Cascade Golfer August 2010

VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 3 • AUGUST 2010 • COMPLIMENTARY

PRODUCTS: FOR THE LADIES

NEW GENE BATES COURSE TURNING HEADS IN SHELTON NOW’S THE TIME TO JUMP ON COUNTRY CLUB VALUES NORTHWEST GOLF NEWS & VIEWS • cascadegolfer.com

PLAY PORTLAND’S GEMS AT CG TOURNEYS THIS FALL!

2010 CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION! • Players to Watch • Best Viewing Spots • Insider Tips AND MORE

WHERE IT’S AT

A CG Insider’s Guide to the Biggest Month Ever in NW Golf

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Volume 4 • Issue 3 • AUGUST 2010

CASCADE

GOLFER

www.cascadegolfer.com Cascade Golfer is published and owned by Varsity Communications, Inc. This publication is mailed free to more than 106,000 registered Puetz Golf Preferred members. Additional copies are printed and distributed throughout the Puget Sound.

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EDITORIAL STAFF

P R E S I D E NT / P U B LI S H E R Dick Stephens E D I TO R Brian Beaky ART DIRECTION Robert Becker GR APHIC DESIGNERS Robert Becker, Heather Flyte, John Kimball CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mike Allende, Tony Dear, Bob Sherwin, Craig Smith FOR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES: Brian Beaky • (206) 367-2420 ext. 1209 editor@cascadegolfer.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF

V I C E P R E S I D E NT / D I R E C TO R O F S AL E S Kirk Tourtillotte S A LE S M A N AG E R David Stolber S A LE S & M A R K E T I N G Simon Dubiel, Ryan Amos FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT: David Stolber • (206) 367-2420 ext. 1204 david@varsitycommunications.com

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COPYRIGHT 2010 Cascade Golfer. PRINTED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and/or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Cascade Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts. The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.

All photos are courtesy of the course or individual unless otherwise noted.

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INSIDE GOLFER

A LOOK

Departments 6 PUBLISHER’S PITCH 10 SHORT GAME

• Prodigy putters are a game-changer • Play the Rose City Fall Golf Classic • CG Cup coming up aces • 2010 CG Readers Choice Awards • Eagles Pride great for military, civilians alike • SG Extra: Country clubs get creative

20 PUETZ IN THE BAG

• Ladies first: women’s clubs are hot • Summer’s top new sticks • Fill your bag for fall

33 RISK VS REWARD

Harbour Pointe No. 10

Features

24

CLIFFHANGER Gene Bates’ Circling Raven follow-up in Shelton has the golf world — and one golf writer — on the edge of its seat

35

43 ROAD HOLES

Amazing (and affordable) NW resorts

48 SAVE SOME GREEN

Peak season doesn’t have to mean peak prices

52 FALL GOLF VALUES (NEW!)

Including 22 FREE rounds of golf!

54 POSTGAME

Clowns, castles and windmills, oh my!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF JUNE’S ENTER-TO-WINS: Boeing Classic box seats | Bob Bissett Running Y Ranch stay-and-play | Chris Royak Chelan wine-and-golf getaway | Sharon Park

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Bobbi Kramer ACCOUNTS PAYABLE & RECEIVABLE Pam Titland Consolidated Press • Seattle, WA

CASCADE

HERE WE GO!

From the players to watch to time-andmoney-saving tips on tickets, parking and lodging, we’ve got all three events covered in our 2010 Tournament Preview

DON’T MISS THIS MONTH’S CONTESTS! Exclusive access to the Boeing Classic | Page 35 Fall golf values packages — over 22 free rounds! | Page 52

ADVERTISER INDEX

WANT TO REACH 106,000+ PUGET SOUND GOLFERS? ADVERTISE IN CASCADE GOLFER! Contact David Stolber • sales @ cascadegolfer.com • (206) 367-2420, ext.1204 2010 Boeing Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Alderbrook Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Apple Tree Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Auburn Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Ballinger Lake Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Battle Creek Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Bear Creek Country Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Best Western University Inn. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Bridgestone Golf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Callaway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Cascade Golfer Cup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Cedarcrest Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Chambers Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 City of Gig Harbor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Crowne Plaza Portland-Downtown. . . . . . . 49 DiabloGolf.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Eagle Crest Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

ON THE

COVER

Eagles Pride Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fourteen Golf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 GolfTEC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Hampton Inn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Juniper Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Kahler Glen Golf & Ski Resort . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Kitsap Golf Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Lake Chelan Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Lake House at Chelan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Leavenworth Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Meadow Park Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Meridian Valley Country Club . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Michelob ULTRA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Mount Si Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Muckleshoot Casino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 56 North Bellingham Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . 53 North Shore Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Oki Golf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Palouse Ridge Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Prodigy Putters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Riverside Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Rose City Fall Golf Classic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Semiahmoo Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Snohomish Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Sudden Valley Golf & Country Club. . . . . . . 53 Sun Country Golf & RV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 TaylorMade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Total Effects Technologies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Tumwater Valley Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Twin Lakes Country Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Wayne Golf Course. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 White Horse Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 8-9 | 28-32 | 51

Chambers Bay will get its first USGA test this month. Preview ON PAGE 35.

Photo by Aidan Bradley • Cover design by John Kimball

4

JUNE APRIL 2010 2010

cascadegolfer.com

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

DICK STEPHENS

My ever-growing putter collection and the one that got away

I

have a closet full of putters that never seem to make it in my bag. It’s pretty sad. There’s nothing wrong with any of them as they are all quality pieces of equipment and they complete a life story of a golfer who seems to hope to find magic in a wand.

I know I am not alone — there are legions of those that hide their vanity in the fact that they have more flatsticks than they could ever put back into play.

My old favorite is a 1982 Spalding TPM 1. Man, was this cool when it hit the market. It’s rusted now, only 43-inches and crude in design, but I know what to expect. Indeed, I putt as poorly now as I did when I first received it at 14.

Since then, I’ve gone through a John Reuter Jr. Bull’s Eye (I line up the putt better with this legend, but I am embarrassed to have it in the bag), a PING Anser (I don’t feel worthy using this — a confidence issue, for sure) and an Odyssey 2-Ball White Hot. I thought the White Hot would be the answer to my prayers, but for me, two-ball only meant three-putt.

Finally, I found the answer — a straight blade putter

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AUGUST 2010

from Fisher Touch, similar to ones Phil and Ben Crenshaw use. I started off this year stroking it sweet — the best putting of my life. But, in an act of total brain lock, I left the thing on the putting green at Snohomish one night, and never saw it again. So, I am back to the drawing board.

The fact is, it’s not my equipment.

It’s Dick Stephens and his ever-changing putting stroke that is the root of this problem. I know it, the people I play with regularly know it — even my wife knows it, as our garage is a monument to the Scotty Camerons and T.P. Mills’ of this world.

But, until I find something to replace the one lost up there at Fred Jacobsen’s place, I’ll keep looking for the cup that will bring me eternal life on the greens.

And, if you see anyone with a Fisher 35-inch blackinserted straight edge putter, gimme a buzz, will ya?

Maybe I can trade that guy for any one of the 19 putters I have in the garage. Heck, I’ll even throw in a bonus putter to sweeten the deal.

Roll em’ straight this late summer — God knows I’m not. TAKE IT EASY!

cascadegolfer.com

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AUGUST 2010

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AUGUST 2010

9

SHORT GAME

BY BRIAN BEAKY

A Prodigy In The Making

M

ike Lee walks onto the practice green at Seattle’s Jackson Park Golf Course, pulls out his putter, and immediately my mind starts racing.

What is this thing? How does it work? And perhaps the strongest and clearest thought of all, What on earth is that mirror for?

Lee can tell just from looking at me what I’m thinking.

He smiles.

“What do you think? Pretty neat, eh?” says Lee, a local engineer and Kirkland resident.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

What “it” is, is a putter that just may be the most significant development in flatstick design since the last time a Seattle native with a knack for engineering emerged from his garage with a putter described as “ugly” and “unconventional” – but which made a beautiful little “ping” when it struck a ball.

It’s a USGA-conforming putter (we’ll get to that in a minute), a high-tech trainer using levels and mirrors, an alignment aid, a distance gauge – it even incorporates adjustable weights and interchangeable attachments, and can be custom-fit for each golfer.

And yet, it’s incredibly simple to use.

Golfers start with the trainer – that’s the one with the mirror. In a pro shop (or at home), golfers find a comfortable putting stance, then have the uniquely made shaft bent such that the level atop the training mirror is perfectly centered. It takes two minutes and the end result is a putter that is perfectly level and customfit, without the golfer having had to change a thing about their natural address position.

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AUGUST 2010

It’s the kind of custom-fitting that’s been done for years with irons and drivers, but for whatever reason, has yet to take hold in the flatstick market – until now.

Once on the green, the training mirror allow golfers to locate the proper line while keeping their head above the ball, then maintain that line throughout the stroke, while the level lets you know if you’re changing your hand position. After thorough practice with the trainer, you simply remove the mirror, attach the USGAconforming mallet head, and you’re ready to play. Both heads are weighted identically for consistency of feel, while the mallet includes alignment and distance aids, as well as an orange indicator line that is only visible when your head is not directly above the ball, or your stroke is uneven.

In addition, seven removable weights in the head allow golfers to adjust the overall weight of the club for their preference from 370-440 grams, or to move weight between the toe and heel to match their comfort level.

“Just like with any club in your bag, the most important thing when putting is muscle memory, and being able to develop a consistent stroke that is repeatable and effective,” Lee says. “When people try the trainer, they can’t get enough of it – it’s so fun, they just want to keep practicing for hours. Then, when they transition to the mallet, they’re able to easily see and maintain the proper line all the way through the swing.”

The Prodigy is available directly from the manufacturer at prodigyputter.com (or by calling 206219-5636), and is currently for sale in several pro shops in the Seattle area. Lee says that golfers who have begun

After using the trainer (main photo) to fine tune their stroke, golfers switch to the identically weighted mallet (inset) to head out on the course. using it have reported an average of up to five strokes saved per round. The Prodigy comes in two versions: The Prodigy Advanced Training System includes the trainer and mallet as two individually shafted putters, making it easy to swap between the two during practice.

The Prodigy 2-in-1 is a streamlined, single-putter version, including one shaft, grip and the two interchangeable attachments (mirror and mallet).

As we’re nearing the end of the interview, a curious golfer wanders over and asks Lee if he can give it a try.

Lee beams, and launches into a full demonstration, like a proud papa showing off his own young prodigy.

“That happens all the time,” he chuckles after the golfer leaves – but not before taking down Lee’s contact information and web address. “I guarantee you if I were to just stand here and putt for 30 minutes, I’d have a whole crowd around asking questions.”

The quickest route to success in the golf manufacturing world is to get your club in the hands of a few well-known pros. Karsten Solheim spent months following the PGA Tour on its West Coast swing, leaving his PING Ansers by the practice green and waiting – hoping – for pros’ curiosity to get the better of them.

In today’s manufacturer-driven (and hyper-secure) Tour world, Lee doesn’t have that luxury. What he does have, though, is a revolutionary idea, a dynamic product and a firm belief in its ability to change the world – if necessary, one blown-away golfer at a time. cascadegolfer.com

Rose City

Fall Golf Classic Pumpkin Ridge?

Hawaii? We’re In Put Pumpkin Ridge and The Reserve & Vineyards toegther with three week-long stay-and-play packages to Maui, and what do you have? Another incredible Cascade Golfer tournament event.

Back in February, we spent a week in Portland talking to the 9,000 or so golfers who annually pack the Oregon Convention Center for the Portland Golf Show. As rabid as our Puget Sound golf community is about the game, they’re just as passionate across the border — and with an equal abundance of beautiful, affordable tracks to enjoy.

Whenever any of the golfers we talked to heard about our Cascade Golfer Cup — the six-tournament series we’ve hosted this year giving away trips to the U.S. Open, Bandon Dunes, Hawaii and other great locales, as well as the grand-prize package of 25 free twosomes in 2011 to our region’s top courses – the reaction was always the same, “Man, I wish you guys could do that here!”

We know a challenge when we hear one.

This fall, we’re proud to launch the first-ever Cascade Golfer Rose City Fall Golf Classic, featuring two incredible team-format tournaments on one thrilling weekend, with the winners of both events — and the overall low-net combined scores for the weekend — winning a fabulous five-night stayand-play to the Westin Maui Ka’anapali Golf Resort.

Yeah, that’ll make your spouse happy this Christmas.

The action will start Saturday, Oct. 2, with up to 64, twoperson teams teeing it up at The Reserve and Vineyards – one of Portland’s most prestigious public tracks – in a best-ball event for the chance to win the first of the three Hawaii stay-and-plays. The following day, we’ll be out at the unparalleled Pumpkin Ridge for the second of our two events, where teams will once again do battle in a bestball format for the second winter island getaway.

Just as with the Cascade Golfer Cup, golfers can choose to play in just one of the two events and compete for terrific individual-event team prizes such as stay-andplays to Hawaii, Central Oregon and Nevada, rounds of golf, clubs, free lessons and more. Teams who play in both events, however, will be eligible for the overall prize, an additional golf package to Hawaii, awarded to the team with the lowest combined net score for the weekend.

