UPDATE
BY ALFIE LAU
U.S. Open Preparations Looking Good The U.S. Open at Chambers Bay is just under three months away and preparations are going along swimmingly. The USGA’s Director for the Northwest Region,Larry Gilhuly could not be more clear. Preparations are coming along very nicely and the U.S. Open will be played at Chambers Bay in Tacoma, Washington this June. Gilhuly told media at the Seattle Golf Show that a mild winter has allowed the course to have a nice winter grow-in of fescue grass and the City of Tacoma has bent over backwards to help organizers produce a world-class golf course for the best golfers in the world. “Last year, there were 2,000 rounds played on frozen greens
Now we can say that the firmness of the greens is so firm that it’s firmer than what we had two days before the practice rounds (for the U.S. Amateur) in August 2010. Larry Gilhuly, Director Of The Northwest Region For The USGA 18 The Scorecard
IMAGE CREDIT ALFIE LAU / INSIDE GOLF
US
OPEN
and that absolutely annihilated the course,” said Gilhuly. “(Director of Agronomy) Eric Johnson and (Superintendent) Josh Lewis and their crew have been busting it to get the course back to the condition we want it at. This year, the city has shut down the golf course for four days a week and bought covers for all the greens so that we can protect the grass on those greens . . . and now we can say that the firmness of the greens is so firm that it’s firmer than what we had two days before the practice rounds (for the U.S. Amateur) in August 2010. The golf course is looking really good. There was no back-up plan to host the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in case we couldn’t hold it here. It’s going to be fun when we host the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay this June.” Eric Steimer, assistant manager for the 2015 U.S. Open, said some of the most promising aspects for spectators are the 6,000 grandstand seats which will ring the 18th green and the almost 20,000 grandstand seats available throughout the course. The tournament is so popular that all tournament tickets for the championship days (Thursday to Sunday) are sold out already and all that’s available for regular patrons is practice round tickets for Monday to Wednesday. It’s much better news for juniors and military members, as free (12 and under) and discounted (age
The U.S. Open Trophy Which Will Be Presented To The Winner At Chambers Bay In June Was On Display At The Seattle Golf Show Recently
13-17) tickets for juniors will never be sold out and military members will be accommodated as best as organizers can for all seven days of the tournament. Somewhat less promising for the thousands of Canadians who are heading four hours south to Chambers Bay is the news that a previously announced train service from downtown Seattle is not going ahead. Open organizers were informed that the train could only accommodate 1,000 passengers every 60- 90 minutes. That wouldn’t be sufficient to allow the 3,000+ spectators who would want to arrive at a specific time to follow a marquee group. Instead, most ticket holders will be asked to park-and-ride from lots at the Puyallup County Fairgrounds and Fort Steilacoom – both 45 to 60 minutes south of downtown Seattle – and then be shuttled to Chambers Bay. US Open - Continued On Page 52