THE FRONT ROW WITH MARK NELKE: Sunday, June 21, 2015

We've seen all the gorgeous shots of the Pacific Northwest in general, and the Puget Sound in particular, this week.

We've seen the unique links-style course in lush green country.

We've heard the bitching and moaning about the greens, and heard it's not exactly a spectator-friendly course.

So when the USGA packs up and leaves Chambers Bay at the conclusion of the U.S. Open today (or Monday?), the question lingers:

After going 115 years before the U.S. Open made its debut in the Pacific Northwest, will we get another one of these anytime soon?

No doubt the powers-that-be will say politically correct things now - great hospitality in the Northwest, and large, enthusiastic galleries (by the way, does anybody ever rip the crowd for being stupid and un-knowledgeable about the sport they're watching?).

But the true answer will surface in the coming weeks, months, years - when future USGA events are awarded. The U.S. Open, in particular, seems to rotate between a handful of trusted courses. Will Chambers Bay, given the good and not-so-good of this week, end up in that rotation?

IF THE USGA decides not to come back, perhaps Chambers Bay could still land a lesser major, like the PGA - considered the little brother of the four majors.

Disclaimer: I love all the majors, for different reasons - the Masters, because, well, it's the Masters, and the beautiful scenery at Augusta National in early April is a sign that spring is coming soon to the Northwest, especially after a harsh winter.

I love the U.S. Open because it's OUR national championship. I love it when players call it THE Open, as opposed to the British Open, which the world would prefer you call THE Open. Sorry, it's the British Open, and fun to watch for a week as players depart the lush green courses for a week on hardscrabble, yellowish-brownish courses where shots can roll forever - for better and for worse.

(Then again, after watching three straight weekends of golf (the British, the Women's British Open and the Senior British Open) on that stuff, the novelty wears off and you almost feel the need to pot up the color on your TV.)

That leaves the PGA, which in its August time slot is nearing the end of the relevant golf season, as well as fighting the NFL preseason - yes, the PRESEASON - for attention. Also, the PGA has a slogan - "Glory's last shot" - and if your event needs a slogan ...

Anyway ...

IF THE big guns eventually do return to Chambers Bay some day, you have to wonder if Tiger Woods will be among them.

Whether you feel sorry for him, or you look at it as payback for his indiscretions a few years back, it was painful to watch him struggle - hitting ground balls, a number of wayward shots, and even losing his club on one swing. Of course, the good folks at Fox, knowing a good train wreck in prime time when they saw it, stayed with him, televising nearly every miserable shot. All this for a guy that finished the first round 15 strokes behind the leaders. Fox was a little more forgiving on the second day, showing only bits and pieces of the former World No. 1 golfer as he "improved" to a 6-over 76, missing the cut by "only" 11 shots.

Couple Thursday's disaster with his chunked chip episode earlier this season, he's now shot three rounds in the 80s this year - after shooting in the 80s just once as a pro prior to this season.

For those of you who always wanted to play like Tiger Woods, well, be careful what you wish for.

WATCHING THE U.S. Open on TV this week, there must be a lot of cussing going on near the microphones, judged by all of the sound cutouts during Fox's telecasts.

Most of the grousing seemed to be about the uneven putting surfaces, due to the different types of grass being used. One pro likened it to "putting on broccoli," though many of us would prefer to putt on broccoli rather than eat it.

The "sideboards" on the greens were a novelty early in the week, but seemed a little gimmicky toward the end. Patrick Reed referred to a "Mickey Mouse" hole location on 18 on Friday that he couldn't putt the ball close to without using the sideboards - and even then, his longish putt wasn't much closer to the hole when he was done putting than when he started - it was just on a different part of the green.

Fans groused about not being able to get close to certain holes on the course, and not being able to see much on some of the holes they did get near.

Perhaps both of those things are fixable - and may need to be if the Open is to return to Chambers Bay. Or maybe the USGA is fine with most everything, with only minor tweaks to be made as a condition of return.

Then again, if the golfers are complaining about the conditions, maybe Chambers Bay and the USGA got it right - get the world's top players out of their comfort zone a little bit, and see how they react.

We'll just have to wait and see.

But if broccoli must be a part of a future Open at Chambers Bay, let's keep it to the concession stands.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.