THE HISTORY OF CHAMBERS BAY
Just as the game of golf itself has a rich history, so does the land on which Chambers Bay was created. The Chambers Creek Properties is comprised of more than 950 acres located along the shores of the Puget Sound in University Place, Washington. While Pierce County’s ownership of the property has been fairly recent, the making of the surrounding land began to take shape more than 200 years ago.
The area first found use as a rock quarry stemming as far back as the Steilacoom Indian Tribe and the first European settlers in 1832. Over the years the Chambers Creek Properties area has been used as a location for a paper mill, a major industrial center, multiple lumber companies, a railroad center, a sand and gravel mine, a bus barn, a regional wastewater treatment plant, a preservation and recreational area, and today, as a world class 18-hole championship golf course.
You can find a complete and detailed history of the Chambers Creek Properties, including information about the Steilacoom Indian Tribe, the paper mills, gravel mine, lumber companies, railroads, and more by visiting the Pierce County Website.
What is Links Golf?
Many golfers use “links” and “golf course” interchangeably. But the term “links” is actually a specific type of golf course. Linksland describes the sandy windswept dunes and fertile farmlands found between the North Sea and the Scottish town of St. Andrews where the game was first developed 500 years ago. Some of the most notable examples of traditional links courses include St. Andrews Old Course, Royal Troon Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links, and Ballybunion Old Course.
True traditional links courses, including Chambers Bay, share several geographic characteristics:
- A links course is built along a major body of water
- A links course usually has very few trees, if any
- A links course resides on sandy soil that drains easily
- A links course has a natural open layout where the native landscape, wind, and rain play a major factor
- A links course features ground contours that provide remarkable inherent undulations and slopes in the fairways and greens
- A links course rarely has any internal water features
- A links course’s rough areas feature pure seaside grasses
The golf traditionalist can appreciate the almost mystical quality that comes with playing a links course. Experiencing the game’s highs and lows while traversing rugged dunes and natural seaside beauty sets links golf apart from its inland cousin. Some believe that links golf embodies a spirit, a state of mind, an attitude or a feeling; at Chambers Bay, we tend to agree.
Silver Signature Sanctuary
Chambers Bay was certified on August 14, 2007 by Audubon International as a Silver Signature Sanctuary, the first golf course in both the state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest. Signature certification is awarded only to new developments which are designed, constructed, and maintained according to Audubon International’s precise planning standards and environmental disciplines. Chambers Bay and its dedicated staff continue to manage and protect water quality and wildlife habitat on the property as part of an ongoing commitment to the environment.
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