Cascade Golfer June 2022 by Varsity Communications

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 2 • JUNE 2022 • COMPLIMENTARY

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@cascadegolfer

HOT SUMMER PRODUCTS IN THE BAG

UW and Woolsey win Pac-12s CG Cups have $50K in prizes at stake Macklemore makes his mark Foodie Fare-Ways Part 2 - top 19th holes NO RTHWE ST GO L F N E W S & V I E W S

Home Again! Cast your ballot • page 40

DuPont’s Home Course is a complete golf experience and welcomes players from all corners of Washington state

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #1 Seattle,WA

A LOOK

INSIDE Features

Departments 4 PUBLISHER’S PITCH 6 SHORT GAME

• Local pros Hurt & Feenstra • Washington & Woolsey win • Kahler Mountian Club • US Jr. Amateur at Bandon Dunes • Westernmost hole • Duke’s scholorship • RV2Tee delivers • CG Cup in full swing • Bottoms up with Flag Assist • Corona Premier Shootout • Topgolf in Renton taking shape • Volunteer at the Boeing Classic

27 RISK VS REWARD • Camaloch GC | Hole No. 14

28 IN THE BAG

• Phantom X Putters • PING Glide 4.0 Wedges • Cobra Putters • Bettinarid Putters • Callaway Rogue ST • Cobra KING LTDx • TaylorMade Golf Balls • Treat Your Feet

54 SAVE SOME GREEN • Whidbey GC • Snoqualmie Falls GC • Desert Aire GC • Lake Chelan GC

40 42 48

2022 CG Top 10 Voting

Cast your ballot for best public courses in WA

Bogey Boy Ben

Macklemore makes his mark

Foodie Fare-Ways Part 2

Best 19th holes and grub wherever you play

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 34 - 39

58 POSTGAME • Popular Par 3s

ON THE COVER & THIS PAGE The PNGA and WA Golf’s visionary inspiration in opening The Home Course in DuPont, Wash., in 2007 never ceases to deliver and amaze. And it’s certainly worthy of a CG Top 10 Public Course consideration — you be the judge on page 40. With mountain vistas, rolling terrain, a hall of fame, top notch food and event space offerings, a professional-level practice facility and stay-and-play options, The Home Course is a true west coast golfing destination. Book your tee time and create your own experience at TheHomeCourse.com today.

TO VOTE, SEE PAGE 40

Win Free Golf and More! Summer is here and the courses are booming and lush. ENTER TO WIN our CG Swag and hit the links on us. Check out our amazing packages. • Win an Apple Tree Twosome • Page 12 • Win a Classic Twosome • Page 23 • PGA Champions Tour Boeing Classic Day and Northwest Golfers Playbook • Page 58

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Congratualtions to the CG SWAG winners from the April issue: Boeing Classic Tix and NW Golfers Playbook Denise Carpenter • Des Moines Radmor Prizes and Camaloch GC Twosome Kyle Moore • University Place Gamble Sands Twosome • Ed Field • Quincy

JUNE 2022

Volume 16 • Issue 2 • JUNE 2022

CASCADE

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

DICK STEPHENS

GOLFER

West Seattle GC is a classic Jet City public course.

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 Bob Sherwin, Jim Street & Simon Stephens FOR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES: Dick Stephens • Publisher stephens@varsitycommunications.com FOR ACCOUNTING INQUIRIES: Kirk Tourtillotte • Publisher kirk@varsitycommunications.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING STAFF SALES/MARKETING MANAGER & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com COPYRIGHT 2022 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

