At long last, the cash registers have begun to ring at Chambers Bay, the course in suburban Tacoma, Washington that will host the U.S. Open in 2015.
Chambers Bay, which opened in 2007, is “on pace to have its best year since 2008 and may be close to escaping a cycle of borrowing to pay off debt,” according to the Tacoma News Tribune.
The course broke even in 2008 but has operated in the red until this year, when it finally began to generate the interest its proponents predicted. Through the first nine months of 2013, the Pierce County-owned property has rung up more than 32,500 rounds, 15 percent better than it did during the same period in 2012, and revenues from greens fees and other golf operations are up by nearly $1 million, a 27 percent increase.
Local officials attribute the financial boost to increased play from non-resident golfers, who are willing to pay a premium – as much as $219 – for the privilege of playing a U.S. Open venue.