Chamber made

A look at some of the interesting quirks of Chambers Bay, site of the U.S. Open later this week.

It’s the first course designed specifically to host a U.S. Open. In January 2004, there were five finalists interviewed for the project — Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his partner Bruce Charlton; Hurdzan/Fry Design, which at the time was creating Erin Hills, the Open site in 2017; Bob Cupp, local designer John Harbottle III, and Phil Mickelson, who has dabbled in the design business. Jones gave each committee member a bag tag with the words “Chambers Creek” (the working title of the project at the time) and “U.S. Open 2030.”

It’s the youngest course to be awarded a U.S. Open. Chambers Bay opened for play on June 23, 2007. On Feb. 7, 2008, the USGA announced it was awarding the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open to Chambers. The selection was helped when Congressional, under contract for the 2010 Amateur, asked out of the Open because of pending greens reconstruction, and Winged Foot and Shinnecock declined to pursue the 2015 Open.

It is the first U.S. Open course comprised of all fescue grass. The fescue turf is common on the links of Scotland, Ireland and the English coastline, but not on courses in America. “When a ball lands, it won’t be clear when or where it’s going to stop,” designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. said. “That will force players to hit away from the flagstick to end up near the flagstick.”

This will be the first U.S. Open televised by FOX. Producer Mark Loomis has experience broadcasting golf, having done golf for ABC and ESPN. But on-air commentators Joe Buck and Greg Norman are rookies, as is tower announcer Brad Faxon. FOX plans to shake up the coverage with new wrinkles, such as the use of drone cameras for helicopterlike views above the holes.

Chambers Bay will be the first U.S. Open with only one tree. The solitary, wind-warped fir sits between the 15th green and 16th tee. Jones and his team were adamant about wanting to keep it, and it is now a signature of the course.