JUNE 2022

Fun Five Northwest Nuggets for Summer – dig these or make your own memories

his issue is certainly a reflection of Seattle’s cool funkiness and our state’s bounty of golf and gastronomy. Our golf “cred” wields a special power up here in our tiny little corner of the world. Since January, I experienced the sport in a lot of different sandboxes so to speak — garnering a good grasp of what’s hot and what’s not right now. I’ve been to Orlando for the PGA Show and produced our own golf expos with our team in New England, St. Louis, Kansas City, Portland and here in Seattle. I enjoyed some R and R in Pebble Beach and went to Colonial in Ft. Worth. Having a chance to reflect, I’m surely blessed and glad to be back at it on the biz front of the sport. Why am I bringing this up? It’s simple — what we have in the Northwest no one else has anywhere. Ok, so it rained for what seemed to be 40 days and 40 nights in April and May. Well, maybe 50 nights. But with June’s arrival, that means the longest days anywhere in the lower 48 are upon us and I’m going to take full advantage — Northwest style — all summer. Strolling up the 18th of my home track Snohomish GC at 9 p.m. and I can still see twilight — eat your heart out Kansas. Having hit all four corners of the map this year, it made me appreciate what we have here more than ever. I love the Midwest — I grew up there. But, in all candor, its golf geography is so similar from one course to the next. Not a true links in sight and no mountains. No rushing rivers with glacier melt flowing through them and salt water is 2,000 miles in both directions. The prairies have their own beauty for sure. But nothing like Seattle in the summer. This June issue is busting with content that showcases how awesome it is here. The Huskies winning the Pac12, your voice and vote counting as we let you choose the Top 10 best public courses, an inner-city Seattle kid turned rap icon turned golf fanatic in Macklemore, and amazing places to eat and drink all over the state. So, to get you in the spirit of voting for our Top 10 Public Courses (see page 40), I thought I’d share my little Fun Five Northwest Nuggets for Summer. It’s not official, just some stops and pops that anyone can do. These are some personal faves — here ya go.

Fun Five Northwest Nuggets for Summer •

Play Chambers Bay with a caddie. Caddie service is rare and fleeting but one of the great spoils of the sport. Let a pro looper do the heavy lifting and give you the reads. It’s also just a cool feeling to experience golf as it once was. And Chambers on a late afternoon — it’s amazing as you stroll the links.

•

Complete opposite — spend the day at Green Lake. Play the 9-hole Pitch N’ Putt (all 705 yards of it), take a wedge, a putter, one ball, a friend and bring not a care in the world. I’ve played it many times and always love it. The little clubhouse, the patio — it still has that 1948 kitsch. When you’re done, fold out a blanket, chill, get some Duke’s fish or chowder and people watch. And there’s pubs galore all around the lake.

•

Buy a pass to the Boeing Classic and watch the greats. This is our big event — embrace it. Snoqualmie Ridge, originally a TPC course, was built for stadium hillside seating. It’s a spectator’s dream. And the 14th and 18th are as cool as anything on Tour.

•

Slip on down to Gearhart (Ore.) Golf Links and play a piece of history. The true links layout here is the oldest formal course west of the Mississippi. Think about that — it’s 129 years old. The McMenamins there is above the clubhouse and there’s even a little pub on the course, too. It’s affordable and a slam dunk easy drive. The food and drink there is to die for.

•

Make your own sea-to-sky golf trip. Pick anywhere in Seattle — but make it Evergreen. Something sea level and piney for round one. Then, get a fresh cup of joe, and make tracks for central or eastern Washington for round two. Play in the mountains or desert — there’s endless possibilities. And the drive between the two spots is as cool as the rounds themselves. Can’t do that in Iowa.

Our summer is bright, and we can’t wait to see you out there in the greatest place to play in America. Enjoy the sport, stay in touch and AS ALWAYS — TAKE IT EASY. cascadegolfer.com

