2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay Discussion Thread

[colin007]

I'm just glad the pros get to share some of the course conditions us mere mortals play. There's a goat track by me that has uneven tee boxes all over the place. I'd be more than happy to show them around it if they wanted.

I guarantee you that the winner will be someone who will enjoy the challenge of the set up, as opposed to someone who hates the set up.

yeah, some of the courses i play are ridiculous for the slopes of the tee boxes.  some are either concave or convex.

[HawkNballs]

I'm from the Seattle area and I played Chambers Bay two years ago.  It's tough to explain, but I would call it a hybrid of a links/mountain course.  The whole course is built on the side of a huge hill.  Tough track. It will be very interesting to see what they do when the freight trains roll by.  Some of them are pretty long!

We had a caddy with us.  Every tee box, he would point to a cliff a 100 yards behind us and tell us that's where the pros will be teeing off from.  Crazy course.  I'm not a fan of fescue greens, but it was beautiful.

It bums me out that some pros are already bad mouthing it.  I was hoping it wouldn't be a one-and-done, but it very well might be.  We never get any tournaments here (other than the Champion's tour Boeing Classic and Sahali once for the PGA Championship).

I will be there on the Wednesday to watch the practice rounds.  I will be yelling at Poulter... telling him outfits are a farce.

[HawkNballs]

There was some sloped tee boxes when I played, but figured they were temporary.  Not cool if it's like that for an Open.

I could camp out at the #9 par 3 all day and see the pros trying to keep their ball on that green.  Holy BALLZ, Batman!

[BallStriker]

They "may" put a tee on a uphill or downhill slope, or even a side hill, but they will be very, very slight.....there will be nothing that a PGA Tour pro couldn't make an adjustment to.....just Mike Davis playing mind games.....

Much ado about nothing imo

[Golfingdad]

They "may" put a tee on a uphill or downhill slope, or even a side hill, but they will be very, very slight.....there will be nothing that a PGA Tour pro couldn't make an adjustment to.....just Mike Davis playing mind games..... Much ado about nothing imo

Is that like how they threatened to furrow the bunkers at Oakmont a few years ago? They didn't follow through with that one either, did they?

[Chilli Dipper]

Is that like how they threatened to furrow the bunkers at Oakmont a few years ago? They didn't follow through with that one either, did they?

Oakmont has always furrowed their bunkers, including the last U.S. Open held there.

[colin007]

any idea of how much of a slope we are talking about potentially teeing off from?  like % numbers?

[iacas]

Oakmont has always furrowed their bunkers, including the last U.S. Open held there.

That's not quite right.

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/golf/2006/06/15/U-S-Open-Notebook-Oakmont-eyes-tougher-bunkers-in-07/stories/200606150376

They haven't furrowed the bunkers in the U.S. Open since 1962 (when the greenside bunkers only were furrowed).

[HawkNballs]

I play on some pretty gnarly tee boxes, but I'm not in the US open.  It's hard to find a piece of grass to put your tee in... or get a level stance at some munis.  I think the tee box should always be flat.  Of course, the pros know how to handle it, but it seems lame.  Did they create these tee boxes on purpose or did they just kind of end up that way.

[HawkNballs]

What are furrowed bunkers?

[iacas]

What are furrowed bunkers?

http://thesandtrap.com/b/pga/pga_tour_nicklaus_experiment_with_furrowed_bunkers_at_memorial

[HawkNballs]

Thanks, iacas!

[ccotenj]

What are furrowed bunkers?

at the risk of going ot, something that they should have at EVERY course they play...

[Stretch]

I'm going to the International Sectional US Open qualifier at Walton Heath on May 25th. It's a 36-hole day over two great courses with no ropes etc. and a great chance to see some of the top Euro pros and amateurs up close. Plus it's free.

[nevets88]

I'm going to the International Sectional US Open qualifier at Walton Heath on May 25th. It's a 36-hole day over two great courses with no ropes etc. and a great chance to see some of the top Euro pros and amateurs up close. Plus it's free.

Just some random observations.

• It seems a lot of close friends and families go to these (duh). I've been often asked which family member/friend I was following - I'm just here for the golf... awkward...
• The spectators are the total opposite of those of your mashed potato yelling variety (duh, again.)
• I've gotten to walk some ultra exclusive private courses and learned to ignore the do not enter signs.
• You can overhear reporter banter at the range or wherever the dish is setup, the stuff they say when they know it's off the record.
• After you go to a couple of these, dealing w/the crowd at a regular event becomes way less palatable. I'll just watch it on the telly thanks.
• While you see some amazing shots, a lot of times you expect a good shot, and man, they come up with some stinkers. I mean mercy flush stinkers.

[BallStriker]

Played Chambers yesterday....quite a ride and I have no doubt that there will be a LOT of player grumbling over course set-up......it is playing pretty firm and fast, so I am not sure that the longer players will have a huge advantage, even if they massively stretch it out....and it is going to be SLOW.....the combination of the green complexes and speed is just unreal right now (we played them at about a 10 on the stimp and they are saying maybe 11 for the tournament).....and they have everything around the green shaved tight with a ton of runoff into bunkers.....so tight in fact that there are spots you simply cannot tell where the green starts (they will obviously need to do "something" to better identify the collar because there are spots where you have no clue if you are on the green and able to mark your ball..............

Here are a couple of pics from the 9th tee

[BallStriker]

[HawkNballs]

Played Chambers yesterday....quite a ride and I have no doubt that there will be a LOT of player grumbling over course set-up......it is playing pretty firm and fast, so I am not sure that the longer players will have a huge advantage, even if they massively stretch it out....and it is going to be SLOW.....the combination of the green complexes and speed is just unreal right now (we played them at about a 10 on the stimp and they are saying maybe 11 for the tournament).....and they have everything around the green shaved tight with a ton of runoff into bunkers.....so tight in fact that there are spots you simply cannot tell where the green starts (they will obviously need to do "something" to better identify the collar because there are spots where you have no clue if you are on the green and able to mark your ball..............

Here are a couple of pics from the 9th tee

How were the greens?  I was there two years ago and the grass wasn't very dense at all on the greens.  Maybe that's just the way fescue grass is?  I didn't like them at all.

My ball landed on the green, above the 9th pin.  I had to putt downhill to the pin that day.  There was no way to stop the ball (other than making the putt)  My ball rolled past the hole and into that front bunker.  The only way to keep it on the green from the back is to putt it sideways 30 ft AWAY from the hole.  9 will be fun to watch.

How did you shoot?