Northwest Golf + Travel | July 2022 by Northwest Golf and Travel

NORTHWEST G O L F + T R AV E L

CHEWELAH, WA

CHEWELAH GOLF

A COURSE FOR ALL SEASONS

EMERALD VALLEY Nº 05 - JULY 2022

CONT ENTS

CHEWELAH C C Go lf Trek ker

A L B E RTS ON S B OI S E OPE N Joh n ny M i l l er

A Cour s e For All Se a s ons

H o le s 9 - 1 3

L a s Veg a s E x p eri e n c e In O n e Com m un i ty

E M E RALD VA LLE Y

CRU E L EIGHTE E N

G OL F S U MME R L I N

Northwest Golf + Travel Magazine PO Box 85 Newman Lake, WA 99025 Director Tom Stebbins Creative Citywide Consultants

DARIN PATZER Golf Trekker

CHEWELAH, WA

CHEWELAH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

he first day of summer leading up to the weekend of the annual Bigfoot Festival in Northeast Washington intrigued this NW Golf Trekker enough to pack up the sticks and head into the deep woods, home to the Chewelah Golf and Country Club. An hour’s drive north from Spokane through the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge, features scenery so spectacular that the golf might just be the icing on the cake.

Jason Pitt, PGA Pro who took over as General Manager in 2020 had invited our foursome to experience the treelined, dog-legged course which he had learned to love as a child. Apparently, he is not the only child who enjoys golf at Chewelah, as we pulled into the parking lot we noticed the practice facility swarming with youngsters attending a clinic. While Chewelah Country Club is member-owned, it is open to the public. The original nine opened in 1976, and by 1984 it had become an 18-hole course. In 2001, after a re-routing of holes, a new nine opened allowing Chewelah to boast itself as the only 27-hole golf course in the Inland Empire. Our group would be tested right from the first tee by the challenging 18-hole course with a total distance of 6,673 yards and 71.8 rating (or a more moderate 6,029/68.9 from the whites, which we wisely chose to play).

Hole #9 — Chewelah Golf & Country Club

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Deer on Chewelah Golf Course

Chewelah Sasquatch

Joining me for the round was Monty, an old buddy from my college days in Michigan who has gone onto to become a judge. He politely declined when asked if we needed to refer to him all day as, ‘Your Honor.’ Also joining in on the round was my speech-pathologist friend, John, and my own 16-year-old son, Kale. Bubba Watson would feel right at home on this course, as nearly every hole has a significant dogleg, requiring control of the shot-shape, or else encouraging prudent golfers to use an iron from many tees. With the first tee presenting a significant dogleg left, I pulled out my 4-iron and it rewarded me by flying straight …into a large fairway bunker. Knowing I would likely need a mulligan in my pocket for later, I elected to play on. Escaping the sand, I still ended up having to chip onto the green thus starting off with a bogey. Throughout the day our group wrestled with trees enough to ponder whether course-raters factor in a tree-allotment – they certainly should! At one point we joked with John (who is also a part-time pastor) about a tree giving up a tithe-payer bounce back into the fairway. Later, another ball bounced off a tree deeper into the woods and we swiftly accused the perpetrator as one who obviously had shorted the Lord of a faithful donation that week at church.

the golf bug” as a teenager working at Spokane’s Pine Acres Par 3. He would drive on his days off to play up to 36 holes a day at Chewelah. Later, in his years as a PGA pro, Jason has had success in many of the Pacific NW Section “Majors,” including the NW Open and the Rosauers Open. Jason shared that his favorite hole at Chewelah is #9. Indeed, we found it to be a spectacular hole offering 180-degree views and a 250foot drop from tee to green. In fact, it was so nice we played it twice, electing to distance ourselves from a slow foursome ahead by driving back up to experience the hole from the blue tees perched higher up on the hill. As would be expected, payback comes quickly in the form of the tenth hole playing with considerable uphill elevation. Judge Monty remarked in awe, “not sure I've ever played a hole that went just straight up a hill like that.” To me, it seemed a poor drive could nearly roll all the way back downhill to your feet. Judge Monty reflected later, “Chewelah is a constant mix of risk and reward off the tee. Some holes you could try to cut corners, but risky, and the fairways and greens were immaculate.” As we proceeded to the back nine, Monty - who has seven children and admits to scarcely having time to play the game - continued to impress us with his consistency and long-ball. My son Kale has an impressive long draw of his own, though just at the dawn of his golf career he fluctuated between awing us one moment with a long drive, then following it by humorously watching his divot sail side-by-side with his ball forty yards down the fairway after a chunked shot. Meanwhile, Pastor John was dawdling along, at times putting on a full-sized impersonation of Tim Conway’s “Dorf on Golf” tutorial. Any lack in our group’s overall skill was more than made up for with goodnatured trash-talk and the camaraderie of the game.