Both events will be scored in net formats, with prizes also awarded for the low gross scorers — so whether you’re a 2 or a 12, play your best and you could walk away a winner!

If you’re like us, you’ve been dying to play these tracks for years — well, there will never be a better reason to bring the sticks to the Rose City and show us what you’ve got. For complete rules and tournament details, or to enter, visit cascadegolfer.com/rosecity or contact Simon Dubiel at simon@cascadegolfer.com. cascadegolfer.com

2 Days • 3 Tournaments • 1 Great Weekend

Play the 2 Best Public Courses in the Portland Area

The Reserve & Vineyards Golf Club

Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club Ghost Creek

South Course

October 3 rd • 2010

The South Course is the Previous Host to PGA & Senior PGA Events

Ghost Creek is the Current Host of the LPGA Safeway Classic

October 2 nd • 2010

2 PERSON BEST BALL • PLAY IN ONE OR PLAY IN BOTH AND BE ENTERED INTO THE 2-DAY EVENT PRIZE POOL

Winning Teams from All 3 Tournaments

Win a 5-Night Stay and Golf

to the Westin Maui at Kaanapali Golf Resort For Tournament Info, Fees, Gift Packages, Etc.

PRESENTED BY

CONTACT Simon Dubiel

simon@cascadegolfer.com (206) 367-2420 ext.1236 cascadegolfer.com/RoseCity

AUGUST 2010

11

Photo courtesy of D2 Productions

Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course

SHORT GAME

CG CUP COMING UP ACES

W

hen Lakewood’s Jim Cook stepped to the 11th tee at June’s KJR Sportsradio Scramble at McCormick Woods, he had little reason to believe history was about to be made. Through the first 10 holes of their round, the pair had managed zero net birdies and were going to need a lot more to claim victory in the net-scoring tournament, the third in Cascade Golfer’s six-event summer series, the Cascade Golfer Cup. Perhaps feeling that the pressure was off after their shaky start, Cook – a 25-handicap – calmly strode onto the tee box at the 200-yard par-3, pulled a 3-hybrid and took a smooth, relaxed stroke, then watched as his ball flew straight at the green, hit the hole on the fly and dropped – plunk – right into the cup.

It was the first hole-in-one in Cascade Golfer Cup history, and helped Cook and Carothers to an eighthplace finish in the event, earning the duo a pair of Fisher Touch Putters, valued at $200 apiece. Of course, Cook also took home the closest-to-the-pin prize, a pair of passes to the 2010 U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee.

It wasn’t enough, though, to surge past Marc Shannon and Ward Groves, however, who carded a net 60.35 to claim the KJR Sportsradio Scramble trophy.

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AUGUST 2010

Oh, and that little matter of an eight-night stay at the Aston Maui Kaanapali Villas and four rounds of golf each to Kaanapali Golf Resort, home of the Wendy’s Champions Tour Skins Game. But I’m sure they’re much more excited about the trophy.

In what was a rarity for the first few months of the golf season, the sun was shining brightly on McCormick Woods throughout the day, as 60 two-person teams battled it out for 20 outstanding team prizes, as well as crucial points towards the overall Cascade Golfer Cup title on the line for the team that performs the best throughout the summer.

Through three events, that team was the duo of Todd Roney and Byron Rich. After winning the Cup’s first event, the Michelob ULTRA Open at Chambers Bay, the pair struggled at event No. 2, the Cascade Golfer Challenge at Druids Glen, before recovering for a second-place low-net finish at McCormick Woods and a five-night Hawaii vacation of their own.

How did they celebrate? By hopping on a plane a few days later to fly down to Pebble Beach for the 2010 U.S. Open, their prize for winning the first tournament at Chambers Bay – guess that Hawaii trip can wait.

cascadegolfer.com

Their solid early performances have put the duo in a strong position heading into the final three events of the summer. Though, with points worth double at the year’s final event, September’s GolfNow.com Cascade Golfer Cup Championship at Druids Glen, the overall title of Cascade Golfer Cup champion – and the grand prize, the 2011 Summer Golf Package featuring twosomes at 25 of the Northwest’s finest tracks, from Chambers Bay, to Wine Valley, to Gold Mountain and others — is still well up for grabs.

There’s still time to register for the season’s final two events, the DiabloGolf.com Best Ball at Kayak Point on Aug. 14, and the grand finale, the GolfNow.com Cascade Golfer Cup Championship at Druids Glen, Sept. 11, each with prizes every bit as cool as those from the previous evnts. For more information or to register, visit cascadegolfer.com/cup or e-mail tournament director Simon Dubiel at simon@cascadegolfer.com.

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

13

SHORT GAME

2010 CG READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

F

or the last three years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to giving you the “news and views you can use” when it comes to taking advantage of the incredible golf experiences we are blessed to enjoy here in the Northwest.

Over the last 12 months, we’ve had the chance to meet hundreds of you at our golf shows and tournaments, and have found ourselves getting a real kick out of the conversations that ensued. Be it a debate of the relative merits of holes in our 2009 Cascade Golfer Dream 18, suggestions on the features and departments you’ve liked (and, just as importantly, some you haven’t), or tips on potential courses and holes to cover in “Save Some Green” or “Risk vs. Reward,” we’ve been pleasantly surprised by the depth and intensity of your passion, and thrilled to see our readers engaging with the magazine as much as you do.

So much so, in fact, that we’ve decided to hand over a fair portion of our annual year-end issue to YOU, in the form of

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AUGUST 2010

Trophy Lake Golf & Casting

the 2010 Cascade Golfer Readers’ Choice Awards!

Based partly on our discussions with readers and other industry experts, and partly (OK, we confess – mostly) on the opinions of the avid golfers on our staff, we’ve put together a list of finalists in categories like “Best Puget Sound Course Under $50,” “Most Difficult Hole in the State” and “Favorite Northwest Road Trip,” plus several others.

All we can do, though, is make a list – we need YOU to pick your favorites! Log on to cascadegolfer.com and take 3-5 minutes to click through the categories and vote for your favorites – and don’t worry, we’ve also left a write-in box if you think there’s a worthy winner we’ve left out.

We’ll enter everyone who participates to win a brand-new driver, with the winners to be announced in December – just in time for the holidays.

So for the first and only time – stop reading, and log on to cascadegolfer.com!

cascadegolfer.com

Pride of the Northwest

Eagles Pride at Fort Lewis

A

s the son of a military man, the coming of fall always reminds me of the annual Veterans Day golf tournament my father used to play in each year. I always volunteered to carry his sticks, partly because I loved being out on the course, but also to hear the “oldtimers” share their stories after the round.

After all, it’s one thing to appreciate that septuagenarian who can still knock a 5-iron to three feet – it’s another when that same guy tells you five minutes later how he was on the first boats to hit the beach in Normandy.

I think about those old-timers whenever I’m at one of our local military tracks, whether its Eagles Pride at Fort Lewis, or the less well-known Whispering Firs at McChord.

By now, most local golfers know that Eagles Pride (253-967-6522, www.jblmmwr.com/golfcourse) is open to the public – while military personnel do receive preferred tee times (especially on weekends, when the course is busiest), anyone can enjoy the course’s three tree-lined nines rated among not just the nation’s best military courses (typically right alongside the Air Force Academy’s famed Eisenhower Golf Course), but also the best in the state.

It’s tight, hilly and challenging, even for the best golfers – though with enough tees to ease back the challenge for golfers still in basic training (and isn’t that all of us?).

Plenty of water and sand make it most forgiving to the golfer with patience, precision and focus … in essence, rewarding the same qualities that have made our military the world’s most effective for the last century.

You don’t even have to drive on base to get there – Eagles Pride is located on the west side of I-5, just across from Fort Lewis’ main gate, in Lakewood.

What many don’t seem to realize, however, is just how affordable the course remains. One of the best deals in the area this season is Eagles Pride’s weekday golf special running through Sept. 30, in which golfers receive greens fees and a cart for just $27 – that’s $20 off the regular rate, or basically, $1 for each of the course’s 27 incredible holes. It makes for an ideal way to spend your afternoon if you’re in town for August’s U.S. Amateur, or just looking for a way to honor the veterans in your life this fall.

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

15

SHORT GAME

EXTRA

TIME TO JOIN THE CLUB

BY MIKE ALLENDE

T

he traditional image of a country club is well known. Gated community, swanky and certainly unattainable for anyone not on the wealthy side of the ledger. It’s the world of business tycoons, pro athletes and movie stars.

Of course, that was before the United States economy tanked.

Today, country club membership is something that many “average Joe” locals can conceivably attain. Yes, you still have to pass through the same old screening process, but financially, country clubs are no longer just the domain of those in the highest tax bracket.

Instead, many clubs are now offering special promotions and incentives as a way of hanging on to established members and attracting new members in an economic climate where many people are putting off recreation in order to simply afford necessities.

So, think you could never be a member of country club? Think again.

“We’ve done membership promotions before with great success,” said Craig McCrone, General Manager of Kent’s Meridian Valley Country Club. “This time we realized the direction the economy was headed and decided we need to do something to get people’s attention and say, ‘Wow, Meridian Valley is really a great 16

AUGUST 2010

value!’ We still screen, it’s still the same process of getting your name circulated, getting board approval. We’re not lowering our standards. We’re just making it more appealing, financially.”

Country club general managers said they recognized the direction that the economy was headed early on and acted quickly to counter it. But, it’s an uphill battle when so many people are struggling to make a home payment and afford groceries.

“I don’t think anybody was truly ready for how hard it would hit,” said Doug Kauffman, Director of Golf at The Members Club at Aldarra in Fall City. “Any high-ticket item is going to get hit and country clubs aren’t immune to it.”

Many local country clubs have offered reduced rates on membership and other incentives to join, in order to combat dwindling numbers. While every club has lost membership, the promotions have worked to keep clubs afloat.

Meridian Valley came up with one of the most striking deals, offering $500 membership from Oct. 1 of last year through the end of April. The cost through the end of the year is now $2,400 plus half-price on dues, but that’s still quite a deal given the usual $6,000 fee to join. It’s paid off, as Meridian Valley has sold 26 memberships since the $500 promotion began. Out of cascadegolfer.com

The down economy has created a bull market for golfers considering country club membership, with initiation fees and dues at record lows.

Meridian Valley Country Club

400 spots, the club has 365 dues-paying members, a solid percentage given the climate.

“Some people think that by lowering initiation fees, maybe that demeans the club,” McCrone said. “But it’s more about having a full and healthy membership. That’s as important to me as trying to force initiation fees to be high in a climate where people can’t afford it. There’s a lot of different ways to look at it but our biggest selling point is our membership so it’s important to keep that at a healthy level.”

That’s a theme cited by every general manager. Like everyone else, country clubs have been forced to cut their budgets, trimming everything from staff to advertising.

So, along with great dea ls, having a happy membership group is the best advertising a club can have, and the best chance to find new members. Some clubs try to reward member loyalty, including Woodinville’s Bear Creek Country Club.

“We had a very strong referral program in the spring,” said Bear Creek General Manager Peter Christian. “It provided a 25-percent-off discount for 24 months for members who referred a new member. The incoming member received one year of discounted dues and a discount on initiation fees. It worked out well for everyone.”

That specific deal only ran through June, but it’s representative of deals that are still to be had — though they’re going fast. In fact, while the general managers say that no one is out of the woods yet, there are indications that business will pick up soon, if it hasn’t already.

Aldarra offered a dues-only membership good for cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

17

SHORT GAME

EXTRA

a year, and that helped in the toughest times, but the club ended that program shortly after. The program was designed for several reasons — to reach potential members who can afford but aren’t sure it’s the right fit; to remain competitive with other clubs in drawing new members; and to make sure the club retained a healthy level of total members-paying dues in the short-term to ensure long-term success.

Theresa Raleigh, Sales Director of Federal Way’s Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club, said just getting people to realize that now is a great time to join a country club is one of the biggest challenges.

“The No. 1 struggle we have is letting people know that we’re accessible and that we want people to join,” Raleigh said. “In the past year we developed a really strong email database of potential members and that’s made a huge difference in our ability to sell people on our club.”

Raleigh said Twin Lakes was hit particularly hard by the recession but has recently started to see membership climb, thanks to a couple of promotions. The club is offering a “Friends of Twin Lakes” membership, which is $40 a month and offers modified social benefits (such

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AUGUST 2010

Twin Lakes Country Club

as access to the pool, tennis and some opportunities to pay to golf). An Executive Membership is also offered, in which you pay just monthly dues and do not have proprietary membership.

“It’s a preview to see how you feel about being a member,” Raleigh said. “Hopefully after a year of membership, we’ve done enough to show you that the difference between playing a public course and a private one – from the amenities to the service to the quality of the course – makes joining the club the only choice to make.”

McCrone said much of his club’s effort has focused on appealing to families. He said paying daily fees on a public course, including range balls, carts and finding tee times, adds up to the point that it makes more sense to just join a club where everything is included and the experience is a step above.

