This is beyond a doubt the coolest golf course I have ever played. Given, the course is still young and the greens are not yet fully grown and therefore are slow and bumpy. But that is to be expected at this point in time. Also, it is expensive the play here, but worth it. The layout is superb and makes excellent use of the natural terrain that existed here prior to the course being built (an old quarry.) The views of lower Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains are incredible. This is a shot-makers course, plain and simple, because it forces you to think about every shot, especially around the greens. You need to use the slopes of the fairways and greens to get the ball close to the pin, and rarely do you actually aim at a pin. The waste areas are very punishing, as the sand is coarse, and full of pebbles and fescue grasses, which isn't fully grown in either. There are 5 sets of tees, of which I play the 3rd set back and still cannot reach the par 4 first hole in two. (464 yards into the prevailing wind). I can't imagine playing this course from the back tees! There are also a lot of tee shots that must be played over waste areas to find the fairway, and it's up to you to decide how much to bite off the dogleg. Some of these drives require a long carry to find the short grass. Except for hole 8, the par 5's are not overly long, but the appoaches better be accurate if going for the green in two, otherwise you could be looking at an impossible lie in a waste area. (speaking from experience!) Because of the wind, and the fact that there is nothing but sand dunes to block it, and all the elevation changes, club selection can be daunting to say the least. Signature hole, you ask? Probably most people would say hole 15, a short, downhill par 3 that has the course's lone evergreen tree behind the green. I say, however, there really isn't a signature hole because every hole is special. I can't wait to see how the USGA sets this course up for the 2010 and 2015 championships. By then the fescue will be tall, and the greens will be fast. If the wind blows off Puget Sound like it normally does, par will be a great score.

Customer Service

The best around, period. The food and beer in the temporary club house are a perfect way to end the perfect round of golf this course offers.

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Nothing around here like it. There are so-called "links" course, such as The Home Course and Vickwood, both of which are nice. However, Chambers Bay is the real deal.

It's the best course in the state. Yes, the course does need to mature (which will take 2-3 years), but you can definitely see the potential and the reason why USGA picked Chambers Bay for it's 2015 US Open. It's right up there with Bandon/Pacific Dune courses. It's should be ranked in top 5 in the west and should easily crack the top 100 course in the country.

Also, this is not an easy course. It's not a resort course with easy pin placements and easy greens. You won't see 12-13 stimpmeter speed, but undulation and the contour of the greens will easily compensate for that. The course is challenging as you'll play in the state. Some will complain that it's too hard or too tricked up, but really, it's what a good, hard golf course should be.

If you to there with an understanding that it's not mature yet and it's a hard course, then you'll truely appreciate what an awesome golf course this is.

I live in Tacoma, WA and have played the course twice. Once in Summer 2007, and again in January 2008. It felt like I was playing two completely different courses each time.

The first was 4th of July and unseasonably warm for Washington, in the 90s. There was a constant breeze, but wind was not much of a factor that day. There are no trees anywhere on the course, but there is a ton of sand. Rule 1, don't hit into the sand hazards, they will beat you up. The fairways are frequently sloped, and each hole typically has a bail out area to use as a backboard; the trick is finding it. The fairways were fresh, but not completely set in yet. The greens were relatively slow, but tricky to read due to the fescue. The false fronts and backs were not really false yet either. The course still has a lot of growing up to do in terms of the turf and natural erosion that will occur on some of the huge man made sand dunes, but it is absolutely gorgeous and provides pristine views of the surrounding puget sound and olympic mountain range. Catch the sunset on #8 and you'll forget all about that double you took on #7. Overall I had a fantastic time for $97 which is the price for residents on week days during peak season.

The second trip was Jan 20th 2008. The winds were gusting and it was a bit colder, about 35-40. The fairways were much firmer and condusive to roll. The wind forces you to choose if you want to throw darts in a hurricane, or run the ball to the hole through a labrynth of bunkers and slopes. Physical changes to the course included firmer fairways, quicker greens and much more deceptive false fronts and backs. It is often difficult to tell where the fairway ends and the greens begin, which is good and bad. I found that hitting low rollers on the downhill holes was a fairly effective defense against the wind so long as you read the bounce right. The sand hazards were more bearable wet than dry as the ball didn’t sink as much, but its still definitely not where you want to be. I was lucky on this day and got out for the resident replay offpeak rate of $35 because there was a junior tourney in the morning.

