From the second you step out of the clubhouse, you get that feeling. There are adequate grounds for golf, there are great grounds for golf, and then there are a few immortal grounds for golf; the kind of courses worthy of hosting two of the game's oldest and most challenging championships.
Before I even boarded the shuttle bus to get down to see the starter, I was blown away by Chambers Bay. High above the massive quarry that wraps its arms around the course, the clubhouse hovers, giving you a wide shot of Robert Trent Jones' masterpiece. From the top, you can see the Olympic Mountains, the famous "sound," and what are soon to be 18 famous holes. They'll be introduced to the golfing public at this year's US Amateur, and then again in 2015, when Chambers hosts the US Open.
Okay, so I was late. Who knew there would be so much traffic on I-5 in Tacoma, just south of Seattle? My caddie, that's who. Nick immediately directed me to the practice green before teeing off. He said the greens might be a few notches slower than what I was used to; the undulations may be more severe; and the putts I would face were sure to be a bit longer (Chambers has some massive green complexes and I rarely cozy up to a pin).
First hole heads out toward the sound. You can see it from every hole. The first is a great starter and shares a fairway with the 18th, ala "The Old Course." The third hole is a great par 3 with a massive, fierce, and sometimes steep bunker running along the left side. I hooked it left. From the sand, Nick suggested my first "backboard shot," using the high point behind the hole to funnel the ball back towards the cup. I employed this technique throughout the round (didn't hit many greens).
The par 4 fifth was pretty cool. It's the only hole on the course with two greens. They've got a little, driveable green that's short and left, but it is also well guarded by a big bunker. The day I played, they were using the far green, which makes the hole some 80 yards longer. The plan is to switch greens each day of tournament play to spice things up a bit.
8 is a long 3-shotter. It's a great hole but I don't want to talk about it. I would have loved an 8 on this hole.
9 tee offers one of the best views on the course. It's a par 3. The guy cutting the cups must have been in a foul mood the day I played; he cut one short and left, leaving a scary shot. Nick told me to land it 15 short and 15 paces left. With some unexpected divine intervention, I did. The ball kicked right and rolled to 8 feet.
They recommend you take caddies at Chambers Bay; its good advice. Reading the greens, at times, may seem like reading something written in Latin. It's uphill but looks downhill or its 2 feet right instead of 2 cups. The caddie reads alone saved me from a triple digit massacre.
My favorite hole was the 10th, another par 4 extending towards Puget Sound. The hole narrows as you climb uphill closer to the green, which is framed and surrounded by massive dunes. This hole, in particular, exemplifies why the call Chambers Bay a true links experience. This is the kind of hole they put on the cover of Irish or Scottish golf brochures.
The stretch between 15 and 17 is one I won't forget. 15 is a par 3 that plays towards the sound and the mountains. In front is another one of Jones' huge craggy bunkers and behind the hole is the lone fir for which the par 3 is named. You can hear the waves hitting the shore. I had a moment of pure golf nirvana before I yanked an 8 iron right.
16 is a classic par four playing along the water, a la Pebble or Whistling. Beautiful hole, made even better when a train went rumbling by between the fairway and the water. 17 offered more eye candy, a par 3 with the sound in the background right, and some massive concrete walls leftover from the old rock quarry on the left. Again, Nick asked for trust and told me to "miss" left and I did. The ball kicked right and rolled 30 feet, leaving me with a nice 6 footer.
Chambers' pays homage to the birthplace of golf. Flying your approaches to the flag is not recommended; running your ball up to the green is often the play. Nick tells me just about every pro that's played here (and there have been dozens) didn't manage to break 70; it'll play more than 7,400 yards from the tips.
I have to admit, I had been anticipating my round here for months. I knew this was a course that was still getting a lot of buzz, but had not been played by too many people yet. I happened to snap hook 80% of my drives on that fateful day, but strangely, my short game was Phil-like, and I had a great afternoon. The sun was setting over Puget Sound and the distant mountain range as we leisurely strolled up 18.
Beautiful day in the Northwest. Incredible service. Unforgettable round. Unbelievable Course. Life, and golf, doesn't get much better. Throw Chambers Bay into my top 5, and make sure you add it to your bucket list (and bring your camera).
Next week I'll try to tackle TPC Twin Cities a week before the senior tour comes to town. Hopefully the empty grandstands will kick some of my snap-hooks back towards the fairway. I'll let you know how it goes. Until then, fairways and greens.