Big Plans for Chambers Bay?

Big new developments may be in the works for Chambers Bay Golf Course. Pierce County and a California developer have entered into a preliminary agreement for the construction of a 220-room hotel and a second golf course, according to The News Tribune.

The preliminary agreement gives California developer, Sonnenblick Development, until the middle of June to come up with more detailed plans and financing for the project.

There has been talk about a hotel in the past, but nothing that panned out. The hotel now being discussed would be three to four stories, located at the top of the current course. To support that hotel, Sonnenblick would like to build a second golf course.

The idea of the second golf course would be to capture the portion of the golfing community that is either unwilling or unable to walk a full 18 holes. The existing Chambers Bay course doesn't allow golf carts on the grass; the Sonnenblick proposal would. In the long-term, the developer would also like to see development on the waterfront of the property too - with retail, dining, and possibly kayak and sailboat amenities too. Those plans, however, would have to wait for a later phase.

The $120 million project would be fully funded by Sonnenblick, who would sign a lease with the County. It would also require amendments to the Chambers Creek Properties master plan.

According to the TNT, construction on the project would not begin until after the 2015 US Open.

There's a lot of time and room for either the developer or the County to back out

The Chambers Bay property is more than just a golf course; its trails and open spaces get a lot of use by the public. Pierce County says it is committed to maintaining those amenities. There isn't much yet in the way of specifics on plans, but the big question seems to be whether there is room for all those uses, and a second golf course. Can it work?

Read more from The News Tribune.