“We don’t have tee times, with a couple of exceptions,” he said. “You just come out and play when you want. With families, mom and dad can come out with the kids and play five holes, or nine holes, or just practice whenever.

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509.674.2226 www.golfsuncountry.com

Twin Lakes Country Club

Golf in the Cascades!

We really try to make everyone feel welcome.”

Of course, most of the clubs take on the same tactic.

Everyone knows that deals are out there, and it’s just a matter of keeping up, which only adds to the fact that now is a great time to invest in a membership.

“Our members pay close attention to what’s out there and they absolutely inform me whenever [there is] something new,” Raleigh said. “So I’m well aware of what we’re competing with.”

“You definitely want to be competitive,” Aldarra’s Kauffman added. “If you’re keeping your initiation fees at what they’ve always been and everyone else is lowering theirs, that’s a losing battle. People who are looking to join now, they’re shopping around and looking for maximum value for their dollar. If you can afford it, now is a very good time to get in.”

Mike Allende is a freelancer writer for Cascade Golfer, Dawgs Digest and other leading Northwest publications.

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Product

IN THE BAG REVIEWS

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PUETZ GOLF SUPERSTORES

and equipment news you can use

SHOULDER SAVINGS

E

BY BRIAN BEAKY CG EDITOR

arly fall has always been a bit of a shoulder season for golf merchandisers. The year’s biggest products, typically rolled out at January’s PGA Merchandise Show and on store shelves by late March, have been on the market for a while, while the yearend releases timed to coincide with the holidays and snowbird season are still a few months away.

It’s also the time of year when Northwest golfers, most of whom are 3-4 months into their playing season, start to fantasize about what a new set of sticks might mean for their game.

That said, Northwest merchandisers typically begin slashing prices in the fall to take advantage of the peak playing season, and clear out excess inventory in advance of those anticipated holiday-season arrivals.

This year is no exception, with a recent walk through Puetz Golf’s flagship Seattle store turning up a number of surprisingly good values.

Many of the best deals we found were on clubs and other products specifically designed for women, which harkens back to an issue we’ve been hammering home for a while now – namely, that women represent a more significant percentage of the golfing public than at nearly any time in history, and are an even stronger influence when it comes to major household purchases and retail spending. As this increase occurs, more and more courses are catering to women in the form of women’s clubs, wine-and-golf events and other activities, while manufacturers are pouring millions into research and development of clubs specifically designed for female golfers.

We’ve picked out a few of the top-performing products, and highlighted a local company, Shi Golf, that has put a Fashion Week spin on golf apparel for women. And don’t worry, guys — we’ve put plenty in here for you, too, from the hot new Callaway X-24 irons (a rare midsummer new release) to products like the Sky Golf SGX and Golf Gym trainer that will appeal to golfers of any gender or playing ability.

After all, there’s still a few more months of sunshine for us Northwest golfers to enjoy – time to go out and make the most of it.

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AUGUST 2010

Callaway Solaire PUETZ GOLF PRICE $598.95

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allaway’s never needed to see any spending data or playing trends to appreciate the need for crafting high-quality clubs for women. The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company was one of the first to make a major impact on the LPGA Tour with clubs designed specifically for women, and continues to be a leader in the growing women’s golf market today. Their success can largely be credited to the fact that Callaway understands that at their core, women golfers want the same things in a club that men desire — high-performance, good-construction, affordably-priced equipment. It doesn’t hurt if it looks good sticking out of the bag, either. The company’s latest women’s line, the Solaire, is a perfect example of that marriage of form and function, with a sleek black-and-grey finish that would look right at home in the hands of a golfer of any gender, or generation. The 14-piece set includes a driver, three fairway woods, three hybrids, two irons, three wedges, a mallet putter and — best of all — a stylish, lightweight cart bag. Callaway designers’ understanding of the women’s game are most evident in the clubs’ construction, including lightweight shafts that flex more at lower swing speeds for added distance, plus perimeter weighting and lowered centers of gravity on the clubheads to generate a high-MOI and increased forgiveness. The nine-club set includes a driver, fairway wood, two hybrids, an iron, two wedges and putter and the same versatile cart bag. Whether a beginner or an experienced player looking for clubs to help improve your game, Callaway’s Solaire proves once again that whether making clubs for men or women, Callaway remains ahead of the game. puetzgolf.com

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IN THE BAG

Adams Golf a70S Integrated 14-Piece Set

Adams Golf a70S Keri Sport 15-Piece Set

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $799.95

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dams Golf tipped its cap to the women’s game this year with the release of two new sets designed to perform their best at slower swing speeds. We can’t call both of them “women’s” sets, specifically – while the a70S Keri (which we get into in more detail at right) will certainly appeal specifically to a woman’s eye, the standard a70S Integrated 14-Piece set features a classic, black-and-silver finish that will appeal to women, seniors and teenagers alike – that is to say, any golfer whose swing doesn’t pack quite the punch of a full-grown man. The 14-piece set comes with a standard driver (a key difference between the standard a70S and the Keri), three fairway woods, a set of eight of Adams’ acclaimed Idea a70S hybrids (4-SW), as well as a mallet putter and cart bag available in three designs – Bronze, Mist and the more women’s-specific Pinwheel (pictured here). As with their standard a70S line, all of the clubs in the set include lightweight, flexible shafts, wide soles and a progressive offset to increase distance and control from multiple lies.

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $999.95

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f course, not all women want to simply blend in with the boys.

In addition to its standard a70S line for women, Adams partnered with Keri Golf to create the most fashion-forward women’s line on the market, appropriately named the a70S Keri Sport. While the standard a70S line maintains a sleek, classic look, the Keri Sport allows golfers to express their individuality with four different color-andpattern schemes, each of which are included on both the stylish cart bag (which are also sold separately) and the matching clubs. The clubs, too, are slightly different than those offered in the standard set. Most notably, instead of an a70S titanium driver, the Keri Sport includes the women’s version of Adams’ acclaimed Speedline driver, the same awardwinning club Brittany Lincicome used to win her first major at the 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship. With the top-of-the-line driver come a70S fairway woods (3, 5 and 7), three Idea a70S hybrids (Golf Digest’s top-ranked hybrid in 2010’s “Hot List”) seven-, eight- and nine-irons, plus three wedges and a mallet putter. In partnering with Keri, Adams has created a line that is as good-looking as it is high-performing – and in so doing, notched a win for women’s golfers.

Shi Golf PUETZ GOLF PRICE VARIABLE BY PRODUCT

W

hen Kelly Su enrolled in the Art Institute of Seattle’s fashion design program, she didn’t envision herself becoming a golf fashion diva. Not long after establishing her own ready-to-wear line, Su took up golf and found that the clothes on the pro shop rack were uncomfortable, unattractive and behind-the-times. It wasn’t long before Su was designing her own skirts, sweaters and slacks that matched her chic, sporty aesthetic. Compliments – and plenty of requests from friends for similar, custom-made threads – soon followed, and shortly thereafter, Shi Golf was born. Now, the only problem fashion-conscious women’s golfers have is getting to the clothes before they fly off the rack. With a wide range of colorful, comfortable sweaters, chinos, dresses, skirts and blouses, Su’s clothes look just as good on the golf course as they do out for drinks. Additionally, the fabrics are all breathable and form-fitting without being tight, a perfect fit when you’re trying to get low to knock that pitching wedge in tight. It’s perhaps the biggest testament to Su’s efforts that the clothes sell just as well with non-golfers as they do with golfers – after all, you don’t have to have a USGA handicap to know when you look good.

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puetzgolf.com

AUGUST 2010

21

IN THE BAG SUMMER’S HOTTEST NEW STICKS

Callaway X-24 Hot Irons

Fourteen Golf Irons

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $699.95 steel / $899.95 graphite

PUETZ GOLF PRICE Wedges $169.95 / TC-910 Set $1199.95

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always smirk a little when a company puts a word like “Hot” into the name of its clubs. To me, it’s like spelling “extreme” without the first “e” (Xtreme!) just to make it look more edgy. That being said, Callaway’s newest release to its popular X-series line of irons is certainly the hottest iron on the market this summer, indicative of the quality and success of the previous six iterations of the series. Like its predecessors, the X-24 incorporates a progressive face thickness (thin at the top, thick at the bottom) that lowers the center or gravity, and a cavityback that allows for weight to be redistributed to the heel and toe areas of the club.

That combination helps get the ball in the air more quickly and increases distance and accuracy on off-center hits, a must for any mid-to-high-handicapper. In fact, Callaway is touting the clubs as the longest and most accurate the company has ever produced, a lofty claim given that the line’s previous generation, the X-22, were among the highest-rated by Golf Digest at the time of their release, and this year’s Diablo Forged irons earned a gold medal on the magazine’s prestigious “Hot List.” If the promises about distance and accuracy are to be believed – and given the consistent excellence of Callaway’s iron lines, there’s no reason to doubt they will – then the X-24 will surely be one of the top sellers this fall. And that low-glare, fiery finish? OK, that’s hot, indeed.

F

ourteen Golf is one of those clubmaking companies that you hear about sometimes, but you don’t see popping up on the shelves of your local golf shop all that often.

Part of that comes from the company’s origins – founded in Japan in 1981, Fourteen Golf developed high-end designs for companies like Titleist and others for nearly two decades before taking their brand independent in 2000. Since then, the company’s wedges have frequently shown up in the bags of the world’s top professionals, but it wasn’t until 2010 – when the company’s all-new TC-910 Forged Irons earned a silver medal from Golf Digest – that the company started to earn the large-scale public recognition it has long deserved. The TC-910s combine the solid, satisfying feel of a forged iron with a cavity back that lowers the center of gravity for longer, straighter hits. It’s a players iron, to be sure, with a compact head that allows the best players to work the ball towards the target from any angle, yet offers benefits of a high-MOI iron that will favor mid-handicappers as well. Fourteen’s wedges are made from the same quality materials and feature USGA-conforming trapezoidal grooves, letting golfers more easily control their spin, distance and trajectory from even the most difficult lie. Already with wins on the Nationwide and Duramed Futures Tour – and a top-10 at June’s Memorial – it’s only a matter of time before Fourteen Golf picks up its first Tour win. Maybe then the company will finally emerge from the shadow of its former patrons, and into the spotlight where it belongs.

TaylorMade Rossa Corza Ghost PUETZ GOLF PRICE $159.95

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hile dozens of putters promise a smooth roll or consistent stroke, it doesn’t matter if you can’t line it up. You can hit the best stroke of your life, but if you’re aiming one inch to the left of the ideal line, you’ve missed the putt before you even started your backswing. TaylorMade’s researchers found that only one in three golfers could accurately line up putts from more than 12 feet – so, they quickly went to work designing a putter specifically to make it easier to set up, and maintain, a proper line throughout your swing. Their resulting offering is the Rossa Corza Ghost, whose uniqueness lies in its simplicity. The putter’s all-white clubhead results in zero glare from sunlight, and offers a maximum contrast with the green to allow a golfer to more accurately align the club to the hole. Three black lines on top of the club aid further in sighting the line, while a golf-ball sized opening at the back acts not only as a visual aid, but also to remove weight from the rear that is redistributed to the perimeter – thus delivering that same consistent roll of other major-market flatsticks.

The Ghost made its national television debut at June’s Memorial, where Justin Rose ended a 161-start drought with a win, which he credited afterwards to his Ghost putter, having rolled in 13 putts from beyond 10 feet and finished second in putts per round with 27. We’d call that impressive, but Rose – always the humorist – called the Ghost simply, “scary good.”

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AUGUST 2010

puetzgolf.com

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IN THE BAG

FILL OUT YOUR BAG

Golf Buddy World Platinum GPS Golf Gym Power Swing Trainer PUETZ GOLF PRICE $399.95

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $39.99

T

E

he knock against GPS rangefinders has always been that most models only give you three primary distances (to the front, middle and back of the green), and maybe 1-2 others per hole (to a fairway bunker or dogleg, for example). Laser rangefinders, on the other hand, can be pointed at any target, from anywhere – if you can see it, you can ping it. Well, this isn’t the case any longer. With its World Platinum GPS, Golf Buddy joins the growing number of GPS providers whose rangefinders are now capable of calculating the distance to any point on the hole – just move the cursor to the spot on the picture where you want your ball to land. You can even move the pin on the green to match the day’s specific placement. With over 40,000 pre-loaded courses, a sexy fullcolor screen and realistic hole images, you’ll never find yourself hunting for a sprinkler head again.

very golfer knows that muscle memory, and developing a consistent, repeatable motion, is at least 50 percent of the battle towards lowering your scores. For the golfer who only plays once or twice a month, though, developing that muscle memory can be tough – you’ve got it all dialed in by the time you get to 18, only to have to start from scratch again next time. Golf Gym’s PowerSwing Trainer allows you to develop that muscle memory through a repeatable action off the course, so that you’re ready when you step to the first tee. It also serves to warmup and stretch the key muscles you’ll need in your round, while building strength and resistance.

MoRodz Alignment Stick PUETZ GOLF PRICE $16.99

I

f you’ve been to a golf show, or watched the Golf Channel, you’ve probably seen an alignment stick.

