Bobby Gets A U.S. Open Before Rees!
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Bradley Klein reports that the awarding of Chambers Bay near Tacoma makes it three muni's in the unofficial U.S. Open rota. Hopefully by 2015 the weird Close Encounters of the Third Kind dunes scraping look will have disappeared. Chambers also gets the 2010 U.S. Amateur.
More interesting is that Robert Trent Jones gets a U.S. Open awarded to one of his original designs before brother Rees. That ought to spice up an already heartwarming feud! (Even though we all know Bruce Charlton and Jay Blasi did the real work on Chambers Bay, it's still going to enhance the brotherly dynamic.)
Also intriguing is the news in the press release print that Erin Hills gets the 2011 U.S. Amateur, which surprised me because only recently I've heard from USGAers that the course needed a lot of work before they would award a big prize there. So either the course will see some big changes, or the U.S. Amateur isn't a "big prize."
Here's the full release, which oddly is not up at USGA.org yet *now posted (but annoying videos that play unprompted now are!):
USGA AWARDS 2015 U.S. OPEN, 2010 U.S. AMATEUR
TO CHAMBERS BAY IN WASHINGTON STATE AND 2011 U.S. AMATEUR TO ERIN HILLS GOLF COURSE IN WISCONSIN
Far Hills, N.J. (Feb. 8) – The United States Golf Association has announced that it has awarded the 2015 U.S. Open Championship to Chambers Bay, the spectacular municipal links course located on the scenic lower Puget Sound in University Place, Wash.
The USGA also announced that Chambers Bay, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Bruce Charleton, will play host to the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2010.
Chambers Bay will be the third municipal course to play host to the U.S. Open, following Bethpage Black in New York (2002, 2009) and Torrey Pines in California later this year. Chambers Bay will be the first golf course in the Pacific Northwest to hold the U.S. Open.
"We are excited to take the U.S. Open Championship and the U.S. Amateur to such an awesome site,” said Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA Championship Committee. “This is the first time the U.S. Open has been to Washington and we are confident that the golf course will provide a challenging test for the best players in the world, as well as a great spectator experience for those who attend the event and watch it online and on television.
“The local leadership provided by Pierce County has been superb and we look forward to partnering with them and the great sports fans in Washington to host a truly unique Open Championship. And, the U.S. Amateur will give us great insight into the golf course architecture and championship setup. For the first time, the National Open will be played on fine fescue grasses, including the putting greens,” continued Hyler.
Chambers Bay, opened in June 2007, is the centerpiece of a 930-acre park purchased by Pierce County, Wash., in 1992 that today features scenic trails and coastline vistas where a sand and gravel quarry once stood.
“Our hard work has paid off as we have done everything possible to attract the attention of a prestigious championship,” said Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg. “Even so, we never dreamed we’d be chosen by the USGA to host both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open championships. Especially not so close to the opening of the course. It is a true honor.”
“Chambers Bay golf course is a jewel for the entire state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest,” said Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire. “The U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Championships will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the natural beauty of our state and share it with golf enthusiasts from around the globe. I applaud County Executive John Ladenburg for his hard work on delivering the championship events to Pierce County.”
The USGA also announced that Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin will play host to the 2011 U.S. Amateur. Erin Hills is located in Hartford, Wis., about 30 minutes northwest of Milwaukee, and is also home to the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in 2008 – a USGA championship awarded to Erin Hills before the golf course had opened in 2006.
Erin Hills is a links-style championship course designed by Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry of Hurdzan-Fry Architects, and Ron Whitten, Architecture Editor of Golf Digest magazine. Golf Magazine named Erin Hills its Best New Golf Course in January 2007.
“Erin Hills is a wonderfully unique golf course that really takes a minimalist approach to the golf course design and architecture,” Hyler said. “The course is cleverly routed on a great piece of golf landscape. The venue will be a terrific test for the competitors in the U.S. Amateur.”
“On behalf of the entire state of Wisconsin, we look forward to the incredible opportunity to host the 2011 U.S. Amateur at Erin Hills Golf Course,” said Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle. “As a public course open to all, Erin Hills fulfills the USGA promise and is a world-class facility that showcases Wisconsin’s future as a premier golf destination.”
“Everyone associated with the journey of Erin Hills is pleased and we look forward to the unique opportunity to host the 2011 U.S. Amateur,” said Bob Lang, owner of Erin Hills.
The awarding of championships to Chambers Bay and Erin Hills was approved by the USGA Executive Committee at its Annual Meeting in Houston. The formal approval of all three championships is pending contractual agreement.
