Former US Open course could consider hosting LIV Golf | Golf News & Information

One of the most legitimate complaints against LIV Golf over the past three years has been the mostly unrecognizable courses used by the Saudi-backed league in the United States. Beyond the Old White Course at the Greenbrier Resort and Trump National Doral, former PGA Tour venues, this year’s schedule in the United States includes the Las Vegas Country Club, the Golf Club of Houston, The Grove in Nashville, the Bollingbrook Golf Club outside of Chicago and Maridoe Golf. Club near Dallas.

Can anyone, except one member, name a single hole they would recognize? Highly unlikely.

Elsewhere in the world, there is another establishment that has hosted the PGA Tour: Mayakoba in Mexico. But as soon as those owners agreed to host an LIV event, the American Tour said goodbye and moved Worldwide Technology to Cabo San Lucas.

Clearly, LIV needs more prestigious leads, and it could be taking a promising path with very early chatter about securing Chambers Bay outside Tacoma, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open championship won by Jordan Spieth.

The Tacoma News Tribune reported Friday that Pierce County Counsel Don Anderson confirmed that a marketing agency, Performance 54, which represents LIV Golf, had requested a meeting with Pierce officials, and that ‘they were open to such a discussion.

“LIV has its own issues, though, in terms of golf politics and world politics. You have to be careful there,” Anderson told the News Tribune. “But they throw a big party. Fifty-four golfers, 54 holes, shotgun start. You generate about $5 million in concessions and merchandise sales. From that standpoint, they’re very attractive. If they follow through on their indirect investigation, we’ll listen.”

As Anderson noted, the complications could be greater for a municipality to partner with an organization backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, although it could become more acceptable if the PGA Tour ultimately takes the PIF as a commercial partner. These negotiations are ongoing.

Pierce County opened Chambers Bay in 2007 and just three years later, as the new darling of the USGA, it hosted the U.S. Amateur at a time when USGA CEO Mike Davis was making playing championship courses on public courses a priority. Chambers went on to host the 2015 U.S. Open, which featured a dramatic final-round showdown between Spieth and Dustin Johnson but received mixed reviews for course conditions and the fan experience. Since then, the USGA has shown little interest in hosting the U.S. Open or U.S. Women’s Open there.

In a blunt assessment, Anderson said: “As far as the US Open goes, I think our best chance is to be the attractive cousin who is a backup date when your prom date can’t happen. This is what happened the first time. The 2015 US Open was awarded to Winged Foot. This happened to Chambers after they said they had to postpone this.

It’s not as if the USGA has completely abandoned Chambers; it has been awarded three other championships: the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2022, the U.S. Junior Championship in 2027 and the U.S. Amateur in 2033. But Anderson said that endless schedule doesn’t give enough exposure to a municipal golf course that’s trying to attract golfers from around the world.

“You can’t have a golf tournament every 25 years,” Anderson said. “We will continue to host USGA tournaments on a fairly regular basis. Everything on television is great. Like any business, you have to adapt to the market. Other factors may be involved. »

Among top municipal courses – these don’t count resort towns such as Pebble Beach and Whistling Straits – Chambers Bay ranks among the most expensive. The course is run on a dynamic pricing system, and starting in July, weekend green fees range from $205 for Pierce County residents to $345 for non-residents. These are intended for walking, as Chambers does not allow electric carts, another challenge in attracting golfers.

For comparison, New York State-run Bethpage Black, host to three major tournaments and the 2024 Ryder Cup, costs residents $80 to walk around on weekends and visitors $160. Torrey Pines South, an annual PGA Tour venue that has hosted two U.S. Opens and is operated by the city of San Diego, charges $292 for visitors and $85 for residents on weekends.