Golf pros are using them these days for everything from alignment, to checking swing plane, to checking posture. Even Phil Mickelson can frequently be seen using one on practice days at Tour events (and on YouTube). MoRodz’ sticks are durable and available in a number of colors, and come in pairs. They also are large enough to accommodate a corporate or course logo, making them a popular giveaway option with tournament and event organizers.

Sky Golf SkyCaddie SGX PUETZ GOLF PRICE $399.95

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kyGolf was one of the first companies to grab a major share of the GPS market, and with this year’s SGX, they’ve proven they’re still ahead of the curve. Most crucial to SkyGolf’s success is that their courses are ground-verified — that is to say, either someone from SkyGolf actually visits the course to ensure their maps are accurate, or have ground-verified maps provided to them directly by the course. The SGX also includes a powerful antenna that provides quick, accurate distances even in cloud cover or under trees, and a long-lasting battery that can go up to three rounds without recharging.

cascadegolfer.com

Iomic Putter Grips PUETZ GOLF PRICE $19.99

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ust about every frequent golfer has seen those ionic bracelets that promise to block out the positively charged ions that upset our natural balance. Iomic putter grips put that same technology directly into your hands in the form of crackproof, waterproof grips that include 350 negative ions that increase your natural biometabolism. Frankly, I still judge a grip by how it looks, so it’s the 208 different color combinations and super-comfortable feel that do it for me. Of course, maybe it’s so comfortable because of all those ions. puetzgolf.com

AUGUST 2010

23

Cut through a dense forest and played up a steep bluff, Gene Bates’ Salish Cliffs will be Western Washington’s answer to Idaho’s Circling Raven — another Bates design.

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but understandably wanted the course near the hotel rooms, restaurants and gaming.

The Squaxin Island Tribe is the latest Western Washington tribe to make Northwest golf headlines.

The Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe that operates the 7 Cedars Casino bought Dungeness Golf Course outside Sequim in 2007. This year, the Suquamish Tribe that operates the Clearwater Casino Resort took over White Horse Golf Club outside Kingston.

Ground was broken for Salish Cliffs back in 2006, but everything was put on hold months later because of other tribal projects, including a major expansion at the casino-resort that now has about 190 guest rooms.

Work on the course resumed last year.

Ray Peters, executive director of the Squaxin Island Tribe, said the tribe started exploring the addition of a golf course about seven years ago. He said the appeal of a quality golf course is that “it can make the resort a true destination.”

In doing their homework, Squaxin tribal leaders visited several tribal-owned courses in other states, but one of the courses that made the biggest impression on them wasn’t that far away — Circling Raven in Worley, Idaho, southeast of Spokane (see sidebar on page 26).

The course is owned by the Coeur d’Alene tribe and its various awards include “best Native American course” and inclusion on Golf magazine’s list of “100 Courses You Can Play.”

The Circling Raven architect was Bates. So, it wasn’t a big surprise when the Squaxin folks selected Bates to be their architect. Implicit in the contract was the unstated challenge, “Let’s see if you do for us what you did for them.”

Bates doesn’t like to compare Salish Cliffs with cascadegolfer.com

dry-climate Circling Raven, but has conceded that one similarity is well-separated holes.

This will be the second Northwest course for Florida-based Bates, and he and the Squaxin leadership sound sincere when they talk about how they like working with each other.

“He’s about creating a relationship and really delivering,” said Peters.

Bates said he likes the tribal officials with whom he works and their willingness to spend to make sure things are done properly.

“We’ve had the financial resources to do it right, take advantages of the opportunities on site,” he said.

Bates said the golf course will cost about $9 million and the project cost will be about $10 million, including the clubhouse.

Bates worked with Jack Nicklaus in the 1980s before splitting off on his own. He has partnered on several courses (though not this one) with Fred Couples.

Bates’ portfolio includes Bayonet and Blackhorse Golf Courses in Monterey, Calif., and Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, Utah. Soldier Hollow will host the 2012 USGA Amateur Public Links championship.

Salish Cliffs is about 90 minutes from Seattle and will be a cinch to find because of its proximity to the casino-resort at the intersection of Highways 101 and 108, about five miles south of Shelton.

The course is within an hour of quality courses in Bremerton (Gold Mountain, McCormick Woods and Trophy Lake) and is even closer to quality Pierce County offerings of Chambers Bay and The Home Course, and the two courses at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie outside Lacey. It doesn’t take much imagination to start putting together multi-day golf itineraries that spend at

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25

QUOTH THE RAVEN:

MORE, MORE, MORE Circling Raven Golf Club | Hole No. 12

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alish Cliffs isn’t Gene Bates’ only acclaimed Northwest track. Before the renowned architect started cutting narrow swaths through the trees in Shelton, he cut his teeth among the rolling green hills and fragrant pines of Northern Idaho at Circling Raven Golf Club in Worley.

In his designs of Circling Raven and Salish Cliffs, Bates seems to be earning a reputation as the go-to-guy for any seemingly impossible task. Just as he did in shaping a course out of a dramatic and challenging landscape at Salish Cliffs, so did Bates tackle a difficult chore at Circling Raven — building a world-class destination golf course across land littered with protected wetlands, and bisected by the Union-Pacific Railroad.

"I saw this as a huge challenge," Bates said in an interview in 2009, "which typically leads to bigger rewards."

The reward belongs entirely to the golfers. Circling Raven is a big, brawny golf course, spanning some 620 acres and including more than eight miles of cart paths.

With only a few exceptions, holes are entirely isolated from each other — a fact which, combined with the towering pines, distant mountains and miles and miles of gentle, green-topped hills stretching to the horizon in all directions, lends the course a sense of natural grandeur. Mother Nature is in charge here, and we are just a small cog in the machine.

Circling Raven — named one of Golf magazine’s “Top 100 You Can Play” — can play as long as 7,189 yards, or as short as 4,708 — five sets of tees give every golfer the chance to pick a fair challenge. And it’s an important choice, too, as playing the correct set of tees allows the golfer to enjoy the course the way Bates intended — with numerous fairway bunkers forcing

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AUGUST 2010

decisions to be made off the tee, and risk/reward opportunities on a number of holes.

The par-4 second, for example, is just 310 from the whites, and 349 from the blues, but doglegs right over a large bunker that will collect any misses. On the par-4 fourth, Bates gives golfers two choices from the tee — play a straight, safe shot to a lower fairway, then carry 170 yards or more over wasteland to a bunkerprotected green, or blast a drive over a hillside strewn with massive white-sand bunkers to an upper fairway offering a shorter, wide-open approach. Are you more confident in your driver, or your mid-irons? Bates lets you decide — and you’d better be right.

The four par threes at “the Raven,” as course employees affectionately call it, are all completely unique — some short, some long, some requiring long forced carries, others providing stunning views from elevated tees. Some par-4s are reachable (the shortest, the 10th is 336 from the tips) while others are massive (such as the preceding 474-yard ninth). Bunkering forces golfers to carefully choose clubs on every shot, while the scope and variety of holes give every golfer something to enjoy.

The Coeur d’Alene tribe owns the land on which the course sits as well as the adjacent Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort, which currently consists of 202 rooms, dining, workout, pool and event facilities, and a casino featuring more than 2,000 video gaming machines from traditional slots, to progressives, video poker – even video blackjack with a live dealer. Construction is also underway on a luxury spa and hotel addition that will cater to a high-end clientele.

Most golfers who make the pilgrimage to Northern Idaho choose to make the CDA Casino a home base for exploring the region’s other top courses, including the

famed Coeur d’Alene Resort course roughly 40 minutes to the north, and Palouse Ridge a little under an hour west in eastern Washington.

The three courses make a perfect complement – where Circling Raven is rugged, natural golf, the Resort course is a five-hour walk through the land of luxury, with mahogany-lined carts, forecaddies to clean your sticks and offer advice, and not a blade of grass out of place. Palouse Ridge, meanwhile, is the linksiest of the three, with long holes, undulating fairways and stiff afternoon winds that blow across the eastern Washington grasslands and knock down any shot left too high.

Perhaps most significant for a course named to Golf magazine’s bi-annual “Top 100 You Can Play” in both 2008 and 2010, a round (or two) at the Raven won’t blow your entire vacation budget, either.

Daily rates start as low as $65 on summer weekday afternoons (Monday to Thursday), while stay-and-play packages at the casino resort drive per-player fees even lower. Coeur d’Alene Resort and Palouse Ridge also offer terrific summer packages for golfers making the pilgrimage east, about a five-hour drive across I-90 or one hour by plane from Seattle to Spokane, then 45 minutes southeast to the casino.

Of course, standing on the elevated tee at Circling Raven’s par-3 16th, looking down at the green and out towards the expanse of untouched Idaho hillsides, with one of a family of moose poking their head out between the firs and the eagles soaring overhead, things like greens fees and driving distances will seem quite distant from your current state of mind. In that moment of zen, try to remember to take an extra club – from the views, to the trees, to the fairways, everything’s a little more epic at the Raven. — Brian Beaky cascadegolfer.com

The nearby Little Creek Casino Resort will serve as home base for golfers visiting Salish Cliffs.

least one night at the Little Creek Casino Resort.

Peters said greens fees haven’t been determined, but noted, “This is going to be a high-end course with reasonable greens fees.” Resort guests traditionally receive reduced greens fees and “stay-and-play” packages are standard in the industry.

While riding around with Bates, I remarked that Salish Cliffs is a total change from the last course I wrote about — treeless Wine Valley Golf Club outside Walla Walla.

I told Bates, “The architect and co-owner over there said were so many natural holes on the property that the challenge was deciding which ones to build and which ones to reject. It was sort of like, ‘The holes are speaking to me.’ I hardly think that is your situation here.”

cascadegolfer.com

“You took the words out of my mouth,” he said with a smile, adding, “My reflection was that the bigger the challenge, the more spectacular the results can be.”

Bates said he and the crew got a pleasant surprise when they started moving dirt, because there was an absence of rock.

As we were concluding our tour, Bates surprised and amused me.

“I like to think of a golf course as a human body,” he said. “The skeleton is equivalent to the routing. You have to have solid routing to be able to build solid framework for a good golf course. The internal plumbing is your circulatory system. That’s the irrigation system for a golf course. The digestive system — that’s the drainage

system on a golf course. The muscle is the earthmoving and the general top-building of the golf course, the dirt and all that stuff. The facial features and the rear end and the legs and the beautification of it are the shaping process. And then, basically the grass and the sand and everything else is the makeup.”

The results aren’t in, but at this point it looks like Bates’ latest “body” may just be his most beautiful yet.

Craig Smith is a freelance writer in the Seattle area.

Smith worked for more than two decades covering sports for the Seattle Times, and earned the Northwest Golf Media Association’s prestigious Distinguished Service Award in 2009.

AUGUST 2010

27

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RISK vs. REWARD Harbour Pointe Golf Club

Hole No. 10 • Par 5 • 501 yards (Blue Tees)

By Simon Dubiel

The Setup: A gradual dogleg right, this hole sets up well for the ultimate risk-vs.-reward dilemma — going for the green in two on a hole where water is very much in play. At 501 yards, this is reachable on your second, but your drive must find the center or left side of the fairway to avoid the out-reaching limbs of the trees. The green has an enormous amount of undulation and several tiers, and is protected by a pond right and tall rough left.

The Risk:

The Reward:

Final Call:

The pond on the right is not the only way you can turn a birdie into a bogey. With thick rough gobbling up all loose shots left, you may find yourself hacking out onto a severe slope and with no chance to get close.

Don’t get too cute. Some par-5s are opportunities to go low, while others you just hope to survive. This hole may not be the latter, but it certainly is not the former.

If you are able to control your long irons or fairway woods, then by all means — swing away. A front pin placement is inviting and can yield an eagle. A back pin, however, will absolutely separate the men from the boys. With the tough No. 11 looming, this is your chance to start the backside in style.

If the pin is in front, then you might consider your options. However, if it is tucked in the back, keep the head cover on your approach club, and pick a better spot to make your move. For now, lay up to your “go-to” yardage and hope to knock down a 15-footer for birdie. Sometimes, you have to remind yourself — “safety first.”

PRESENTED BY

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

33

Graeme McDowell Callaway Staff Professional Winner of the 2010 U.S. Open

34

AUGUST 2010

*Based on Driver wins on the U.S. PGA Tour 2010 season through June 20, 2010, according to the Darrell Survey. Callaway Golf Irons were the best-selling irons brand for the combined on- and off-course channels from January 1997 to February 2010, according to Golf Datatech, LLC. FT Tour FT-iZ, Tour i Series, the Chevron Device and Callaway are all trademark and/or registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. Š 2010 Callaway Golf Company

cascadegolfer.com

A MONTH TO REMEMBER With two national championships and the always-exciting Boeing Classic, this will be an August like no other in the Northwest

Chambers Bay | University Place

E

ven if it rains every day from now until the end of August, Washington golf fans will surely remember the summer of 2010 as the greatest ever in the State's history. Just 18 United States Golf Association (USGA) championships have been staged here since 1941, when the first of our five U.S. Amateur Public Links Championships was held at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane, but this year we get two in the space of a month.

