Cascade Golfer June 2021

VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 2 • JUNE 2021 • COMPLIMENTARY

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PUETZ SPRING PRODUCT BLITZ Spotlight on local legends Best bets to play 36 in a day Superintendents: Episode 2 I-90 east road trip in WA, ID & MT 2021 NORTHWEST

Gamble Sands N ORTHWE ST GO L F N EW S & VI E W S

Doubles Down

David McLay Kidd’s new 14-hole thrill ride Quicksands is open

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A LOOK

INSIDE Features

Departments 4 PUBLISHER’S PITCH • Dick Stephens on 15 years of CG

6 SHORT GAME

• Remembering Al Mengert • Joel Dahmen’s first PGA Tour win • UW Star Rino Sasaki • Golf’s growth still on upswing • CG Cup news & schedule • Duke’s Scholarship winner • NW Golf Media Assoc. update • Corona Premier Shootout

21 RISK VS REWARD

22 IN THE BAG

• Palouse Ridge GC | Hole No. 10

• Six pages of reviews on woods, irons, putters, wedges, carts and shoes

34 TEEING OFF

• KOMO’s Gaard Swanson

58 SAVE SOME GREEN

• Jefferson Park Golf Club • High Cedars Golf Course • Foster Golf Links

62 POSTGAME

• New Masters champ a win for Japan and golf

36 42 48 54

Play 36

Great 36-hole adventures all over Puget Sound

Grass Is Greener Part 2

Spotlight on Eric Johnson of Chambers Bay

Eastbound and Down

An I-90 road trip through WA, ID and MT

Celebrity Q & A

Meet David McLay Kidd in his conversation with Tony Dear

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 30 - 33

THIS PAGE The serenity of mountain high golf is crystal clear in Montana at Meadow Lake Golf Resort in Columbia Falls. Read about our trip along I-90 on page 48.

ON THE COVER At last, Gamble Sands unveils their all-new 14-hole course Quicksands to national fanfare. Inside read about Quicksands designer David McLay Kidd and our Corona Premier Shootout at Gamble Sands.

Win Free Golf and More!

The sun is shining, but at Cascade Golfer it’s still raining…prizes, that is. We are sending readers all over the state with spectacular twosomes to Gamble Sands and Apple Tree, plus a killer 36 holes in southwest Idaho. Check out these offers: • Apple Tree twosome • Page 12 • Gamble Sands twosome, our Muckleshoot Jackpot • Page 17 Gamble Sands

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• 36 holes in Southwest Idaho • Page 60

And hey, don’t forget about last issue’s contests!

Congratulations to these lucky winners from the April issue of Cascade Golfer: Twosome at Whidbey and Swinomish Joel Palmas • Redmond Twosomes at Kahler Glen and Highlander Dave Harper • Puyallup Twosomes at The Classic and Sudden Valley Rhonda Drew • Medical Lake

JUNE 2021

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Volume 15 • Issue 2 • JUNE 2021

CASCADE

GOLFER cascadegolfer.com

Cascade Golfer is published and owned by Varsity Communications, Inc. It’s mailed via USPS to 50,000 homes and e-mailed to 100,000 golfers in Puget Sound.

VARSITY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. varsitycommunications.com

EDITORIAL STAFF P U B LI S H E R S Dick Stephens & Kirk Tourtillotte E D I TO R Tony Dear ART D I R E C T I O N & G R A P H I C D E S I G N Robert Becker W R IT E R S Bart Potter, Bob Sherwin, Scott Hanson FOR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES: Dick Stephens • Publisher stephens@varsitycommunications.com FOR ACCOOUNTING INQUIRIES: Kirk Tourtillotte • Publisher kirk@varsitycommunications.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF SALES/MARKETING MANAGER & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com

COPYRIGHT 2021 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.

PRODUCER AND OWNER OF THE PROUD CHARTER MEMBER

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PUBLISHER’S PITCH

DICK STEPHENS

56th issue and 15th year in business celebrates the best in all of us

I

have been writing my Publisher’s Pitch for this amazing magazine for a helluva long time — 15 years in fact. FIFTEEN YEARS, man. It’s weird, exciting and perplexing when you look back and count the years like that. Whether it’s a project, a relationship, a child, whatever. Fifteen years doing anything is an honor and an accomplishment. We are entering our 15th year to be exact and this coming fall issue will be the true 15-year mark. I even counted them to be sure, as I didn’t wanna get this wrong.

This issue you are reading right now is our 56th Cascade Golfer, which means I have had to come up with something to share and offer you all here nearly five dozen times. And that means our amazing Art Director Rob Becker has designed 56 issues — all stunners. Our sales team led by my partner Kirk Tourtillotte and our star Sales Manager Simon Dubiel have had to sell, craft and fund all these issues with solid advertisers and sponsors. Our accounting team of Pam Titland and Bobbi Kramer has had to collect the bills and support each move we made to keep us in the black. It also means that our editors and bullpen of writers have authored and filed 14 volumes consisting of hundreds of features and bits to fill your head and heart with news and views you can use.

Last issue we thanked Brian Beaky for his countless talents and time — and now we are excited about Tony Dear standing in the editor spotlight and shining his new light on what we publish and put out there.

And, just as importantly, it means Mike Livingston and his Puetz Golf team have arranged a bouquet of products and offerings to entice and invite golfers to their four stores and better their game for 15 years through this magazine. They have been doing their thing better than anyone in the U.S. for 76 years. Their trust and partnership in CG and us makes me beam with gratitude and it’s humbling to do this with them year in and year out.

Cascade Golfer has been mailed out 5.6 million times to YOU GUYS — our readers. YOU’RE THE FUEL that allows this title to burn bright. This is a labor of love and when you do something for this long, we only become fonder of the sport and our readership. We have two goals — period. To make this periodical essential to our readers and be helpful to our advertisers. Through thick and thin, we have consistently been able to keep finding our path and achieve those goals. I tip my hat to Pacific Northwest Golfer magazine and Inside Golf newspaper — our friendly competitors — who have been doing it even

Stephens (left) and Tourtillotte have been publishing together for nearly 30 years. longer than we have here. We have proven there is room for all of us.

Why am I sharing and caring and a tad bit romantic about all this? It’s simple. Last year at this time, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to this magazine, the Cascade Golfer Cup, our players card, handbook, our golf expos and most importantly the sport. No one could ever predict the pandemic’s huge effect on the growth of golf. A little over a year ago, we pulled Cascade Golfer off the press and went strictly digital for over a year. It’s been an amazing and humbling episode to keep the faith, push the title to keep it moving forward and stay in front of you all via your phones, laptops and tablets.

Your trust, patronage and positive energy reflected on our past and will again going forward. Although I found myself feeling scared, even in tears at one point and flying blind at times, we all were grateful and hopeful that we’d steer though these rocky shoals. As I am sure you noticed, we RETURNED to print with March’s issue and this one. It’s invigorating to hold the magazine again in my hands — something I wasn’t sure I’d get to do again. We’re more than up and running now — we’re soaring. Not so much in a financial sense but in a spiritual way. Our team of seasoned pros make me feel so safe and comfortable — and BULLISH on 2021.

This issue is chock-full of comeback stories, successes, breaking news, reflections on top talent like David McLay Kidd, Eric Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Rino Sasaki and many more. Enjoy it because it celebrates focus and courage. Bask in the long spring days and warmer weather. And thank you — here’s to our best year yet. And, as always TAKE IT EASY. cascadegolfer.com

1 pm • Monday • August 30TH • 2021 The Golf Club at Newcastle 5TH ANNUAL

Charity Golf Tournament To Benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital Pediatric Rheumatology

BENEFITING

PLAYER FEE: $200 ($600 for foursome) Lunch, Prizes and Dinner Banquet Included Players and sponsors, please contact the following for registration and other tournament information

100% of fees go to help kids with arthritis

Rae Marie Gleason • raemarie.gleason@inmedix.com • (714) 423-4863 Andrew J. Holman MD • andrew.holman@inmedix.com • (206) 412-5347

Photo courtesy of Spokane Spokesman-Review

SHORT GAME REMEMBERING AL MENGERT:

Hall of Famer made history in golf’s golden age

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BY SCOTT HANSON • THE SEATTLE TIMES

he state lost one of its greatest ever players earlier this spring when Al Mengert of Spokane died on April 6, one day short of his 92nd birthday.

Mengert played in nine Masters, contending a couple of times, and once played in the final group on the last day with Sam Snead. He led the 1954 U.S. Open after 45 holes, and was the first-round leader in ‘66.

Before that though, Mengert played in one of the biggest golf matches in Seattle history. About 9,000 spectators, according to accounts in The Seattle Times, followed Mengert and Everett’s Jack Westland in the 1952 championship match of the U.S. Amateur, played at Seattle Golf Club.

The top-ranked amateur in the world at age 23, Mengert was the heavy favorite against Westland, 47, who went on to become a six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mengert led after 27 holes of the 36hole final, but Westland rallied for a 3 & 2 victory.

For 58 years, Mengert held a secret about that match.

When the U.S. Amateur was played at Chambers Bay in 2010, the first time the event had been played in Washington since ‘52, Mengert was asked about his famous and

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storied encounter with his rival Westland.

After practicing instead of resting during the break after the first 18 holes, Mengert became increasingly dehydrated during the second 18. “It’s not like today, where there’s water to drink on the course,” he told The Seattle Times in 2010. On the final nine, Mengert said he couldn’t focus on the ball. “It was swelling up when I looked down,” he remembered. “I just completely ran out of gas.

It was the worst nine going back to my junior days.”

Mengert was bedridden for more than a week after the defeat, and was forced to miss the Canadian Amateur.

“I suffered the mental stress of letting Jack beat me when I wasn’t feeling well enough to play,” he said. “I know if I had water, or had I rested, I wouldn’t have had that disastrous finish. It’s really a sad story.”

Mengert turned professional later that year, taking a job as an assistant professional at famed Winged Foot Golf Club in New York because club pro money was better than touring pro money at the time.

He became one of the best club-pro competitors in history, and competed in 27 major championships includ-

ing every Masters from 1952 to ’59. In ’58, the year he played with Snead in the final pairing, Mengert was tied for the lead with six holes to play. Unfortunately, he played 13-18 in three-over-par while the eventual winner, Arnold Palmer, played them in two-under.

Mengert was the director of golf at some of the nation’s finest golf courses and became renowned as much for his teaching as his playing. Among his students were current coaching gurus Butch Harmon and Jim McLean.

During his tenure at Tacoma Country & Golf Club, Mengert won three consecutive Washington Opens (196365). He was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Hall of Fame in 2001, and was also made a member of the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame in 2019, having spent many years as the head professional at Oakland Hills outside Detroit.

Mengert played his final round of golf at the age of 72, and beat his age…by six!

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME TOUR TRAJECTORY — Washingtonian Dahmen delivers and wins first PGA Tour title at Puntacana after 111 starts

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BY BOB SHERWIN • SPECIAL TO CG

hen Joel Dahmen bogeyed the par-5, 14th hole at the Corales Puntacana (Dominican Republic) Tournament in March, he said he “felt like my body was doing other things.’’ That bogey reduced his lead to just one over Rafael Campos, a Puerto Rican crowd favorite whose family has a home in the Dominican Republic.

Campos was charging, the fans were marching, and the wind was howling, gusts of 35 miles per hour off the ocean, enough to blow a ball sideways and a player off his game. Dahmen maintained his ground, unnerved yet narrowly unbroken.

The 33-year-old had been a professional golfer for 11 years without that measure of success. He not only had never won at that point, he barely made a cut, missing six of the previous seven events. The lone cut he made was at Pebble Beach, finishing 60th and winning $17,300. Yet based on what Joel Dahmen had been through in the game and in life, it was not so audacious for him to think: I got this.

Dahmen steadied himself over the final three holes, scrambling for three pars, despite saying he

couldn’t feel his final drive and “had no idea’’ how his 4-iron approach reached the 18th green. But he dropped in a two-putt par while Campos somehow missed his final 14-foot birdie putt on 18 that looped around the hole. That would have tied the score and triggered a playoff.

Dahmen had earned his first PGA victory — after 111 starts — and he made sure he shared it with anyone traveling with him on this journey. He dropped his club and to his knees. He wept. He screamed. He eschewed social distancing protocol with his longtime caddy Geno Bonnalie, childhood buddies from Clarkson, Wash.

“I mean, two dudes growing up together who were golf dorks,’’ Dahmen told the media afterward, “like somehow winning on the PGA Tour.’’ In the midst of their post-match hug, Joel’s wife Lona came rushing/screaming into the mix to celebrate what they long had dreamed together. She had worked two jobs while her husband labored through what amounted to an ‘Obscure Tour,’ far-out, far-flung, low-level, little-reward minor golf circuits around the world. Have putter; will travel, everywhere.

Puntacana might have been an opposite-field tournament for less money and fewer Tour points. It mattered not. It was a victory, extending Dahman’s Tour eligibility another two years, qualifying for events like the PGA Tournament and the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s GC in July. Most importantly, as he said, “this is just a lot of validation. This is just really special.’’

This was not supposed to happen to a guy from Clarkson, known more for its gophers than golfers. He lost his mother to cancer while in high school but soldiered on, still managing to catch the eye of the University of Washington golf program.

He would turn pro in 2010 then developed testicular cancer in 2011. He beat the disease — as did his older brother. It wasn’t until 2017 that he finally earned his Tour card. He has earned at least $1 million in each of his past three seasons, enough to automatically renew his eligibility. He had 11 top 10 finishes before his victory. Those were the building blocks that propelled him to that final-round ascendancy.

Looking back, he viewed his victory as the culmination of all his — and his ‘team’ — effort, where experience, preparation, execution and providence narrowed into a wondrous, successful surge.

“There’s a whole part of that,’’ he said afterward, ‘you just kind of have to kind of put it all on the line, put yourself out there. And if you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough, but if you put yourself out there, at least you’re going to find out.’’

He’s been out there longer than most. Dahmen’s $540,000 firstplace check has pushed him to more than $1 million in earnings this season and around 70th in the FedEx standings. The top 125 money-winners earn a spot in the season-end Tour Championship.