1 pm • Monday • August 29TH • 2022 The Golf Club at Newcastle 6TH ANNUAL

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

BENEFITING

PLAYER FEE: $250 ($800 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

SHORT GAME Local pros Hurt and Feenstra qualify for PGA Championship at Southern Hills

ustin Hurt was comfortable with his 54-hole position at the PGA Professional Championship in April. The former Washington State University Cougar and, since 2014, the Head Golf Professional at Wing Point Golf & Country Club on Bainbridge Island, had opened with a superb eight-birdie 66 on the Tom Fazio-designed Foothills Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Tex. He followed it with a fine two-under 68 on Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s Cliffside Course to make the cut easily, and then shot an up-and-down 73 on Foothills to complete three rounds in five-under 207. Tied for 12th heading into the final round, it looked like a solid even-par 71 would be more than good enough for him to finish among the top 20 professionals that qualified for the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa. Okla. And, after a birdie at the 388-yard 6th, his place in the second major championship of the season looked even more assured. The breeze began to pick up, however, and suddenly Hurt started leaking oil. As the wind piled on, Hurt’s wheels started falling off. A nasty double-bogey at the

JUNE 2022

Hurt

443-yard 7th was followed by three straight bogeys — plus-5 in four holes — and, after missing the green at the long par 4 11th, he looked at dropping another stroke to par. A fabulous chip and putt went some way to easing the pain though, and a birdie at the 275-yard 12th gave Hurt a little room to breathe again. It was hardly smooth-sailing from there to the house — he bogeyed the 14th and needed a 17-foot putt at the penultimate hole to save his par — but, with a closing par 5 on the uphill 525-yard home hole, the 33-year-old finished with a hard-fought 75 and a four-round total of one-under 282 that put him in a tie for 11th. Hurt says that over the next few days he received something like 350 congratulatory texts and 100 emails from family, friends, Wing Point members and people he’d not seen or spoken with in a long time. “I was completely overwhelmed,” he adds. “And I couldn’t be more excited to have Kyle (brother) at Southern Hills with me on the bag as he was in Texas.” Hurt vaguely remembers watching Tiger Woods win the PGA Championship there in 2007, but really he has

Feenstra

no experience on the Perry Maxwell-designed course in Tulsa, Okla. “It’ll be long and tough, of course,” he says. “But I can’t wait to get there and play against the world’s best.” Hurt will be joined in the field for the 104th PGA Championship by Broadmoor Golf Club’s Tim Feenstra, who made a superb birdie on the 72nd hole at Barton Creek to finish in a tie for 18th and then made it through the four-for-three play-off (four players tied on 283 with only three spots remaining) to qualify for his first PGA Championship in eight attempts. The 39-year-old, a 2006 graduate of Western Washington University in Bellingham, says he has a few contacts at Southern Hills who he’ll be tapping for knowledge. “My goal is to play the weekend,” he says, “and earn low club professional honors. I expect to soak up every second of this opportunity to play on a major stage.” Cascade Golfer wishes Hurt and Feenstra the best of luck at Southern Hills and knows that, if they play to their potential, both stand a very good chance of making it to the weekend. We’ll be watching and sending good vibes.

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Washington & Woolsey WIN! Husky men battle the best in Pac-12 and pull out a win for the ages taking the team and individual titles at Aldarra CC as host team — first title since 2010

ALL CITY, Wash. — As Washington’s Noah Woolsey dueled down the back nine with Stanford’s Barclay Brown at the Pac-12 Championship on April 27, the weight of the individual title as well as the team title grew heavier with each hole. Brown made four birdies in a row, on Aldarra Country Club’s holes 12 through 15, while Woolsey double bogeyed the short par 4 17th. His lead had shrunk to just one stroke heading to the 438-yard par 4 18th, one of the toughest finishing holes in the state. But Woolsey, the Husky senior from Pleasanton, Calif., hit a dynamic approach shot to within 10 feet of the hole on 18. It was a golden shot that solidified both titles. Woolsey, who shot a 3-under 68 for a three-round total of 276, parred the hole, as did Brown, to win by one. He finished two ahead of Oregon’s Yuki Moriyama. The 8th-ranked Huskies took the team title by three shots over 17th-ranked Stanford while 4th-ranked Arizona State