And not just any old two; two of the biggest — the U.S. Senior Open, to be played at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish July 29-Aug. 1, and the U.S. Amateur Championship being contested Aug. 23-29 at Chambers Bay in University Place and The Home Course in Dupont, where one of the two stroke-play qualifying rounds will be played.

The highlight for most fans in the Northwest will be the homecoming of Seattle's Fred Couples at the U.S. Senior Open, where he will obviously be regarded as a hot favorite. If one appearance isn't enough, you can catch Couples a second time at the Boeing Classic at

PHOTO BY AIDAN BRADLEY

BY TONY DEAR With additional reporting

by Brian Beaky and Bob Sherwin TPC Snoqualmie Ridge from Aug. 27-29. (Yes, there's a bit of a scheduling issue with the U.S. Amateur, but there's plenty of time to attend both.)

And at the U.S. Amateur, former Husky Nick Taylor, the reigning Canadian Amateur Champion, will try to win his first USGA event in front of a home-away-fromhometown crowd.

The entertainment begins Mon., July 26, when players go out for their first practice round at Sahalee.

This day is regarded by many a seasoned tournamentgoer as the best time to attend an event like this, as the players are often keen to interact with the fans before the competition begins. On Tuesday the 27th, players play their second practice round and Fred Couples will conduct a free clinic for junior golfers. Wednesday

sees the final practice round and a clinic given by the American Lakes Veterans Golf Course. The bell goes for the first of four competition rounds on Thursday, and the action concludes on Sunday evening with the presentation of the Francis D. Ouimet Trophy.

All three events are offering attractive ticket deals, such as the USGA's Ultimate Package that, for $165, guarantees you the right to purchase tickets for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay (our cup truly overfloweth) plus week-long tickets for both the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur. The Boeing Classic’s $20 daily ticket or $60 weekly ticket are also tough to beat, letting you walk the course with your favorite pros, or camp out at the par-4 14th and watch Couples and Co. try to blast it over Snoqualmie Ridge’s signature canyon.

With the U.S. Senior Open, the U.S. Amateur and the Boeing Classic, Washington golfers can gorge themselves on tournament golf this summer. It promises to be a thrilling few weeks, and you should be making plans to be a part of it.

WATCH LIKE A PRO AT THE BOEING CLASSIC! We’ve teamed up with the Boeing Classic to give lucky readers the chance to live like a VIP at this year’s Boeing Classic! Two readers will have the chance to spend one day of the tournament inside the exclusive Delta Global Pavilion above the 18th green — with leather couches, bigscreen TVs and a sundeck overlooking all the action, you’ll get the full VIP treatment! In addition, you’ll have the chance to meet one of the Champions Tour pros after their round!

ENTER TO WIN TODAY AT CASCADEGOLFER.COM cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

35

THE SKINNY

2010 U.S.

Dates: July 26-Aug. 1 Location: Sahalee Country Club Field: 156 pros and amateurs (over-50) 2009 Champion: Fred Funk birdied the 72nd hole to finish seven under for the day and 20-under for the tournament at Indianapolis’ Crooked Stick Golf Club, beating Joey Sindelar by six strokes. Funk’s 20-under was the lowest subpar total ever shot at any USGA championship.

Sahalee Country Club

Format: 72-hole stroke play, cut to low 60 plus ties (and anyone within 10 strokes of the leader) after second round Par: 70 / 6,857-6,866 yards Television: ESPN & NBC | Live daily

The Schedule

July 26 – Practice Round* July 27 – Practice Round* Fred Couples Junior Clinic July 28 – Practice Round* Friends of American Lakes Veterans Golf Course Clinic July 29-Aug. 1 – 2010 U.S. Senior Open * Military personnel (retired or active) and their families admitted free to practice rounds with military ID.

Tickets

Daily: $20 (Practice Round), $45 (Championship Round) Fore Pack: 4-for-3, good any day, $135 Season Pass: Good all seven days, $150 Trophy Club: Weekly pass, plus access to exclusive pavilion, $250 Kids under 17 admitted free!

Plus combo packages with 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. For sale online at 2010ussenioropen.com.

Volunteers

Volunteers receive a weekly credential, and the opportunity to buy additional tickets at a discount. Details at 2010ussenioropen.com.

Directions

Organizers are offering free parking to all attendees at Marymoor Park in Redmond, located at 6046 W Lake Sammamish Parkway NE. Take advantage of it, as the shuttles will be the only means of access to the club, with local streets closed.

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AUGUST 2010

WHERE TO WATCH “The par-3 17th and the 18th holes will be very popular,” says the tournament’s marketing director, Billy Rodgers.

Thanks to the lie of the land, standing to the left of the 16th green (as the players see it) will give you a fantastic view of players’ approach shots and a quick about-turn will allow you to see how they fare at the 17th. The area around the 7th tee will not only allow you to catch players hitting their tee shots at that hole, but also see them putt on the 6th and 8th greens. The tee at the par-3 9th (above) is also pretty close, and there are restrooms, bleachers and concessions nearby. Those that wish to see competitors sparing nothing with a driver should enjoy seeing their favorite players sling a high draw off the 18th tee — another spot from which the whole of the scenic 17th is also visible.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Fred Couples

Tom Watson

The hometown hero makes his debut in the championship this week and will take with him as many spectators as Sahalee’s tree-lined avenues allow. Already a three-time winner on the Champions Tour this year, Couples leads the race for the Charles Schwab Cup and was an incredible 118-under-par for his first eight appearances as a senior.

What can you say about Tom Watson? At the Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland, he turned the clock back, finishing second after losing out to Stewart Cink in a playoff. A tie for 18th at the Masters after an opening round of five-under 67, and a win at the Champions Tour’s season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship suggest his game is still very much intact.

Greg Norman

Fred Funk

The Great White Shark doesn’t play much competitive golf any more, spending his time instead growing his extensive business interests. He’s still a major draw whenever he does play, however, and is sure to create his usual level of excitement this week.

A Hall of Fame member since 2001.

Crooked Stick in Indiana was considered something of a brute prior to last year’s U.S. Senior Open, and at 7,316 yards its reputation seemed safe. Funk laid waste to that reputation in four short days, however, playing 72 holes in a record-breaking 268, 20-under-par and beating runner-up Joey Sindelar by six. cascadegolfer.com

CG INSIDER’S TIP

SENIOR OPEN

Planning to go to both the 2010 U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee and the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay? Instead of buying separate tickets, check out one of the Ultimate USGA Packages.

A weekly ticket to the Open is $150 — for just $15 more, however, the Ultimate USGA Package includes weekly passes to the Open AND the Amateur, plus guaranteed first right of refusal to tickets for the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers when they go on sale. The Upgraded Ultimate USGA Package ($275) is the same, but with access to the exclusive Trophy Club at Sahalee.

Also, don’t sleep on local pro Jeff Coston. A teaching professional at the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Coston owns the finest competitive record in Pacific Northwest Section PGA events with 18 major victories, including four Washington Open Invitational titles — the most recent of which he won at Glendale CC in May. Coston is an 11-time PNW Player of the Year and has played in this event twice — in 2007 when he finished 33rd and 2008 when he was 40th.

July 26 - Aug. 1, 2010

PHOTO BY ROB PERRY

DON’T MISS...

The free junior clinic by Fred Couples on July 27. It’s a rare opportunity to let your kids get up-close and personal with a golfing icon. Even if they forget everything he says (and they probably will), they’ll always remember the experience.

REMEMBER WHEN? 1991 — Jack Nicklaus wins the first of two U.S. Senior Open Championships, shooting 65 to beat Chi Chi Rodriguez by four shots in an 18-hole playoff at Oakland Hills.

1980 — Inaugural event; held on the East Course at Winged Foot GC in Mamaroneck, N.Y., restricted to golfers 55 and over. Fifty-sevenyear-old Argentinean Roberto De Vicenzo wins with a one-over 285.

1981 — Age minimum lowered to 50 to make the tournament more competitive — and to avoid having to wait another four years for Arnold Palmer to reach 55. Played at Oakland Hills in Birmingham, Mich., the King wins in a playoff against Bob Stone and Billy Casper.

1980

1985

1985 — Miller Barber wins his third U.S. Senior Open (a record) with a three-under-par 285 at Edgewood Tahoe.

cascadegolfer.com

1991

2002

2002 — A record 3,101 entries are accepted for the championship at Caves Valley in Baltimore. Qualifier Don Pooley wins at the fifth extra hole after tying Tom Watson at 10-under. Pooley remains the only qualifier to win the championship.

2006 — Allen Doyle becomes oldest winner of the event at age 58 and 13 days when he defends the title he had won at NCR Country Club a year before. Doyle shoots eight-under at Prairie Dunes for a two-shot victory over home-state favorite Tom Watson (his third runner-up finish).

2006

2009

2009 — Fred Funk posts an incredible 20-under-par 268 at Crooked Stick in Carmel to beat Joey Sindelar by six and create a new USGA championship scoring record (against par), breaking Hale Irwin’s 17-under record set at Saucon Valley GC in 2000.

AUGUST 2010

37

2010 U.S.

THE SKINNY

AMATEUR

Dates: August 23-29, 2010 Website: 2010usamateur.com Location: Chambers Bay/The Home Course Field: 312 players with handicap indexes below 2.4 2009 Champion: South Korea’s Byeong-Hun An defeated American Ben Martin 7&5 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.

Format: Following two days of stroke play at both courses, the field will be reduced to the lowest 64 scorers, who will advance to match play.

If necessary to break ties for 64th, a playoff will be held Aug. 25 at Chambers Bay before the start of match play. The final match is 36 holes, all played Aug. 29.

Par: Chambers Bay – 70 | 7,712 yards The Home Course – 72 | 7,409 yards Television: The Golf Channel | NBC

Chambers Bay/The Home Course

THE SCHEDULE

Aug. 21-22 – Practice Rounds* Aug. 23 – Stroke Play, 1st Round*, 7 a.m.

Aug. 24 – Stroke Play, 2nd Round* 7 a.m.

Aug. 25 – Playoff (if needed), 7:30 a.m.

Match Play, Round of 64, 7:30 a.m. (or following playoff) Aug. 26 – Match Play, Round of 32, 7 a.m.

Match Play, Round of 16, 1 p.m.

Aug. 27 – Match Play, Quarterfinals, 9 a.m.

Aug. 28 – Match Play, Semifinals, 9 a.m.

Aug. 29 – Match Play, Final (36 holes), 8 a.m./1 p.m. * Both courses

Tickets

Daily: $25 Weekly (Aug. 21-29): $65 Kids: Under 17 admitted free with paying adult Discounts also available for groups and military.

Packaged tickets to the Amateur and Senior Open save big on both. See page 37 for details.

Volunteers

Volunteers receive daily admission passes and parking, plus additional goodies. Details at 2010usamateur.com.

Directions

Exit I-5 at S. 56th St. W (Exit 130). Head west on S. 56th St. Stay on 56th St. W for about three miles until it becomes Cirque Drive W. Continue on Cirque Drive W to Grandview Drive W. Turn left at Grandview Drive W. Pass through one roundabout.

Chambers Bay will be on your right. Total distance from I-5 is about 7.5 miles. Parking is free.

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AUGUST 2010

WHERE TO WATCH For those wanting to watch dramatic tee shots while enjoying panoramic views of the course and Puget Sound, the tee at the downhill, 200-yard 9th hole (the view from which is pictured above) is the place to be.

Chambers Bay’s most beautiful par-3, the 15th, and its most compelling short par-4, the 12th, begin from more or less the same position at the north end of the course. Unless a strong wind prohibits it, competitors will be pin-seeking at the 15th and could well be tempted into going for the green with their drive at the uphill, 304-yard 12th. Also, the hillside behind the par-4 16th gives viewers a near-panoramic view of the 16th, 17th and 11th holes, as well as a binocular-assisted look up the hillside to the risk/reward 12th.

PLAYERS TO WATCH Nick Taylor

Byeong-Hun An

Alex Ching

A recent UW grad, Taylor won this year’s Ben Hogan Award (college golf’s Heisman Trophy).

Taylor won the 2009 Sahalee Players Championship, won medalist honors before losing in the match-play final at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, and was low amateur at the 2009 U.S. Open, including a second-round 65. Taylor was No. 1 in the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Rankings for 21 weeks in 2009.

The defending champion, An became the youngest winner of the event last year at 17 years old, beating Ben Martin 7&5 in the final at Southern Hills CC. A member of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., An has committed to joining the University of California next year. As the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, he played in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open this year.

A junior at San Diego State University, Ching finished runnerup at the NCAA Championship in June after breaking the Honors Course (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 18hole record with a 66 in the second round. Most notable among his impressive list of performances in 2010 was his 4-0 record at the Callaway Matchplay Championship in Arizona in March.

cascadegolfer.com

CHAMPIONSHIP August 23-29, 2010

DON’T MISS...