The top 70 advance to the second-round tournament.

He also has moved as high as 68th in the world rankings, far removed from the guy who for years didn’t know where in the world he fit in. Dahmen continues to search for driving distance as he ranks around 170 off the tee. He is not much better on the green, putting among the 125th crowd. Where Dahmen makes his gains is his scrambling ability, inside 60th on Tour. He’s been practiced at that all his life.

Photos Courtesy of PXG

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SHORT GAME UW star Sasaki’s goal of turning professional has never once wavered during her Pac-12 career

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ino Sasaki has been on a steady rise throughout her career as the University of Washington’s best female golfer. However, what she needed this spring was a reference point, a marker, something that defined how far she had come during her four seasons in Seattle. It came March 8-9 at the influential Juli Inkster Invitational in Fairfax, Calif. All the quality West Coast teams were there, including national powerhouse Stanford.

The Cardinal have been led by a freshman, Rachel Heck, one of the top players in the country and unaccustomed to losing.

“We were going up against some of the best players not just in the country but in the world, including Rachel Heck,’’ says Mary Lou Mulflur, the Huskies long-time women’s golf coach. It was set up: Rachel v. Rino.

“It was funny about Rachel,” says Rino, a senior from Tokyo. “We had a practice round a few days before and I played against her. She played so well and beat

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me hard. I knew she would be tough, but at the same time I did not look at one person and say, I need to beat her. There were 60 others who all had an equal chance to win.”

Rino (pronounced ‘Reno’) played the Invitational as if it were a business trip — focused, determined, steadfast.

And, after 54 holes, she came out on top, finishing at even-par, 216. Her career-finest effort helped the Huskies capture the prestigious title. Heck finished a distant 11th.

“It was a very powerful Stanford team, and she won the event,’’ says Mulflur. “She played really solid golf, and was not worried about anyone else. She came in and said, ‘let’s see where I stand.’”

She stands tall now, brimming with confidence that she can accomplish great things. “I would say it definitely had a positive influence on my state of mind and my confidence,’’ Rino adds. “But at the same time, I want to let it be that and now treat everything anew.” That’s the

Photo courtesy of University of Washington

BY BOB SHERWIN • SPECIAL TO CG

attitude Mulflur saw in Rino when she recruited her out of the IMG Academy in Florida. She has a singular focus to improve enough to one day earn a spot on the professional women’s golf tours. “She has had a goal of being a professional, and it has never wavered,” says Mulflur.

Rino arrived at UDub in 2017 and immediately had an impact. In her first tournament as a Husky freshman, she led her team to a tie for 13th place at the Schooner Fall Classic with a two-under 211. She played in all 13 events as a freshman, with three top-ten finishes. During her sophomore year, she continued to play a significant role, competing in all 12 events with three more top tens.

Her best showing was a runner-up at the NCAA Cle Elum Regionals where she shot ten-under 206. That helped the Huskies advance to the NCAA Championships.

Last season as a junior, Rino had the team’s best stroke average with 73.75 and the best individual score in a tournament, a nine-under 210 at the Pac-12 Preview.

It was her first individual title in an event that featured 60 competitors. She played in seven tournaments that year and finished outside the top 30 just once.

Rino Sasaki says her UW experience has been instrumental in advancing her career goal. “I’ve learned to manage myself,” she says, “control my emotions.”

After graduating, she plans to return to Japan and seek membership on the Japan Golf Tour through the Qualifying Tournament. Doing well there would help her return to the U.S. and the LPGA Tour. She draws her inspiration from Japan-born professional Ai Miyazato, who played 13 seasons on the LPGA Tour (winning nine times) and, more recently, Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion.

“He (Matsuyama) is very inspiring, for sure,” says Rino. “His attitude toward the game is to be respected.

Miyazato is my generation’s inspiring female golfer. We are an island country. It’s hard for us to be exposed to foreign countries and know how to play there. Matsuyama and Miyazato showed us they are capable. If we work hard and believe in ourselves, we can do it.” cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Golf’s growth is still on the upswing in U.S.

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Win an Apple Tree twosome

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pple Tree is a Cascade Golfer fan favorite, as it should be. We love the unique layout, especially the 17th hole’s apple green followed by the short par-5 to finish. That combo should leave you with a smile on your face. Well, let’s start you with a smile on your face at check-in too, with a free twosome. Enter to win at CascadeGolfer.com.

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ust recently, golf industry advocate, consultancy and research organization the National Golf Federation (ngf. org) released figures proving what we’ve known for a while now — golf is booming (see our March issue). The brief report had some eye-opening stats too, however, like the number of people swinging a club somehow somewhere in the U.S. has risen to almost 37 million. Here’s more…

It’s now common knowledge that rounds played surged in 2020, and most know we’re off to a good start this year.

We’ve noted previously that on-course participation experienced its biggest net increase in 17 years. Off-course participation, meanwhile, continued its impressive run in 2020 by more than doubling the noteworthy gain that was seen on-course. NGF estimates there were just over 24 million off-course participants last year; just shy of the number of on-course golfers.

36.9 Total Golf Participants (age 6-plus) 24.8M total on-course players 24.3 M total off-course players

Twelve point something …

Golf’s overall participation base in the U.S. — combining on- and offcourse players — rose 8 percent in 2020 to 36.9 million. This leaves us with on & off three closely-sized and mutually-exclusive groups of Americans (age 6-plus): on-course course off-course 12.2M 12.6M 12.1M • 12.6M who played only on-course golf (average age 50 / 29% female) • 12.2M who played on & off-course golf (average age 42 / 21% female) • 12.1M who played only off-course golf (average age 31 / 45% female) As you can see in the chart, the total number of off-course golfers (Topgolf, ranges, simulators, etc.) has just about matched the number who play on a course. And it won’t be long before traditional, “green grass” participants are out-numbered. Very likely this year.

This is good news for golf. Our research tells us that the approachable, non-intimidating environments of Topgolf, and venues like it, help to cultivate interest in the traditional game. Course operators in proximity to these golf entertainment venues should be doubling down on their marketing and player development investments, as there are an increasing number of customer prospects being generated right in their backyards.

We will keep you apprised of golf’s boom and new fan bases in future issues.

cascadegolfer.com

2021

Cascade Golfer Cup Great prizes at every tournament

The lush Port Ludlow will host a Cascade Golfer Cup event.

CG Cup rolling to a course near you — early winners are headed to Maui, Bandon Dunes and Wine Valley

Best Ball at Port Ludlow June 26 • 10 am • Two-Person Best Ball

Port Ludlow

Net and Gross Divisions

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hen we started the Cascade Golfer Cup over a decade ago, the biggest goal was to create a distinguished event that any golfer could play in. Whether you were trying to beat par or break 100, we wanted you to spend a Saturday with us on a great course, have a blast with your teammate, and get the juices flowing with a little friendly competition. Over the years, we’ve seen players from all walks of life, and with a huge range of handicaps, show up on the leaderboard. And this season has been no different.

Coming off the shutdown and shortened 2020 season, this year is a big one. Golf is going crazy, so we lengthened our schedule a bit and are glad we did.

Our first two events — the Season Opener at Chambers Bay (April 17) and the Muckleshoot Casino Players Championship (May 8) at Washington National both had waiting lists on top of the 64-team fields. Teams with new faces as well as seasoned CG Cup vets walked the grounds at Chambers Bay, but only one team stole the show. John Bergren (Scratch) and Jimmy Hayes (5 handicap) went on a birdie binge, making nine birdies between them which was good enough to win the Best Ball Stableford Gross Division and the Net — a rarity indeed. For their efforts, the pair will get a package to Maui, specifically with our friends at Kaanapali Golf Courses. In all, our top ten Net and Gross finishers received prizes, plus another six hole-contest winners.

Washington National was just as exciting. But instead of two near-scratch players winning the Net, two higher-handicappers — Dustin Deer and Greg Bereiter — came through. The duo ham-and egged it all the way to an incredible net 56 which won them two rounds at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. In the Gross Division, Jamie Meade and Travis Stultz outplayed everyone shooting a five-under 67 to win a stay-and-play package at Wine Valley GC. Coming up, we have five events scheduled from June through October, including our first ever at the beautiful Port Ludlow Golf Course on June 26th, when two more Maui packages will be up for grabs. So get a partner, clear a Saturday or two, and join the fun. Check it all out at CascadeGolfer.com/cup.

2-Player Formats

Prize Pool Includes Two Hawaii Golf Packages!

Open to all golfers with a handicap Get a partner and get inside the ropes!

July 31 • 7:30 am • Michelob ULTRA Open at The Home Course August 21 • 10 am • Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse Sept. 18 • 9 am • Cascade Golfer Invitational at The Classic Oct. 9 • 8 am • The Fall Classic at Chambers Bay To register or for more information visit

Contact: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com (206) 778-7686

cascadegolfer.com Click on the Cup!

WELCOMING

PRESENTING

SUPPORTING

SHORT GAME Northwest Golf Media Association leaves behind an amazing legacy of service and scholarship awards

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n Feb. 9, after years of slowly dwindling membership numbers, the lights finally went out for the Northwest Golf Media Association (NWGMA).

Formed in 1995 to promote the game in our region, the organization was conceived by two of its best and longest-serving golf scribes — Mazama’s Bob Spiwak who wrote for numerous local, regional, and national titles, and Seattle’s Jeff Shelley, media director for the Fred Couples Invitational in the 1990s and later editorial director of Cybergolf. The group comprised of writers, broadcasters, TV presenters, golf course marketers, and numerous other golf industry personnel and, at its peak, its member roll reached 125. Bylaws were created in 1999 when it became a 501(c)7 nonprofit.

Over its 26 years, the NWGMA held dozens of events, outings, functions, ceremonies, and press conferences with the aim of stimulating interest in the game in the Pacific Northwest. Perhaps its most valuable contribution, however, and that which Shelley is most proud of, was establishing a scholarship for college students hoping to

become sportswriters or find employment elsewhere in sports media. “We handed out $2,500 checks (yes, the oversized tournament-winner variety) to some very talented young journalists,” says Shelley.

Cascade Golfer contributor Bob Sherwin was the organization’s last president and explained its unfortunate dissolution to members on its web site prior to the final meeting at Sand Point in October 2020. “Changes in media outlets and reporting priorities have reduced the number of us golf-related folks,” he wrote. “Consequently, NWGMA membership, and participation in particular, have been affected (the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped).”

Cascade Golfer Publisher Dick Stephens and Editor Tony Dear are past recipients of the NWGMA’s top honor — the Distinguished Service Award.

We believe the NWGMA served an important role in advancing the game’s interests in Seattle and beyond, and we are sorry to see it go.

Jeff Shelley will be penning a column for our next issue detailing the all too short life of the NWGMA.

Curtis High School standout Ballew wins Duke’s Scholarship

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ast March when Covid hit and schools were shut down, usually active kids were denied their opportunity to participate in organized sports, and the school year was effectively cancelled. It was a profoundly tough situation for everyone no matter what their stage in life, but it must have been particularly hard for high schoolers.

No one blamed them if they took a while to settle and find a new routine. Some though, like Curtis High School junior Grant Ballew, wasted no time in forging their new M.O. As Victoria Cho, the friend and neighbor who nominated Grant for this month’s Duke’s Seafood Junior Golfer Scholarship, points out Grant really isn’t one to sit around. Indeed, rather than twiddling his thumbs wondering ‘what now?’, he set himself up for a life of frustration and joy, by taking up golf. “He began golfing last spring,” Cho remembers. “He obtained some used clubs (some from my basement), joined Youth on Course, and was soon heading to the driving range and the local nine-hole course, Meadow Park, almost daily.”

“Youth on Course is incredible,” says Grant, a 4.0 student who’s also captain of the school tennis team and a regular at track and field meets. “I really

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cascadegolfer.com

tried to take advantage of the discounted green fees. I’ve played a few local courses like the Home Course and even Chambers Bay. And cheaper range balls are great, too. At Meadow Park, I can get a bucket of 100 balls for $3 instead of $9 and, even over the winter and early spring this year, I was going three or four times a week.”

Even better than the prices was the fact Grant managed to persuade some buddies to tag along. Best of all perhaps is that Grant and his buddies enjoyed the game so much they signed up for the school golf team at the beginning of the year and despite typically foul February/March weather, competed for the Junior Varsity team eight times.

It was a weird year for the South Puget Sound League as the season lasted only six weeks rather than the 10-11 it usually gets in the fall. “We played through rain, snow, sleet, wind storms, punched and sanded greens but we survived and thrived,” says Curtis Boys team coach, Brian Buell. And Grant was there for all of it.

“He showed up on day one and I watched him swing a club,” says Buell. “I quickly saw he had a pretty good swing, and asked why he hadn’t tried out for the team in the past.” Tennis had always got in the way, but the shift in schedules had allowed him to try golf.

“Grant became an integral part of the team,” Buell continues. “His personality was such that everybody loved playing a foursome with him. He’s a super polite kid, teachable, and showed continued improvement throughout the season.” Buell adds that the promise Grant showed this year suggested he would have been a very tidy Varsity golfer had tennis and Covid not conspired to get in the way.

Grant will be joining his brother at Boise State University where he suspects he’ll continue to play the game he has fallen for.

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS

Junior Golfer Scholarship

Win $500 For Your Young Golfer The Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship is a $500 scholarship awarded three times this year in Cascade Golfer to a deserving young golfer from the Puget Sound region. If you know of an area youth that loves golf and has a desire to take their career to the next level, submit your letter of inquiry for scholarship consideration to stephens@varsitycommunications.com — attention Duke’s Scholarship.

