker edges envisioned by RTJII, and d) removing noxious and invasive broadleaf weeds in dunes as well as planting new fine fescue turf to cover dunes where planting has been sparse.
~ Mike Davis, USGA Senior Director of Rules and Competitions, is scheduled to visit Chambers Bay near the end of September to monitor Championship progress and to finalize locations for fairway width and rough turf changes envisioned for both Championships.
~ During the Championships, holes 13 and 18 will both be played as par 4s.
The Chambers Bay golfer can witness some of these course improvements during daily play. Based on these plans, daily players will experience the firm and fast conditions 12 months a year, which is unique in the Pacific Northwest. Many of last winter's Chambers Bay golfers were pleasantly surprised by the summer-like course conditions they encountered. Plan now to visit Chambers Bay, where you can play a rare links golf course and have the best golfers in the world follow in your footsteps. Each month will be something new!
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