The Comcast Neighborhoods program highlights a neighborhood that’s about to get national attention as host of the 2015 U.S. Open. Chambers Bay is, of course, best known for the land portion in the city of University Place, not so much the bay. It gets the first part of its name from Thomas Chambers, one of the first American settlers in Puget Sound long before it was part of the uUnited States. The area had become a gravel operation before the Pierce County government and community transformed Chambers Bay into something pretty special. And you’ll learn more about all of this in the video.
This was pretty much hometown for Ed Hauge, video producer here. I asked him what he thought about filming the neighborhood:
“Having grown up just a little less than two miles from Chambers Bay golf course, I am amazed at its transformation from a lonely gravel pit to one of the premier golf courses in the United States. As we interviewed people for this “Neighborhoods” show, it was apparent they were impressed with the transformation too. Not only was there praise for the golf course, but there was an incredible amount of praise for the surrounding features – walking paths, playgrounds, a dog park and more.
“The enthusiasm from the public about the entire Chambers Bay area was overwhelming.”
The face of the show, host Sabrina Register, said:
“Since I’m not a golfer, I was fascinated to learn that Chambers Bay is unique among golf courses in the U.S. It’s more like a course you would find in the U.K. It doesn’t have a lot of hazards like trees and water. Chambers Bay also contains fescue turf, relatively rare among U.S. golf courses. It calls for less fertilizer and water to maintain.
“While I thought organizers might be worried about our unpredictable weather in June. the opposite is true. A little wind and rain adds to the challenge of this course. Head pro Brent Zepp thinks the top players in the world who converge on Chambers Bay in June are going to love the challenge and leave needing a week off to rest!”
The show talks about more than golf, of course. Local historian Steve Dunkelberger talks about Thomas Chambers, and Pierce County government officials talk about other aspects of the neighborhood such as the wastewater treatment plant.
