AS THE CLOCK ticks nearer to the new year I’ll be including at least a monthly checkup in 2015 on preparation and development for the Pacific Northwest’s time in the golfing spotlight, the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.
Monday marked the seven-month countdown for the U.S. Open, which will be the biggest golf tournament to ever be contested in the state of Washington.
Events run from Monday through Sunday, June 15-21 at Chambers Bay, tucked away in University Place near the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Most importantly, gallery tickets for the Thursday opening round are still available for purchase.
These tickets are $110 and will allow patrons the opportunity to watch a live round in person amid the rolling hills of Chambers Bay.
What a stocking stuffer a trip to Tacoma would be.
That’s the first and likely the last time I will write that sentence about the “City of Destiny.”
Grounds tickets for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s practice rounds also are available for $50.
There are also more expensive 1895 Club tickets which include food and beverage and Trophy Club tickets for access to the Monday through Wednesday practices and Thursday’s opening round.
To purchase tickets, visit www.usga.org.
I haven’t nailed down when I will be in attendance. A friend has Sunday tickets and I’ll have all-week access thanks to a media pass, but I may want to watch the final round from home.
Televised golf is the best way to see every swing without getting lost in the crowds.
And Fox Sports’ Joe Buck and golf legend Greg Norman, the two lead announcers for this year’s U.S. Open, got their feet wet last Saturday with Fox’s first televised golf coverage.
Buck, son of legendary St. Louis Cardinals announcer Jack Buck, is Fox’s lead football announcer.
He announced the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl win last February and has voiced a number of Seahawks games for the network, including last Sunday’s game against San Francisco.
Buck tries too hard to be funny and his jokes often fall flat.
Personally, I think he’s kind of an empty suit and has a lot to thank his father (a superb play-by-play man) for.
Norman, well, I expect him to say anything and everything.
Saturday’s golf event, the Franklin Shootout, lacked Holly Sonders, who will move over from the Golf Channel in 2015.
It looks like there will be some innovative camera work, mixing in more use of drones and rear camera views, along with more detailed graphics geared to better showing green contours and hole locations.
A full review of the first run is available from Golf Digest writer Geoff Shackleford at tinyurl.com/PDN-FoxReview.
Cedars New Year’s
Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim will host a New Years Invitational with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start on Saturday, Jan. 3.
The first nine will feature a two-person shamble format with all players moving up to the spot of the best-hit tee shot before switching to stroke play to close out each hole.
That’s when your game can turn into shambles.
I kid.
The back nine features two-person best ball play.
Cost is $60 per person for the public, $40 for Dungeness members and employees.
The fee includes KP’s, green fees, a boxed lunch, cart, range balls and a chance at $1,500 in prizes based on a full field of 50 golfers.
An optional $20 per team honeypot also will be available.
The tourney is open to amateurs with a valid USGA handicap and professionals, with a limit of one pro per team.
Port Townsend event
Port Townsend Golf Club will host a tournament for those who may need a little pick-me-up after the Christmas holiday.
The Holiday Blues tournament is set for a 10 a.m. shotgun start on Saturday, Dec. 27.
Cost is $25 per player for the three-person scramble format event.
Port Townsend lucked out last Saturday, avoiding the wet and wild, for a nice, sunny day for its annual Toys For Tots Holiday Scramble.
“We had great weather for this tournament and a good turnout for this late season event,” Port Townsend head pro Gabriel Tonan said.
“The format was a blind draw scramble which is always fun. You get to play with people you might not normally play golf with. “
Tim Caldwell, Brian Lux, Al West and Carlton Patterson teamed to fire a gross 63.
Hazli Katsikapes, Bret Roberts and Jerry Spieckerman tied with Zack Glover, Don Moody and Mark Ajax with net rounds of 51.2.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or pdngolf@gmail.com.