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2021

15

SHOOTOUT AT

GAMBLE SANDS

Two Amazing Days of Golf at Gamble Sands Including an evening on the new Quicksands short course

JOIN US JULY 17-18 BEST GOLF WEEKEND OF THE YEAR! CONTACT: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com • (206) 778-7686

REGISTER AT • cascadegolfer.com

Two-Person Best Ball Net and Gross Divisions SPONSORED BY

SHORT GAME New two-day Corona Premier Shootout at Gamble Sands sure to be epic

ALL-NEW CORONA PREMIER SHOOTOUT AT GAMBLE SANDS July 17-18, Gamble Sands Two-person best ball Saturday and Sunday Net and gross divisions, prize pool daily and total

Washington’s best golf weekend of the year is July 17-18

T

4 KP’s, Long Drive, Straight Drive daily Saturday Corona Premier Happy Hour at Quicksands/Cascade Putting Course YOUR $775 TEAM FEE INCLUDES Greens fees, cart, range and lunch Saturday and Sunday plus

his winter, when we at Cascade Golfer first started discussing the idea with Corona Premier of a multiday event at Gamble Sands, it was easy to get excited. Two days of playing what many describe as the most enjoyable 18 holes our state has to offer, sandwiched around an afternoon and evening on the brand new Quicksands short course. Throw in a team format (two-person Best Ball) and some evening shenanigans on the Cascade Putting course, and you have something worthy of being called the best golf weekend of the year. And, we can’t wait.

Initially, we thought maybe 60-plus players (30 teams) might make the trek, but it didn’t take long to realize we had set the bar way too low. We quickly doubled the number of spots reserved at the course, and took every room they had available those Friday and Saturday nights. With only a few weeks until our opening tee shot at 8:30 a.m., we do still have a few spots open for the golfers wanting to plug something spectacular into their golfing schedule, but they’re going fast.

Team prizes will be available on Saturday and Sunday in both gross and net divisions, but the weekend’s champion team will have recorded the best two-day score. If all that isn’t enough, there will be six hole contests on both days, plus you’ll have the chance to win all sorts of swag on Saturday afternoon and evening. It’s straight up fun every step of the way. Whether you want to read about it, or live it, is up to you. To book your spot go to CascadeGolfer.com.

Saturday afternoon/evening round at Quicksands.

Go to CascadeGolfer.com to register

YOUR

A

Win a Gamble Sands twosome

lthough the Gamble Sands greens fee can reach $175-plus, we have yet to hear a single golfer tell us it was not worth every penny spent. How about a twosome at a rate of $0? We hear golfers like that also, so jump on CascadeGolfer.com and hit the CG SWAG button. Maybe that twosome has your name on it.

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2021

17

THIS ISSUE’S

One of Washington’s finest Yakima’s Apple Tree Resort’s orchards and island green makes it memorable

PROPERTY

A

A Bucket with the GM • Jon Kinloch

lthough Apple Tree is best-known for its spectacular par-3 17th hole featuring the famous ‘Apple Green’, the course actually has a ton of fantastic golf holes and is well worth the two-hour drive from Seattle. The course features lush fairways that weave in and out of apple orchards, and greens invariably in great condition. The course finishes with the short par-5 18th, which shares a massive green with the tough, uphill 9th.

Water is in play on both tee shots, as it is on the short 6th and 13th holes as well as several others. The par-5 14th is spectacular with a rock and waterfall feature sitting on the front left of the green, while the par-4 4th is one of the most challenging holes in our great state. But we love it.

Get there in time to warm up on the grass range, and be sure to visit The Grill which serves up some great treats.

Toughest Tee Shot — 8th hole If your drive isn’t straight, the poplar trees on both sides of the tee box tend to knock down a lot of balls. If you make it out of the chute, bunkers line each side of the fairway. And the narrow creek along the left side is known to gobble up plenty of balls.

Best Birdie Opportunity — 18th hole

The 18th is an excellent risk-reward finishing hole — especially if there is money on the line! With a big drive, you can shorten the hole by hitting over water to a peninsula. From there, you can reach the green in two and leave yourself a putt for eagle. However, many who are tempted by the opportunity end up in the water.

Best Par 3 — 17th hole

The iconic apple-island green makes number 17 a truly spectacular hole. With seven different tee boxes hitting down to a 12,000 square foot island, it’s what brings people back! Whenever I talk to people about Apple Tree, they can’t help telling a few stories. There are the birdies, the double bogeys, and the near hole-in-one that seems to get closer to going in the more they talk about it.

Favorite Hole — 4th hole

It takes a really good tee shot and an accurate approach to navigate what is the number one handicap hole. With any headwind, it can play like a par-5. The oversized, elevated green also presents a number of challenges with a number of subtle undulations. The payoff comes while standing on the green and looking back toward the tee. It’s a beautiful sight, with apple trees lining both sides of the fairway, and a panoramic view of the Yakima Valley.

Emergency Nine — Front or Back?

While the back-nine has some scoring opportunities and three great finishing holes, I personally like to play the front. Every hole presents a unique challenge.

Apple Tree Resort 8804 Occidental Rd #9637 • Yakima, WA 98903 (509) 966-5877 • appletreeresort.com Built in 1992 • Course Designer John Steidel

HOLE PAR Black Blue White M- HDCP Gold Red W- HDCP

18

1 4 414 395 373 15 351 326 12

2 3 196 177 166 9 140 116 14

JUNE 2021 2021 JUNE

3 5 546 530 514 17 489 446 8

4 4 461 431 415 1 395 371 6

5 4 403 392 367 11 346 324 10

6 3 199 181 163 13 140 117 16

7 4 362 350 333 7 296 270 4

Go to Lunch item on the menu — Blackend Salmon Tacos The Blackened Salmon Tacos are really good, and the Shrimp and Avocado Salad is right up there. After your meal, tell the chef you came to Yakima for the homegrown deep-fried apple rings. You won’t be sorry.

8 4 436 423 406 5 375 361 18

9 4 420 402 384 3 350 330 2

10 4 380 372 355 16 333 315 13

11 4 359 353 347 12 329 300 15

12 5 595 548 489 4 447 423 5

13 3 149 140 127 18 114 103 17

14 5 544 537 520 2 501 170 1

15 4 423 416 404 8 385 360 7

16 4 388 365 349 14 329 285 11

17 3 180 157 136 10 110 106 9

18 TOTAL 5 72 506 6961 489 6658 463 6311 6 427 5857 405 5428 3 -

MEN COURSE RATING WOMEN RATING SLOPE TEES RATING SLOPE 74.3 141 Black 72.6 136 Blue 70.9 132 White 77.4 142 68.8 128 Gold 74.8 137 Red 71.8 129

cascadegolfer.com

OVER

2021 NORTHWEST

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NWGolfersPlaybook.com

he sun’s out and the fairways are firming up. Tee boxes are lush and the greens are smooth, fast and true. The days start early and end late with golfers racing to finish 18 and beat the fading sun well past the nine o’clock hour. Welcome to the best three months of the year for the Northwest golfer. No more plugged lies in the fairway. So long rain jackets and hand warmers. We waited nine months for this. Hello summer! Now, if we could just save a few bucks along the way, we would really be on to something. Did we say SAVE MONEY? Yes, we did.

Enter the Northwest Golfers Playbook. Once again we have put together our fan favorite packed to the gills with special offers from golf facilities all over the Pacific Northwest. Over 120 pages of offers adding up to a potential $5,000-plus in golf savings. At $39.95, you just need find an offer or two you like and you’ll already be saving some green. You will have access to all sorts 2-for1’s, 4-for-3’s, free golf carts, lessons, offers at Puetz Golf, and a lot more.

Want to save even more, today? Use code ‘SAVETEN’ when you purchase online and knock an additional $10 off the price to $29.95 to save your hundreds, maybe even thousands. Make the Northwest Golfers Playbook a staple in your bag. Go to NWGolfersPlaybook.com today, and start saving big on your golf this summer.

Cascade Golfer Players Card is SOLD OUT

W

Salish Cliffs

JUNE 2021

T

2021 Players Card

White Horse

20

Save $10 and buy the Northwest Golfers Playbook now!

Salish Cliffs GC

$39

Wine Valley

SHORT GAME

Highlander GC

Apple Tree Resort

Sudden Valley GC

2021 Players

Salish Cliffs

Kahler Glen GC

Highlande

Snoqualmie Falls GC

Whidbey GC

High Cedars GC

GC

r GC

Cedars at Dungeness Kahler Glen

GC

Card

Apple Tree

Eagles Pride GC

Eagles Pride

Sun Country Golf & RV Snoqualm

ie Falls GC

SOLD OUT!

Resort

Sudden Valle

y GC

GC

Cedars at Dung eness

Port Ludlow GC

Whidbey GC

High Ceda

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Sun Country

Port Ludlo

e wish to the thank the lucky 200-plus Cascade Golfer readers that snapped up the 2021 Players Card so fast. It was the fastest sell out we have ever had for what is surely the best card we’ve ever produced.

“The value of this year’s card and 12 great courses for only $250 — basically a buck a hole — is such a no brainer,” said Cascade Golfer Publisher Dick Stephens. “Golf is booming and the fan base for our card, Northwest Golfers Playbook and Cascade Golfer is at an all-time high. I couldn’t be more thankful for the 12 participating courses and the hard work and vision of our Golf Marketing Manager Simon Dubiel — he really builds the energy for the card and book and it’s fun for our team to interact with our readers this way.”

With the card sold out, now is the time to save $10 and buy the playbook — the see the offer on this page. cascadegolfer.com

Golf & RV

w GC

RISK vs. REWARD Palouse Ridge Golf Club

Hole No. 10 Par 4 527 yards (Gray Tees)

By Simon Dubiel

The Setup

The Reward

At 527 yards (or 566 for those playing the Blues), many will look at this hole as more of a three-shot par 5. However, it plays downhill and the wind can be a major factor. The slight dogleg right hinges on two bunkers that protect the right side of the fairway, which tightens as your approach the infinity green. A deep bunker guards the right side, and an undulating hill to the left can leave some very awkward chips or pitches.

Palouse locals will tell you the wind can have a huge effect, and although it is often the course’s main defense, it can also shorten up a hole significantly. A helping wind will present you with a tough choice, assuming you found the fairway with your tee ball, of course. You have 240-260 yards to glory, and the hole’s playing downwind. Oh boy.

Final Call The Risk We have heard it often, perhaps out of our own mouths (several times) — “Why did I hit that club?” We’re all for playing aggressively and hitting memorable shots, but anytime you bite off a little more than you can chew, you are playing with fire. A big miss here is a big mistake and can bring seven or eight into play.

After putting out on the par-5 ninth to finish the front nine, are you trying to keep the momentum going or looking to hit the reset button? We can’t recommend loss-chasing, and we’re not certain this is the spot to risk the bankroll.

Throttle back just a hair, and give yourself a nice wedge yardage for your third.

Now go throw a dart.

PRESENTED BY

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2021

21

IN THE

BAG PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

The 2021 hit parade of products for June

T

he weather has taken a noticeable turn for the better since our last issue was published. We’ve seen a number of cloudless (okay, cloud-lite) days, and temperatures in the 60s. The number of days with rain dropped significantly and, of course, we’re seeing more daylight hours. All that means more golf.

With golf season apparent, it’s time to turn your attention towards your equipment, assuming you haven’t done so already.

Do your clubfaces need a blast of sand or aluminum oxide to remove years of wear and tear and make them look new again? Do your grips need renewing? A rough, tacky grip can have a significant impact on how you hold the club and, consequently, the amount of tension in your hands/forearms/shoulders/body (and, consequently, the club head speed you’re able to generate).

Or do you need an equipment makeover? Is it time for an update?

Has it been a few years since you treated yourself to a new driver or set of irons, wedges, or a new putter? Estimates vary over what distance and other advantages you could be losing by holding on to older equipment, but the majority say that if your driver is more than five years old you could be doing yourself out of ten yards — especially if the club isn’t fitted properly. If your irons are getting on a bit, you might be amazed at how long and forgiving, not to say attractive, a new set could be. New wedges with just the right loft, bounce, and sole grind might give you an extra shot or two in your repertoire around the greens. And who knows what a new putter might do for your score?

New lightweight, comfortable, well-balanced shoes could give you a feeling of stability you’ve not felt before, and a new cart/trolley, be it motorized or manual, could allow you to continue walking the course instead of resorting to a sit-in cart.

It might be your gear is sufficiently up-to-date and just needs a little grooming. Or maybe it’s outlived its usefulness and needs replacing with one, or more, of the following. Whatever you need though, Puetz Golf has you covered.

22

JUNE 2021

MIZUNO

1

ST-Z/ST-X 1 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$399.99

D

rivers are getting a lot of face-time — which is to say a lot of recent driver R & D has focused on the club’s face, and how it’s designed to help increase ball-speed. Mizuno, of course, has always been better-known for its irons, but the drivers it has produced lately have demonstrated how serious it is about the tee-shot too. And though the new ST Series isn’t all about the face, the part of the club that strikes the ball has received a lot of attention.

The face material is a very strong and durable (more so than the more commonly-used 6-4 Ti) SAT2041 Beta Titanium, but the bigger story is how it’s incorporated into a new, multi-thickness version of Mizuno’s CORTECH face structure, which is designed to optimize ball-speed from all points on the face, especially low down. Both the STZ and STX feature carbon-composite crowns and toe sections. The toe section on the slightly more compact STX features a larger composite shape, and there’s a weight positioned in the heel to promote drawspin. The STZ has a centrally-located weight to help you hit a straight ball. The acoustics have been engineered to give what Mizuno calls a ‘muted, powerful tone’.

Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free cascadegolfer.com (866) 362-2441

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2021

23

IN THE BAG

2

4

3

HONMA

SRIXON

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$499.99

$162.50 per club

See PuetzGolf.com for pricing

J

J

C

TW-GS

2

apanese manufacturer Honma has continued to steadily build an American and European fan base over the last five years — and it’s only getting stronger.

Fact is, Honma has been producing high-quality clubs since 1959 when it began life with the aim of making every club a ‘form of artistic expression’. It has built a reputation for exceptional craftsmanship, best exemplified in its TR line built for better players, but which certainly apparent in its T//World game-improvement series too.

The design of the attractive T//World GS driver centers on Flip Slot technology which maximizes face-flexing and reduces spin. That means more distance and forgiveness which can’t be bad. The radial face is designed to ‘dynamically flex all parts of the clubface in order to maximize speed regardless of where on the face impact occurs’, and the raised keel in the heel promotes a draw.

An ultra-thin titanium crown works together with Flip Shot to maintain the clubhead’s rigidity which means maximum energy is applied to the ball at impact. The crown graphic is a subtle aid to help you return a square face to the ball.

