March 2009
U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open Championship Preparations
By David Wienecke

This latest installment on USGA Championship Preparations will focus on our newly constructed teeing grounds.  As we look forward to Spring 2009, we welcome you to Chambers Bay, host to the world's best golfers for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open Championships.

Why new tees?
~  A brand new golf course and already building 9 new tees?  To challenge the world's best golfers, we want to take advantage of the size Chambers Bay offers and make each round of the championships vary in length, giving golfers the opportunity to use every club in their bag during the course of a round.  There was nothing wrong with the current teeing ground, but the completion of the new tees means we now have more flexibility in making Chambers Bay a stern test for the best golfers in the world.

Which tees have changed, and by how much?
~  The new tees have added approximately 1 acre of new teeing ground, bringing our total to over 12 acres.  We have constructed a total of 9 new tees on holes 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 15 and 17.  On holes 4, 8 and 17 we added teeing ground in front of the existing tees and we lengthened holes 1, 3, 6, 10, 11 and 15.  The new tees added an average of 24 yards per hole and the overall net increase in course yardage was approximately 179 yards, bringing our total to a maximum of 7,764 yards.

When will these new tees be open for play?
~  Hydroseeding of the new tees was finished Friday, March 6.  The new tees will be open for play when the turf is mature enough to withstand traffic.  This could be as early as 8-10 months.  The new tees on holes 6, 8, 10, 11 and 15 were not designed or expected to be used for daily play, however new tees on 1, 2, 4 and 17 will likely be added to the daily play rotation when they are ready.

How long did tee construction take?
~  Our original plan and budget for the new tees estimated 64 days.  We finished tee construction in 15 days with an extra day to hydroseed, for a total fo 16 days for all 9 new tees.  Based on the results and expected playing characteristics, we are all extremely proud of the work that was done and anxiously await opening these tees for daily play.

Now that the new tees are finished, what is next as you prepare for these Championships?
~  We will soon begin renovation of the 4th green complex.  This week, we began playing the 4th hole as a 336 yard par 4 with an alternate green.  One of the great benefits of having fescue turf from tee to green is that by simply changing the mowing height and cultivation of an area in the fairway, we are able to create a new putting surface that will provide similar conditions to those found on our other greens.  We expect to play the 4th hole as a par 4 through the 2009 season, with an eye toward opening the renovated green in 2010.  This renovation will allow us to provide Championship level turf conditions and playability.

~  The new construction for the practice center and driving range is scheduled to begin in April and be completed this summer.  We began working on the putting green, fairway and tee turf this past fall and these procedures are in full production to achieve uniform density and firm, fast playing conditions.  Additionally, our weed removal on the dunes was finished in February and we continue working on improving dune turf cover and quality in our ecosystem management.  

Look for further updates on our progress and next time you visit Chambers Bay, make sure you take time to see the results for yourself!