CHAMPIONS finished third, eight strokes behind. It marked the third title (first outright) for Woolsey this season to go with five seconds, two thirds and two fourth places. The other Huskies who can now call themselves Pac-12 champions were: Chaun Tai-Lin (T10, 2-over 286), Petr Hruby (T22, 5-over 289), Bo Peng (T22, 5-over 289), Taehoon Song (T24, 6-over 290) and R.J. Manke (T28, 8-over 292). This is the seventh team title for the Huskies, the first since 2010. “We made the shots we needed to make,” Huskies sixth-year coach Alan Murray said. For Woolsey, winning the conference crown is no small feat. Some of the more prominent past winners are: Cal’s Collin Morikawa (2019, two-time major champion and former world No. 2), ASU’s Jon Rahm (2016, former world No. 1), Stanford’s Tiger Woods (1996, 15-time major champion, etc.) and ASU’s Phil Mickelson (1990, six-time major champion). Woolsey also joins four Huskies who have won the individual title since 1958. They include Clint Names (1961), O.D. Vincent (1988), Erik Olson (2005) and Darren Wallace (2009). Woolsey, enjoying a three-shot lead after Brown bogeyed 16, drove behind a tree on 17. His line-drive approach to the green rolled off the back. It took him four shots, two chips and two putts, for a six and suddenly turned it into a dramatic final hole. Even the team title was not assured. “It happened so quickly,” Woolsey said. Woolsey’s drive on 18 sailed into the right rough, in a gully below the fairway, just inches from much thicker grass. “I’m pretty comfortable off that tee. I played it like 200 times over the past five years,” Woolsey said. Aldarra has been the Huskies home course during his

time at Montlake. Murray saw no tension in Woolsey after the drive. “He came walking down the fairway, big smile on his face. He was enjoying it,” he said. “He made a super second shot. Really spectacular second shot. It was not an easy shot by any means. He deserves that. He really deserves that.” “I had 168 yards and tried to play it at 150, in the middle of the green,” Woolsey said. “I hit a nine-iron. Pushed it a little. It came out perfect.” Brown, whose approach came up well short, 45 feet from the hole, missed his birdie putt by three feet. Woolsey rimmed the hole on his first putt then made a two-footer for the championship, as his teammates rushed the green to leap on the Husky pacesetter. The Huskies led all three days of the tournament, by four over ASU on the two 18-hole rounds Monday. On Tuesday, three Huskies, Woolsey, Peng and Lin, each birdied both 17 and 18 to lift the Huskies to a sevenstroke lead entering Wednesday’s final 18 holes. Woolsey, who has already qualified for the Canadian Tour this summer, trailed Brown by one shot entering Wednesday’s finale. On the par 4 eighth hole, Brown lost his drive — and the lead — into the left rough. He couldn’t find his ball within the required three minutes so he had to re-tee and would make a bogey. Woolsey made a 10-foot par on the hole to take the lead he would not relinquish. At the NCAA Regionals, Manke qualified for the NCAA Championship in Scottsdale, Ariz. Visit GoHuskies.com for updates and results.

Woolsey joins other Pac-12 champs like Morikawa, Rahm, Woods and Mickelson.

Images courtesy of UW Athletics/Go Huskies Magazine

JUNE 2022

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME

Kahler Mountain Club

Exciting changes for renamed and upgraded Kahler Mountain Club in Leavenworth

ou must look hard for it and word your search engine entry effectively to find relevant stories, but Kahler Glen Golf and Ski Resort was sold last December for an undisclosed sum to 45-year-old businessman and Kahler homeowner Scott Peyree, who has spent his first few months as the new proprietor embarking on a fairly major revitalization project. Visit the property’s web site and you won’t see much change yet, however. In fact, the site’s wording, images, general presentation and, indeed, the URL — kahlerglen. com — are the same. There’s only one difference, but it’s a big one. The resort, whose first nine holes opened in the mid-1980s, and which grew steadily over the next decade or so, now goes by a different name. The Kahler Glen Golf and Ski Resort has become the Kahler Mountain Club. Karen Bauder, the club’s general manager, says the previous owners — an LLC made up of about 50 investors — just felt the time was right to let it go and that new blood was needed. “Most of the owners were in their late 70s or 80s and