Thursday’s back-to-back second- and third rounds. Your ticket costs the same as the other days, but you get double your money’s worth, as the field is cut from 32 to eight over 10 hours of pure bliss. With nearly the entire course visible from dozens of spots, bring some binoculars and a comfy chair and enjoy an unparalleled golf-watching experience.

CG INSIDER’S TIP If you’re planning to attend more than one day of the Amateur (or maybe playing in the World Amateur Scratch Players Championship at Canterwood C.C., Aug. 16-19), consider staying just across the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Gig Harbor. Why Gig Harbor? It’s about the same distance from Chambers Bay as downtown Tacoma (just eight miles), yet is more affordable, much closer to the best area courses, and gives you that “vacation” feeling that you just can’t get in the city.

Consider this itinerary: wake up early at one of Gig Harbor’s dozens of quality hotels and inns (the first-class hotels are great, but for the real getaway experience, you can’t beat the bed-and-breakfasts overlooking the harbor itself), grab breakfast at a café downtown and head over the bridge to catch the morning action at Chambers Bay. After the round, come back to Gig Harbor for lunch, then stick a peg in the ground at Gold Mountain, Trophy Lake, McCormick Woods, Canterwood, Horseshoe Lake, Madrona Links or any of the other terrific courses within 20 minutes of downtown.

Then, by evening enjoy an outdoor performance of The Sound of Music at Burton Park, or chill out in one of Gig Harbor’s numerous wine bars and restaurants.

Visitors can also take a trip under the bridge itself aboard a sightseeing boat for a relaxing cruise and a rarely-seen (and unbelievably cool) view of Chambers Bay from Puget Sound.

Check out the full list of lodging, dining – and of course, golfing – options at gigharborguide. com, or by calling 253-857-4843.

WHAT HISTORY WILL BE MADE AT CHAMBERS BAY? 1895 — The inaugural event, born of a dispute between Newport GC in Rhode Island and New York’s St Andrew’s GC in which both claimed their 1894 invitational tournaments as “national championships.” The United States Golf Association was subsequently formed by five golf clubs to set the rules and conduct legitimate national championships. Newport is selected to host the first U.S. Amateur, where Charles Blair Macdonald claims victory.

1895

1930

1965 — Stroke play is used to decide the winner for the first time in the event’s history. Bob Murphy wins by a stroke over Bob Dickson, who is assessed a four-stroke penalty in the second round for playing two holes with 15 clubs in his bag. The format reverts to match play in 1973, but six years later changes once again to its present format, with 36 holes of stroke play determining seedings for a 64-player match play event.

1952

1952 — The Championship is held at Seattle GC and won by 46-year-old Jack Westland, who grew up playing at Everett G&CC. Westland defeats Al Mengert of Spokane, 3&2.

1996 — Tiger Woods becomes the first (and only) player to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships by defeating Steve Scott, 1-up, at Pumpkin Ridge.

1965 1961 — Jack Nicklaus wins the second of his two titles, beating H. Dudley Wysong, 8&6 in the final at Pebble Beach.

1930 — Bobby Jones claims his fifth title and becomes the first (and only) player to win the Grand Slam in a calendar year, winning the U.S. and British Opens, the British Amateur and the the U.S. Amateur at Merion. cascadegolfer.com

1996

2009

2004 — Tacoma’s Ryan Moore completes an amazing summer in which he wins the individual title at the NCAA Championship, the Sahalee Players Championship, the Western Amateur, the U.S. Amateur Public Links and the U.S. Amateur at Winged Foot.

AUGUST 2010

39

2010 PGA

THE SKINNY

BOEING

Dates: August 23-29, 2010 Location: TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Field: 78 Champions Tour Professionals 2009 Champion: Loren Roberts overtook Mark O’Meara with birdies on the final two holes, shooting a 65 and winning by a shot with a tournament-record 18-under 198 in front of 30,000.

Format: 54 holes of stroke play with no cut Purse: $1.9 million Par: 72 | 7,264 yards Television: The Golf Channel | Live and replayed

TPC Snoqualmie Ridge

The Schedule

Aug. 22 – Rumble at the Ridge VIP Party*, 6:00 p.m.

Aug. 23 – Seahawks Rumble at the Ridge, 8:30 a.m.

Aug. 24 – Kids’ Clinic, Aug. 24 Aug. 25-26 – Pro-Am Aug. 27 – Grapes on the Green wine tasting, 6:30 p.m.** Aug. 28 – Charity Walk on course, 9:30 a.m.

Aug. 27-29 – 2010 Boeing Classic * At Virginia Mason Athletic Center ** At The Golf Club at Newcastle

Tickets

Daily: $20 Weekly (Aug. 23-29): $60 Tournament (Aug. 27-29): $40 Kids under 14 admitted free!

Passes also available to clubhouse, special viewing areas, see boeingclassic.com for details.

WHERE TO WATCH

Volunteers

Volunteers receive a $275 value, including merchandise, meals, parking and shuttle preference, and two weekly admission passes.

Details at boeingclassic.com.

Directions

From Seattle, take I-90 east to Exit 25 (WA-18 W toward Snoqualmie Pkwy). Turn left onto WA-18 E / Snoqualmie Pkwy. Signs will direct you to free public parking.

The infamous “Canyon Club” 14th — a 448-yard par-4 that can be cut to 290 yards if players dare to take the direct route to the green — is the hole on every competitor's mind, even before he gets there. The 18th (above) was voted the best finishing hole on the Tour, a 498-yard, par-5 that finishes in a amphitheater-like setting. If you want lush valley views, wind your way to No. 6. You can settle all along the right side on this par-3, 226-yard hole that overlooks the Cascade Range. If you want, you can position yourself near the No. 6 tee box to watch the drives, then turn around to catch the golfers' approaches and putts on 475-yard, par-4 No. 5 hole. Of course, if you don't want to follow the groups or walk a lot, you will be just fine behind the No. 9 green, where spectators watch the golfers launch tee shots over ball-luring Eagle Lake, a carry of about 200 yards, to a two-tier, kidney-shaped green.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

(In addition to the aforementioned Fred Couples, of course …)

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AUGUST 2010

Tom Kite

Loren Roberts

Mark Calcavecchia

Kite, 60, is the only player to win Boeing twice, in 2008 and 2006. He rallied on the back nine in his final round in 2008 to overtake Scott Simpson by two shots. In 2006, his final-round 6-under 66 was enough to tie Keith Fergus. Kite won 19 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He has won 10 times on the Champions Tour. His last two have been the Boeing Classic. He was the 1997 Ryder Cup captain.

Roberts, 55, won the Champions Tour Charles Schwab Cup season points title in 2009 for the second time in three years. One of his three wins a year ago came at the Boeing Classic, as he shot a 7-under-par 65 in the final round to overtake Mark O'Meara. He birdied the final two holes to beat O’Meara by one stroke. He set a new tournament record at 18 under. He has won more than $10 million in his 5-plus seasons on the Champions Tour.

Calcavecchia couldn't wait to try his hand on the Champions Tour, as he turned 50 on June 12. During his PGA career, he played in more than 740 Tour events with 13 PGA Tour victories. His biggest win came at the 1989 British Open at Royal Troon, winning in a playoff with Wayne Grady and Greg Norman. He still shares the back-nine record during the Masters with a 29 at Augusta National course. He also has played on four Ryder Cup teams. cascadegolfer.com

Champions Tour

CLASSIC August 23-29, 2010

CG INSIDER’S TIP There are few events anywhere as fun as the Boeing Classic — players are relaxed and loose, the fly-bys and other little twists here and there give it a true Northwest identity, and there are amazing views (of the course and surrounding landscape) from almost every hole.

For the latter reason, our favorite way to enjoy the Boeing Classic is to get out and walk the course — we might follow Freddie for a few holes, then switch over to Nick Price for a bit, then cut back across to see Mark O’Meara or Bernhard Langer.

But if we were to pick one spot to camp out for a day, or even the entire weekend, it would be the green at the par-4 14th. Played over a gaping canyon, players have to choose whether to play it safe and skirt the canyon to the right, or give in to their ego and go straight over the yawning abyss to the green a devilishy-close 293 yards away (pictured above).

If you do decide to plant your stakes at 14, consider purchasing a Canyon Club Pass. For just $50/day, the Canyon Club Pass lets you up into the hospitality suite at the 14th green, where you can watch in comfort as Boom-Boom and others put their tournament lives at risk by playing it over the canyon (and we both know there’s no way Freddie’s laying up). There’s also a sun deck on the back of the pavilion where you can see the top groups tee off on 18, before scampering up the fairway to see the winner hole out on the 18th green.

DON’T MISS...

The opening day fly-by. Players know it’s time to tee it up when one of Boeing’s massive airliners — last year’s was a 777, might we see a Dreamliner in 2010? — roars past low and slow down the 18th fairway on Friday morning. It’s a thrill you won’t soon forget.

REMEMBER WHEN? 2005 — David Eger was tied with Craig Stadler and Morris Hatalsky entering the final round but he took command at the onset. He birdied four of the first eight holes and led by as many as five strokes before settling for a three-stroke victory over Tom Kite to win the inaugural event.

2005

2006

2007 — It’s never happened in any professional tournament before or since — seven players tied at the end of 54 holes in 2007. Gil Morgan, Joe Ozaki, Dana Quigley and David Eger were eliminated after the first playoff hole, leaving Denis Watson (who chipped in from 23 feet for birdie) and R.W. Eaks (who hit his third to 18 inches before tapping in for his bird), Craig Stadler (who drained a 22-footer for birdie) to head back to the tee of the par-5 18th once again. Watson won with an 18-foot putt for eagle.

2007

2006 — Tom Kite needed just 72 putts over 54 holes to win his first Boeing Classic in a playoff over Keith Fergus. Kite’s 72 putts — just 24 per round — equaled the fewest putts in a 54-hole Champions Tour event in its first decade.

cascadegolfer.com

2008

2009 – Folks in the Canyon Club on No. 14 were rewarded with five eagles, as players gambled with drives over the deep wooded canyon to reach the small green – about a 293-yard carry. Mark McNulty made his in the opening round followed by Jim Thorpe on Saturday and David Eger, Jerry Pate and Ben Crenshaw on Sunday.

2009

2010

2008 – Just like in 2006 victory, Tom Kite came from three strokes back on the final day to become the only two-time champion. He made five birdies on the back nine, first tying 36-hole leader Scott Simpson with a birdie on No. 14 and then taking the lead with another bird on No. 15 en route to a two-stroke win.

AUGUST 2010

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cascadegolfer.com

ROAD HOLES

Semiahmoo Resort | Blaine

ON THE ROAD AGAIN You don’t have to be a VIP to get some TLC at these four Northwest resorts

I

t’s about this time of year that we start to feel the road calling to us, teasing us with visions of trails unhiked, vistas unseen and — indeed — golf holes unplayed. Even if it’s just a long weekend, taking 3-4 days at the end of the summer to put your daily responsibilities in the rearview mirror, sleep in a bed you don’t have to make, eat a gourmet meal or two and knock a 3-iron around some incredible golf courses is the kind of experience that reminds you just how good the world can be — if we can only find time to enjoy it. And if you’re taking a few buddies along with you? All the better.

Of course, in addition to “time,” experiencing the world takes money. Here in the Northwest, however, we’re privileged to enjoy some of the finest golf resort experiences in the country — from Western Washington’s most luxuriously affordable weekend golf getaway, a secluded mountain retreat and a lakeside paradise, to an outdoor-lover’s dream destination — these four trips won’t eat up your entire summer’s vacation budget and, most importantly, require no more than a half day’s drive to enjoy.

So call your buddies, load up the trunk and hit the road — the rains are coming in a few months’ time, but the memory of these four trips will keep your fire burning all winter long.

SEMIAHMOO RESORT

A

Blaine, Wash.

800-231-4425 | semiahmoo.com

golf getaway should be indeed that – a get “away.”

But, with tighter family budgets a golfer needs to find that diamond in the rough when it comes to a special experience that is affordable.

Whatcom County has a wide array of experiences — cascadegolfer.com

BY BRIAN BEAKY and DICK STEPHENS and one of its shining stars is a place that’s been getting attention for a long time.

Semiahmoo Resort, 25 minutes north of Blaine, hits just the spot. It’s well known that Semiahmoo and its two semi-public courses, Loomis Trail and Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club, have been on the top-100 lists for many, many years, and rightly so. The 18-hole Palmer layout on the Semiahmoo course has been ranked as high as No. 3 in Washington state by Golf Digest. With bunkers, rolling terrain and a tee block for any game, this track can test the world’s best (as evidenced by hosting the 2010 U.S. Senior Open qualifier this July) and also bring a fair golf experience to the mid-handicapper.

Eighteen holes on Loomis Trail, meanwhile, is a true Northwest golf outing, with scenery that will blow you away and water on every hole via a lake and canal system. It’s not an easy track and management is key.

But, what golf test isn’t?

The lodging and cuisine at the resort has also been well covered internationally and receives as much acclaim as the courses themselves, while the spa and Jeff Coston Academy are both great ways to accentuate a special overnight or extended golf excursion.