24

JUNE 2021 2021 JUNE

ZX4, ZX5, ZX7

COBRA

T-RAIL 2.0 4

3

apan’s Srixon Golf may be a little younger than Honma, but as part of the Cleveland Golf/XXIO stable that’s owned by Sumitomo Rubber Industries (also owns Dunlop Sports), and on the back of numerous worldwide professional victories, including one recently in Georgia, it is now far more familiar to U.S. golfers. Golf balls are the biggest part of its business, but it’s a serious player in the club market too, with a run of excellent drivers and irons over the last few years. In February, the brand launched three new ZX irons to add to the ZX Utility it launched last December — the hollow-body ZX4, as good-looking a game-improvement club as you’ll ever see; the forged, players distance ZX5; and the compact blade-like ZX7, a players’ iron built for low-handicappers and better. The ZX4 and ZX5 feature what Srixon calls MainFrame technology - grooves, channels, and cavities cut into the back of the face to increase ball-speed no matter where contact is made. To promote workability, however, MainFrame is not a part of the forged ZX7. Puetz Golf is an ‘Elite Srixon Fitter’ which means you get a team at Srixon dedicated to building your irons and shipping them quickly.

obra’s new T Rail (Transition Rail) irons are a very new design look built to aid getting the ball in the air -- fast. They are no doubt on the ‘super’ end of the game-improvement spectrum, and they make forgiveness first in this 2021 offering to the golf market. They are crafted to help a new or senior golfer find trajectory with ease and enjoy playing the game. This new design is sure to turn some heads. The whole point of the hollow-construction T Rail is to help golfers with slow swingspeeds launch the ball high into the air. To do that it has a wide sole which lowers the Center of Gravity (CG), and Baffler Rails that help the clubhead get through the turf easily rather than dig into it. The original model appeared toward the end of 2019, but it was updated earlier this year with rails that are hollow at the front. That creates up to 70 percent more flex on the sole right behind the face which further aids the golfer in his quest to get the ball up into the air with speed. The variable-thickness E9 steel face ensures none of the loft or speed is lost.

24 FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more • cascadegolfer.com exceptions apply

IN THE BAG

7

6 5 COBRA

KING Copper

5

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

See PuetzGolf.com for pricing

I

n March, Cobra took another significant step toward becoming the most innovative of the major manufacturers with the launch of its King Copper Iron Series.

TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping, and Titleist certainly aren’t un-innovative, of course, but Cobra has recently put its competitors in the shade with a string of high-tech releases utilizing 3D-printing and Metal Injection Molding (MIM) to create strong, light, fast clubheads. The new copper finish is a distinguished, but slightly edgy, addition to those we’ve become familiar with — chrome, gunmetal, satin, raw. The copper has been applied to three Cobra irons we’ve seen before — KING Forged MB, KING Forged Tec, and King Tour MIM. The KING RF Forged MB is an evolution of the Limited-Edition RF Proto iron played by Rickie Fowler. It’s designed for highly skilled players, though does feature a tungsten weight in the toe to add stability and a little forgiveness. The KING Tour has a gorgeous forged feel and is created using Metal Injection Molding (MIM) Technology which allows Cobra to build a highly precise ironhead quickly and efficiently. The Forged Tec has an attractive muscleback shape with a hollow construction and tungsten weighting to boost Moment of Inertia (MOI) and thus forgiveness.

CLEVELAND

CBX Full-Face

MIZUNO 6

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$159.99 RAW $179.99

C

leveland makes amazing wedges, everyone knows it. Okay, there are plenty of Titleist Vokey, Callaway Mack Daddy, TaylorMade MG2, Ping Glide, and now Mizuno wedge fans out there too, but I first used a Cleveland wedge 25 years ago, still have it, and am therefore a little biased. Besides their category-leading performance, Cleveland wedges just plain look good. So it was a bit of an eye-opener when the company introduced the somewhat unconventional-looking CBX FullFace Wedge earlier this year. The cavity-back CBX first appeared in 2017 and was updated in 2019 when the original was given a lighter hosel, tapered flange, wider toe, and new Hollow-Cavity design which, together, put the CG right where contact is typically made. That resulted in much-improved feel, and more consistent shots. The CBX Full-Face has a weirdly raised toe end and the Tour Zip grooves cover the whole face, making it ideal for those open-face slide-the-club-under-the-ball shots that you need to get up quickly and land softly. The Half-Cavity design (cavity near the heel, solid muscleback at the toe) moves the sweetspot to the same point as the CG ensuring better feel. The low C-shaped sole further assists you with those high lobs.

cascadegolfer.com Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free (866) 362-2441

ES217

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$199.99

I

ts irons and drivers may warrant far more coverage and attention, but Mizuno’s wedges have been steadily improving over recent years, and if the ES21 is anything to go by it won’t be long before the Japanese company is receiving as much acclaim for its short game clubs as it is the rest of its inventory. Thanks to a hollow, multi-piece 431 stainless steel construction and Grain Flow forged face, the ES21 has a comparatively high, central sweetspot that creates higher vertical gear effect, and superior feel (the CG in wedges is traditionally closer to the heel). And, with Quad-Cut milled grooves, the ES21 is ideal for hitting strong, relatively flat pitches that stop quickly. The high toe/low heel design makes it easy to hit high, floated shots too, however. Hydroflow Micro Grooves are laser-etched into the face and release moisture helping you to maintain consistent spin rates in wet weather. There’s plenty of tech inside certainly, but to give it that sophisticated Mizuno look, the top-line is relatively thin. You also have an option on sole width — standard or wide — to help you find a wedge that best suits your game and your course thus delivering the best results.

JUNE2021 2021 JUNE

25

IN THE BAG

9

10

8 ODYSSEY

SCOTTY CAMERON

White Hot OG models 2021 Phantom X 8

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

See PuetzGolf.com for pricing

I

t’s hard to believe that Odyssey’s White Hot putter insert, formulated from the same urethane material Callaway (who owns the Odyssey brand) used for its Rule 35 golf ball, first appeared more than 20 years ago. Numerous inserts have come and gone since, but none has quite achieved the iconic status of the White Hot. Odyssey recognized the support it still had from a loyal band of devotees across the world and, in January, released eight models to satisfy existing fans and, no doubt, pick up a new generation of White Hotters.

The insert became popular for its firm feel and sound that seemed to correspond with how hard you hit the putt — neither too quiet nor too loud. The body of all the new models has a rich, silver PVD finish and the face either side of the insert features a fine milling (one hopes it’s purely decorative). Numerous stepless steel shafts and multi-material Stroke Lab shaft options are available. The head models are: High toe-hang blade #1; Wide blade #1WS; 2-Ball; Small, face-balanced Rossie; Toe-hang Rossie S; Face-balanced mallet #5 7) Double-bend, face-balanced mallet #7; and, Short, slant neck toe-hang mallet #7.

26

JUNE 2021 2021 JUNE

BETTINARDI 9

Queen B & Studio Stock 10

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$429.99

Queen B $399.99 Studio Stock $450

O

B

riginally launched in April 2019 to replace the Futura, Scotty Cameron’s nine-model Phantom X line was built using 6061 aircraft-grade aluminum (middle section) and 303 stainless steel (flanks) to optimize weight and boost MOI. Cameron has updated the line with four new models each with the familiar misted/anodized look of the original. Phantom X 5 — Much more than an updated version of its predecessor. Reminiscent of past Futura models but more compact. Single-bend shaft with darker alignment features in the flange to inspire confidence. Phantom X 5.5 — Last fall, Cameron released 2020 ‘Inspired By Justin Thomas’ Phantom X 5.5 Prototype putters that closely copied the 2017 PGA Championship winner’s putter specifications. The prototype is now a production model complete with the arc-enhancing, small slant-neck Thomas prefers. Phantom X 11 — Similar in design to the new Phantom X 5 and original Phantom X 12, the all-new Phantom X 11 is a little more compact and, instead of featuring wings, has a more block-like appearance with the aluminum sole component running all the way to the back of the putterhead. Phantom x 11.5 — Identical to the 11 except for the low-bend shaft that enhances toe flow for players with an arcing stroke.

ettinardi Golf has its roots in 1991 when Robert Bettinardi began building putters from a solid block of metal. The majority of putters at the time were constructed using cast molds and forgings, and often pieces welded together. This ‘one-piece technology’ was in great demand with OEMs, but in 1998, Bettinardi broke away and formed his own company having discovered a way to mill putterfaces that resulted in surfaces that were 200 percent flatter than those on competitors’ putters. Bettinardi’s process became known as Honeycomb milling.

Twenty-three years and several successful launches on, Bettinardi Golf currently offers five putter series — Inovai 6.0, Inovai 7.0, BB, Studio Stock and Queen B. The 2021 Queen B line is precision-milled from a single block of soft carbon-steel, features Bettinardi’s acclaimed Honeycomb-milled face, and weighs 362 grams. The line consists of three models each given a stunning and durable Rose Gold PVD finish. The 2021 Studio Stock Line features six Tour-proven models milled from 303 Stainless Steel and whose faces were cut using Bettinardi’s new Roll Control Face Milling process which is designed to get the ball rolling sooner. Each putter is completed with a distinctive Diamond Blast finish, complemented by red and black paint.

26 FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more • cascadegolfer.com exceptions apply

IN THE BAG

SUN MOUNTAIN

11

Pathfinder PX4 & PX3 11

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PX4 $239.99 Pathfinder PX3 $229.99

S

FABULOUS FEATURES

• Lightweight trundler aluminum frame • Unfolds and folds in two motions • Solid foam tires require no maintenance • Low CG provides superior stability • Bag brackets secure bag without straps • New under handle storage compartment • Padded valuables tray with magnetic lid and scorecard holder • Integrated tee and pencil holders The three-wheel PX3, meanwhile, boasts a similarly lengthy list of highlights: • Continuous handle allows the cart to be pushed with one hand

ALPHARD

Club Booster V2 12 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

un Mountain continues to bring new technology and improvements every single year. Here’s some highlights and exciting moves on the 2021 lineup.

Benefits of its four-wheel PX4 include:

12

• Dual umbrella holders allow the umbrella to be placed on either side of the console • All-new accessory console holds balls, tees, cell phone, score card, etc.

• The cell phone holder provides a slot so a charging plug can be used while phone is in place • Integrated bracket holds a seat or industrial-sized bottle of sand/seed mix • Mesh basket and velour-lined valuables pouch • E-Z Latch System allows cart to fold/unfold in two easy steps • Adjustable, universal upper bag bracket works with both cart and stand bags • Bags held in place by adjustable-length bungee cords • Tracking system allows for easy adjustment, if needed. Allen wrench provided

$799.99

A

lphard says the greatest benefit of its new Club Booster V2 is that it gives the golfer freedom.

It enables him/her to continue walking but provides hands-free operation so you don’t have to carry, push or pull your clubs. The two-wheel power source, that turns your push-cart into a motorized cart, connects easily with virtually any push-cart and is operated with a remote control unit you can attach to the handle of the cart or carry in your pocket. To attach the V2 to your push-cart, simply remove the back wheels from your push-cart, attach the brackets (provided), then clip those brackets on to the Club Booster V2, and you are away. The V2 is extremely strong and durable, able to climb hills, and even stop on an upslope. Alphard says the dual-hub motors have plenty of juice to conquer any course. And by attaching a tether to your belt loop and the cart, the V2 will follow you wherever you go, in whatever direction you take. The Club Booster V2 has a one-year warranty and comes with the remote control, handle strap, a micro USB cable, a set of brackets, a set of wheelie bars, and an AC/DC charger.

• Small folded footprint

Order online at puetzgolf.com • Call Toll Free (866) 362-2441

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IN THE BAG

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13

15

SKECHERS

PUMA

FOOTJOY

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Arch Fit $89.99 Torque Twist $99.99

$149.99 and $119.99

Stratos M/W $119.99 Traditions $129.99 2021 Flex XP $119.99

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Go Golf Arch Fit & Torque Twist 13

hough founded in 1992, it wasn’t until Matt Kuchar became a brand ambassador in 2014 (Kuchar was No. 4 in the world at the time) that Skechers Golf Shoes found significant success. Since then, it has built an impressive stable of Tour professionals that also includes Colin Montgomerie, Billy Andrade, Russel Knox, Wesley Bryan, and LPGA star Brooke Henderson. The company now offers over a dozen golf shoes including the Arch Fit, released in February. Both the men’s (black or grey, sizes 7-13) and women’s versions (Navy/Pink, sizes 5-10) offer many of the same features. With podiatrist-certified arch support developed with 20 years of data, they fearure a removeable insole that molds to your foot to reduce shock and increase weight dispersion. The Goodyear Performance Outsole, delivering enhanced traction, stability and durability goes well with the water-repellency and synthetic mesh upper. The Torque Twist ($99.99) is available in three color schemes and in sizes 7-13. The ‘Precision Twist Dial Closure’ is a simple, but very effective, alternative to laces.

Skechers’s high-rebound Goga Max cushioned insole and the ULTRA FLIGHT cushioning used in the company’s running shoes ensures comfort. The H2GO Shield provides waterproof protection with a one-year warranty, and the replaceable Softspikes give good grip on wet or dry turf.

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IGNITE PWRADAPT 2.0 Stratos, Traditions & ’21 Flex XP 15 & IGNITE Fasten8 14

hen Puma launched the original IGNITE PWRADAPT at the start of 2018, the company’s Global Head of Footwear and Accessories, Grant Knudson, said it was the most technically-advanced shoe Puma had ever made. Three-dimensional traction pods were the big story, but Puma also ran the responsive Ignite cushioning foam down the entire length of the sole for the first time.

The second iteration is another stylish, comfortable shoe with a premium full-grain leather upper and mesh hybrid bootie lining that ensures a good fit. The IGNITE PWRADAPT comes in either black or white, and is available in sizes 7-14. A laced shoe available in six color-schemes and sizes 7-14, the IGNITE FASTEN8 is Puma’s top-of-theline golf shoe and, as you’d expect, is full of the company’s proprietary features — PWRCage, PWRFrame and IGNITE which combine to make a very comfortable, stable, and durable shoe…stylish too. PWRCage helps provide support around the midfoot, while the laces’ integrated webbing straps help wrap the midfoot for a secure fit.