I know being a resident may make me a little biased, but this is the most interesting and challenging course I’ve ever played. My most challenging prior was Troon North in AZ. Chambers Bay has some of the best natural views of any course in the country. I’ve yet to play any of the Bandon courses, but I’d like to hear someone compare Chambers to Pacific Dunes or Bandon Dunes. Bottom line, Chambers is my all time favorite course.

Value wise I’m spoiled as a resident, but I’d still play there multiple times in a year for the non-resident fees. They don’t allow motorized carts, but pull carts are ok and caddies are available. I’ve never had a caddy, but I do recommend spending the $5 on a yardage book. The staff is always smiling and willing to lend a helping hand, even without asking. Even if you’re not a golfer you can enjoy the course as public trails meander in and around the course, but walking the course you only have to cross the trail in between holes occasionally and is not distracting. You may even gets some rounds of applause from onlookers above you on holes that are on the east side of the course.

If you’re in the Pacific Northwest you have to check out Chambers Bay, you won’t be sorry.

Customer Service

A+

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None.

The course is definitely raw as it only opened this summer (and probably could have used another year or two to mature), but the layout is phenomenal. This course will defnitley rival the top courses on the west coast (i.e Pebble, Bandon, Torrey Pines). It's a challenging walk and carts are not allowed, but the vistas of the Pugert Sound and the Olmpic Mountains from just about every hole make you forget about that. Definitely one of my favorite courses

Customer Service

Very mindful and courteous staff. Many of the caddies are inexpereinced (as noted), but they will get better- as will the greens- with more time.

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Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Sand Hills

Excellent links layout. Lot's of interesting holes. I felt the greens were way too tricked-up. Too much contour on most of them. I felt the extreme contour was unneccesary. On top of that, the day I played the pins were in very tough locations. My group had three caddies. Two were pretty good, but the one I had was terrible. A nice kid, but knew NOTHING about golf. I had to come up with my own yardages most of the time. Other than taht, it wasa fun course to play, but pretty tough.

Customer Service

All service was good except for my caddy.

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Pacific Dunes

Way too much money for what you get at this time. Go play Bandon or Pacific Dunes for less money, better caddies and overall experience. Nice layout and has some great potential, but the cost does not justify it AT THIS TIME. Once it matures a bit, it will be a first class facility. But play it, if you get the chance.

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Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, The Home Course, PGA West (Palmer, Nicklaus, Norman, Dye)

Awesome!!! Truly an unique experience. Each hole provides something different yet the course flows from one hole to the next very smoothly. Gorgeous views of the Puget Sound.
Only other place that provides this kind of experience is in Bandon. Would not be surprised if the US open/PGA championship were to take place here.

Customer Service

Excellent service.Most of the caddies are very knowledgeable but few are somewhat inexperienced.

Lives up to the considerable hype it's received. A very intelligent course design, with every hole offering something new and interesting -- really no clunkers among the 18 holes. Two important things to keep in mind if you're playing for the first time: (1) the greens are very slow, as they haven't fully matured and can't be shaved close; probably rolling no more than a 7 or 8 Stimp in most places. (2) the waste areas are almost impossibly punitive; no real hope of advancing the ball and rarely a decent lie.
Well worth the trip from just about anywhere.

Customer Service

Surprisingly good service for such a new facility, particularly in an area where world-class golf has never come near before now. Caddies are young and somewhat inexperienced, but most play for local colleges and are very good golfers in their own right.

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Pebble Beach
Torrey Pines
Bandon & Pacific Dunes
Half Moon Bay

Unbelievable. You have to think where to leave the ball the whole time. Almost forgot you were walking for 5 hours. Physically demanding, but worth the effort.
When the greens mature and the blades lowered next year, putting will be much more difficult.

Customer Service

fantastic

I am not impressed. I grew up in the British Isles playing links golf and Chambers is not links golf. (the last 4 holes would pass a links style holes) I will have a hard time going back, not just because of the high prices but I am not really very impressed with the layout. There are too many blind shots with strange things in the middle of fairways, it seems as if too many greens are cut into a plateau, and the greens are way too contoured to be playing bump and run shots. I found that too many fairways had severe runs offs and if you did not hit the right side of the fairway you were in trouble. The same with the greens, huge but with only 2/3 of it usable, there are not too many places to put the pins.