When Mike Davis first got a look at Chambers Bay he felt that this was a way he could bring links golf to the American public. Shortly after it opened and shortly after the USGA had visited University Place, Chambers Bay was awarded the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the ’15 U.S. Open. It was a shocking decision by Davis and crew but Davis often thinks outside the box.
Using the Amateur as a test case, Davis made some changes to Chambers Bay in an effort to make it worthy of his cherished Open. One of those changes came on the eighteenth fairway in the form of a deep, punishing bunker that serves as both a deterrent to par and a lightning rod for debate.
The story goes that Davis ordered course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. to put a bunker there to make that wide fairway more challenging. He had visions of changing up par from a par 4 to a par 5 during the Open and the new hazard would challenge the world’s best golfers.
“You could almost blindfold tour players, and they couldn’t miss the fairway laying up,” Davis said. “We put the bunker in there to make them think. It adds to strategy.”
Upon visiting the first iteration of the bunker which was about six feet deep he exited and told Jones to make it deeper, much deeper.
The final result is the deepest bunker in U.S. Open history and a hazard that will severely punish any golfer that is unfortunate enough to find it.
The locals have come to call Davis’ pet bunker “Chambers Basement” and it’s no bargain.
Davis’ Controversial Chambers Basement— Dean Rutz/Seattle Times
When the hole is played as a par 4 it shouldn’t be in play but when Davis sets it up from the back tees and makes it a par 5 the Basement could get some action.
According to Chambers Bay head Pro Brent Zepp he has seen only one player hit the green from The Basement, Brian Mogg who is a very prominent golf instructor.
Whether or not this year’s crop of Open players can duplicate the feat will be interesting. Some say there won’t be much action in the Basement. But I can’t imagine that Davis would place such a significant feature in a position that won’t come into play.
Just the presence of that bunker will make the players choose their approach angle and maybe push some balls off the fairway to the left and right of the bunker.
The final hole of any U.S. Open is sure to be the scene of plenty of drama and this one is no different. Some of that drama may take place on other areas of the hole and not just the green. Possibly in a deep hole 120 yards out in the middle of the fairway in a bunker called Chambers Basement.
Hat tip to Craig Smith and the Seattle Times.
Related Articles