"To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.” — PG Wodehouse

The pristine 75-degree day in the forest did not disappoint us, nor did the display of wildlife, with creatures seemingly watching us in curiosity around each bend. The fourth green is guarded by a foreboding Sasquatch statue whose owner happily obliged for a group photo, reminding me again that seminar experts were gathering along with profiteers at booths that very weekend, capitalizing on the lore of Bigfoot in this region of the Northwest (see Metaline Falls’ Bigfoot Festival). Over the subsequent holes of our round, we were visited not only by a young deer pausing to chuckle at our drives, but also by a pair of dotted fawns and finally an orange teebox cat. We would have happily settled for a few birdie-sitings, but this friendly feline was as close as any of us would get to a birdie on this day. Earlier, we had been greeted at the clubhouse by assistant pro, Michael, and front desk staffer, Jeff, who happily filled us in on the many attributes of Chewelah membership, including RV hook-up sites, pickle-ball, tennis, horseshoes, a full-service restaurant and clubhouse with seating for over 200. In addition, there is a Players Club in the basement with billiards, ping-pong, darts, cards and foosball. We even heard rumors of some of the celebrities who have made appearances at Chewelah CC over the years, including actor Kevin Costner, Willie Nelson and baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. General manager, Jason Pitt, shared with me how he was “bitten by

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Undaunted, we weaved through each dogleg eventually reaching the 18th green, and with Judge having wrapped up the match several holes back we decided to play the last hole mano-a-mano. At long last my moment of glory arrived as I strung together three solid shots. When Kale’s par putt trickled just past, I salvaged my bruised ego with a closing par, winning last-hole bragging rights to the sound of goodnatured taunts. It is such friendship along with the beauty and peace of the outdoors that keeps us coming back for another round of what Mark Twain coined, “a good walk spoiled.” And speaking for our foursome, we’ve found few places better in the Inland NW to spoil a good walk, than the charming Chewelah Golf and Country Club. www.chewelahgolf.com Reach out to Darin at: darinpatzer@yahoo.com

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BOISE, IDAHO

ALBERTSONS BOISE OPEN

CHRIS WOOD

G o l f i n the N or t hwest

olf legend Johnny Miller introduced the 33rd edition of the Albertsons Boise Open, which continues to be a record-setting event on the Korn Ferry Tour. “It’s amazing what the community has done to support this event. It’s unheard of, really,” Miller said while doing a lengthy interview with longtime Boise Open promoter Jeff Sanders and answering questions from the media on Monday, June 27. “The mojo this tournament has is amazing.”

The Albertsons Boise Open will be held Aug. 18-21 at Hillcrest Country Club, site of the tournament since its inception in 1990. The Boise Open is the only event on the Korn Ferry Tour to keep its original location and sponsor, and it continues to set the bar for charity after raising a record $2.9 million in 2021 and more than $30 million total, both Korn Ferry Tour records. “It wasn’t that long ago that guys were sleeping in their cars in the parking lot and the first prize was $18,000,” Sanders said. “We certainly have come a long way.”

Hillcrest Country Club

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The Albertsons Boise Open will be the first of two playoff events leading up to the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. The field includes the Korn Ferry Tour players who qualify for the playoffs along with the bottom 75 players on the PGA Tour who do not qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“I was so nervous because I had never played for that much money,” Miller said. “I figured there was no way I was going to make that putt, but a little birdie told me to close my eyes and hit it. I figured I was going to miss anyway, so I might as well try it.”

