The fifteenth at Chambers Bay (C.J. Anderson)

In the second part of my interview with superintendent Dave Wieneke, he discusses the wall-to-wall use of fescue on at Chambers Bay. A mature strand of fescue will play very fast, allowing for the bump and run shots that the course calls for, but achieving this level of density and health takes time. Chambers Bay has also been extremely popular (39,000 rounds in 2008) which has meant a high amount of traffic on the young fescue. While the fairways seem to have come in very well, there are a few spots on the greens that had to be re-sodded this winter. (video after jump)

Dave admits that the greens are the place that have been hardest to establish. It seems that the worst spots are along the edge of greens pinched by a bunker. The foot traffic is funneled in these spots and it is almost impossible to get them dense and healthy.

Chambers Bay’s greens are filled with bold contour and are not meant to be particularly fast. The use of fescue, which can not be mowed too tightly, prevents the greens from ever getting too fast. This has proven to be a point of contention with some of the paying public who are used to lightning fast, bent grass greens. Because the fescue on the greens is still relatively immature, Dave has not been able to get the greens to the speeds that he desires, but in this video he explains what he has been doing to get them rolling faster.

In the last part of the video, Dave talks about their management of the faux-dunes created by Robert Trent Jones Jr. These were seeded directly into the bulldozer tracks and early pictures of the place showed the tracks quite starkly. Some areas have come in quite well and others not so well. Dave discusses these problem spots and what he is doing to address them.

Clearly the wind and weather have eroded some of the tracks, making them look a lot better. Dave’s main concern is getting the areas where the seed did not establish to grow in. This of course is a very delicate task. Over watering and over fertilizing will make these areas a nightmare for anyone unfortunate enough to hit the ball there. Chamber’s Bay has wisely been very cautious about trying to overstimulate these faux-dunes and this has helped make the course playable for all levels of players.

Foe more of the interview with Dave Wieneke  see here. For the interview with Chamebr’s Bay GM Matt Allen see here.

ONE OF THE MANY BEAUTIFUL VIEWS AT CHAMBERS BAY (Courtesy CJ Anderson)

Matt Allen came to Chambers Bay after nine years at Bandon Dunes.  As the General Manager, he is responsible for making things go smoothly in anticipation of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open. In this first part of my interview with him, he discusses the site’s history and how it came to be a golf course. This is a project that took a lot of vision, both by the county executive and then Robert Trent Jones Jr., to create such an audacious golf course. (Video after jump)

Chambers Bay is in the enviable position of having received a blessing by the USGA as one of the best courses in the U.S. As Matt points out, this acknowledgment by the USGA has led to more attention in both the local and national press, which in turn has put Chambers Bay on everybody’s short list of must plays. This surely helps in the course’s effort to educate the public about links golf and fescue greens.

Hopefully, as more and more golfers get to Chambers Bay, they will enjoy this type of golf and return to their home courses with a new appreciation for firm and fast golf. It is through incremental steps that the long held belief in the desirability of green and lush conditions will be overcome. I highly commend Chambers in their effort to help along the cause.

For another video on Chambers Bay click here.

Chambers Bay's Tenth (courtesy of Simonds)

I swung by Chambers Bay in January. It was my first time visiting this course that has garnered so much attention in the last year. The USGA awarded Chambers Bay the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open and I had heard a lot of good things about the place through the grapevine. I played on a wet, foggy day after a number of similar days of rain and the course still played firm and fast. With the exception of one hole, I really liked the course. The green sites are varied and interesting with only a few unnecessary catch basins. The fairways were wide, but there was a definite premium on playing to one side or the other. I found the course very playable, but could see that it would be challenging from all the way back, especially in wind. Chambers Bay is one of the best modern courses that I have played, just a step behind the likes of Pacific Dunes and Sand Hills.

I was able to talk with Dave Wieneke, the course’s superintendent. In this first video (after the jump), he discusses the construction process and working with the Robert Trent Jones Jr. team to make the design play like a natural links.

Dave goes on to talk about how he keeps the fescue healthy and happy by infrequent but deep watering. The sandy soil combined with a fair amount of drainage allows the course to play firm and fast and also to remain open longer and open sooner during and after rain events.

The course is full of opportunities to play bump and run shots both into and around greens. I can imagine being able to putt from thirty or forty yards away from the green on a dry day. I commend the USGA for being bold enough to play their two most prestigious tournaments on this type of course and hopefully it will open the larger golfing public’s eyes to the joy of playing golf along the ground.

For another video on Chambers Bay click here.