Visiting Spectator Square

In the four days ahead of the practice rounds at the US Open, Spectator Square has been partially opened. These pre-event days do not require tickets. I will not be attending the US Open, so this was the only way that I could get a better look at the transformation of the property.


It's very different seeing the tents rising from the trail system and seeing the changes up close. I know the park pretty well, but this was very different. The Central Meadow used to be a grass area with a few paths running through it. Now, there is a paved core to spectator square with some pretty significant landscaping. If you go to Spectator Square, all of the flowers were brought in by the USGA.

Fences have been installed to define where they want spectators to go. These fences hide more familiar parts of the park such as the pond near the Central Meadow restrooms. I had no way to look for Pied-billed Grebes. That said, I could at least see the Osprey nesting platform.

Video displays, directional signs, and so much more have been added. The displays only showed the USGA logo while I passed, but it's clear that there will be more extensive use once the Open starts.

During these early days, the primary purpose is to sell merchandise. The tent looks so much bigger from the inside, and you can hardly even tell that it's a tent. If you look up, you can see the canvas ceiling that tips off the nature of the structure, but there's so much inside that very few people will look up. The lighting is good, and the floor is carpeted. The biggest tip off that you are in a tent is actually that the wood planks that the tent was installed on top of will occasionally squeak.

Crowds were definitely noticeable. It was clear that there would be a lot of people when we were just parking. There was a bit of a traffic jam. Since the US Open will utilize parking further away once the practice rounds start, traffic probably won't get much worse.

A significant section of the merchandise tent is dedicated to cash registers. A volunteer instructs customers which register to approach. For each of these registers, one volunteer takes care of the transaction while another bags merchandise. For an anti-social humanoid like myself, it can be a little intimidating, but it seems to move people through at a good enough rate.

The disturbing part is that there were two major sections for the registers, and only one was open. The Merchandise Pavilion could be a complete madhouse once the Open is "In Full Swing" like the University Place signs say.

As for the golf course, I really couldn't see much. The bleachers have had flags installed, but that's the only noteworthy change that I noticed since they closed the trails. I didn't notice any golfers preparing for the Open, but like I said, I couldn't see much.

I didn't have my camera on me, so I didn't get any pictures. This makes it tempting to go back tomorrow. If I do, I will probably walk. It seems easier than dealing with the traffic. Unfortunately, I would still have to take the shuttle. Oh well, it would probably be worth the effort to get pictures that I am unlikely to repeat in the future.