Chambers Bay

Location: University Place, Washington

Scope: Site planning, concept design, schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction observation

Size: 360 acre site with 50 acres of park and 3 miles of trail

Program: Golf course clubhouse, starter buildings, entry roads, parking, events area, public trail with lookouts, restrooms, and two parks.

Description: GCH staff worked closely with Robert Trent Jones II, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, The Miller Hull Partnership, CHA Architects and AHBL on Chambers Bay from initial site planning to landscape architectural design. The Chambers Bay Golf Course, Soundview Trail, Central Meadow Park and North Meadow Park sit on two miles of uninterrupted Puget Sound shoreline. With stunning views of the South Sound perched on 930 acres owned by Pierce County, Chambers Bay is one of the largest publicly owned properties in the developed Puget Sound region, Chambers Bay is reclaimed gravel quarry (see black and white photos) transformed into an environmentally responsible gold course and multi-use recreation hub. Immense concrete mining relics are strategically incorporated into the design creating an exciting contrast between the soft green of the turf and the rough grey of the industrial structures. The trail weaves around and through the impeccably designed and maintained golf course, curving and peaking in a way that appropriately separates the recreation uses. The success of the design speaks for itself with the overwhelming popularity of the golf course and trail that have surpassed Pierce County's own expectations and projections.

Press:

  • 2015 U.S. Open host
  • Landscape Architecture December 2009 'Green Mine'
  • 2008 WASLA Honor Award
  • Audubon International’s Silver Sanctuary Certification
  • #1 New Public Course of 2008 Golf Digest
  • April 2008 Asian Golf Business Magazine Special Report
  • 2007 Development of the Year (Daily Fee) -- Golf Inc.