Hundreds of people over several years "have spent thousands of hours getting ready" for this week's U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, and a "strong case can be made that this is the biggest sporting event ever held in the Northwest," according to a front-page piece by Scott Hanson of the SEATTLE TIMES. When the USGA "put out the call for 5,200 volunteers, the spots were filled in record time: 36 hours." Usually, it "takes a couple of months." Tickets for rounds on Thursday-Sunday "have been sold out for months," and the $125 single-day tickets "are going for substantially more on the secondary market." The newness of it all "seems to have amped up the excitement at the USGA," and it is "palpable when listening to USGA President Tom O’Toole." He said, "We’ve had 114 of these championships and never came here. ... The difference and uniqueness of the course is the other thing that I think has got us excited." O'Toole added, "We want to be relevant to golfers. We’re having a national championship at a golf course that’s public and in a region we’ve never been to. And that, I think, is making us more relevant" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/18). GOLFWEEK's Jeff Babineau noted the course at the U.S. Open "often becomes one of the biggest stars in the show." It was the case "when we first went to Bethpage Black ['02, '09], a public facility, ventured to a retro-Open at Merion ['13], and made our way to a scruffy, sandy, throwback Pinehurst No. 2 last summer" (GOLFWEEK.com, 6/17).
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Golf Channel’s Gary Williams said of choosing Chambers Bay, "I think what the USGA has done has been very interesting and good for all of us in this game. It's raised questions; it's allowed us to have conversations." Golf Channel’s Charlie Rymer said, “We're getting into golf course architecture. We're talking about fescue grass. This will be two years in a row where the U.S. Open is going to be basically on a brown golf course." Rymer added, "Go look at the state of California, the drought that they're in. Water management and chemical applications, that is a big, big part of our game right now, and I love the fact that these issues are being discussed." Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella said of Chambers Bay as an emerging golf destination, "I've talked to a lot of the management at Kemper Sports and a lot of the people involved here at Chambers Bay. ... They have over 900 acres here, of which about 550-600 acres have been used to build Chambers Bay. That leaves a lot of leftover acreage to put in what hopes to be a second course. I don't think that's going to be put in by the local politicians or the taxpayers. I think they're going to need another partner to come in and help them build a second course, probably a short course" (“Morning Drive,” Golf Channel, 6/17).
MAKING A STAND: In Seattle, Jack Broom in a front-page piece notes the 6,000-seat grandstand that runs alongside the 18th hole "is the flagship of the USGA’s fleet of Chambers Bay grandstands that together offer 18,000 seats," with approximately 30,000 spectators expected per day. Grandstands are "particularly important at this course." Because some corridors between the holes "are tight or have rugged terrain, the USGA has not opened a route that would help spectators follow a single player or group from hole to hole." Pathways do cut across the course, but "not in a route that follows the holes in order" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/18). GOLF DIGEST's Sam Weinman wrote under the header, "This Chambers Bay Open Will Be The Most Difficult Spectating Major Ever." U.S. Open Championship Dir Danny Sink said, "There are limited sight lines so you're not going to maybe see every shot. Allowing spectators where it's not safe, we're just not going to do it." Weinman noted Sink and his team have "countered the course's viewing limitations" with the grandstand seats. Sink said they are "some of the best spectating viewing areas we've ever had" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 6/17).
CRABCAKES & GOLF? The TIMES' Broom noted Maryland-based Ridgewells Catering this week is busy "serving 40,000 meals over the seven-day run" of the tournament, which is why the company "has worked nearly every U.S. Open" since '93. Ridgewells does not "run the course concession stands but serves more upscale offerings to corporate guests, course officials, players and their families, premium-level ticket holders, USGA employees and the media" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/17).
OPEN INVITATION: In Seattle, Beena Raghavendran notes the U.S. Open is "extending its vibes from Chambers Bay to a location closer to many Seattleites: Lake Union Park." The celebration in the park, which started last night and runs through Sunday, is "filling Lake Union Park" with free activities, including a "Jumbotron to watch rounds, merchandise and ... chances to take photos with the coveted U.S. Open Championship trophy." USGA Senior Marketing Dir Dave Aznavorian said that it is the third such fan experience the organization has held, with a goal of "attracting younger and newer audiences to golf" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/18).
