Chambers Bay Sim: GSPro vs E6 vs TGC 2019

Chambers Bay on GSPro vs E6 vs TGC 2019: Which Version Is Best?

Chambers Bay is the course that broke the US Open model. When it hosted the 2015 US Open, it looked like nothing that had come before — a links-style course built on a former gravel pit in the Pacific Northwest, with fescue fairways, lunar-like dunescapes, and a train running through the back nine. Half the field hated it. The other half called it the future of American golf.

Ranked No. 29 in our course database, Chambers Bay is the most controversial course in the top 30. And it is the one course where GSPro’s LIDAR approach might actually beat a licensed scan.

Which Platforms Have It

GSPro: Yes. Exceptional LIDAR-based community versions are available. The dramatic elevation changes — some of the most extreme in American golf — are captured beautifully by LIDAR. Search “Chambers Bay” in Course Manager. Free with your $250/year GSPro subscription.

E6 Connect: Yes. Officially licensed version. Premium add-on at $25. Requires Core ($300/year) tier or above.

TGC 2019: Yes. Included in the base game. Community-built version. One-time purchase for $20-30.

Chambers Bay is a public course that has been extensively documented with drone footage and LIDAR data. The data quality is excellent across all platforms.

Graphics Comparison

E6 Connect (8/10): E6’s licensed version is solid. The fescue fairways render with the right golden-brown color. The bunkers — massive, sandy waste areas that look like moon craters — have good texture. The Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains in the background are correctly modeled. But E6’s version lacks some of the raw, almost alien beauty of the real course.

GSPro (9/10): GSPro’s best LIDAR versions of Chambers Bay are stunning. The dramatic elevation changes — 200-foot drops from tee to fairway in some cases — render with breathtaking scale. The dune landscape looks natural and rugged. The fescue fairways blend into the waste areas seamlessly. The views across the Sound to the mountains are spectacular. GSPro’s lighting engine handles the Pacific Northwest overcast conditions well.

TGC 2019 (5/10): Chambers Bay in TGC 2019 is recognizable but dated. The elevation changes are present but lack the dramatic feel. The fescue texture is a flat green. The dunes lack detail. The course plays like a normal golf course rather than the lunar landscape it actually is.

Winner: GSPro — the LIDAR data captures Chambers Bay’s defining features better than a licensed scan can. This is a rare case where the community version beats the official one.

Course Accuracy

E6 Connect (8/10): The licensed version is accurate on routing, bunker positions, and green contours. Chambers Bay’s greens are huge and undulating — Robert Trent Jones II built some of the largest putting surfaces in American golf. E6 captures the major contours.

GSPro (9/10): LIDAR is the perfect technology for Chambers Bay. The extreme elevation changes are captured with centimeter accuracy. The dunes, the waste areas, the fairway slopes — all of it is real data. The greens read correctly because the LIDAR sees the massive contours that define them. The routing around the train tracks is correct. The blind shots — and there are many — play correctly.

TGC 2019 (6/10): The routing is correct. Major elevation changes are present. But the greens are simplified versions of the real thing. The waste areas lack the playability characteristics that make Chambers Bay unique. You can play the course. You will not fully understand it.

Winner: GSPro — LIDAR and Chambers Bay are a perfect match.

Playability

E6 Connect (8/10): E6’s physics handle Chambers Bay well. The fescue fairways play firm and fast — the ball runs out. The greens are fast and the massive contours create approach shot challenges. The wind model matters because Chambers Bay sits on the Puget Sound and catches coastal breezes.

GSPro (9/10): GSPro’s physics are excellent for Chambers Bay. The firm-and-fast conditions are modeled correctly. The ball runs out on the fairways and stops on the greens. The rough penalty in the fescue is severe but fair. The blind shots — the 1st hole’s tee shot, the 9th’s approach, the 15th’s tee shot — play correctly because the LIDAR elevation data makes the blind landing areas accurate.

TGC 2019 (6/10): TGC’s physics are too soft for Chambers Bay. The ball does not run out enough on the fairways. The greens do not have the right firmness. The fescue rough does not penalize enough. Chambers Bay without firm-and-fast conditions is a different course.

Winner: GSPro — the physics and the LIDAR data combine to create the most authentic Chambers Bay experience.

Cost

GSPro: $250/year for everything. Chambers Bay is included.

E6 Connect: $300-600/year for the subscription. Then $25 for Chambers Bay. First year: $325-625.

TGC 2019: $20-30 one-time purchase. Chambers Bay is included.

Winner: GSPro for subscription, TGC for absolute cost.

The Verdict

If you want the best possible Chambers Bay experience: GSPro. This is the rare course where the LIDAR community version beats the licensed professional version. The extreme elevation changes and dune landscape are tailor-made for LIDAR capture.

If you want a polished, officially supported version: E6 Connect. The licensed version is accurate and well-rendered. It is just not as dramatic as the GSPro LIDAR version.

If you are on a tight budget: TGC 2019. Chambers Bay is included for $20-30. Just understand that the soft physics will not give you the firm-and-fast links experience that defines the real course.

My pick? Comparing the versions side by side, GSPro’s LIDAR version is the best sim reproduction of any course on any platform. It is that good. If you have GSPro, this is an essential download.

For the full platform breakdowns, see the GSPro Review, E6 Connect Review, and the Best Courses on E6 Connect and Best Courses on GSPro guides.

If you want to see Chambers Bay on other platforms, GSPro remains the best choice for this course.