Golf

Chambers Bay

Did you catch any of the U.S. Open this weekend? We got hooked, mostly because there was so much local hype. Chambers Bay Golf Course is south of Seattle.

I don't know much about golf, so John was patiently explaining things all weekend. You chase around an exasperating little ball with a mind of its own. There are big highs and dreadful lows like any sport. Golf never seemed like my thing, other than an excuse to bird watch and ride around in a cute cart. I never watch golf on TV (it puts me to sleep) but I thought this tournament was fascinating. And what a finish!

Chambers Bay was designed to host the U.S. Open. The area was once a rock quarry for the Indians and early European settlers. There was a loud chorus of complaints from participants at the start of the tournament. I suppose that happens whenever high-strung professionals gather to compete.  But once they settled into the game, there was grudging appreciation for the course's diabolical challenges.

Frankly, in the harsh morning light, Chambers Bay looked ugly from the air-- brown and rough.

But as the day lengthened, the light and shadows softened the landscape and it suddenly became beautiful.  Golf traditionalists say there is a mystical quality that comes with playing a links course. It has a natural, wild seaside beauty that supposedly embodies the true spirit of golf.

From the Chambers Bay website:

• A links course is built along a major body of water
• A links course usually has very few trees, if any
• A links course resides on sandy soil that drains easily
• A links course has a natural open layout where the native landscape, wind and rain play a major factor
• A links course features ground contours that provide remarkable inherent undulations and slopes in the fairways and greens
• A links course rarely has any internal water features
• A links course’s rough areas feature pure seaside grasses

Chambers Bay was certified on August 14, 2007 by Audubon International as a Silver Signature Sanctuary, the first golf course in both the state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest.  The Red-winged Blackbirds were singing through the tournament.

Just out of curiosity, I checked into booking t-times at Chambers Bay and found out it costs about $300 to play a game.  Now that would be an expensive bird-watching excursion.