CHAMBERS BAY
Site of the 2015 U.S. Open / 2010 U.S. Amateur / 2021 USGA Four Ball
Location: University Place, WA
Client: Pierce County, Washington
Opened: June 2007
Budget: $21 million
www.chambersbaygolf.com
Designers: Robert Trent Jones II (Jay Blasi / Bruce Charlton)
Contractor: Heritage Links
Summary: 18-hole municipal course created to reclaim an abandoned sand /gravel mine and drive tourism to Pierce County, Washington. The pure links design, on the shores of Puget Sound, is one of only a few fescue golf courses in the United States. 1.4 million cubic yards of sand were shifted in order to create the golf landscape and provide a suitable base for firm / fast conditions.
MY EXPERIENCE
Chambers Bay was the project of my dreams. It was my first opportunity to be a Project Architect at RTJII, guide a design from start to finish and introduce my own design ideas. It was links golf, truly public, a reclamation project and it was intended to drive tourism and fuel economic development, all things I admired greatly. The process, which consumed most of my time and almost all my thoughts from 2004-2007, was great fun and offered valuable lessons and even better friends. Through our work at Chambers Bay I was able to fulfill my childhood dream of designing a course that would host the U.S. Open. Dreams do come true!
BEFORE & AFTERS
GALLERIES
COURSE PROFILES & AWARDS
Links Magazine – Chambers Bay – Chambers BayChambers Bay provides a unique golf experience alongPuget Sound that is challenging, enthralling and aboveall, great funBy: Hunki Yun… READ MORE
Chambers Bay – Editor’s note: This story was originally published June 16, 2007 Chambers Bay is the most carefully crafted and well-designed municipal… READ MORE
2015 U.S. Open
2010 U.S. Amateur
- #2 Best Course in Washington State – Golfweek Magazine, 2019
- #50 Best Modern Course – Golfweek Magazine, 2019
- #21 Greatest Public Courses – Golf Digest, 2019
- #2 America’s Best Municipal Courses – Golfweek Magazine
- #30 Best Modern Courses – Golfweek Magazine, 2016
- #1 Golf Course in Washington State – Golfweek Magazine, 2015
- #26 America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses – Golf Digest, 2015-16
- #130 America’s Greatest Golf Courses – Golf Digest, 2015-16
- #1 Public Golf Course in Washington State – Golf Digest
- #76 Best Golf Course in the United States – GOLF Magazine, 2015
- #84 Top 100 You Can Play – GOLF Magazine, 2014
- #27 Top 50 Golf Courses of the Last 50 Years – GOLF Magazine
- Recipient of the Audubon International Silver Signature Sanctuary Award Program Certification
- Top Ten Green Golf Courses – LINKS Magazine
- America’s Best New Public Course for 2008 – Golf Digest
- Best New Course You Can Play – GOLF Magazine
- Best New Golf Course Opened in 2007 – Golfweek Magazine
- Course of the Year – Travel + Leisure Magazine
- Top Newcomer in Zagat’s 2009 Top Golf Course Guide
- Golf Odyssey’s list of “Platinum Places: Best New Courses to Put on Your Travel List”
- 2007 Golf Inc. Development of the Year (Daily Fee category)
- Society of American Travel Writers Phoenix Award In the News
- GRAA Top 50 Public Ranges
- 2013/2014/2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence recipient
MY ROLE
Tasks Performed as Project Architect for RTJII
- Served as a key designer & day-to-day manager of the project
- Involved from initial site visit to opening and beyond
- Prepared initial interview presentation
- Participated in all consultant meetings throughout project
- Established the golf course routing
- Developed the strategy for each hole and each course feature
- Conceptualized and implemented the look of the course
- Created the golf course grading plan
- Prepared all construction drawings
- Coordinated and prepared specifications and bidding documents
- Researched U.S. Open infrastructure requirements during design
- Helped facilitate contact with USGA regarding the project
- Served as key designer in the field throughout construction
- Painted every bunker line and flagged all grassing lines
- Designed tee markers, hole signs, flags and provided content for website