The Flat-Knit Mesh upper, together with the PWRFrame TPU overlays, provides a breathable, waterproof (oneyear warranty) membrane. Available in: Laces, DISC (innovative closure option, available in six colors, sizes 7-14), PRO (five colors, sizes 7-14).

he Stratos men’s shoes is available in five color-schemes and sizes 7-15; women’s -- four colors, sizes 5-11. FootJoy’s shock-absorbing STRATOFOAM, in the mid-sole, helps prevent foot fatigue, a common complaint among gofers. Translucent rubber traction elements on the Versatrax outsole enhance stability, and the Nappaluxe leather upper gives the Stratos a casual yet sophisticated look. Full rounded-toe last, and two-year waterproof warranty. Traditions is a light-weight, super-cushioned, full-grain leather shoe available in four color-schemes and sizes 7-15. The outsole is fitted with the Fast Twist 3.0 cleat system and Pulsar spikes. The molded, high-density EVA fitbed ensures comfort, and the Laser Street Fit offers a full rounded-toe character. The fit across the forefoot and instep is standard, while the heel is slightly narrow. One-year waterproof warranty. The 2021 Flex XP is available in five color-schemes and sizes 7-15. A lightweight mesh upper delivers comfort/breathability. The rubbers nubs of the Versatrax outsole provide excellent traction, and a soft EVA midsole provides, FootJoy says, increased cushioning and better stability. The Laser Sport Fit offers a full rounded-toe character with a standard fit across the forefoot/instep. A toe spring and slightly narrow heel gives the shoe an athletic profile. One-year waterproof guarantee is nice, too.

28 FREE SHIPPING on orders of $99 and more •APRIL exceptions 2021 apply 28

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TEEING OFF

PRESENTED BY

KOMO’s Gaard Swanson loves golf, Seattle sports and is ‘Refining’ the flatstick A CONVERSATION WITH TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

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an Francisco native Gaard Swanson has had a long and varied TV and film career. He’s been a movie actor, news anchor, sportscaster, TV show presenter, and is currently hosting KOMO 4 TV’s

‘Seattle Refined’, an everything-Seattle magazine that…actually, we’ll let Gaard tell you about it, his other endeavors and, most importantly, his golf habit.

Gaard is an unusual name. I’m guessing Scandinavian.

What’s your ancestral background?

“It’s Swedish. My mother named me after a great grandfather whose name was Ellengaard. She only wanted the suffix because she thought I would be teased at school.

I like my name because it’s unique. When I had my son I didn’t want a Junior, so I named him Svendsgaard after another longtime relative.”

You’ve covered all sorts of sporting events during your TV career — which were the most exciting/memorable? How does Seattle rate as a sports town?

“I’ve covered nearly every sport imaginable: Seahawks Super Bowls were incredible, the Huskies Men and Women basketball teams in March Madness were insane, the Sonics playoff years with coach George Karl were so much fun…so many fantastic memories. Now I’ll probably upset some diehard Seattle sports fans, but hands down, no question about it, the Mariners 1995 playoff run is the most significant and exciting run in the history of Seattle sports. Late in the summer, M’s down 13 games in the division only to come back and force a one-game decider for the American League West. M’s won the game then went on to beat the Yankees to win their first ever playoff series. I traveled with the club the final three weeks of the regular season and every game felt like a playoff. Besides losing the Sonics, Seattle really is a first-rate sports town.”

When did you arrive in Seattle, and what was your motivation for coming?

“Before I moved to Seattle in 1992 I was hosting a national golf show. One of our stops was Seattle. I was hooked. Big time sports, great golf and the coolest city in the world. Name another progressive city with snow-capped mountains, nearby islands and beautiful water.”

Swanson’s prototype putter

to the ground when it comes to fashion, entertainment, food, real estate and quirky stories too. We try to make it engaging, informative and fun to watch.”

So, golf. How long have you been playing and what/who got you started?

“I started playing when I was a youngster. My neighbor introduced me to the game. I was a hack back then, and I’m still kind of a hack now. But I still play. Best game on earth!”

Which Seattle courses do you most enjoy? Any others in Washington?

“I’m always amazed at the condition of Seattle’s public courses. The greens are always in great shape. I love West Seattle, but the final few holes are really tough. If you can score on that course, you can score anywhere. I also enjoy Bear Mountain Ranch in Lake Chelan. The Northwest is paradise when it comes to golf. I really love the Club at Snoqualmie Ridge. I spent the day there with Jack Nicklaus when he was designing the course.”

What sort of standard are you? What’s your best round and where was it?

“I was playing at Chambers Bay when it first opened. I got a caddie for the round and it was awesome. I shot 78! It really should have been 75 but I disobeyed my caddie three times and it cost me three strokes. UGH!” What are the best parts of your game?

“Definitely my short game, especially putting. I took a job in Orlando, and was commuting back to Seattle every other week. While in Florida, I chipped and putted every day. My short game was on fire. I’m slowly getting better off the tee.”

Describe your relationship with UW athletics.

“I graduated from San Diego State University, but feel like I’m a Husky! I covered the Dawgs for years including hosting a Husky football radio show for five seasons, not to mention hosting the ‘Purple Carpet’ — part of UW’s graduation ceremony, and also being a contributor to UWTV.”

What has been your most memorable day of golf?

“Sometime in 2000, I was playing at Valencia Country Club near Los Angeles and got a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th. It was 185 yards into the wind, over water, with a 6-iron and the ball went straight into the cup. No ball-marks. On the next hole, I promptly hit my hole-in-one ball out of bounds into a construction site. It took a while, but I did find it.”

Tell us about your current television program — ‘Seattle Refined’. “ ‘Seattle Refined’ is the coolest local program in the Northwest. We have our ear

What are your bucket-list courses?

“The first course to pop into my mind would be Bandon Dunes. Everyone I talk

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to about the courses there says it’s the most incredible experience they’ve ever had.

Whistling Straights, Cypress Point, Pinehurst… wishful thinking, right? Oh, I did have the opportunity to play Augusta National in 1987. A friend’s father had connections with the club and invited me for a round. But I couldn’t afford the airfare.”

Er, what? You could have played Augusta National but didn’t because you couldn’t afford to get there? You could have walked!

“It would have taken two months pay on my measly sports salary from Boise. Of course, I realize now I should have borrowed the money.”

Besides family and friends, who would you most like to play with?

“Hmm, tough question. When it comes to PGA touring pros, Jordan Spieth would be my first choice. I’ve never met him, but my golf pals say he’s a cool dude. Politics aside, President Barack Obama would be amazing, especially with the Secret Service following us on the course. Betty White is 99 and says she can still score better than her age. And it would be fun to tee it up with Adam Sandler, Bill Murray, and comedian Jim Jefferies. ” You’re also a successful fixer-upper and host of HGTV’s ‘Generation Renovation’.

What gets your blood pumping quicker — hosting TV shows, selling a property you’ve renovated, or the opportunity to shoot a personal best score on the golf course?

“Get this, right now during this interview I’m covered in drywall dust and primer paint. I live to flip houses. I’m currently on my 57th. It’s so exciting taking a trashed home and making it a jewel. But there is nothing like drilling a drive, sticking your approach or draining a bomb for birdie. Man, that question is a toss-up.”

Your wife, Erin Mayovsky, is a Seattle anchor also. How does that work, and is she also a golfer?

“To be honest, it can be a bit challenging with schedules especially when she was a morning weather anchor and I was a nighttime sports anchor. We barely saw each other.

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It’s better now since we both have afternoon schedules. Erin loves golf and has a decent swing for not playing much. In fact, I bought her first pair of golf shoes 20 years ago… she probably needs a new pair.”

Tell us about the putter you’re working on.

“I’m a huge entrepreneur. While living in the Orlando hotel, I needed a project so decided to develop a putter. I wanted it to be attractive and well-balanced. It had to feel right when you picked it up, and had to be affordable for all golfers. Most importantly, of course, it had to work. We have casually tested it and the reviews are outstanding. I have three partners — Ron Lynch, our marketing guru, has produced infomercials for the Rug Doctor, George Foreman Grill, GoPro and many others; Dave Ring, a PGA teaching professional; and John Prentice who helped build our prototype in his garage. Recently our design was approved by the USGA and we will begin manufacturing this summer.”

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Home Course Eagle’s Pride

Swinomish Whidbey

Port Ludlow Cedars at Dungeness

Legion Memorial Walter Hall

Mt. Si Snoqualmie Falls

Oakbrook Meadow Park 36

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Perfect pairings

of neighboring courses will make it a day to remember

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BY BART POTTER • SPECIAL TO CG

ome days, some places, 18 holes of golf on one course is not enough golf and not enough variety. Sometimes, you need more.

Western Washington has you more than covered. From the outer edge of Pierce County in the south to the sprawling Olympic Peninsula to the west and north, to the upper reaches of Skagit and Island counties and the easternmost parts of King County, the courses we’ve paired up here lend themselves to 36-hole days of rich and diverse golf experiences.

A more leisurely approach to these two-fer destinations might find a golfer playing one course today and the other tomorrow, in between seeking out rejuvenating food and drink and a place to rest their weary bones. Our pairs we offer are, as they say, for your consideration.

The Home Course

Eagle’s Pride

South Puget Sound

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ou wouldn’t know it from the three-plus mile drive, pro shop to pro shop, between these two golf courses, but they actually abut one another, sharing a DuPont address and a dividing fence through wooded country in western Pierce County that is well-used by birders, hikers and bicyclists.

The Home Course, operated by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and Washington Golf, boasts a new clubhouse — open since June 2020 — and a golf reputation that grows with each new championship event it hosts. The next capital investment at the Home Course will be a teaching facility, complete with launch monitor and all the shafts and heads to be a “full-on fitting center,” according to Justin Gravatt, the course’s general manager. A PNGA/WA Golf headquarters facility is farther into the future.

Eagle’s Pride, located west-northwest of Interstate 5 just off Exit 116, is the most accessible to freeway travelers of any course mentioned here. Though open to the public, it is managed by Joint Base Lewis-McChord, so active and retired military get a break on green fees. It originally opened in 1940 as an 18-holer called Fort Lewis GC which is why many golfers still refer to it as ‘The Fort’. A third nine was added in 1979, and the name changed to Eagle’s Pride in the mid1990s. You’ll love the course, but civilians might enjoy pro-shop courtesies accented by “ma’am” or “sir” even more.

Either course, by itself, is a rugged test of golf, though the physical challenges are quite different. “Our golf course doesn’t have a whole lot of elevation change,” says Gravatt. “Our biggest challenge is it’s just an expansive property.

There’s some distance in between holes, and holes are long. The fairways are wide — you travel farther to find your ball. Eagle’s Pride is a traditional layout, with the tees right next to greens. And out there, you get a considerable amount of elevation change on some holes.”

One spring-summer option here is the City of DuPont/Home Course Summer Golf Fest — Stay, Then Play for Free promotion, running May through July.

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Swinomish Golf Club Whidbey Golf Club

Port Ludlow Cedars at Dungeness

Legion Memorial Walter Hall

Island County

Olympic Peninsula

North Puget Sound

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n covering the 20 or so miles between Swinomish Golf Club in Anacortes and Whidbey Golf Club in Oak Harbor, you’ll cross a bridge over the grand Deception Pass, at the same time crossing out of Skagit County and into Island County. Deception Pass deserves better than fleeting glimpses from a moving car, so leave enough time between your morning and afternoon round so you can pull off, stroll to an overlook and gawk ‘til you get your fill. You won’t be the only one.

In figuring out your sequencing for a 36-hole day, know that Whidbey is a private/public course — members-only until 1 p.m., public play after that. The formerly fully private course, opened in 1961, is a test by any measure (rating/slope 72.4/127 from the black tees). The 577-yard No. 6 hole is a par-5 with bite.

Swinomish is a player-friendly parkland course that packs a decent challenge into its 6,157 yards. Practice amenities include the Callaway Performance Center, where golf meets high technology (360-293-3444). Another virtue is its proximity to Swinomish Casino and Lodge which can take care of all your after-golf desires, whether that means gaming, dining or sleeping — stayand-play options are available.

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t’s nothing, the time it takes to drive the 40 or so miles up Highway 101 between Port Ludlow Golf Club and Cedars at Dungeness. It’s peninsula time, after all.

At one end a seriously scenic resort course. At the other a seriously scenic resort course.

Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim is part of the 7 Cedars Casino complex, operated by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe. It’s not crazy-long, befitting a resort course, but beware the pincers of the Dungeness crab-shaped bunker on No. 3. The two bunkers guarding the long No. 7 green, while not shaped like any known sea creatures, help make this 579-yard par-5 the hardest hole on the course.

Port Ludlow was designed by Robert Muir Graves, much-honored for his golf architecture in the Western U.S. It’s longer, at 6,861 yards from the tips, and rarely will you land your ball on a flat piece of ground, even in the fairway.

In a region so dedicated to tourism, the 100-room 7 Cedars Hotel completed the picture for the casino property when it opened in the summer of 2020. Several stayand-play golf plans are available. Port Ludlow Resort is a venerable peninsula destination, featuring a boutique 37-room inn situated a well-struck 9-iron from the golf course. Check out the stay-and-play package.

hichever of these City of Everett courses you play first on a 36-hole day might depend on where you live and which Boeing shift traffic you want to battle. Legion Memorial to the north and Walter Hall to the south are separated by roughly 12 miles if you stay on Highway 526 or about 10 miles if you take I-5.

Again, pick your traffic poison.

If the golf experience governs your order of play, Shayne Day, general manager of both courses, suggests playing Legion in the morning if you want the stiffer challenge first. Legion is tougher and newer, last renovated in 2019 to add retention ponds for the city which also added four new holes (see a flyover here).

Walter Hall is generally flatter, with less undulation on the greens. Both courses are consistently well-maintained tee to green, and a “tight-knit family environment” fostered by the managing Premier Golf Centers, says Day, keeps a solid core of customers coming back to both courses.

