Chambers Bay, West University Place WA - May 19

Rating - 10.00+++

Exceptional, beautiful, awesome test of golfing skills, a MUST PLAY.

Wow, not really sure I can put in words how much I enjoyed the experience of playing here, but I will try.....

Located a pretty good ride from Seattle (I would guess an hour) we booked the tee time online to get the twilight rate ($84.76).....drove down in a pounding rain storm and as we got closer to the course it did not seem like anything special...in fact when we arrived in the parking lot I was surprised because the club house and pro shop are small.

Nice kid pulled our bags from the trunk, we quickly found a parking spot and wandered in.  As we arrived at the registered there a was a group who was making the turn asking for refund because they did not want to continue to play in the weather (the pro shop granted the request).....I was excited to pay in the "real conditions".  I paid, bought a $45 umbrella, and we got in the shuttle bus to hit the range.  Only hick-up was I had called the day before for a caddie, and they didn't have my request....but told me it would be no problem to get one.

As we rode down the natural beauty (even in the rain) is hard to imagine.  I believe it is built in a former quarry, and it is right on the Sound with only 1 tree on the course.  When we got down to the bottom there is a small 1/2 way house and a huge range next to it.  We met the caddie master and he got a caddy while we headed over to hit balls in a pouring rain.  There was NO ONE on the range, and only saw one other group on the course.....that was so awesome!!!

Hit some balls and headed to the first tee. The course is spectacular, so incredibly beautiful, and so incredibly hard....but the beauty makes it a great day - even in the monsoon we played in.  Caddie was great, a really good guy was a PGA pro who had been laid off from a country club in Seattle.  He said play had been really slow, and on most days he never even got out....hard to believe since the US Amatuer is being played there this summer!

Anyway, course is spectacular and HARD.  Greens are a bit rough in spots (you can tell its new), but I LOVED IT.

One of the neatest things I have ever seen is the scorecard.....it is water proof, but you can write on it with a pencil!!!!!

We played the Sand Tees, 72.2/129, 6420 yards, I shot 95 and felt like I had slayed the dragon.

I guess they are going to build a hotel on site, and with the Amatuer being played there I imagine it will get real crowded, SO PLAY IT NOW!  It is worth a lot more than $84 to play.....

Total - $84.76 + $50 for caddie = A STEAL