The Little Creek Casino Resort feels worlds away from civilization in the rustic Kamilche Valley, but in reality is only 15 minutes south of Olympia and less than an hour from Chambers Bay, the 2015 U.S. Open host. The hotel offers newly renovated rooms and suites, the Seven Inlets Spa, an events center, five different restaurants, a coffee café…
Seattle is home to the NFL Seahawks and MLB Mariners, and the iconic Space Needle. The city's music scene is one of the best in the nation, and the seafood is bountiful. Contrary to people's perceptions, Seattle ranks only 44th among U.S. cities in average annual rainfall, and only seven days a year with thunder. But it does have an average of 158 days with measurable precipitation, so golfers visiting the jewel of the Pacific Northwest should be sure to take along a rainsuit, as they'll likely see some drizzle. This makes Seattle no less of a great golf destination, however, especially since most courses are open year-round. Foremost among Seattle-area courses is Chambers Bay (University Place, some 60 minutes from Seattle), the venue for the 2015 U.S. Open. Other highly rated area courses are the Olympic and Cascade Courses at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, White Horse in Kingston, 27-hole Lakeland Village Golf Course in Allyn, Elk Run Golf Club in Maple Valley, Foster Golf Links in Tukwila, and the Resort at Port Ludlow.
As U.S. Open week at Chambers Bay got underway, the USGA held an Architect's Forum with Executive Director Mike Davis and course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. Here are some highlights from the discussion.
Chambers Bay is being lauded as having more in common with a British Open course than a typical U.S. Open track. But is it really a "links golf course?" Brandon Tucker takes a look at both sides of the argument.
Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s right-hand man at Chambers Bay discusses the controversial U.S. Open host as well as which players may fare well. "This golf course is different, and it was different from day 1," Jay Blasi says.
The USGA's selection of Chambers Bay Golf Course near Tacoma, Wash., is a startling deviation from a "normal" Open host. But Chambers Bay's appeal is clear, Brandon Tucker writes. It will be HDTV eye candy at every turn, wide open with abundant spectator viewing spots. They may even be able to get a record crowd through the turnstiles.
Two Seattle-area golf courses, two excellent choices, and they couldn't be more different. But Chambers Bay and Salish Cliffs should be the first two on your list.
As one of just a handful of new golf courses opening this year in the United States, Salish Cliffs Golf Club in Shelton, Wash. will certainly get its accolades -- and deservedly so. The Gene Bates design looks like it belongs with the land, which is exactly what Bates hoped to accomplish. Salish Cliffs presents itself spectacularly, Mike Bailey writes.
If you're looking for links golf -- where the sea meets the land -- Chambers Bay is your destination. This Robert Trent Jones II-designed muni, built on the one of the largest sand deposits in the world -- will host the 2015 U.S. Open.
Chambers Bay golf course in Tacoma represents one of the most ambitious golf projects in years. Opened in 2007, it has also become one of the most hyped, thanks to the nearly immediate announcement that it would host the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship and 2015 U.S. Open.
On clear days you can see the snow-capped peak of Mount Rainier from many of the holes at Druids Glen Golf Club, which has the reputation for being of the toughest golf courses in the entire state of Washington. The 230 acres is littered with trouble -- thousands of evergreen trees, 60 bunkers, nine lakes and poa annua greens faster than most public clubs in the Pacific Northwest.
Ranked among the best casino courses -- and arguably among the best three public courses in Washington -- Salish Cliffs is a Gene Bates design carved out of a Pacific Northwest forest with stunning views of the Kamilche Valley.
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