There are few places in golf that ask as much of you — or reward you so fully — as Chambers Bay.
It is a course built on contradictions: rugged and refined, brutal and beautiful, public and yet unforgettable. One moment, you’re climbing a windswept ridge, the next you’re watching your ball ride a 50-yard slope like a wave breaking toward Puget Sound. It’s golf on the edge: of the continent, of tradition and of your comfort zone.
This isn’t a course that flatters. It doesn’t seduce with lush, ornamental perfection. It dares you instead — to walk, to think, to adapt. To earn your round one stride at a time. Built on the bones of a gravel mine and shaped by the same glacial forces that carved the Pacific Northwest, Chambers Bay is a modern echo of the ancient game. It is a course that reimagines what public golf can be, that redefines links golf in an American voice, and that challenges you to meet it on its own terms — with a clear head, a soft touch, and a strong pair of legs.
This is not just a round of golf. It’s a journey across a living landscape — one that whispers history, howls with wind, and leaves a mark long after the final putt drops. Here are 10 things to know before you go.
1. Chambers Bay Golf: toughest Walk in golf
Chambers Bay wasn’t just designed for walking — it was designed to demand it. From the very first routing plans, Robert Trent Jones II envisioned a course where every contour of the land would be experienced on foot. There are no shortcuts here, no carts to flatten the journey. Just a winding, undulating path through fescue-covered dunes and along the edge of Puget Sound.
But let’s be clear: this is not a gentle stroll. Chambers Bay is widely regarded as one of the toughest walks in golf. The elevation changes are significant. The transitions from green to tee can be steep. And with the ever-present wind off the Sound, even a calm day can feel like an endurance test. Yet it’s this very effort that makes Chambers Bay unforgettable. To walk this course is to commit fully — to the game, to the land, and to the moment. You’ll feel every yard, see every angle, and earn every shot.
There’s beauty in the burn of your legs as you crest another dune and take in the snow-capped Olympic Mountains in the distance. There’s rhythm in the sound of your spikes on gravel paths and firm fescue. And there’s satisfaction in reaching the 18th green knowing you’ve experienced golf in its most traditional and authentic form. A caddie can help lighten the physical load (and we’ll get to them soon), but the walk — that’s non-negotiable. And honestly, would you want it any other way?
2. Chambers Bay Golf: Public & Proud
Chambers Bay isn’t just one of America’s great golf courses — it’s one of its great public golf stories. Built on reclaimed land, owned by Pierce County, and open to all, Chambers Bay represents what golf can be when ambition meets accessibility. This is not a course guarded by gates or reserved for members-only tee sheets. It is a place where anyone with a love for the game — and the stamina to walk it — can trace the same footsteps as the world’s best. You don’t need a private invitation to play where Jordan Spieth won his second major. You don’t need connections to take on a U.S. Open venue. All you need is a tee time — and a pair of good walking shoes.
Chambers Bay was created with the belief that championship golf could, and should, belong to the people. That a world-class experience didn’t have to be hidden behind exclusivity. And that by opening its fairways to everyone, it could inspire the next generation — from local kids with borrowed clubs to visiting pilgrims chasing bucket list rounds. It’s rarefied air that doesn’t require a country club badge. And that’s something to celebrate.
3. Chambers Bay US Open legacy
In 2015, Chambers Bay did what few public courses ever dream of: it hosted the U.S. Open. The first national championship ever held in the Pacific Northwest. A moment of validation. A declaration of intent. But what should have been a coronation turned into a crucible.
The course was unlike anything most Tour pros had ever seen — a bold, windswept links carved from a sand-and-gravel mine, with fescue fairways, heaving greens, and a distinctly brown, sunburnt aesthetic. The conditions were dictated not just by design but by record heat, limited water, and the USGA’s environmental push for firmer, faster setups. What followed was a tournament that divided opinion like few others. Criticism came fast and loud, especially about the greens. “Like putting on broccoli,” said Henrik Stenson. “Cauliflower,” corrected Rory McIlroy. Billy Horschel called them “god-awful.” The mixture of fescue, bentgrass, and poa annua reacted unpredictably to the heat, producing mottled surfaces that made even short putts feel like a gamble.
And yet… the leaderboard told a different story. Jordan Spieth triumphed in epic fashion, joining Hogan and Nicklaus as the only players to win the Masters and U.S. Open before age 22. Dustin Johnson three-putted the 72nd green in heartbreak. Louis Oosthuizen shot 29 on the back nine. Adam Scott carded a Sunday 64. Rory made a late run. Jason Day battled vertigo. For all the noise, the best players in the world showed up — and showed out. Financially, the tournament was a home run, pumping $134 million into the local economy. The galleries were massive. The local community — especially programs like The First Tee of South Puget Sound — rallied behind it. And for all the scars left behind, Chambers Bay emerged not broken, but battle-hardened.