had just lost the motivation and energy needed to run a successful resort like Kahler,” she says, adding that Seattle-based Peyree, founder of insurance rates marketplace quotefinder.com — bought by LendingTree in October 2018 for $300 million, is putting a lot of money into the venture. The wheels had been set in motion a few months prior to December’s sale when Peyree announced he would be covering all the operational expenses of the Kahler Glen Athletic Club, which had shut down during the pandemic to get it fully functioning once again. In an email to lakewenathceeinfo.com that was subsequently published on its web site on July 11, Peyree explained that he and his family had pretty much lived full-time at Kahler during the COVID shutdown and that he had fallen in love with the place, which, he said, had an “outstanding amount of potential to be even better.’’ He went on to outline his future plans, which amount to a complete remodel/upgrade of the facilities… “including a larger and better equipped gym, additional space for workout classes, better facilities for spa services, golf

simulators, and more staffing and services, etc.” Peyree said he wanted the club to not only be a place for working out and swimming, but also a “place of community where the neighbors will be able to spend time together.’’ As for the golf course, Randy Pelton’s original layout will remain unchanged for now, but the bunkers are currently being renovated with pure white sand replacing the older, greyer sand. “It looks fabulous,” says Bauder. “A lot of the homeowners and visitors we’re seeing are telling me how much they like it.” As well as upgrades to the golf course and athletic club — now the Kahler Mountain Athletic Center — Peyree has big plans for the resort’s lodging component. Bauder says 40 new condominiums are planned with construction expected to start in 2024-25. “There will also be a new clubhouse and restaurant,” she adds. As a long-time fan of Kahler Glen, Cascade Golfer is excited to see how the resort develops in the coming years.

EAST WENATCHEE

Highlandergc.com 1 (509) 884GOLF 2920 8th Street SE East Wenatchee, WA 98802

COME SPEND THE SUNNY DAYS WITH US!

JUNE 2022

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SHORT GAME

U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes may be USGA’s toughest youth test yet this July

T Enter to Win an Apple Tree twosome

ome to perhaps the most iconic hole in our great state, Apple Tree is well worth the drive to Yakima. Plus, winning a twosome means you covered the greens fees and your playing partners got the gas $. Enter to win at CascadeGolfer.com.

JUNE 2022

he U.S. Junior Amateur Championship is tough enough as it is, annually contested over six grueling days — including six match-play rounds that determine the ultimate champion — but this year all 264 juniors will compete over the largely uncommon links terrain at unfamiliar Bandon Dunes courses in southwest Oregon. The expansive Bandon golf complex will host the USGA’s 74th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship July 25-30. The first two days of stroke play will be at Bandon Trails, a 6,887-yard, par 71 course that is closer to a meadows course that most of the players are familiar with, but still with plenty of linksy characteristics and always uncertain weather. The top 64 players then advance to match play, six rounds over four days, at gorse-and-gorges Bandon Dunes, the 7,228-yard, par 72 layout on the edge of the Pacific that is consistently buffeted by strong winds. “It’s the most comprehensive test in golf,” said Greg Sanflilippo, USGA Director, Junior Amateur & U.S. Senior Amateur. He was part of a mid-April media event to promote the Junior Am. Just to get to Bandon is an achievement. There are more than 3,000 youngsters (18-under as of July 30, with a handicap not exceeding 4.4) who will attempt to qualify at 57 sites around the U.S., Canada and Mexico. From