“When you’re playing at the end of the year, everything is on the line,” Much of Miller’s Q+A session focused on money as the LIV Tour and Sanders said. its huge payouts continue to dominate world golf news. The difference between the current state of golf and Miller’s prime comes down to An average 8 of 10 winners on the PGA Tour played in Boise, including motivation, he said. All of the great historical players were driven by a Justin Thomas (2014), Xander Schauffele (2016), Scottie Scheffler love of the game and a will to win. (2019) and Will Zalatoris (2020). Miller never competed in the Boise Open, but he did win a network TV announcers shootout with Roger “(Lee) Trevino would play you for a nickel,” Miller said. “Guys like Ray Maltbie against Lanny Wadkins and Gary McCord 16 years ago as part of Floyd, Hale Irwin, they’d rather kick you in the knee as look at you. tournament week. Miller stuck an iron to 3 feet and was able to “shake Sure, everyone wanted to build a nest-egg for their families, but it wasn’t in” the winning putt as the NBC tandem beat CBS. all about money.” “That was pretty fun because Lanny and I were rivals going way back,” Miller said he always looked for the worst-case scenario whenever he was presented with a golf or business opportunity. He sees that as the Miller said. Saudis who are backing the LIV Tour losing interest after a year or two The moment reminded Miller of what he deemed the most nervous and players who defected from the PGA Tour and world tours still facing shot he ever had on a golf course. There was a non-sanctioned event repercussions. in Sun City, South Africa with a $500,000 first prize. Miller was dueling down the stretch against a little known Spaniard at the time - Seve “No one deserves the kind of money (the LIV Tour is) paying, and that Ballesteros. Seve nearly holed out on the final hole for what appeared to can make a person lazy,” Miller said. “Everyone needs to stay hungry.” be a clinching birdie, but Miller somehow rolled in his 14-footer to tie and won on the 8th playoff hole.

Johnny Miller

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FEATURE

EMERALD VALLEY A COURSE FOR ALL SEASONS

ocated off I-5 in Creswell, eight miles south of Eugene, along the coast fork of the Willamette River, Emerald Valley Golf Course is a premier championship public golf course in the Willamette Basin. Known for its tree-lined fairways, fast-consistent greens and tough, tournament quality course conditions year-round, Emerald Valley has access to bountiful land and water. Emerald Valley is an easy choice, no matter the time of year or weather.

Laine Wortman is in his fifth year as general manager and head professional for the course that has earned the reputation as "The Home of Tournament Golf" and is one of the best tests of golf in Oregon. “We like golfers, of all levels,” said Wortman, “there are five different tees to choose: the course runs from 7210 yards (74.9/133) to 5305 yards (68.2/117).” Emerald Valley has an established reputation: ranked number-one of 71 courses in Oregon from the back tees in 2005, and Golf Course of the Year in 2004. “We are blessed to have land and water, and that has helped make this a great course,” observed Wortman; “I call this a ‘scab course’ because if you have a weakness in your game, you’re going to have several opportunities to be confronted with that same shot or situation.” Emerald Valley is one of Oregon’s best regional courses in all seasons of weather: dry and playable in the winter and spring seasons when other courses may be soaked. The course drains well and, as Wortman pointed out, “the fairways are tight and the

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The indoor facility will be 6,000 square feet with indoor and outdoor hitting stations, (heated—good in all kinds of weather), and will help Wortman’s choice of a signature hole is number 14, a 453-yard par Oregon men’s and (women’s Pac-12 champs in 2022) remain competitive 4 from the tips, 344 yards from the forward tees: “This is one of the with the traditional warm-weather powers of the Pac-12 Conference. toughest par 4’s in Oregon. You have to either drive it long and face a Currently full at the membership level, the course is open to the public tight uphill approach to a well defended green or lay back a little and face the same tight approach from a longer distance.” (author’s note: at reasonable rates for a quality course: $56 Weekdays ($53 online) and I’ve played it several times and it’s easy to get a 7 on your card; you have $59 Weekends ($56 online). to play consistently well and there is no easy way out). Invigorated after your round, the Front Nine Restaurant features In addition, Emerald Valley boasts one of the premier practice fresh, delicious food in a casual setting while the Back Nine Bar has the facilities in the Northwest as home of the Oregon Ducks golf team. drinks and specials that top off your game, no matter what the score ”We take great pride in providing a challenging and fun place to card reads. practice and play, even if they’re Beavers or other college teams,” said Wortman. When completed, the facility will be called the “Jake,” after Author Ken Woody covers Oregon football for the Register Guard and KUGN PGA pro Peter Jacobsen, a former Duck golfer, one of the driving forces radio and is the author of “After Further Review,” a guide to watching football behind the facility aided by current Duck coach Casey Martin who has more effectively. He believes in hitting from the tees that make you happy. an NCAA men’s national championship to his credit along with his PGA experience. greens are small, fast and undulating-up to 13 on the Stimpmeter.”

