Chambers Bay: Golf in University Place, Washington

From Seattle: take Interstate 5 south to Exit 130, then follow S. 56th Street West — which becomes Cirque Drive West — for approximately 3 miles, then turn left onto Grandview Drive West and pass through one roundabout; the total distance from I-5 is approximately 6.1 miles, per washingtongolf.com's driving directions. From Portland: take Interstate 5 north to the Steilacoom-DuPont Road exit, then follow Dupont-Steilacoom Highway, Lafayette Street, Chambers Creek Road West and 64th Street West to the course entrance; the total distance from I-5 is approximately 9.4 miles, per the same source. The course's address is 6320 Grandview Drive West, University Place, Washington 98467. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the region's commercial airport; published figures for the distance from the airport to the course disagree with each other (secondary sources put it anywhere from about 26 to about 34 miles), so no mileage from the airport is given here.

On the course itself, Chambers Bay Grill is a full-service restaurant with lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, a full bar and Northwest wines, and The Landing is a casual, walk-up counter serving seasonal Pacific Northwest-inspired fare — both at the course, 6320 Grandview Drive West, University Place. For lodging, Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma at Point Ruston Waterfront, 5125 Grand Loop, Ruston, Washington 98407, has a rooftop pool, Spa Serein and an on-site restaurant, Copper & Salt Northwest Kitchen. Hotel Murano, 1320 Broadway, Tacoma, Washington 98402, sits in downtown Tacoma. For dinner off the course, Boathouse19, 9001 S 19th St, Tacoma, Washington 98466, serves Northwest seafood and waterfront dining at Tacoma Narrows Marina, with views of the Narrows Bridge and Puget Sound.

Robert Trent Jones II designed Chambers Bay, and it opened for play on June 23, 2007. It sits within a public park: Wikipedia describes the course itself as 250 acres within a 930-acre Pierce County park that also includes walking trails; the operator's own site describes the course as spanning 249 acres. The two do not agree on the exact acreage. Chambers Bay is owned by Pierce County and managed by KemperSports. Pierce County's own Parks & Recreation page lists Chambers Bay among its golf courses, calling it "host of the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Men's Open." Chambers Bay has hosted the 2010 U.S. Amateur, the 2015 U.S. Open (won by Jordan Spieth), the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball and the 2022 U.S. Women's Amateur, and is scheduled to host the 2027 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2033 U.S. Amateur. Robert Trent Jones II's own portfolio page lists Chambers Bay as an Audubon International Certified Silver Signature Sanctuary Course. Golf Digest's Best Golf Courses in Washington, 2025-'26 ranks Chambers Bay first, rated 4.4 from 46 panelists, labelled "Public."

Chambers Bay is a public course — no membership required. It is a walking-only course; push and pull carts are included with the green fee, and personal push/pull carts are welcome. Book online or call 253-460-4653. Residency-based rates can be reserved up to three months in advance, starting the 1st of each month. Advance Reservations for non-residency prepaid bookings, for tee times between April and October 2026, open for booking on January 1, 2026, and include a 15.2% tax with no additional fees at check-in. Single players can join existing groups but cannot book open times. Cancellations made more than seven days in advance receive a full refund; between seven days and 48 hours before the tee time, a fee equal to 50% of the green fee applies per cancelled player; inside 48 hours, or for a no-show, the full green fee is charged. The course publishes five 2026 rate tiers, each a "starting at" figure that the course says "may vary based on demand, time of day, day of week, and how far in advance you book": Chambers Bay Golf Club members from $89 in January to $169 in July and August; Pierce County residents from $109 to $209; Washington/PNGA members from $119 to $259; non-residents from $149 to $325; and the Advance Booking tier from $275 to $425. Rates are subject to a 15.2% combined tax — 10.2% Washington State sales tax and 5% City of University Place recreation tax.

The second course for a two-day trip is Cedar Irons Golf Course (formerly North Shore Golf Course), 4101 North Shore Blvd NE, Tacoma, Washington 98422 — a public course in northeast Tacoma. Its own site states that its back nine is temporarily closed; the front nine, the practice areas and the golf shop are open. Pro shop: 253-927-1375.