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

Autumn has officially replaced summer at Chambers Bay.  To the casual observer seeing our outstanding course conditions and the flurry of activity by the Turf Care staff, there are no signs of anything slowing down. The focus of this edition of the Superintendent's update will be on the distinctive and unique things we are engaged in as we count down to the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship.

~ USGA Update
Larry Gilhuly, Director of the Northwest office of the USGA Green Section, completed his most recent site evaluation in October.  Firmness measurements using the TruFirm machine confirm the benefits of our cultivation and sand topdressings this year.  We also finalized the new rough lines and associated reduced fairway width, in addition to outlining the dune areas to be hydroseeded.  Chambers Bay will be the first public golf course to host a U.S. Amateur Championship, and in preparing the golf course for the world's best amateur golfers, our focus will be on the following:
~ Firm and fast conditions, achieved through an aggressive plan of cultivation and sand topdressing green complexes, fairways and tees.
~ Edging bunkers to define hazard perimeters and restore originally intended designed elements.
~ Completing weed removal on dune areas, followed by hydroseeding tall dunes that frame each hole.

~ Distinctive elements of Chambers Bay
There are a number of aesthetic and competitive elements that make Chambers Bay a unique and exciting Championship venue.  Some of the following will be highlighted throughout the Championship:
~ Spectacular views of soaring Bald Eagles, Osprey, hawks and other birds; Ketron, Anderson, McNeil and Fox Islands; Mt. Rainier to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west, all framing our panoramic view of the shimmering waters of Puget Sound.
~ Firm, true links style greens, tees and fairways with rolling surrounds.  There is not a flat lie anywhere on the golf course.
~ Focus on environmental stewardship.  As the First Audubon Silver Signature certified golf course to host of U.S. Open Championship, Chambers Bay has a very natural look and feel.
~ Chambers Bay will host, according to the USGA's Mike Davis, the first major golf championship played on 100% fine fescue turf, from tee to green.  In addition to providing unique playing conditions, fescue turf is very thrifty with regards to irrigation requirements and also very tolerant of hot and dry weather, allowing us to provide fast and firm turf no matter what type of weather we encounter.

~ Championship Challenges
Turf Loss:  Last year we witnessed significant turf loss due to foot traffic literally wearing out the grass.  We have minimized turf loss by implementing a number of cultural procedures aimed at reducing turf loss.  The combination of these cultural procedures and traffic management including staking, signage and roping help us rotate wear patterns.  When sod replacement is required, we are backed up by a new 22,000 square foot turf nursery.    

Putting Surfaces:  Many complaints about the quality of the putting surfaces at Chambers Bay reflect a misunderstanding on links golf and fescue turf.  Links golf was born on windswept sand dunes between the ocean and the land.  As a result, true links courses have no trees with wildly undulating topography.  The best route from playable turf into the hole is usually an indirect line following the irregular contours.  If these undulating linksland greens had ball roll similar to the 13'-14' seen at the parkland creeping bentgrass greens of 2009 U.S. Amateur site Southern Hills Country Club, no one would be able to keep their golf ball on the green.  To the golfer uninitiated to links golf, the greens at Chambers Bay may seem slow.  The turf goal on linksland greens focus on smoothness and uniform firmness rather than on ball roll distance of high Stimpmeter measurements.  The USGA chose Chambers Bay to host the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open Championships precisely because it is uniquely distinctive and different, yet true to the spirit and origins of the game.  PGA Tour member Ryan Moore has said that what he likes about Chambers Bay is how each hole in so distinctive and different from the golfing experience professional players see at most other golf courses worldwide.  Comparing Chambers Bay to other golf courses is like travelling to France and expecting everyone to speak English and spend American money.

Sand:  Sand is the essential ingredient in fine fescue turf linksland course management and conditioning.  We apply sand year round (weather permitting) to maintain firm, smooth and uniform playing conditions.  In other golf environments, cultivation and sand are the bane of the golfer.  The result of all the sand at Chambers Bay is improved putting surface smoothness, firmness and uniformity in playing conditions, which are the hallmark of true links golf.  Golfers often tell us they are pleasantly surprised by the playing conditions seen following these cultural procedures.  Sand and fine fescue combined with linksland create firm and fast playing conditions year round. 

Come by for a visit to our trails, golf course, restaurant and golf shop to see all that is going on at Chambers Bay.  The U.S. Amateur will take place August 23-29 at Chambers Bay and the Home Course.  The event will be broadcast on NBC and The Golf Channel worldwide.  For more information and volunteer opportunities, visit the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship website at www.2010usamateur.com.