Book a trip and enjoy a few rounds of golf and the mild weather in the Lewis Clark Valley. When the 19th hole rolls around, hang out at one of our many wineries, breweries, and restaurants. Adventure into Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge, on an exciting white water jet boat tour and explore the scenic vistas, world-class ﬁshing, and tales of legend and lore.

COME FOR THE GOLF, STAY FOR THE

adventure STAY & PLAY PACKAGES & SPECIALS

LEWISTON, ID • CLARKSTON, WA Photos ©Brad Stinson

www.visitlcvalley.com | (509) 758-7489 N O R T H W E S T G O L F + T R AV E L

EDITORS AT A l l G o l f I d aho

The “Cruel 18” continues this month with holes 9-13 of the most challenging golf Idaho has to offer. Let's take a look at the parameters for holes to qualify: •

To gain consideration as the opening (1st) hole on the Cruel 18, the hole must be the opening (1st) hole at its respective course, and so on throughout the round.

•

No course can be featured more than once on the Cruel 18.

•

All holes are measured from the tips.

•

The Cruel 18 must feature an even mix of holes in order to accurately simulate a real course.

•

A solid representation should be given throughout the state.

You can read about the first three holes here and holes 4-8 here.

9 •

The Links (Post Falls) – 780-yard Par 6: “Par 6?! I didn’t even know that was legal!” is the typical response I hear when telling fellow golfers about this hole. Taking the place of one of the par 5s and giving the Cruel 18 a par 73, this monster hole may be the most talked about hole in Idaho other than Coeur d’Alene’s floating green. Obviously long at 780 yards, The Links sports one of the few par 6 holes in all of golf, and it’s a doozy. Even great players will struggle to reach this hole in three strokes and a small forest of trees gobbles up approach shots left of the green. Practicing your fairway woods is a good idea before playing this hole, because even getting assistance from the prevailing wind can’t help a topper get to the green.

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POST FALLS – The 780-yard 9th at The Links is one of the few par 6’s in the world.

10 •

Sand Creek (Idaho Falls) – 449-yard Par 4: Sand Creek doesn’t have a reputation as a difficult golf course, but definitely there are exceptions on the Idaho Falls municipal layout. The 10th is the No. 1 handicap hole, and for good reason. Many golfers look to turns things around when heading to the back nine, but No. 10 at Sand Creek takes no prisoners. It measures 449 yards from the tips, usually into the prevailing wind. No matter which the tee box is played, the tee shot must fit between trees left and right. OB stakes lurk on the left if you go through the forest. A shot into the trees on the right means a chip back to the fairway - if you can locate your ball in the thick foliage and dunes. A well-struck tee shot leaves a long iron or hybrid into a narrow green that curves right to left and slopes severely to the left in places. A par here is stealing one from the field!

IDAHO FALLS – The back nine at Sand Creek Golf Course starts off with a doozy of a par 4.

11 •

Shadow Valley (Boise) – 188-yard Par 3: Named “Shadow’s Alley,” the 11th hole strikes fear into golfers at this public course in Boise. Once you navigate this challenging par 3, the difficult 12th and 13th holes loom. Your best stroke of the day is required when firing your tee shot at this narrow green that demands pinpoint accuracy. The depth of this mounded green also requires precise distance control. The flag will be found in one of three sections of the green, each of which will require a different club from the tee. So, muster up your courage and find a way to score par on this tree-lined hole. You're going to need some extra stokes heading into the next two holes that “The Shadow” has waiting for you.

BOISE – The tee shot on this daunting par 3 requires precise distance and aim.

