Chambers Bay is the first course in the Pacific Northwest to host the U.S. Open Championship.
Today, the best golfers from around the world will tee off in the 115th U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay Golf Course outside of Tacoma, Washington.
On top of making history as the first course in the Pacific Northwest to ever host the event, Chambers Bay has an interesting story of its own. The site was once home to an ancient Native American fishing village, a military fort, a sand and gravel mine, a conservation area, a waste water treatment facility, and now, of course, a championship-caliber golf course.
But of the many historic venues that have hosted the U.S. Open over the years, only four have transcended the game of golf and established themselves as icons of American history as National Historic Landmarks. Find out which courses have made the cut.
Location: Springfield Township, New Jersey
Designer: A.W. Tillinghast (Current courses only)
Course(s) Opened: 1922
Hosted U.S. Open: 1903 (Old Course), 1915 (Old Course), 1936, 1954, 1967, 1980, 1993
Though Baltusrol Golf Club opened in 1895, it is known for its current Upper and Lower courses built in 1922. Baltusrol's Lower Course was renovated in 1948 by famed architect Robert Trent Jones with help from Francis Ouimet, famous for winning the U.S. Open as a 19-year-old amateur in 1913. The project included the lengthening of Baltusrol's now-signature fourth hole and the addition of a rock wall guarding its green.
A few highlights from the 1993 U.S. Open at Baltusrol.
Merion Golf Club (East Course)
Location: Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Designer: Hugh Wilson
Course(s) Opened: September 14, 1912
Hosted the U.S. Open: 1931, 1950, 1971, 1981, 2013
Merion's East Course is famous for the wicker baskets (instead of flags) that adorn the top of its flagsticks. Jack Nicklaus, among the greatest golfers of all time, was once quoted as saying that "acre for acre, [Merion] may be the best test of golf in the world."
After beating Nicklaus in the 1971 U.S. Open, golf great Lee Trevino had perhaps even higher praise for the course: "I love Merion, and I don't even know her last name."
Bob Costas waxes poetic about Merion during the 2013 U.S. Open.
Location: Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Designer: Henry Fownes
Course(s) Opened: 1903
Hosted U.S. Open: 1927, 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1994, 2007
With 210 bunkers and some of the toughest greens imaginable, western Pennsylvania's Oakmont is consistently ranked as one of the nation's most difficult courses. In perhaps its most historic U.S. Open, 22-year-old Jack Nicklaus beat Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff in 1962.
Of the course, Lee Trevino once said: "There's only one course in the country where you could step out right now -- right now -- and play the U.S. Open, and that's Oakmont."
They just don't make them like this anymore.
Location: Pinehurst, North Carolina
Designer: Donald Ross
Course(s) Opened: 1907
Hosted U.S. Open: 1999, 2005, 2014
The centerpiece of Pinehurst Resort's nine courses, No. 2 is known for its tree-lined holes, complex greens, and the strategic demands it places on golfers. Beginning in 2010, golf great Ben Crenshaw helped to restore the course's original features and in 2014, the course hosted 14 straight days of championship golf between the U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open Championship.
Pinehurst No. 2, Payne Stewart, and the Beatles. This will be the best 14 minutes of your day.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.