Today, the greens are smoother. The lessons have been learned. The reputation is rebuilding. And perhaps the only question worth asking now isn’t whether Chambers Bay deserves another US Open — but whether the US Open deserves Chambers Bay.
4. A Kaleidoscope of Colour
Chambers Bay doesn’t just look different from most American courses — it looks different from itself, depending on the time of year and the weather. Most days, it’s a painter’s palette of rich, organic tones. Swaths of fern and asparagus blanket the fescue. Fairways glow in shades of Mountain Meadow and Granny Smith Apple. Even the putting surfaces — vast and undulating — pulse with a vivid shade officially known as Maximum Green.
But that wasn’t the Chambers Bay the world saw during the 2015 US Open.That week, the course looked scorched. Blistered. Baked in browns and straw-yellows. Viewers unfamiliar with the nuances of links golf or environmental stewardship were quick to call it dry, dead, or “ugly.” In truth, Chambers Bay was experiencing a historic heat wave, and the course was being prepared for a firm, fast test — exactly as its designers intended.
Unlike traditional parkland courses kept lush with relentless watering, Chambers Bay was built with sustainability in mind. Fine fescue grasses — more common on ancient links across the British Isles — require less water and fewer inputs. But in the intense heat leading up to the Open, the fescue went dormant in a natural act of self-preservation. The poa annua didn’t — it sprouted white seed-heads, adding mottled texture and affecting roll. To some, it looked unkempt. To others, it was nature in motion. Either way, it sparked a debate about what a championship golf course should look like — and what it means to let the land speak.
The truth is, Chambers Bay wears many coats. It’s a course of constant contrast — cool and misty in spring, bright and brutal in summer. The light off Puget Sound shifts by the hour, and what was one shade at sunrise might be another by dusk. If you visit expecting Augusta, you’ll be surprised. But if you embrace the course for what it is — elemental, evolving, unfiltered — you might find something far more beautiful.
5. Chambers Bay Greens — Vast, Rebuilt, and Still Unforgiving
The greens at Chambers Bay are not just big — they’re monumental. Averaging 8,000 square feet, they are as much a part of the course’s identity as its dunes or coastal winds. But size is only the beginning. When the course first opened in 2007, it made headlines for another reason: it became the first US Open venue with fine fescue greens. The goal? A firmer, faster surface that mirrored the linksland ideals of the British Isles — fitting for a course forged in the Pacific Northwest’s maritime climate. Fescue was environmentally friendly, required less water and fertilizer, and played beautifully in cool weather. But then came 2015 — a historic heat wave, a national championship, and widespread criticism. The fescue-based greens struggled under pressure and temperature. Dormancy set in. Poa annua sprouted seedheads. Surfaces became mottled. And what was meant to be a firm, traditional canvas for championship golf instead became a lightning rod for controversy.
So, in October 2018, Chambers Bay made a bold call: shut the course, re-sod every green, and start again. Over five weeks, every putting surface was stripped and re-laid with poa annua — the dominant putting grass of the Pacific Northwest. The redesign? None. Not a single contour was altered. Ed Taano, one of the original shapers, was on-site to ensure every ridge, fallaway, and slope remained untouched. Only the grass changed. The challenge endured. And what a challenge it remains.
Even today, with smooth, consistent poa annua underfoot, Chambers Bay’s greens are among the most difficult you’ll ever play. The breaks are subtle. The slopes are deceptive. And there are few, if any, straight putts to be found. What seems flat is rarely so. What looks easy can unravel in a heartbeat. Robert Trent Jones Jr. put it best: “It’s not just whether the long shot carries… but how it behaves when it lands.” The greens here don’t just test your putting — they test your imagination, your touch, and your nerve. Smooth? Yes. Predictable? Never.
6. Caddies, More Than Bag Carriers
There are courses where caddies are an optional extra — a luxury. At Chambers Bay, they feel like part of the land. This is a walk-only course with massive elevation changes, swirling winds, and greens that defy your eye and confound your instincts. You can play it alone, sure — but you’d be missing something vital. Because the caddies here aren’t just there to shoulder your bag. They’re there to carry the experience.
Chambers Bay is proud of its caddie programme, and rightly so. These are not weekend loopers or casual assistants. They are storytellers, strategists, and often, locals with deep ties to the land. Many of them have walked this course hundreds of times. They know where the winds shift, where putts fall away, where the line off the tee isn’t what it seems. But more than that, they understand the rhythm of the place — the quiet between shots, the pause before a big putt, the beauty in the challenge. They’re there to help you play better, yes. But they’re also there to help you feel Chambers Bay more fully.