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12 •

Timberstone Golf Course (Caldwell) – 604-yard Par 5: : The monstrous 12th at Timberstone tests every type of golf shot. The tee shot from the tips needs to be crushed just to reach the corner of this uphill, dogleg left. Shorter drives bring fairway bunkers into play along the left side of the fairway, and out of bounds lurks on the right. Cutting the corner at any point means challenging out of bounds left. Those fortunate to have less than 300 yards for their second, must avoid a cluster of bunkers from 100 yards in to this undulating green that slopes severely on the front third. Driver, fairway wood, irons, wedges, and putter: be prepared to use all of them on the par-5 12th at Timberstone.

13 •

CALDWELL – This dogleg par 5 challenges every club in your bag.

Circling Raven (Worley) – 253-yard Par 3: If you’re pulling off the head cover to your driver or 3 wood on a par 3, then you’re either at the wrong tee box OR the 13th hole at Circling Raven. This pristine resort course is located 30 miles south of Coeur d'Alene off U.S. Highway 95. Stretching to over 250 yards, the par-3 13th requires 235 yards of carry over protected wetlands. If the distance and elevation drop aren’t difficult enough, a huge bunker with brilliant white sand awaits anything short and right. By the way, the “bail out” area is to the left of the green, where you’ll have to punch out through the trees off a bed of pine needles. Par feels like birdie - at least - on this brute.

WORLEY – This par 3 at Circling Raven may require you to hit a driver off the tee.

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36 Holes of Great Golf! 18-hole Championship Course 9-hole Freeman Course* 9-hole Robin Hood Course* * Opening this fall

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208.362.8897

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THE ENTIRE LAS VEGAS GOLF EXPERIENCE PACKED INTO ONE COMMUNITY: GOLF SUMMERLIN (Las Vegas, Nevada; July 1, 2022) – Just northwest of downtown Las Vegas lies the triple threat of golf courses. Golf Summerlin offers a variety of golf experiences for players of all skill levels. With courses designed by legends Billy Casper and Greg Nash, it's no wonder why Las Vegas residents and tourists flock to the three courses located near the heart of the Vegas Strip. Let’s take a look at each course. Palm Valley is Golf Summerlin’s oldest, longest, and most challenging course. Established in 1989, the mature, gently undulating fairways are generous enough to allow most players to hit with the driver all day, but the deceptively rolling bent grass greens make every two-putt testy. Pine trees line many of the fairways, and 68 bunkers also tighten the course to give each shot an additional challenge. (Par 72, 6,706 yards, 71.7 rating / 127 slope) Highland Falls lives up to its name with lofty elevation at more than 3,000 feet. Built in 1993, the beautiful course receives much praise including ‘Best of Las Vegas’ awards. Panoramic views of the Las Vegas strip are abundant throughout; the rolling hills of the front nine become steeper on the back side. Besides elevation changes, rich fairways and strategically placed bunkering make each of Highland Falls’ eighteen holes fun, fair, and challenging. Risk and reward golf shot opportunities are plentiful on the back nine. (Par 72, 6,404 yards, 69.7 rating / 130 slope) Eagle Crest is the youngest of the three courses, built in 1995, the executive course makes for an exciting round of quicker golf. Eagle Crest is built into the side of a stately mountain and the layout plays along some of Las Vegas’ highest points, showcasing exciting city vistas. Though an executive course, Eagle Crest tests players on every club in the bag, so golfers can swing the driver while enjoying a timely round. Course designer Billy Casper says, “You can take any hole from this course, put it in the middle of a championship course, and it would fit right in.” (Par 60, 4,077 yards, 60.5 rating / slope 97) For more information about Golf Summerlin, including stay-and-play packages, visit www.golfsummerlin.com or 800-803-0758.

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Palm Valley Golf Course at Golf Summerlin

Golf Course Kellogg, Idaho

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Visit silvermt.com for tee times

wild foothills. manicured courses.

From the award-winning restaurants, a scenic river and mountainous backdrop, to culture like you wouldn’t believe, Boise has it all. There’s 15 public courses to try and over 200 days of sunshine a year – so no matter what time of year you come, you’re bound to enjoy. Visit boise.org to plan your next adventure.

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