3,000 will come just 264 to Bandon. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” said Nicholas Dunlap, the defending Junior Am champion. He won the event last year at The Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst, N.C. He is from Huntsville, Ala., and almost exclusively plays on lush grasses in the Southeast U.S. “I’m really not used to putting from 20 yards off the green,” he said. Dunlap, invited by the USGA to the media event, played a couple rounds and just walked the courses to familiarize himself with the terrain. “I don’t know if this compares to anywhere else in America. Maybe Scotland,” he said. “But you still have to hit your golf shots.” Dunlap has had to adjust his schedule this spring because of a nagging wrist injury. He not only hopes to be fully armed and ready by the Junior Am in July but also wants to be recovered for the biggest perk of his championship. His victory automatically qualified him for the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., June 16-19. The 18-yearold will be teeing it up with the best golfers in the world. This is the eighth USGA event to be held at the Bandon complex. There are eight more planned — until 2045 — that include the Walker Cup in 2029 and the Curtis Cup in 2038.

cascadegolfer.com

CG writers Bob Sherwin and Jim Street on the 16th green at Sheep Ranch.

Westward Ho! Sheep Ranch’s 16th is westernmost hole on continental U.S.

he 16th hole on Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s Sheep Ranch course has a lot of ground to cover before becoming as famous as another par 3 16th on the Pacific coast — Alister Mackenzie and Marion Hollins’s incredible 222-yard cover-star at Cypress Point on the Monterey Peninsula. But the two-year-old gem in Oregon is gaining prestige in a hurry. Just like its Californian counterpart, the Sheep Ranch version is probably the course’s most picture-worthy hole. And not only is it incredibly beautiful and a blast to play, but it also holds the distinction of being the westernmost hole in the continental United States — it’s about 300 miles west of Los Angeles believe it or not. During a recent visit to the resort, our writer Jim Street received some advice from his Bandon caddie, Sam, who shared and incredible story of a recent guest holing out from the 102-yard tee…with a putter! Allison Koehnke, from Salem, Ore., made her first ever hole-in-one when her ball struck that of her playing partner on the green and deflected into the hole. Jim joined our longtime writer Bob Sherwin on a recent USGA media trip to Bandon and dug up this fact about the Sheep Ranch being the beacon point of the west coast. We are glad that they did — this is good water cooler scoop.

UW supporters host tourney Aug. 13 at Echo Falls

OAKBROOK GOLF CLUB Open to the Public

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Monday-Friday 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Must cut out this ad and bring in to receive the special. Good through May 31, 2022

niversity of Washington Soccer Alumni will be hosting a benefit tournament called the DP Open Aug. 13 at Echo Falls Golf Club in Snohomish, Wash. The event memorializes past UW soccer star Daniel Phelps who lost his life to sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep in 2015. The successful event raises money by donating money to the Nick of Time Foundation to help them screen hearts at local schools, teach kids CPR and build awareness. For more information or to register for the event email adam@dpopen.com.

cascadegolfer.com

Oakbrookgolfclub.com (253) 584-8770 8102 Zircon Dr. SW Lakewood, WA 98498

JUNE 2022

cascadegolfer.com

Brigitte Fenton

College-bound Fenton wins June’s Duke’s Seafood award

t doesn’t happen very often, but occasionally we come across a nomination for the Duke’s Seafood Junior Golfer Scholarship that is so convincing, it’s obvious there’s no need to continue searching. Such was the impact that Coach Glen Walker’s endorsement of Auburn Mountainview High School senior Brigitte Fenton had this time. Coach Walker wrote in such glowing terms of the Trojan’s co-captain, and the team’s top player for the third straight year, that we’d only got a quarter of the way through his email recommending her before making the selection. We’d publish the whole thing if there was sufficient space, but just the opening lines were all we needed to know. “Brigitte is an amazing young woman who sets goals and strives to achieve them through persistence and hard work,” Walker wrote. “Brigitte is energetic, responsive, and consistently performs to the highest possible standards and works to be the best she can be.” Good start, but there was more, much more. “While in high school, and through her studies at Green River CC, Brigitte has maintained a 4.0 GPA,” Walked added. “She showed great leadership during the COVID shutdown organizing events, outings, and get-togethers so the team could get out, practice and play. She is so well-rounded, loyal, dependable, easy to get along with, has great integrity, and is always putting others before herself.” Those character traits, along with her academic and golf records (Brigitte has a 2.0 index and usually keeps it in the mid-70s), certainly got our attention, but it was this bit in Coach Walker’s email that settled the deal – “During her time at AMHS, Brigitte always gave back to the community as a volunteer. She completed numerous hours of community service volunteering in Seattle’s First Tee program, and she gets real pleasure in helping others.” Not surprisingly, John Moscrip of Duke’s Seafood who established the scholarship, was impressed. “Brigitte is exactly the sort of person we started the scholarship for,” he says. This fall, Brigitte heads to Whitworth College in Spokane where she will play golf and study Health Science with an emphasis in Athletic Training. If you wish to nominate a worthy young golfer or entity, please send you submission to stephens@ varsitycommunications.com and tonydear71@comcast.net — subject line Duke’s Scholarship Nominee. cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2022

