The "Winter Care" Program At Chambers Bay

As they get ready to play off mats at St. Andrews in the run-up to The Open, the care program at U.S. Open site Chambers Bay has been rumored to be having issues because golfers report playing five alternate greens.

But as Scott Lipsky explains in depth, the setup is part of a plan that allows the course to stay open while also helping the first all-fescue U.S. Open course roll into June looking as good as possible.

Lipsky writes:

In an effort to reduce overall traffic, tee time intervals have been increased to 14 minutes from the customary 10 or 11, and the course is closed for play on certain days during the fall and winter. Six greens have also been closed during the fall and winter.

“For Chambers Bay to do this is just a great thing,” said Darin Bevard, the USGA’s director of championship agronomy. “Limiting play, limiting traffic to make sure that these greens are in the best shape possible so they can showcase Chambers Bay is important, so when the USGA arrives to do setup, we’re not compromised for the U.S. Open.”

There is also this on the par-3 15th.

Instead, golfers play to the covered green, which has a flagstick but does not have a hole cut. Once a player has hit their ball on the green, they add one or two strokes to their score, depending on how close they are to the flagstick. In an effort to minimize foot traffic, a Chambers Bay staff member is stationed on No. 15 throughout the day to retrieve the balls. It’s a unique solution to a unique challenge.

“It was pretty obvious that we don’t have an alternate location, so it was either that or skip the hole,” said Allen, who prior to his arrival at Chambers Bay spent nine years at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore., which will host the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship in May and is also a fescue facility. “It’s just an example of how we’ve had to get creative.”