University Place, on the Tacoma side of Puget Sound, is home to Chambers Bay—the links-style municipal course that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open and announced the Pacific Northwest's ability to stage majors on fescue-covered sand. Contoured fairways, vast bunkering, and views of the Sound create a walking-oriented test that plays radically differently in wet winter softness versus firm summer speed. Wind off the water is part of the examination; so is accepting that Pacific Northwest golf rewards creativity around firm greens.
Beyond championship week memories, Chambers Bay remains a public-access destination that draws architecture fans and locals willing to walk the hills. University Place itself is a residential community that happens to hold a nationally significant golf venue—an unusual pairing that keeps major-championship turf available to daily-fee players. Dry midsummer stretches reveal the course's intended firm-and-fast character; shoulder seasons can be lush, green, and strategically different. Layer for the marine climate regardless of the calendar.