SHORT GAME Innovator Mike Simpson’s new company RV2Tee.golf delivers a new option for golf travel

he simplest ideas are always the best ideas, and Mike Simpson had an absolutely doozy a couple of years ago. A successful entrepreneur based in Arlington who had owned and operated a number of businesses in his time, Simpson is both an avid golfer with a degree in Golf Management (he was the General Manager at Gleneagle Golf Course from 2011-13 and Golf Operations Manager at Swinomish in 2014) and a committed roamer who describes himself as a ‘full-time RVer’. Simpson had his lightbulb moment during a golf trip when thinking how he might combine his two passions. A lot of golfers enjoy visiting distant golf courses but it often comes with considerable travel and lodging expenses. Some, who share Simpson’s fondness for RVing, can certainly drive to the courses they wish to play (which has only increased in interest as a result in the boom of golf), but how does it work if there’s no RV park within easy reach of the course? What, thought Simpson, if those who preferred to

travel by RV were permitted to park their vehicles at the course they intended to play? And what if there was some national network of courses, managed and by a single curator, that offered this? Within short order, Simpson had signed up over 100 courses nationwide that were the first to offer the RV2Tee experience and this year he says the company is aggressively pushing for 1,000. It’s really a win-win for everyone concerned. The golfer/RVer is able to park and stay right on property which

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

S G O L F

JUNE 2022

C O U R S E

Online Tee Times and Web Specials

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

saves him/her both money and time, and the course, which is under no obligation to provide anything but a parking space, gets a direct link to a profitable demographic that is encouraged and, more often than not, willing to support its hosts through purchases and positive feedback. It effectively turns a bare rectangle of concrete into a money-making opportunity the club wouldn’t otherwise have had. RV2Tee certainly doesn’t stipulate a certain level of spending at host clubs, but the expectation that members purchase merchandise and eat in the club’s restaurant as well pay their green fees and then write glowing reviews or speak positively about the courses they visit is one of five etiquette guidelines RV2Tee hopes and expects its members will abide by. THE OTHER FOUR ARE: • Members will care for and respect the host property and will leave the facility in better shape than when they arrived. •

Host Partners may have various regulations or requirements for your stay. Please respect and honor those requirements.

•

Overnight stays are limited to 24 hours unless other arrangements have been made with the host.

•

You must have a self-contained, well-maintained RV. Hosts do not provide hookups or access to bathrooms unless otherwise specified.

The company’s web site (RV2Tee.golf) does actually say these guidelines will be ‘strictly enforced’ which seems a bit of an oxymoron, but Kevin Phillips, RV2Tee’s Chief Development Officer, says the golf/RV community is full of integrity and can be relied upon to responsibly hold up its part of the bargain. “I have not heard any complaints from our host partners about member etiquette,” he adds. “Since our target market is golf specific, and our marketing has emphasized that fact, I don’t anticipate any misunderstandings.” Membership costs $99 per year and gives RVers the opportunity to ‘Stay and Play’ at courses in the RV2Tee network. And they have access to the company’s app which not only conveniently lists the network courses but is also constantly being updated and improved with features the golfing RVer will find useful. cascadegolfer.com