Our feeling, is both of these courses will receive some new exciting exposure from out of the market with the growth of the new PAE Airport at Paine Field in the coming years.

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Mount Si Snoqualmie Falls

Oakbrook Meadow Park

Cascades

Metro Tacoma

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cott Barter, General Manager at Mount Si in the town of Snoqualmie, grew up in the Snoqualmie Valley and played a lot of golf at both these courses. Says Barter, this 36-hole combo will challenge the avid player but not overwhelm the novice. The nature experience it provides, he says, is exceptional.

Both courses are walker-friendly, neither is overly long, and the views of Mount Si (the actual mountain) and the Snoqualmie Valley are outstanding.

Barter says he has heard excellent things about conditioning not only at his own course but at Fall City’s Snoqualmie Falls, too. “And If you start your day at Snoqualmie Falls,” he adds “you can take the beautiful drive up the hill past the falls [the actual Snoqualmie Falls] for your afternoon round at Mount Si. I can’t think of a better pair for walking 36 holes.”

Snoqualmie Falls is a pleasant walk in the country. It’s forgiving but also offers many risk vs. reward opportunities in its 5,832-yard layout. It’s a great track to enjoy that early morning cup of coffee or late afternoon cold beverage.

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hese two courses, four miles apart in Lakewood, take a different approach to serving the golf public.

Oakbrook, a former country club now open to public play, offers a hybrid membership model under the management of Ryan Moore Golf. Meadow Park, operated

by Metro Parks Tacoma, is a community course in every sense of the word, with steady business on the practice range and Williams Nine executive course, and active junior golf programs.

In purely golf terms, Oakbrook is more traditional, more open, more of a finished product, according to Meadow Park General Manager Chris Goodman. Oakbrook markets its greens as the best public-course putting surfaces in the state.

Anyone who takes on Oakbrook in the morning will see immediately in his afternoon round that Meadow Park is rougher around the edges. “Here is a kind of quirky, tight golf experience,” Goodman says. “It’s a long 6,100 yards. You’re going to have to hit every club in your bag.”

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Grass

THE IS

Greener

A Chambers Bay patron overlooking the beauty of the course.

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2

EPISODE

Eric Johnson Chambers Bay University Place

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hambers Bay is staging its third USGA event — the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship (May 22-26 and will be played at the time this is printing) — and if he’s feeling any anxiety about it, Eric Johnson is hiding it very well. The course’s 58-year-old Director of Agronomy sounds as cool as a cucumber.

“Yeah, things are going really well, and the course is looking great,” he says in his typically unhurried, soft-spoken manner before allowing what, for him, must be an impassioned grievance. “We could use a little more warmth though, to get the rough growing.”

Johnson arrived in University Place in July 2012. Before joining the Pierce County-owned facility, he spent eight years at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort as superintendent of both Old Macdonald and the resort’s eponymously-named original course. Prior to that, he maintained Pebble Beach for nearly five years.

Matt Allen, then Chambers Bay’s General Manager and now the Kemper Sports Vice President of Operations, says Johnson had been the obvious choice for the job. “Eric had been at Bandon Dunes for several years and had proven his ability to grow and maintain fescue turf. He also had terrific business acumen, and an affable nature that would allow him to build rapport with his colleagues.”

Johnson’s biggest task in his new role, of course, was getting 18 fairly uncooperative greens in U.S. Open-shape, while simultaneously maintaining them for daily public play.

He had two and a half years before the eyes of the golf world bore down on the Pacific Northwest, which might sound like plenty of time, but those all-fescue surfaces had curiously under-performed since the course opened five years before.

Within a year or so, however, Johnson had them rolling noticeably smoother. They would never be the ultra-consistent, perfectly-uniform surfaces of exclusive private clubs whose bentgrass greens benefitted from substantial maintenance budgets and limited play, but they were so much better than they had been and increasingly worthy of a major championship.

But the course received no rain for weeks leading up to the event, and the USGA eased on the water in search of the fast surfaces it prefers. By the time the world’s best golfers showed up, the greens were getting various reviews from players and press — some favorable and understanding and some were quite critical.

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Johnson’s biggest task in his new role, of course, was getting 18 fairly uncooperative greens in U.S. Open-shape, while simultaneously maintaining them for daily public play. He had two and a half years before the eyes of the golf world bore down on the Pacific Northwest, which might sound like plenty of time, but those all-fescue surfaces had curiously under-performed since the course opened five years before.

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“He really doesn’t let things ruffle him. I mean, he’s super-passionate about agronomy and turf, and he desperately wants to do the best job possible, but he has an enviable ability to sort of float above problems.”

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But that was six years ago, and Johnson has moved on. “It could have gone better, sure,” he shrugs. “There were things we could have done differently, but hindsight is always 20/20. It seems like 20 years ago now and, to be honest, I really don’t think about it anymore.”

None of this surprises Josh Lewis, the Superintendent at Sharon Heights GCC in Menlo Park, Calif. Lewis worked under Johnson at Chambers Bay for a little over three years and remembers a very calm, very even-tempered boss. “I’m a hybrid of all the superintendents I’ve worked for,” he says. “I try to model the best traits of them all, and I learned two very important lessons from Eric.”

The first of them, says Lewis, was patience. “I’m something of a Type A personality,” he says, “occasionally inflexible, and quick to become agitated if things don’t go according to plan. Eric is the complete opposite of that. He really doesn’t let things ruffle him. I mean, he’s super-passionate about agronomy and turf, and he desperately wants to do the best job possible, but he has an enviable ability to sort of float above problems. If something went wrong or came up unexpectedly, he always said there was another way to do it. He showed me the importance of staying cool.”

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Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham’s Hidden Gem

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Play at beautiful Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course

Scenic 18 Hole Public Golf Course In Fall City, Washington, East of Seattle

Golf Digest Best Places to Play in 2004 and 2008!

FALLS

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Online Tee Times and Web Specials

Available at snoqualmiefallsgolf.com 425-441-8049 or 425-222-5244

The second truth Lewis learned from Johnson was the importance of family. “I’ll never forget how devoted he was to his wife and four kids,” says Lewis. “Imagine needing to get a golf course ready to host the U.S. Open while satisfying thousands of public golfers and also having four, three-sport athletes at home. We’d be finishing up an important job, and he’d say he had to go and get his son a new baseball bat, or some new basketball shoes. He never missed a game and kept all the game scores himself.”

Johnson’s ability to balance work and home life would have been sorely tested in the fall of 2018 when he embarked on his second major project at Chambers Bay — re-grassing the greens alongside the current golf course superintendent, Mark Trenter. With input from various stakeholders, including Johnson whose voice had perhaps been the most influential, the County decided to replace the fescue with Poa Annua, or annual bluegrass as Johnson prefers to call it. “We decided the fescue was too inconsistent,” he says. “It just wasn’t able to bear so much traffic. We deliberated over the timing, and considered doing three greens at a time and spreading out the work/ cost. But that would have meant waiting several years for the finished product.”

Johnson and Pierce County preferred it done sooner rather than later and committed to closing the course entirely then reopening only after all 18 greens had had time to settle. The new turf was sourced from Bos Sod Farms in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada. But there was a problem. Chambers Bay’s greens cover 247,000 square feet, but Bos Sod had only 105,000 available. “We had to harvest the seed and develop our own sod farm here,” says Johnson. “We grew the new turf over the summer of 2018 and, after closing the course in October, spent five weeks re-sodding every green.”

It was a highly labor-intensive project carried out by the entire maintenance team, pictures showing as many as eight crew members rolling out and positioning sods on the largest greens while others knelt cutting patches of sod to fit the putting surface precisely. The course reopened in April 2019 and the reaction to the new greens was almost entirely positive. “There’s a small number of golfers who will always prefer fescue,” says Johnson. “But the vast majority of our guests prefer the new turf.” It will be interesting to see what the players and press say during and after the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. If the comments are positive, Chambers Bay and Eric Johnson’s chances of landing the second U.S. Open they deserve, will surely improve. Whatever happens though, rest assured Eric Johnson will be cool with it. cascadegolfer.com

EastbounD And Down

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An I-90 high-elevation experience awaits golfers from Spokane to Kalispell

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BY BOB SHERWIN • SPECIAL TO CG

or those of us golfers who once took our rounds, our familiar foursomes and our faraway golf trips, for granted, the pandemic experience, like virtually all phases of life, has been acutely disruptive. We’ll probably never get back what we lost, but the flags are up again, there are plenty of holes to play and the courses — as well as the road — are wide open. Our options are manifold and include the great American golf road trip.

Circle this option — a vast tri-state loop to Washington’s eastern border, the western edge of Idaho, a swing through dense west-central Idahoan forest to McCall, followed by a swing north to northwest Montana and the incredibly beautiful Flathead Lake region. It’s a big, bold and beautiful Northwest-style golf trip that circles us back to the once-familiar.

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STOP THE INLAND EMPIRE Kalispel Golf and County Club and Northern Quest Resort & Casino

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or many of us who live west of the mountains, the avid golf community of Spokane is a pleasant change.

We can start at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club, which is connected to the Northern Quest Casino. Both course and casino are operated by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians.

In 2015, the Tribe purchased the historic golf course, its origin dating back to 1898 when it began life as Spokane Country Club. It was notable for hosting the inaugural U.S. Women’s Open in 1946, won by Hall of Famer Patty Berg. Other great players such as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Fred Couples and Nancy Lopez have played there.

The Tribe has revitalized the layout as a shining amen-

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Kalispel Golf and Country • Spokane, Wash.

ity for its active casino crowd. Situated on the banks of the Little Spokane River, water comes into play on seven holes. If you can avoid the wet, there are still 54 bunkers to out-maneuver. The par 72, 6,662-yard layout features five par 3s and five par-5s. The par-5 16th hole, at 558 yards, is the longest and most memorable of the bunch.

The elevated tee affords a glorious hillside view, through a gap in the trees, to the green valley below. Your drive will fly over the club’s entrance road and should be steered right on a curvy dogleg line. A long protective bunker covers most of the green’s front. There’s also, rather incongruently, a tall, spindly pine tree that seems inches to the left of the green, giving you pause on your approach.

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STOP

2

IDAHO BORDER

Circling Raven/Coeur d’Alene Casino and Coeur d’Alene Resort

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following Kalispel, venture out of Washington to two western Idaho stops essential for any golfing nomad — Circling Raven and the Coeur d’Alene Resort. Circling Raven, near Worley, opened 18 years ago in the summer of 2003 as an extension of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s successful casino operation. The course has been ranked in Idaho’s top two almost from opening day.

Original architect Gene Bates has been retained to oversee a series of improvements in anticipation of the course hosting a Symetra Tour event Aug. 27-29. This includes expanding the practice putting green an additional 25 percent to 12,000 square feet.

The course is long, wide and spread out over an incredible 620 acres. The back tees can stretch the layout to 7,189 yards which wind through a varied landscape of woodlands, wetlands and rolling hills. The average elevation is around 2,600 feet.

What stands out most at Circling Raven is the impressive collection of par 3s. Three of the four are more than 210 yards, including the monster, 253-yard 13th. Big sticks are definitely required. The others are the 217-yard 3rd,

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212-yard 7th, and the only sub-200-yarder - the 192-yard 16th (multiple forward tee boxes do, of course, allow you to play each hole from closer to the green).

“Our signature holes are probably No. 8 and No. 15,’’ says David Christenson, the Director of Golf. “Both are downhill par 4s, framed by the tree-line where you can see the mountains in the background.’’

At the 426-yard 15th, golfers hit from an elevated tee down into a scenic valley, where two massive left-side fairway bunkers gather balls with regularity. The hole is called ‘Steals Horses,’ but ‘Steals Birdies’ may work just as well.

Many of the same folks who play here also play the venerable Coeur d’ Alene Resort Course whose best-known feature is, of course, the world-famous floating green of the 14th hole. The 15,000-square-foot green complex sits on a barge that can be re-positioned daily, the hole’s yardage fluctuating between 95 yards and 218. The barge is two years removed from a major five-month refurbishing. The soil was removed, and the gardens beds, sand, grass and trees replaced. The green is back in position with 25,000 to 30,000 shots bearing down on it every year. From a spark

Circling Raven • Worley, Idaho

of an idea in resort owner Duane Hagadone’s imagination, the illustrious green has grown into a world icon and made the 14th by far the most famous hole in Idaho and perhaps the western half of the USA outside of Pebble Beach.

“It’s always kind of looming on the back-nine,’’ says Andy Mackimmie, the Resort’s head golf professional. Really, it’s in your head as you work your way around the whole of the 6,803-yard, par 71 layout and it arrives with just four holes remaining — not enough time to make up for a possible watery double bogey. “To call the Island Green our signature hole is a major understatement,” Mackimmie adds. Three other water-influenced holes directly leading up to the 14th also have a sneaky way of wrecking a round. Then water-water everywhere on 14. As signatures holes go, it really does set the standard.

Once you get off the island, as was once sung during a simpler era, it’s time to get back to the land and set your soul free. And there might be nothing better for the soul than to immerse it in the raw nature of western Idaho, among the most primitive stretches of land in the continental U.S.

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STOPS

3 &4

SW IDAHO

McCall Golf Club and Jug Mountain Ranch are calling

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ead east and drift south along the interstate into the Idaho wilderness, where various national forests converge, among them the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, the Wallowa Whitman National Forest and the Payette National Forest. As you reach the southern shore of Lake Payette, the wilderness resort town of McCall welcomes all vagabond foursomes who can tee it up at a pair of golfing gems — McCall Golf Club and Jug Mountain Ranch.

McCall GC has been around longer than many of the surrounding pines. No one is really sure who built it or when, though it’s said to have opened in 1928 which would make it among the oldest courses in the state. “They decided to build three holes initially,” says Allen Morrison, McCall GC’s head golf professional. “Then, three more the next year, and three more the year after that.”

By all accounts, it became a ‘recognized’ golf course by 1935 when nine holes were complete. That was also the first year the course hosted the McCall Amateur, a popular tournament that continues to this day. The weeklong event is such a summer highlight in town that the

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waiting list to enter once pushed past 400.