But, what recently has been perking up the eyes of the Puget Sound and Vancouver golfers are the values that the folks at Semiahmoo have been putting out there. The $60 lunch and golf combo, which includes your round of golf and a tasty lunch at either course’s restaurant on Mondays and Tuesdays (see website for details and length of promotion) is bringing up more

than its fair share of Seattle linksters. And, you can tack on a world-class hotel experience for as little as $129 on certain days. Marry the two together and you are getting a special getaway for bargain prices.

Want to take in an extra day or two in Bellingham, and stay-and-play in the progressive, collegiate and ever-growing town by the sea? Then book an evening at Bellingham’s premier boutique hideaway, Hotel Bellwether (hotelbellwether.com). Quaintly perched on the shore of Bellingham Bay in a quiet cove, where soothing marine features are serene and classy, Hotel Bellwether offers a wide array of lodging services and caters to golfers. With stay-and-play packages tied in with Lake Padden, Shuksan and the outstanding Sudden Valley and North Bellingham golf courses, you can create your own trip. It’s a Half Moon Bay feel, with a Northwest twist — and the food and wine selections are some the finest in the county. — DS

SUNCADIA RESORT

T

Roslyn, Wash.

866-904-6301 | suncadiaresort.com

he first time I played the Prospector Golf Course at Suncadia Resort, tucked on a mountainside just outside Cle Elum, was on the second half of a day trip that had begun with a morning tee time at Yakima’s Apple Tree Resort. After spending the early part of what would soon become a hot summer’s day amid the beautiful orchards and rolling lowlands of Yakima, the feel of that first breath when I stepped out of the climate-controlled comfort of my car is something I’ll never forget — it hit me like a plunge into cold water, as if the air was somehow cleaner and fresher than any I had ever had the privilege to breathe.

Prospector itself, mere minutes from I-90 and barely AUGUST 2010

43

Prospector at Suncadia • Hole 10 an hour from Seattle, is an equally refreshing experience.

Opened in 2004, the Arnold Palmer design cuts through the trees with grace and beauty, offering numerous risk/ reward opportunities, challenging greens and firm, fast fairways. Landing areas are mostly forgiving, though uneven terrain, well-placed white-sand bunkers and frequent mountain streams and lakes require a skilled hand to negotiate. One of the finest three-hole stretches in the state is that from Prospector’s eighth hole — a tight, undulating, 509-yard (from the blues) par-5 named the best eighth hole in the state in Cascade Golfer’s 2009 Dream 18 — to the 10th, a par-4 played from an elevated tee that drops more than 100 feet to a narrow, bunker-protected fairway below. With panoramic views of a tree-lined valley and the looming Cascade Mountain peaks, you can be forgiven for lingering a minute before heading down to hit your second.

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cascadegolfer.com

While Prospector can be done as a day trip, the opening this fall of a second 18-hole championship course, Rope Rider, practically demands the Puget Sound golfer make at least a weekend out of the experience, with an overnight at the upscale Suncadia Resort thrown in.

Stay-and-plays start as low as $299 this fall, including a night’s stay in the luxurious lodge-style Suncadia Inn, plus a round of golf for two at Prospector.

Another option — particularly for a group of guys out for a fun weekend, or for families vacationing together — is to rent an RV and drive up to the nearby Sun Country Golf & RV in Cle Elum (509-674-2226, golfsuncountry.com).

Just $108 a night gets you a place to park your RV — including wireless internet connections, power, cable TV hookups and access to shower and bathroom facilities — and a round of golf for two on Sun Country’s 18-hole, 5,700-yard course. The tree-lined, beautifully maintained track (with daily rates peaking at just $36 on weekends) is a perfect companion to Suncadia’s famed fairways, giving golfers a similar mountain-golf experience in a shorter, yet still challenging settting. — BB

COEUR D’ALENE RESORT

I

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 800-688-5253 | cdaresort.com

’m standing on the tee at the 14th hole at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Course, staring across the sun-dappled water at the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen on a golf course, and the thought occurs to me: I have no idea what I’m doing.

The par-3 14th, home to Coeur d’Alene’s iconic floating green — a 15,000-square foot, five-million pound floating island accessible only by boat — has a way of doing that to people, our group’s forecaddie explains.

I’ve been thinking about the hole all day — truthfully, for many days, since I first made plans to visit the lakeside Coeur d’Alene Resort, nestled between Northern Idaho mountain peaks on the western edge of the Coeur d’Alene National Forest. I was drawn by the short drive (just five hours straight across I-90 from Seattle) and terrific stayand-play rates — $185 per person gets a night’s stay at the five-star resort, plus a round of golf on the luxurious course with a forecaddie, mahogany-lined carts, pre-round massage and personalized bag tag. But really, I was drawn

by No. 14 — the kind of hole that, once you see it, inspires fantasies in the mind of every hard-core golfer.

Up to this point, I’ve been having one of my best rounds of the year. I played the challenging stretch from Coeur d’Alene’s No. 2 to No. 7 — winding up, down and around a large bluff, and featuring two of the most visually stunning par-3s I’ve ever played — just two over par, then

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

45

Running Y Resort • Klamath Falls, Ore.

Leavenworth Golf Course

...Located in the beautiful Washington Cascades.

added a birdie on the par-5 11th, an homage to the famed 13th at Augusta with a creek running down the left side and across the front of a two-tiered green.

Yet, here I stand, the eyes of my group members upon me as my hand hovers over my four- and five-irons. At 170 yards, it’s a tweener for me, and even as I debate, I know I am dooming myself to a long night of second-guessing.

I pick the five and take a practice swing as a lone hawk circles overhead, the only sound the low buzzing of a distant jet ski. I make a smooth swing and … glug! … the ball plunks cleanly into the lake, a good 15 yards short of the target. My shoulders sag. I grab the four, drop a second ball, and stick it squarely on the surface before two-putting for a heartbreaking five.

After my round, I make an appointment to ease my pain with an afternoon massage at the Coeur d’Alene Resort and Spa, just a short boat ride across the lake from the signature course. An hour later, I meet Coeur d’Alene’s wine steward, Eric Cook, for a tour of the Resort’s impressive cellar, including the largest collection of wines anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. Cook notes that about a third of the Resort’s wines are Washingtonbased, a tribute to the quality of juice being made within our borders, and we toast the day with a glass of a Washington syrah.

Staring out at the lake from my seat by the window at Beverly’s, Coeur d’Alene’s signature five-star restaurant, my shoulders eased by a 45-minute massage and my belly warmed by a delicious wine and one of the finest steaks I’ve ever had, I think about the island green out there somewhere in the dark, waiting for me, calling me back like a mythological Siren.

Only next time, I’m hitting the four. — BB

RUNNING Y RANCH

15% OFF Coupon Book your tee time today!

Leavenworth Golf Course • 509.548.7267 9101 Icicle Rd. Leavenworth, WA 98829

Offer not valid with any other discount offers

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AUGUST 2010

18-Hole Golf Course located just one mile from the Bavarian Village of Leavenworth

U

Klamath Falls, Ore. 800-851-6013 | runningyranch.com

nlike Prospector and Coeur d’Alene, which both sit minutes from I-90, or even Semiahmoo, just a few miles off the interstate, you don’t just happen upon Running Y Ranch. That’s because the full-service, all-inclusive outdoorsman’s paradise isn’t on the way to anything — it’s a true golf destination.

Just across the southern end of Upper Klamath Lake from the mountain resort community of Klamath Falls, 90 minutes east of I-5 and just under eight hours from the Puget Sound area, it’s the furthest drive of the four, making it best to plan a long weekend, or even a twoday drive with a stop at one of Portland’s public tracks on the way.

It’s the drive, though, that sets the scene — as you exit I-5 in Eugene and head southeast, winding through the colorful Deschutes National Forest, past eagle’s nests, raging rivers, over mountain passes and across dozens of scenic bridges, you’ll find it harder and harder to remember just what you were so worried about at work last week.

By the time you arrive at Running Y, you’re in the right cascadegolfer.com

Coeur d’Alene Resort • No. 14 frame of mind for a long, relaxing weekend — from golf on an Arnold Palmer-designed course that features both an open, links-style nine and a rugged, woodlands nine (each impeccably maintained) to horseback riding, canoeing, hiking and salmon fishing, it’s impossible to fit it all into one trip. Running Y’s resort course (which is, after all, the main reason we’re here) was ranked No. 4 among “America’s Top 50 Courses for Women” by Golf Digest earlier this year, and made the same publication’s prestigious “America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses” list as well.

It also happens to feature what are, unquestionably, the best stay-and-play packages in the region— just $129 per person nets a night’s stay at the resort plus as much

cascadegolfer.com

golf as you can squeeze into the day. Want to play 18 then hit the trails? Go for it. Want to try to pull a 54-hole bonanza? That’s covered, too.

There’s also a Par and Pamper package that’s perfect for the golfer with a non-playing spouse, letting you out on the course all day while your spouse enjoys a 60-minute massage, as well as a Golf for Women package with a night’s stay, unlimited golf and a 15-percent discount on spa treatments for just $114.

So, you can see why so many golfers drive right past Portland, Bend and Crater Lake on their way to Running Y — when the destination is this good, it’s more than worth the drive. — BB

AUGUST 2010

47

SAVE SOME GREEN PEAK SEASON PLEASURES

BY BRIAN BEAKY • CG EDITOR

F

or a Northwest golfer, summer can be the best time of year – or the worst.

Without question, the 16 hours of sunlight make fitting a round of golf into your schedule a lot easier – in fact, it’s not at all uncommon for me and my friends to try to fit in two (or even three) rounds in a single day. What’s more, it’s nice to see our fantastic public tracks at their best in the summer months — fairways that roll out an extra 10-20 yards, firm putting surfaces and everything oh-so-green.

Of course, as any golfer knows, all those benefits come with a price — literally. Summer rates can sometimes be as much as double those the enterprising (and venturesome) golfer can find at other times. For golfers on a budget, that means that the same $60 that paid for two rounds from November to March might now only get you one loop around the local track.

Well, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. More than any other region, the Seattle area has an unbelievable number of great valuepriced courses … even in the summer.

What’s a value-priced course? To me, it’s any course — be it $20, $50 or $250 — that leaves me walking off 18 feeling that I got my money’s worth. We’ve covered dozens of such courses in this feature over the last three years, spanning the Puget Sound region from Marysville to Olympia, Bremerton to Leavenworth, and you know what? There are still dozens more that we have yet to ever mention.

We know that, inside, you’re just like us – you’d play every single day if work, family and money were of no issue. We can’t do anything about the work and family commitments, so we’re dedicating ourselves this summer to helping you stretch that golf dollar as far as you possibly can. On these and the following pages, we’ve teamed up with some of the “little guys” of the local golf scene to find some great deals for you to take advantage of in between those once-ortwice-a-summer road trips across the mountains or south to Bend.

Remember, just because it’s peak season, doesn’t mean you have to pay peak prices.

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AUGUST 2010

1

Horseshoe Lake Golf Course PORT ORCHARD

If you’re one of those who have discovered the Kitsap Peninsula’s numerous gems – from the “holy trinity” of Gold Mountain, McCormick Woods and Trophy Lake near Bremerton, to the equally impressive White Horse and Port Ludlow father north, as well as the just-a-little-farther Alderbrook and Cedars at Dungeness — you’d probably prefer no one else ever found out.

There’s no reason these and the Kitsap’s other terrific courses shouldn’t be mentioned in the same breath as top Seattle-area tracks like Newcastle, Kayak Point and Druids Glen. Yet, that pesky little 30-minute ferry ride keeps hundreds of golfers a year on the east side of the Sound, hitting the same tracks time and time again.

So, stay if you want to. We’ll continue to take advantage of the unbelievable scenery, uncrowded fairways and — yes — lower greens fees to be found on the peninsula.

One of our favorite peninsula courses (especially in the winter months, when it stays drier than most) is Port Orchard’s Horseshoe Lake. Cut from thick Northwest pines by Jim Richardson in 1992, Horseshoe Lake is a Northwest course, for sure – hazards of the sandy and wet kind are few, but those of the tall, hard and cone-covered kind are many.

It’s short from the whites at just under 5,600 yards, but played from the blues it provides a solid test of course management.

With three par-5s over 500 yards and narrow approaches to most greens, bombing away isn’t going to save you as many strokes as it will probably cascadegolfer.com

Horseshoe Lake Golf Course

cost you in the end. The smart player will keep the driver in check and focus more on keeping the ball in the fairway – and what’s more, on the correct side of the fairway. Keep your ball out of the woods, and the relative lack of troublesome hazards should set you up for a good score.

Of course, it’s not the tree-lined fairways or the affordable greens fees that are Horseshoe Lake’s real signature — instead, the most memorable moment of your round is likely to be when the course marshal rides up behind you on horseback with a friendly “Howdy” and well-wishes for a good round. Now that’s certainly something you don’t see everyday.

In fact, Horseshoe Lake’s combination of fun, value and location just 15 minutes from Trophy Lake Golf & Casting make the two a perfect pairing for anyone who likes to squeeze as many holes as possible out of these long, sunny days.

Just keep it amongst yourselves, OK?

