MICHAELCOHEN
andkeepyourcomposure
whileyou’redoing it.”
DavisandtheUSGAof-
ficialspreppingChambers
Bay say they are excited
about itsstrategicflexibil-
ity. Inparticular, they’re
psyched by the idea of
alternatingbetweenpar-
4 andpar-5designations
forthefirstand18thholes.
“The course will be the
same par every day, but
we have different ways
of arrivingat it, basedon
being able to set upNo. 1
andNo. 18aspar5orpar
4,”Davissays.
Golf is inahurry thesedays to shed
its 20th-century cloak of old-boy ex-
clusivityand slow-pacedaction.Going
public (themajorityofU.S.Openshave
been played at private clubs) and an-
choring in thebackyardof tech-savvy,
innovativeSeattle isastart.For itsown
part, theUSGAwill be rampingup the
fan experiencewith an “Open forAll”
themeandevents, including aviewing
party indowntownSeattlewith inter-
active games, local food trucks and a
monster screen forhundreds togather
andwatch theevent. All festivitieswill
be freeandopen to thepublic.
If you’re headed into theOpen, go
early to claim a spot at the 15th hole
grandstands, apar 3withapanoramic
Puget Sound vista. On the 18th hole,
there’s room for5,500 fanswithviews
of the action onNo. 1, as well as the
home hole. Regardless of where you
tune in, this year’s U.S. Open seems
onparwith themission for something
freshandnew.
Philadelphia], two playerswho spent
extra time getting toknow the course
were JustinRose, whowon, and Phil
Mickelson,who tied for second. Ihave
nodoubtthatChambersBaywillreward
thatkindofpreparation,”Davissays.
The global audienceeager to follow
the action live should takenoteof an-
other first: FOXSports, known for its
telecasts of NFL football andMajor
League Baseball, will broadcast the
seven-dayevent, replacing theUSGA’s
longtimeTVpartnerNBCandcableaf-
filiateGolfChannel (alongwithESPN
for the early rounds). “Covering aU.S.
Open at any venuewould bewonder-
ful, but Chambers Bay has a newness
thatmeansourteamwillbeabletotella
greatstoryforthefirsttime,”saysMark
Loomis,FOXSportsexecutive.
In part, he is referring to the
little-known hero of Chambers Bay,
John Ladenburg, the Pierce County
officialwhose idea itwas to transform
this exhausted gravel pit into a golf
course stout enough to host nation-
al tournaments. Ladenburg is an avid
golfer, andwhenhefirst saw thequar-
riedshorefrontsite,hebeganpondering
itspotential asa links.Ahundredyears
of gravel extraction removed all rock
and left only sandon the site. For golf-
coursebuilders, sand is theequivalent
of spun gold— its principal benefit is
fast, efficient drainage, and sandy soil
alsomakes itpossibletoplantastrainof
turfgrass calledfine fescue. Chambers
Bay is covered— almost 100 percent
—by thisnarrow-bladedgrass, and the
result is a firm, bouncy surface that
makes for fascinating play; golf shots
carom, skipand roll inaway theycan’t
onmoretackygrasses. “Whenyouhave
tocontroltheflight, the landingandalso
therollofagolfshot, itaddstothechal-
lengeof thinkingyourway through the
round,” saysDavis. “There canbe lots
of unexpected results, which calls for
anability to improvisea recovery shot
MartinKaymer raises the
trophyafterwinning
the2014U.S.Openat
Pinehurst inNorthCarolina.
SPORTS
GOLF IS INAHURRY
THESEDAYSTOSHED
ITS20TH-CENTURY
CLOAKOFOLD-BOY
EXCLUSIVITYAND
SLOW-PACEDACTION.
DAVIDGOULD
is theauthorof fourgolfbooks,
includingadefinitivehistoryof thePGATour’s
QualifyingTournament. A formerexecutive
editorof
Travel +LeisureGolf
, he lives inBoston.
84
JUNE2015
AMERICANWAY
