The US Open Comes to Chambers Bay Golf Course
The US Open is coming to the Pacific Northwest for the first time ever, via Chambers Bay near Tacoma, WA. Tickets for all four championship rounds of the US Open at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place have sold out, and the milestone marks the 28th consecutive sellout for the US Open, dating back to the 1988 championship.
The four championship rounds will take place June 18-21, and many have wondered if watching all the duffing action would be as simple as setting anchor nearby, stretching out on the sun deck, and making a long weekend out of it. And hey, traveling by boat along the shore of Chambers Bay golf course might sound like a good way to catch a glimpse of the US Open without fighting the crowds, but don’t count on getting anywhere near the action.
This Will be the First US Open Championship Game in the Pacific Northwest
The Coast Guard and Pierce County Sheriff’s Department are preparing a security plan that will bar all boat traffic within 1,000 yards of shore during the nationally televised golf tournament, according to a draft rule published by the Coast Guard. It’s part of the overall security plan meant to protect the Open’s projected 65,000 daily visitors from “potential criminal and terrorist activity.” USGA and law enforcement officials have not released the security plan, but some pieces have come to light such as parking restrictions and a ban on drone aircraft around the course.
The marine buffer zone is a rectangle running along roughly 3,500 yards of shoreline into the Puget Sound. The perimeter would extend halfway to Fox Island at its narrowest point. It will be enforced from June 14 to June 22, which includes the practice rounds before the big show begins.
Officers say it should leave enough room for commercial and recreational traffic to move north and south in the Puget Sound while giving law enforcement agencies a way to manage boaters. “It doesn’t go all the way across the waterway. It’s not blocking people north and south,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Meridena Kauffman. “If you’re just transiting, people going north and south, that shouldn’t affect you.”
The buffer also means boaters will not be able to ferry people across the water and drop them on or near the shores of Chambers Creek properties. The Bridge to the Beach and public shoreline area are already closed for US Open preparations and will remain off limits until after the tournament.
Chambers Golf Course’s Singular Tree
Anchoring 1,000 yards from shore likely will be difficult for most boaters because it is a deep point in the Puget Sound. If you’re looking to settle in about that distance from shore in a kayak or a boat, expect to be glued to binoculars. But if that all checks out all to you, enjoy the show!
http://www.usga.org/tickets.html
June 19 – 21