With their guidance, you’ll see the slopes that hide in plain sight. You’ll understand why a run-up shot works better than a wedge. You’ll laugh, probably swear, and quite possibly post a better score than you had any right to. But even if you don’t, you’ll walk off with something greater — the sense that you were part of something shared. Something passed down. At Chambers Bay, the caddie isn’t an accessory. They’re part of the soul.
7. The Origins of Chambers Bay
To walk Chambers Bay is to walk across layers of time. Long before the great dunes and fescue fairways came to define this corner of the Pacific Northwest, the land told a very different story. In the mid-19th century, as native tribes across Washington resisted the encroaching tide of American settlers, this stretch of coastline sat quietly on the edge of the conflict. By the 1880s, settlers began to arrive, drawn by sweeping views of Puget Sound and the promise of land. Curiously, the man for whom the course, creek, and elementary school are named — Thomas Chambers — never actually set foot on the property that now bears his name. His mills operated further south, near the present-day marina. But his name stuck, and so too did the story of transformation.
In the 1890s, the U.S. government saw a different kind of value in this rugged terrain. The Pacific Bridge Company began mining gravel here to support Army forts all along the Sound. When the military moved on, private enterprise moved in. Over the next century, a procession of gravel companies, culminating with Lone Star Sand and Gravel, extracted some of the world’s purest aggregate from the site — sediment left behind by the mighty Vashon Glacier more than 15,000 years ago.
That gravel helped build the Pacific Northwest. It even formed the foundation of Interstate 5 — the great artery that now connects Canada to Mexico. But for all its industrial past, the land was never truly forgotten. When Lone Star’s lease expired in the early 1990s, Pierce County officials had a different vision. They saw potential. They saw public access. And they saw golf. From the bones of an old gravel mine, a new dream began to take shape — one rooted not in extraction, but in experience. The result? A walking-only, windswept, wildly ambitious municipal golf course that would go on to host the U.S. Open just eight years after opening.
8. Not a True Links — But It Walks, Talks, and Plays Like One
Let’s clear something up: Chambers Bay is not, strictly speaking, a links course. Not in the purist’s sense. Not geologically. It doesn’t sit on sandy soil between the sea and arable land — that narrow strip of coastal terrain that gave links golf its name. And this stretch of Puget Sound, as arresting as it is, is not the Atlantic coast of Scotland or the rugged western edge of Ireland. But in nearly every other way that matters, Chambers Bay feels like a links — and that was no accident.
From the start, Robert Trent Jones II set out to create an American echo of the ancient game: firm fescue fairways, heaving dunes, minimal trees, wind as a weapon, and the demand for imagination. There are no water hazards. No manicured target zones. This is ground-game golf, shaped by nature and sharpened by design. You won’t find traditional parkland visuals here. Instead, you’ll find tawny grasses rippling in the wind, fairways that bleed into greens, and blind shots that force you to trust your swing — and your caddie. It’s golf that rewards creativity over conformity.
Is it a true links? No. But does it belong in the conversation? Without a doubt. In a country crowded with courses cut from the same cloth, Chambers Bay offers something elemental. Something ancient in spirit, if not in soil. A round here may not transport you to St Andrews or Ballybunion, but it will challenge you to play the kind of golf those courses demand. And in the end, maybe that’s the point.
9. Views to Stop You in Your Tracks
Playing Chambers Bay is a journey — not just through a golf course, but through a landscape that shifts beneath your feet and unfolds before your eyes. The elevation changes are no joke. You’ll climb. You’ll descend. You’ll wind your way around vast dunes and across open meadows, rising suddenly to a green perched high above the Sound or dropping into a punchbowl fairway shaped by glacial history. Every hole feels like it’s been carved rather than constructed — because, in many ways, it has.
You’ll walk more than six miles. You’ll feel it in your legs, your lungs, your calves. And yet, just when the effort starts to bite, you’ll glance up and catch the light dancing off the waters of Puget Sound. Or glimpse the snow-dusted Olympic Mountains in the distance. Or see your shadow stretching long across a ridge as the sun dips low. The challenge here isn’t just physical — it’s cerebral. With no trees to guide you and few visual cues, sightlines can be deceptive. Fairways tilt away from you. Greens hide in plain sight. The wind, sometimes subtle and sometimes howling, is a constant companion. You’ll need touch, creativity, and patience.
But when you catch one flush and watch it run and run down a fescue-lined slope, or when you judge a putt perfectly across forty yards of rolling green, you’ll feel something ancient stir. This isn’t just a round of golf. It’s an experience stitched into the land itself.