It was more than 30 years later — in 1968 — that a second nine was added to complete the 18 holes. A third nine was authorized and completed in 1995. That was designed by noted course architect Robert Muir Graves, with more than 75 courses, mostly in the western U.S., to his credit. “The (Graves) nine is a cool addition that really takes advantage of the terrain,’’ says McKenzie Kraemer who promotes the McCall and Jug Mountain Ranch courses. “It’s in the middle of the city, but there is a point in the course where you feel like you’re out in the middle of the forest. It’s a fun, unique experience.”

McCall’s three nines are designated simply as A (Aspen), B (Birch) and C (Cedar). C came 60 years after A. All three nines feature much of the same terrain that surrounds the town, just slightly more cultivated. As Morrison labels it, “big lake, mountains, pine tree’’ terrain. That wilderness influence also includes the surrounding wildlife, much of it visiting from the nearby Ponderosa State Park. “Every year we have bears and their cubs come through,” says Morrison. “There’s elk on the course, and we also have 20 to 50

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Whitefish Lake Golf Club Whitefish, Mont.

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JUNE 2021

deer living on the property. Foxes too.” The ever-present deer, called ‘townies’’ by the locals, all play through.

One hole that stands out on the Aspen Course is No. 5, a short par-5 called, with some affection, Double Ditch.

Two streams run across the fairway, and the play for most might be to drive short of the first though that will, of course, leave you a longer second — 160 yards or so — to clear the second. To complicate matters, there’s OB right and hazards left.

Birch (B) has what Morrison calls ‘birdie alley’ in which Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7 all have the potential to be birdied. No. 5 and 6 are back-to-back reachable par 5s. The third hole on Birch can provide an instant appraisal for golfers approaching the green. Kraemer says the clubhouse, which sits at the top of the rise, has a deck on which many people might be enjoying a beverage. “The gallery will either cheer your shot or let you know how they feel about it,” she adds.

While the wonderful McCall course is within the city, Jug Mountain Ranch is six miles due south of town. It is named after the distinctive 8,310-foot peak of Jughandle Mountain that serves as the eastern backdrop for this west-central Idaho burg. The early settlers named the mountain that because its rock formation looked like a moonshine jughandle.

Opened in 2004, the course was designed by Donald Knott, a former Senior Vice President of Design for the Robert Trent Jones II Group. Among the more prominent of the 60-plus courses Knott worked alongside Jones on are: Makena (Maui), Beaver Creek (Colo.), Poppy Hills (Calif.), Spanish Bay (Calif.), Sunriver (Ore.) and elite courses in such far-off places as The Philippines, Japan, China, South Africa, France, Australia, and New Zealand.

Knott finished the first nine in 2004, and the second in 2006. Like any great designer, Knott took what the terrain gave him. Most of the early holes are characterized by significant elevation changes. As you weave through the course, water pops into play. “There are no parallel holes,” says Kraemer. “You never see another fairway.” Everything you need to know about the course – and much of what you’ll remember – is offered on the 410-yard opening hole from where you can see the whole course. Your spirit will soar as you watch your tee shot glide down to the valley floor. Your heart might sink, however, if you find your drive reached the chilly, mountain stream gurgling across the fairway.

There is another course in town you should work into your itinerary, but you’ll need to be staying at the elegant Shore Lodge on the banks of Lake Payette to secure a teetime. This stunning Roger Packard/Andy North design, a two-minute drive southwest of the lake, opened in 2002, and is definitely worth changing your lodging plans to play. cascadegolfer.com

LAST

STOP BIG SKY COUNTRY

Northwest Montana

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f you can find your way out of this towering Idahoan pine paradise through the Payette National Forest, steer slightly east and north toward Missoula. From there, cross I-90 and continue toward the Flathead Lake/Glacier National Park region.

McCall GC’s Allen Morrison, who knows both areas well, says Flathead Lake area is beautiful. “If I didn’t live in McCall, I’d live there,” he adds. It’s here that the Northwest Montana Golf Association offers a nine-course collection of scenic beauties. Three of the nine are within just a short distance of each other in Kalispell, a picturesque city of about 25,000 that serves as the gateway to Glacier National Park in the state’s northwest region. The three Kalispell courses are Buffalo Hill Golf Club, Northern Pines GC and Village Greens GC. The other six are spread out around the Flathead Lake region and north towards Glacier National Park.

They are: Glacier View GC in West Glacier, Cabinet View GC in Libby, Indian Springs Ranch GC in Eureka, Meadow Lake GC in Columbia Falls, Polson Bay GC in Polson and White Fish GC in Whitefish, a 36-hole complex with

cascadegolfer.com

Polson Bay Golf Course • Polson, Mont.

stunning views of the lake.

Buffalo Hill is a popular Kalispell location, an elegantly rugged alpine course with gentle mountain ranges all around. It has a rolling terrain with ponds and streams, and is so peaceful you almost don’t mind hitting an occasional wet shot. All the courses have challenging, interesting, signature holes. But what brings you here is more than just the golf. What matters is the breath-taking scenery, the wilderness, the mountains, valleys and lakes.

Two of the best places to experience the panoramas are Glacier View GC and Whitefish Lake GC. Glacier View, as you’d expect from the name, is a spectacularly scenic course on the southern edge of Glacier National Park. Most of the holes have views of the snowy peaks on the horizon. Whitefish Lake is about 50 miles southwest from Glacier, and has double the views of any course in the area. That’s because there are two courses - the North and the South, both within sight of Whitefish’s southern shore.

Water features not only enhance the views throughout both courses, they also cause a fair amount of conster-

nation. One of the terrible beauties – perhaps the toughest par 3 you’ll encounter on the trip – is the 195-yard seventh hole on the South Course. It’s an all-carry shot, as the water, which runs the entire length of the hole, juts out in front of the green. The South’s 354-yard 13th hole poses an agonizing water dilemma with an easy-to-find pond about 50 yards short of the green. It’s a 225-yard shot off the tee to the water so, unless you’re feeling mighty, a safe tee shot with a middle-iron might be the way to go.

On the North Course, water comes into play on at least four holes, the most compelling of them the 206yard 4th. If you can hit it straight, there might not be an issue. But if your tee-ball strays just slightly left, the water all along that side will not allow the ball to return home with you.

It’s a long road back home, even just to get to I-90 from the Flathead region. Perhaps the journey can be broken up with a slew of other fine golfing properties all along the way. Maybe give the floating green another shot. When you pass by Coeur d’Alene, you might not see the island but you know it’s there, in your mind’s eye.

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C R E A T I N G

HEAVEN ON

EARTH PART 1

Tetherow

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cascadegolfer.com

Native Scotsman, now a U.S. citizen,

David McLay Kidd

brings global perspective and talent to his course architecture leaving a wake of golfing wonders here and abroad

D

avid Mclay Kidd is one of the world’s foremost golf course architects, but he has never let success change him. A native Scotsman who now lives in our part of the world, he is still the same loud, gregarious, opinionated (his words) guy he always was. He was good enough to share some of those opinions with us in this exclusive Q & A with editor Tony Dear.

When did you first come to the USA? I came to the Golf Industry Show in Orlando in 1990.

I was working for Howard Swan, a British architect. I was only a year out of college so didn’t really know anyone, but basically had an ‘in’ with anyone in the golf business because of my father (Jimmy Kidd was the longtime greenskeeper/course manager at Gleneagles in Scotland, one of the most famous hotel and golf resorts in the world and home to three courses one of which, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Centenary Course, hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup). He spent a lot of time over here and was in regular contact with the GCSAA, the PGA Tour etc., and knew everyone. So he was my secret weapon if you like.

It’s a story many readers will be familiar with, but remind us how the Bandon Dunes (Ore.) job happened. How did you feel about it? Did you think you were ready for it and capable of building a great course?

I was working for Gleaneagles. The idea was to develop Gleaneagles-type resorts around the world and I was the in-house course architect/project manager. My first job was actually in Nepal — that’s a long, crazy story involving the Royal family and civil war but I basically finished the design and got out. I never saw it completed (I played it about 15 years ago and can confirm it is really good).

Mike Keiser wanted to build authentic links golf so he decided he wanted a Scottish architect. I was really the only one. It was really in the capacity of Gleneagles Developments that Mike found me, but he was really looking for my dad whom he was aware of. They became firm friends.

When we started I was 26. At that age you think you can do anything. You can conquer the world. That first week we were there in July 1994 we figured out we were part of a whole parade of people that Mike might have chosen. As it came time for us to leave, I thought there was no chance we’d get the job so I felt comfortable just coming right out and telling him what I thought. I gave him a list of the things he could do wrong — clubhouse on the clifftop, bent greens, carts, flowering cherry trees, all that.

I said if he wanted it to be authentic, people would walk cascadegolfer.com

David McLay Kidd's catalog of courses is an all-star lineup of courses around the world.

(in the crappy weather if need be), there be few flat lies, the bunkers would be rugged pot bunkers — real hazards, and it should be fescue. He looked at me very quizzically and the Kemper people (management company Keiser had hired) literally laughed at me. They thought I was suggesting an unworkable course in an unworkable place — a double whammy!

Mike was very curious about Sand Hills — Bill Coore’s and Ben Crenshaw’s new course in Nebraska which was very natural, a bit wild, and walking-only. He kept referring to that, Royal County Down in (Northern) Ireland, and Royal Dornoch in Scotland. The dunes were much softer than on those courses, but that was the sort of thing he wanted. Pure golf. In the end, I think he picked me because he knew my dad wouldn’t let me fail and because he felt that an American architect might not have seen the vision through entirely and that at some point they would have fallen back to something they were more familiar with — something more manicured and tidy.

What did you learn about American golf during your time at Bandon? And what did you learn about the world and yourself?

It’s evolving, but back then American golf had a pretty strict set of expectations. It still does to a degree but not as much. Courses had to look a certain way, specifically like Augusta National. If they didn’t they were automatically inferior. I had guys who knew their golf and would have been considered discerning, sophisticated golfers ask me why the conditions in Britain were so bad. They didn’t realize those conditions were like that on purpose. They weren’t bad, of course, they were just largely what Mother Nature gave you. The greenkeepers were no less able.

They just had a different set of demands and a different philosophy with regard inputs and chemicals and all that.

And I’d heard golf in America was played mostly through the air and discovered that was certainly true. In the UK, you think more about what the ball will do on the ground than what it’ll do in the air.

I learned a lot about how the world works, but the first thing was that a Scotsman and a guy from Oregon might speak the same language, but culturally they are very, very different. I would insult someone I liked to the very core of their being to show how much I cared about them. That’s fine in Britain but it didn’t go down very well here sometimes.

And I learned that if I was willing to attempt something, there might be some hiccups along the way, but I’d usually find a way to do it.

Were you immediately in demand after Bandon Dunes, or did it take another couple of smaller jobs before developers had 100 percent confidence in their decision to hire you?

Somewhere in between. I think Golfweek had put Bandon Dunes in its top ten before it even opened, and Golf Digest was calling me the next superstar. So it was a pretty big deal, but after it had opened I think I waited nine months before I got another job. Queenwood, near London, Powerscourt in Ireland, and Nanea in Hawaii all happened about the same time.

When did you move to Bend and why?

I had actually been to Sunriver in 1991. Gleneagles was looking to create something in the area and I met with the JUNE 2021

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development team out there and stayed in a house on the Crosswater Club course. But I was only there a short time. Three or four years later, we were building Bandon and getting soaked to the skin every day when somebody suggested I take a trip out to the desert. I said ‘what desert? There’s no desert in Oregon.’ But they assured me there was. Even though I’d been to Sunriver, I really didn’t remember much so was a bit skeptical. But I took the five-hour drive over the mountains, and remember the weather changing dramatically as I made it over the top. It was like driving into Narnia. I had tried living in Bandon for a couple of years, but it was tough. It wasn’t great for travel and, though a storm is great if you’re visiting and want the authentic British links experience, it’s not great if you live there. In 2006, I was hired to design Tetherow. I used that as an excuse to relocate to Bend and I’ve been here ever since.

Bandon Dunes

There’s a great story behind every project you’ve done, but what are the three most memorable besides Bandon Dunes?

Bandon Dunes was certainly memorable and I’ll be forever grateful to Mike for giving me the opportunity. But it wasn’t an ideal scenario at times. I was very much the new kid. Hell, I wasn’t even that. I had no track record at all, and was getting pushback from Mike’s retail golfer friends, colleagues, and advisors all the time. Gamble Sands was entirely different. I won the trust of the Gebbers Family entirely, almost to the point of feeling burdened by it. They put so much trust in me before I felt like I’d done enough

to deserve it, and obviously didn’t want to let them down.

I had my absolute A-plus team working on it, and during the project I really felt re-energized with my love for golf course architecture. I wanted to push back at what had happened at Machrihanish Dunes, Tetherow, and the Castle Course. I think they’re great courses but, first and foremost, I wanted to build a course that was playable for the average golfer. I cast off all the expectations from the media, raters, and what golfers here expect golf to look like and went with what my gut told me to be right. It felt like the Traveling Wilburys. I had a team of people that were very good at what they do, but I got to be the leader of the band and create the parameters we worked around.

Another would be Nanea. I was in Scotland at the time I got the call and was in Hawaii 24 hours later. I’d never been to Hawaii, had never seen lava, and had not the slightest clue who Chuck Schwab or George Roberts were.

It was another crazy, very unlikely set of circumstances like Bandon. I basically spent three days at the Four Seasons telling them I was in no way qualified for what they wanted me to do, but I think my telling them that made them all the more determined to hire me.

My third would be the Castle Course. That’s a helluva story — Home of Golf, municipal course, university town, the politics, all the cloak and dagger stuff that went on in the town, the Links Trust, the R & A, and within my own industry (Tom Doak rated it a ‘0’ in his Confidential Guide).

It’s so cool that a kid from Renfrewshire in Scotland has worked for some very prominent people. How did it all happen, and what’s it like working for Mike Keiser, Charles Schwab, Jon Huntsman Sr. (Huntsman Springs now Tributary in Idaho), Dietrich Mateschitz (co-founder of Red Bull for whom Kidd built a course on the Pacific island of Laucala), Carlos Pellas (Nicaraguan billionaire businessman who hired Kidd to design Guacalito de la Isla), and Cass Gebbers (Washington State orchardier and rancher who developed Gamble Sands)...?