BEST HOLE The par-5 sixth hole is Horseshoe’s stiffest test, requiring both length and precision. Just a shade under 486 yards, it’s actually the shortest of the course’s par-5s, but with imposing lines of trees just a few steps off either side of the fairway, there’s no room for error. Keep your tee shot on line (and to the left side of the fairway), however, and you’ll have about 200-220 yards to a wide-open green. Two good shots, and it’s an easy birdie. One bad shot, and you’ll be lucky to card a double.

YARDAGE 5,015-6,122 RATES $36-$55 TEL 253-857-3326 WEB hlgolf.com cascadegolfer.com

Located less than 30 minutes from some of

Portland’s finest golf courses Your Stay & Play HQ • • • • • • • •

Heron Lakes Columbia-Edgewater Pumpkin Ridge The Reserve Langdon Farms Red Tail Glendoveer Eastmoreland

The Crowne Plaza Portland Convention Center offers 24-hour guest services with an indoor pool and spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, and a complete business center that features high-speed Internet access. You'll appreciate the value of our amenities wireless Internet throughout the hotel, refrigerators and microwaves in every room. The hotel is located in Fareless Square featuring Portland’s MAX light rail system. The Pearl District, Portland’s most colorful creative neighborhood is just minutes away and the Portland International Airport is located just 10 miles away, a short ride in our complimentary shuttle.

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AUGUST 2010

49

SAVE SOME GREEN

2

Elk Run Golf Club MAPLE VALLEY

Tucked among more well-known area courses like Druids Glen (10 minutes away) and Washington National (20 minutes away), Elk Run doesn’t receive the kind of publicity — or play — as its neighbors. Just as with the Kitsap courses, though, that has the combined effect of keeping rates low, pace of play brisk, and the course in peak condition, even as more well-traveled tracks wear down over the busy summer months.

While rates drop as low as $18 for weekday morning walkers, the best deal in our book is the $31 rate that includes greens fees AND cart fees for any weekday morning (before 8 a.m.) or afternoon (after 3 p.m.), Monday through Thursday (still a good deal on Fridays and weekends, too, at $42 for the same package).

Price is only half the value equation, though — the other is quality, which Elk Run delivers in abundance. The front nine is a tree-lined target-fest, featuring a number of risk/reward options for the long and accurate ball-strikers, and enough eye candy to match just about any other Northwest track. Nearly all of the front-nine holes are isolated from any others, a rare treat in a course surrounded by homesites that really don’t come into play until you tee it up on the back. The uphill, par-5 seventh offers some of the best Rainier views this side of Druids Glen’s famous second hole, while your approach shot on the par-4 ninth will have to drop neatly onto a green protected on three sides by sand, and the other by water.

Following the knee-knockingly narrow 212-yard, par-3 10th, the back nine opens up for the big hitters to let fly without fear of penalty, besides maybe losing a ball to

a backyard or two. Wildlife including deer, rabbits and hawks are a common sight, as are every golfer’s favorite fauna — birdies. Eight par-4s under 350 yards give even the average player the chance to put a circle on the scorecard, while four par-3s over 180 yards — plus numerous elevation changes, uneven lies and two-tiered fairways — give the good players enough of a challenge.

BEST HOLE There is plenty of eye candy, but it’s hard to top the scenery at the par-4 seventh.

Your second shot is played uphill to a ridge-top green – walking up after hitting the shot, all you can see beyond the ridgeline is sky … until you glance back to your left and catch that unbelievable view of Mt. Rainier in all its snow-capped glory. Just get that focus back before knocking in your birdie.

YARDAGE 5,189-5,724 RATES $18-$42 TEL 800-244-8631 WEB elkrungolf.com

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AUGUST 2010

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Now I see the line from a comfortable, repeatable, and verifiable address position every time.

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AUGUST 2010

51

SAVE SOME GREEN

FALL GOLF VALUES

O

ne of our favorite sections of Cascade Golfer is “Save Some Green” — the chance to connect our readers to the dozens of low-cost, high-quality golf courses we’re blessed to enjoy in the Puget Sound really hits at the heart of what this magazine is all about. Our only disappointment is that we rarely have the real estate to include more than 2-3 such courses in each issue, meaning that for the many courses we have covered, there are 10 times as many that we haven’t yet managed to fit in.

So, in this issue we’re launching a new feature of seasonal values — just some quick hits on what we feel are the best golf deals to be found this fall for under $50, from some fun day-trip destination tracks like Sudden Valley and Kahler Glen, to local spots that will help keep your game in shape in between those weekend golf getaways.

As a sign of our excitement about the feature, we’ve convinced nearly a dozen of these courses to give us twosomes to pass on to our readers — consider it our Fall Golf Stimulus Package. We’ve split them up into three trips to spread the wealth, so read, enjoy, and most importantly … get out and golf.

Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham | suddenvalleygolfcoursecom | (360) 734-6435

Alderbrook Golf Club | Union alderbrookgolf.com | (360) 898-2575

Kahler Glen Golf Course | Leavenworth

Just $45 weekdays for one of Kitsap’s most underrated tracks, price plunges to $35 on weekends after Oct. 1.

Mountain resort with golf as low as $40 and unbeatable views. Watch online for occasional $5 golf days. Pairs perfectly with a round at nearby Leavenworth GC.

Battle Creek Golf Course | Marysville

kahlerglen.com | (509) 763-4025

battlecreeklinks.com | (800) 655-7931

North Shore Golf Course | Tacoma

Boulder-blocked 12th green is one of Puget Sound’s most famous, but weekend rates of $34 are the real story.

northshoregc.net | (253) 927-1375

Cedarcrest Golf Course | Marysville cedarcrestgc.com | (360) 363-8460 Regular rate of $31 is great, but a three-month unlimited play pass for $275 is the best deal.

WIN A FREE SUMMER OF GOLF IN 2010!

Kahler Glen Golf Course

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AUGUST 2010

Four play for the price of three through Sept. 30.

Riverside Golf Club | Chehalis playriversidegolf.com | (800) 242-9486 Prices never go above $34 – RV park makes for easy overnight trip; great stop on a road trip to Portland, Bend or Bandon.

Snohomish Golf Course | Snohomish snohomishgolfcourse.com | (360) 568-2676 North’s best-kept secret peaks at $34 on summer weekends.

Annual pass is also good at Battle Creek.

Tumwater Valley Golf Club | Tumwater tumwatervalleygc.com | (360) 943-9500 Course rated one of South Sound’s best by The Olympian is a steal at $33 on weekends – bring your kids, who play for just $1 after noon with paying adult.

Wayne Golf Course | Bothell (425) 485-6237 Best nine-hole rates in the area (and a front nine full of short par-4s) make for a fun after-work test of your short game.

EVERYONE WANTS TO PLAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE — it’s just that pesky little thing called a “budget” that gets in the way. But how much would you play this summer if money were no object?

We’re kicking off the first of what will hope will be a series of Seasonal Values specials by teaming with nearly a dozen of the area’s best value-oriented tracks to give Cascade Golfer readers the chance to put down the wallet, pick up the sticks and do what you love best — play some fantastic golf!

In order to spread the wealth among as many of our readers as possible, we’ve broken the 11 free twosomes into three separate packages, representing almost every corner of the Puget Sound region: #1: DAY TRIP DELIGHTS Sudden Valley Bellingham Kahler Glen

#2: SNO-CO SLEEPERS Battle Creek Snohomish Cedarcrest PLUS a tune-up twosome to Wayne!

#3 SOUTHERN STARS Alderbrook North Shore Riverside Tumwater

ENTER TO WIN TODAY AT CASCADEGOLFER.COM!

cascadegolfer.com

Cedarcrest Golf Course

Alderbrook Golf Club

UNLIMITED GOLF! ANY DAY OF THE WEEK!

One Complimentary Round with a Paid Round.

FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR! $275 Reg. pass $200 Sr. Pass (ages 55 & over)

(360) 898-2575 • alderbrookgolf.com Valid Monday thru Friday.

Cannot be used with any other promotion.

Expires Dec. 30th 2010.

(360) 363-8460 • cedarcrestgc.com Good Sept. 1 thru Dec. 21 • 2010

NORTH SHORE GOLF COURSE

2 FOR 1 GREEN FEE w/purchase of a power cart.

(360) 748-8182 playriversidegolf.com

BRING 3 PLAY FOR FREE

Good Monday thru Friday Expires Sept. 30th 2010. Tee Time Required.

Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Not valid on tournaments, holidays or with any other offer.

(4 for the price of 3)

Valid Monday thru Thursday — All Day Friday, Saturday & Sunday — After 1p.m.

Expires Sept. 30th 2010

NORTH BELLINGHAM OFFER • 18 Holes with Cart • Small Bucket • Lunch • & Sleeve of Balls

Tee times (253) 927-1375 or (253) 838-3660 Restaurant (253) 927-7439 northshoregc.net

2 FOR 1

GREEN FEE

Only $50+tax per player ($90 Value) (360) 398-8300 northbellinghamgolf.com Green Fees $29 Mon. - Thurs. • $40 Fri. - Sun. Twilight $34 midwk. • $39 weekends (after 2 p.m.)

Call (800) 440-2994 for Tee Times *Twilight includes power cart

Kahler Glen Real Estate!

4 new lots on the front 9 from $149k.

Contact vjackson@windemere.com for more info. or kahlerglen.com • Unique Water Driving Range • Full Service Restaurant & Lounge

Buy One 18-Hole green fee and receivea second green fee free. *Golf Cart rental required

suddenvalleygolfcourse.com

Not valid with any other promotional rates.

cascadegolfer.com

Kahler Glen Golf & Ski Resort

Pro Shop (509) 763-4025 • Lodging (800) 400-2994 20700 Clubhouse Dr. • Leavenworth WA 98826

kahlerglen.com

“On The Sunny Side of the Cascades”

Valid everyday after 1pm & all day on Mondays Excluding Holidays Expires Sept. 30th, 2010

Want to Reach 103,000 Puget Sound Golfers?

Advertise in this section Call (206) 367-2420 cascadegolfer.com AUGUST 2010

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PRESENTED BY

POST GAME Rubber Putters, Moving Targets … It Must Be Summer

G

BRIAN BEAKY • CG EDITOR ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY JOHN KIMBALL

rowing up, there was nothing I looked forward to more each summer than piling in the car with my family after dinner each Friday night and driving to a nearby miniature golf course for 90 minutes of clown-banging fun.

My Dad may have been a club putting champion, but my sister and I were mini-golf machines. We knew every windmill, castle and loop-de-loop in a three-county area, and between us, had probably aced every single one. Even dear ol’ Dad couldn’t time a moving drawbridge like his sweetswinging son.

Of course, at the time all I cared about was winning … winning, and looking good for the cute girls with their parents a couple of holes over. Now, on the gray side of 30 and with two young kids of my own, I find myself longing to recreate the smiles and laughter of those evenings with my own family. But where? You can drive up and down I-5 all day and never see so much as a single spinning windmill.

The truth is, though, there are several fun places to take the family for an evening of golf-related fun – you just have to know where to look. This is Seattle, after all … when we go kitsch, we generally don’t put it right out there for the tourists to see. We have an image to uphold.

The best bets for traditional miniature golf – that of the colored balls, volcano holes and double-bank rail shots – is Family Fun Center in Tukwila.

Seven bucks gets you an hour and half of fun with the family at the Fun Center which includes two full, 18-hole courses from which to choose, each with its own theme. Need to get out some aggression after eight-putting the volcano hole? Try the go-karts, bumper boats or full video arcade also

located on-site, for an additional (and equally small) fee. Funtasia Family Fun Park in Edmonds offers North-enders a nearby option for the same price, with a jungle-themed indoor front nine and a pirate-themed outdoor back nine.

If your tastes are more natural and less clown-and-castle, check out one of the outstanding putting courses at Willows Run Golf Club in Redmond or Seattle’s Interbay Golf Complex. Willows’ “Rainbow Run” course is particularly impressive, usual natural features – water, rocks, trees and real grass greens – to craft a course that is a true test of a putter’s skill. It’s easily the nicest of the area’s mini-golf offerings and a bargain at $9 a round.

Interbay’s track is of a similar vein, and the closest to downtown Seattle.

At $8, and with birthday party packages and even an adult league (Drinks on the Links), it’s another good bet.

My son is still young enough to simply get a giggle out of hitting his ball off the hole and into the water, or a stunned smile when it actually goes in the hole. As for me? I’m just happy to be spending time with them creating the sort of fun family memories that I have from my childhood. Though, I can’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe, I’m planting a seed that will someday blossom into a lifelong love of the game.

TOP LOCAL PUTT-PUTT COURSES FAMILY FUN CENTER Tukwila (425) 228-7300 fun-center.com 54 54

AUGUST 2010 AUGUST 2010

FUNTASIA FAMILY FUN PARK Edmonds (425) 775-2174 familyfunpark.com

INTERBAY GOLF COMPLEX Seattle (206) 285-2200 seattlegolf.com

RAINBOW RUN GOLF COURSE Redmond (425) 883-1200 willowsrun.com cascadegolfer.com cascadegolfer.com

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2010

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