10. Chambers Bay Golf: Planning Ahead: Logistics & Tee Times
Getting a tee time at Chambers Bay isn’t impossible — but it does require planning, especially in the high season. The course is open year-round, though spring through early fall tends to offer the most reliable conditions. Tee times can be booked directly through the official Chambers Bay website, where you’ll also find seasonal rates, twilight options, and multi-round packages. Walking is mandatory, so pack accordingly: soft spikes, a sturdy pair of shoes, and plenty of hydration. Caddies are strongly recommended for first-time visitors — they can be reserved in advance and will elevate the experience immeasurably.
There’s an on-site restaurant, a well-stocked pro shop, and warm-up areas including a range and putting green. Parking is ample, but it’s smart to arrive early — both to soak in the views and to get your legs ready for the journey ahead. Whether you’re making a day trip from Seattle or staying nearby in Tacoma or University Place, Chambers Bay is accessible, unforgettable, and fully open to the public. And with a little planning, you’ll be ready to walk in the footsteps of champions.
Chambers Bay Golf: Final Thoughts:
Chambers Bay isn’t just a place you visit — it’s an experience you prepare for.
From the walking-only layout to the vast greens and shifting winds, this is a round that rewards forethought as much as it tests endurance. Book your tee time early, pack wisely, and don’t underestimate the walk — it’s part of the experience, not an inconvenience. Bring curiosity, not expectations. Let the land guide you, let the views slow you down, and let the challenge sharpen your game. Because if you give Chambers Bay your full attention — and lots of your energy — it will give you something far more valuable in return: a day you’ll never, ever forget.
*For more information or to book a tee time, visit ChambersBayGolf.com
Chambers Bay Map
Chambers Bay Golf: Key Facts
📍 Location: University Place, Tacoma, Washington, USA
📅 Opened: 2007
🧠 Architect: Robert Trent Jones II
🏆 Championship History: 2010 US Amateur, 2015 U.S. Open (Winner: Jordan Spieth)
🚶♂️Walk Only: Yes — no carts (except for medical exemptions)
🎒 Caddies Available: Yes — highly recommended
🌿 Grass Types:
-Fairways & Rough: Fine Fescue
-Greens: Poa Annua (resurfaced in 2019)
📏 Course Yardage: 7,585 yards | Par 72 (Championship Tees)
📈 Average Green Size: 8,000 sq. ft.
🌊 Scenery: Views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains
💸 Green Fees (Approx.):
$170–$220 (non-resident, peak season)
$100–$150 (Pierce County resident)
$10 junior rate after 3pm with adult
🕰 Best Time to Play: Late spring through early fall for ideal conditions
🍴 Dining: Chambers Bay Grill — open year-round with panoramic views
Chambers Bay Scorecard
Chambers Bay Golf Course Map
Chambers Bay Golf: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Chambers Bay Golf Course is located in University Place, just outside Tacoma, Washington. It sits along Puget Sound, about an hour south of Seattle.
Expect to walk over 6 miles during a round. Chambers Bay includes dramatic elevation changes and long transitions between holes, making it one of the toughest walks in golf.
Green fees vary seasonally. Non-residents pay around $170–$220 in peak season. Pierce County residents receive discounted rates, and juniors can play for $10 after 3pm with an adult.
Book tee times directly through the Chambers Bay website. Early booking is recommended year-round.
Chambers Bay does not offer private memberships but has a Loyalty Program with discounts for frequent play.
In 2019, Chambers Bay replaced all 18 greens with poa annua grass for better year-round performance. The original design and contours remain unchanged.
Yes, you can view a full course map and flyover on the official course tour page.
Yes — download it by clicking here. It includes all tee options and hole details.
Chambers Bay hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, won by Jordan Spieth. Despite criticism over green conditions, it delivered an iconic finish and remains a top-tier championship venue.
Yes. Chambers Bay is widely regarded as one of the best public golf courses in Washington and the United States.
The course enjoys a cool, maritime climate. Expect mild summers, rainy winters, and steady wind from the Sound. Always check the local forecast before teeing off.
The Chambers Bay Grill overlooks the course and Puget Sound, serving local Pacific Northwest fare daily.
Yes. Chambers Bay Beach offers more than two miles of shoreline and walking trails as part of Chambers Creek Regional Park.
Nearby lodging is available in University Place and Tacoma. Boutique hotel development near the course is in the planning stages.
Rates vary by season — from $80 in winter to over $200 in peak summer for non-residents. Twilight and local rates are available.
Live webcams are occasionally available via local tourism sites and social media. Check the course’s official channels for updates.
Built on a reclaimed sand and gravel mine, Chambers Bay opened in 2007. It hosted the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open.
Since the 2019 renovation, the poa annua greens are rolling true and firm. They remain large, undulating, and among the toughest in the region.