Gleneagles was a place where the very wealthy would visit. And they all knew my dad — Jackie Stewart, Sean Connery, Princess Anne. Jack Nicklaus phoned our house and asked to speak with my dad a couple of times. I’m not saying I, or my dad was one of them, of course, but I felt comfortable around these people from a young age. You soon realize they’re just people, like you and me.

Do you have any particular favorites among the owners you’ve worked for?

They’re all great and I really don’t have a bad thing to say about any of them…well, maybe a couple. But Chuck Schwab is an absolute gem of a man. He’s a multibillionaire obviously but genuinely cares about people and takes the time to find out about you. I remember sitting down and talking with him and him asking me about my family and how I became an architect and all that. And suddenly he asks what credit card I have and proceeds to tell me the benefits of changing to his card.

That was odd.

(Kidd then tells a story. I was in Hawaii and given the keys to his car. I was so naïve I thought it was his actual

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cascadegolfer.com

Gamble Sands

car, but of course it was for chefs, pilots and other staff members. I opened the glove box looking for some music and there was one CD. It was called ‘Buying a House with no Money Down”. I thought it was hilarious that Charles Schwab should have a CD about how to buy a house. It was years later that I realized it wasn’t his CD…or car.)

He’d be my No. 1 but I haven’t worked for anyone I didn’t like. I could enjoy a cup of coffee and a bacon sandwich in the kitchen with any of them. They’re all good people, and I think there was a mutual respect.

Oh sure. You do something they don’t and are one of the best at it so that’s understandable.

Well, I certainly hope so. It’s different when you’re working for existing clubs though (Kidd has done extensive work at Broken Top in Bend, Rolling Hills in Los Angeles, Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego, and has been renovating/redesigning Estrada at Snow Canyon in Utah in recent months) because the committee or board of directors that hires you is often different to that in place when you complete the job.

Besides the billionaires though, you’ve worked for municipal authorities, private clubs, semi-private clubs, and even the PGA Tour (TPC Stonebrae in California). How have you juggled all that?

I really like the fact I’ve been able to build courses for a range of entities, but yes, it can get quite complicated at times. Essentially, though, you’re working for one person maybe two and regardless of who they are or what they represent they still want the best course you can design.

The problem comes when the golf course isn’t the absolute number one priority. Yes, a developer may want the best course of which you’re capable but it may be with a view to selling homes or filling hotel rooms. Then our priorities probably don’t align and there may have to be some tricky compromises.

PART 2

Coming in the July Issue of Cascade Gofler

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“It’s worth the drive — best value in the NW”

SAVE SOME GREEN

The Seattle Times

Jefferson Park Golf Club • Seattle

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JUNE 2021

Jefferson Park Golf Club SEATTLE

You haven’t played a shorter course for years, assuming there’ll be no challenge and you won’t have any fun. For a tiny number of readers that may be partly true, but for the vast majority it is, frankly, nonsense. You may find they’re even more fun than what you’re used to, in fact. At last, you can hit some shorter clubs into the greens and leave yourself some birdie putts. We’re featuring a trio of courses this month that may not have the length to intimidate but which certainly do have the beauty, features, and variety to entertain. We start with one of the region’s most beloved courses in the heart of the Emerald City.

For 106 years and counting, Jefferson Park Golf Course has come up short. That’s a good thing.

The city’s oldest and most venerable layout, Jefferson opened in 1915 and has always been the place to sharpen one’s short game. Besides the tight 6,000yard, par-70 which has actually gotten tighter in recent years, there’s a challenging par-3 layout as well as a practice range where three generations of Seattle golfers have flashed their irons for more than a century.

The practice facility, opened in 2015, features a two-tier, 48-station range. The 8,000 square-foot club house, built at the same time, has a slick pro shop, restaurant, banquet space and a classroom for the next generation as the First Tee of Greater Seattle leases it.

For those who might not know what Jefferson is capable of producing, it’s always worth dropping the name Fred Couples. The World Golf Hall of Famer who grew up on Beacon Hill — and at The Jeff — is considered one of the game’s greatest ball-strikers.

And this humble stretch of land on a plateau above Seattle was where he learned to hit crisp, tight, accurate golf shots. His modest beginning preceded a prestigious career that included 15 PGA Tour victories, highlighted by the 1992 Masters title.

The course has been under land-use pressure from different factions in recent years, which contributed to a rerouting of the first three holes on the back nine. Nos. 10, 11 and 12 are now all par-3s -- 182, 187 and 101 yards, respectively. There are four par-3s on

the back (six overall) and one par-5 -- the 490-yard 17th. A premium is paid for precision.

A premium is not paid for a round, however. In fact, the course has a ‘dynamic-pricing’ deal that ebbs and flows with the foot traffic. There may be a decrease, or increase, in rates depending upon the demand for tee times. As an example, during the week an early riser who can get to the course during the first hour of light pays just $25 for 18 holes. It’s $33 for the rest of the day, and $37 on the weekends.

There is any number of modest rates for seniors, super seniors (75-plus), military, twilight and even super-twilight golfers (really fast players who rush to reach the 18th green before darkness does).

Couples, who lived just three blocks from the course and would often sneak onto it, is part of the Jefferson tradition. It’s a course for everyone — future Masters champions and more casual golfers for whom the game is nothing more than an opportunity to spend time with friends in a beautiful open space — a rare commodity in the inner city.

Many celebrities have walked Jefferson’s fairways.

Bill Russell was a long-time regular. Boxing champion Joe Louis showed up as a single. Seahawks, and Mariners who could knock out nine holes before early BP, have been regulars.

The course once hosted a national event -- the 1967 U.S. Amateur Public Links. It’s the home of the Fir State Golf Club, the nation’s second-oldest African-American organization. Tiger Woods, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Michael Jordan have served as guests of honor at its fund-raisers. Jefferson Park GC truly is where legends of all stripes have played.

— Bob Sherwin, Special to CG

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Add a round to Kahler Glen to any of your Central Washington Golf Road Trip!

• Conveniently located off Hwy 2, just 2 hours from Seattle • Aqua driving range • New 5 star onsite restaurant • Great Stay and Play Package Available

www.kahlerglen.com

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For the past 50 years, the snowy image of Mt. Rainier has had a majestic presence across the meadows for golfers at High Cedars Golf Course in Orting. Seemingly there forever, you see it at just about every turn.

“If you’re looking for eye candy, this is the place to be,” says John Benedetti, High Cedars’s general manager.

The Mountain, like an old familiar friend, joins your foursome as you tee off on the par-5, 601-yard opening hole, and you virtually walk right into it as you close the round on the par-5, 639-yard 18th.

“Some days, it looks like you can reach out and touch it,” Benedetti adds. And it comes at no extra cost, one of the pleasant benefits in the lush Orting Valley for High Cedars golfers. For $46 during the week - $60 on the weekend — you get the Mountain, 6,647 yards and 18 holes. For a few dollars more, you can also play High Cedars’ nine-hole, par-29, executive course where Mt. Rainier is similarly prominent.

Folks in this region are discovering that it’s a pretty fair deal. As Benedetti says “this is the biggest year we’ve had in our history.” This is despite the fact that golf courses, like so many businesses, have had to deal with so many restrictions and financial restraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bened-

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etti says once the state-mandated COVID protocols are issued, he insists that all customers are required to adhere to them. Or they don’t play. “We don’t horse around,” he says. “We have a no-tolerance policy. We’ve been here since 1971 and we’d like to stay here for a while longer.”

The pro shop has been closed, the restaurant has been shut down from time to time, and special events such as weddings and charity outings have been pushed back until at least August as precautions. But through all the hassle and restrictions, the course has remained opened and folks have showed up. Because it is an outdoor activity with natural social distancing, golf courses throughout the country have found that they can survive, even thrive, under prohibited conditions. High Cedars’ two courses notched about 65,000 rounds last year, and Benedetti says this year the number could top 70,000.

— By Bob Sherwin, Special to CG

YARDAGE (PAR) 5,295 - 6 ,647 RATES See website for current rates TEL (360) 893 - 3171 WEB highcedars.com

Play 36 in Southwest Idaho

Jug Mountain Ranch • McCall, Idaho

e love telling our readers about great new courses and areas to visit, but the real pay off is sending them there. Enter to win at CascadeGolfer.com and you could be playing both McCall and Jug Mountain Golf Clubs this summer, while your buddies are only reading about them.

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Foster Golf Links • Tukwila

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Foster Golf Links TUKWILA

I first walked into the clubhouse at Tukwila’s Foster Golf Links in 2005 for an evening meeting in one of the boardrooms. To be honest, I knew very little about it despite having lived in Seattle for two years. The volume inside was tremendous as families, friends, groups of golfers, diners, and drinkers (there, no doubt, to celebrate the end of the work day with a fizzy beverage), packed every inch of the place. There was no special event, no function, no band playing, really no reason for them all to be there at the same time. Clearly, Foster GL was just a great hang.

Following the meeting, I took a brief stroll outside and, having got a taste of this pretty little course surrounded by suburbia, resolved to make a tee-time as soon as possible.

Foster Golf Links was conceived, designed, built, and operated by English-born golf professional George Eddy who had moved from Oregon to Renton, Wash. in 1922.

It opened on Feb. 13, 1925, as Maple Grove Golf Club.

The clubhouse was the old farmhouse belonging to early settler Joseph Foster (for whom the town was named — it was annexed in 1989 becoming a part of Tukwila), and the greens fee was only 50 cents. Eddy’s wife ran the kitchen operation — basically making the odd sandwich for hungry golfers.

Originally nine holes, Foster became an 18-holer in 1927 after Eddy purchased an adjoining parcel bringing the entire property up to 85 acres. It survived the Great Depression and even a major flood in 1933 when the Duwamish River, which curves around the course to the north and east (and which is crossed at the 2nd and 7th), spewed water, silt, and logs on to the course.

Eddy died in 1941 leaving the course to his son Robert who sold it, ten years later, to Joe Aliment, George Eddy’s former caddie and greenkeeper. The City of Tukwila purchased it from Aliment in 1978.

At 4,804 yards, Par 68, Foster Golf Links isn’t intimidating anyone. But it’s a beautiful place to learn the game, and a really fun course to visit occasionally if you need to boost your confidence with a low number.

— Tony Dear, CG Editor

YARDAGE (PAR) (PAR) 4,529-4,804 (68) RATES $26.50-$42* TEL (206) 242-4221 WEB FosterGolfLinks@tukwilawa.gov * Check website for current rates cascadegolfer.com

Call ahead to guarantee your tee time (509) 674-2226

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841 Saint Andrews Dr., Cle Elum, WA JUNE 2021

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Hideki Matsuyama’s historic win is one for the ages for Japan and Augusta National

Commemorating Matsuyama’s Masters victory — historic for Japan and golf globally

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

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e could say a lot of nice things about Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama — great swing; good sense of humor (did you see the video created to promote last year’s Zozo Championship in Japan in which Hideki teaches Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Jason Day the language and local customs — funny); and does a lot of work for charity. Last year he listed golf gear, merchandise, and memorabilia on Yahoo Auctions and donated the proceeds to an organization helping people affected by the Covid pandemic. Our favorite thing about the 2021 Masters Champion, however, is that he is unlikely to win any (or much) of the $40 million the PGA Tour is offering players “judged to have driven the most fan and sponsor engagement”.

We’re still in the first year of the Tour’s Player Impact Program (PIP) so perhaps it’s too early to criticize, but it strikes us this PIP is going to reward attention-seekers with big egos for putting themselves front and center in the media - not necessarily for playing the best golf. Yes, winning tournaments is certainly a big factor in how players drive fan engagement, but it’s not the only way.

Matsuyama doesn’t seek attention, however, and we (golf fans in the U.S., not just us at Cascade Golfer) don’t really know much about him. Heck, we only found out

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he was married seven months after his wedding day in January, 2017. “No one really asked me if I was married,” he said at the Northern Trust tournament in August that year, “so I didn’t have to answer that question.”

No one wants every star player to be the same as Matsuyama. High octane, highly visible, and even occasionally-controversial players can be extremely entertaining and fun to watch. But Matsuyama’s discretion, humility, and modesty have earned him the respect of many golf fans the last few years, and it’s why we were so pleased to see him win the Green Jacket in April.

He may be the first Japanese male to win a major, but he’s actually the third Japanese golfer to win one. Hisako Higuchi won the 1977 LPGA Championship, and Hinako Shibuno the 2019 Women’s British Open.

Higuchi and Shibuno’s victories were widely celebrated in a country that has loved golf for decades, but the effect they had on golf in Japan will surely pale against what Matsuyama’s win might do. As many readers will be aware, golf is huge in Japan. About 1.4 trillion Yen (approximately $13 billion) is spent on club memberships, green fees, equipment, apparel, golf travel, etc. every year, making it the second biggest golf market in the world after the U.S. Can you imagine how big a deal

a Japanese Masters champion is? Naturally, many are predicting a golf boom in Japan that sees a massive rise in the number of players, courses, golf media outlets, golf-related businesses…golf anything. One person who doesn’t see it happening quite like that, though, is Michael Wolf, a PGA Tour player manager, and devoted golf traveler who has been to the Land of the Rising Sun to play its handful of world-class courses (Hirono, Tokyo, Naruo, Yokohama, Kawana, Ono, and 2021 Olympic Games venue Kasumigaseki) twice, in 2015 and 2019. “It could happen,” he says. “But I doubt it. Japan has loved golf for a long time.”

There are something like 2,500 driving ranges each with two or three tiers, and they’re usually full. You see kids on trains with their clubs. Japan has already had a golf boom — two, really, in the ‘50s/‘60s and ‘80s. But land suitable for new courses is so scarce, and the country is aging fast. There probably aren’t enough teens and people in their 20s and early 30s to trigger anything truly significant.”

We can’t be certain what’s going to happen in Japan following Matsuyama’s memorable win. We’re fairly sure its golfers will be toasting Hideki for quite some time though. And they, like us, will be hoping his second major comes along in short order. cascadegolfer.com