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he 2022 Northwest Golfers Playbook is back. Here’s to saving some green while playing on some of the best greens in the region. Two new courses are included in this year’s Playbook, closer to the South-enders, with Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood and The Classic Golf Club in Spanaway now in the fold. With golf still going bonkers as the pandemic, we hope, continues to fade, the NWGPB offers a ton of savings at many of your local favorites. That includes some of the top courses in the state as well as your local favorites. Salish Cliffs, White Horse and Apple Tree also have something for you. And, how about some of those hidden gems that don’t get talked about enough? At Port Ludlow, you can get two rounds with a cart any day of the week for just $109 — a $30 savings over the rack rate. Eagles Pride? Get a foursome for $100 and save $40. Avalon? Get 25 percent off your 18-hole green fee. All 10 of the Premier-managed municipal courses are in the book and you’ll save $5 at each. The Nile? Foster? Camaloch? All three have an offer for you. We are coming off a two-year span with so many new players getting involved in the game. You can save on golf lessons at multiple locations including Puetz, GolfTec, Pacific Northwest Golfer Center and Snohomish Valley Golf Center (SVGC). And Puetz and SVGC have you covered on range balls, too. Deals on golf gear, apparel and more? Puetz Golf includes $10 in Puetz Bucks with the purchase of every Playbook in addition to their lesson, range and repair offers. If you live on the north-end, we have several tracks for you to hit up including Camaloch and Gleneagle and even something for you in Whatcom County with North Bellingham, Sudden Valley and Homestead part of the Playbook. For those looking to take it on vacation make sure you bring it if you’re headed to the Tri-Cities, Suncadia, Olympic Peninsula, Bellingham, Portland, Hood River, the Oregon Coast or Central Oregon. With more than 100 pages of golf deals, you simply need to use a coupon or two and you’re already in the black. The book is sold online for $39.95. Though readers can use the code SAVEBIGONGOLF to shave $5 off that, making a good deal even better. Pick one up at NWGolfersPlaybook.com and don’t be afraid to tell someone at the course you appreciate them being in the Playbook when you make your next tee time. Get out and play more golf! cascadegolfer.com

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SHORT GAME Pfeil-Johnson and Bethke-Abbott take first CG Cup at Chambers Bay, Gilje-Jones and Perot-Matson win at Washington National

ohn Pfeil and Eric Johnson, the final twosome off the Chambers Bay course on April 16, rose to first place in the net division of the 14th Annual Cascade Golfer Cup. Pfeil, an eight handicap, and Johnson, a 20, won the two-person, best-ball Stableford with 48 points, played in rainy, blustery conditions. Stableford is a different style of play from straight medal play. Instead of golfers recording as low a score as possible, they try to accumulate as many points as possible. The point values can differ in varying Stableford formats, but generally a par is worth two points. A birdie is good for three points, an eagle four, a bogey one and double-bogey or worse zero. You adjust the handicap for both players over 18 holes and hopefully finish with a ‘plus’ score – 36 points usually means you, or the team you’re part of, recorded a net par on each hole. In their case, the Pheil/Johnson team won handily, by four points over the runners-up. In the gross division, Bob Bethke and Todd Abbott took the trophy. Bethke plays to a near-scratch handicap while Abbott is a two. They collected 38 points to win by two. It’s the first time the Bethke-Abbott team participated in the 72-team competition. Pfeil and Johnson are veterans of the event. In fact, Pfeil, in a previous competition, notched a hole-in-one at Chambers’ 139-yard 15th hole (the one with the lone tree behind the green). Both Pheil and Johnson earned a golf package that will take them to Kaanapali Golf Resort/Royal Lahaina. This was the start of an eightevent competition that runs throughout the summer.

The Players Championship at Washington National results

n May 7 was the Cup’s second event — The Players Championship at Washington National. This was a two-person best ball on the popular home course for the UW. The net division winners were Alan Gilje and Lucas Jones. Gross division champs were Tanner Perot and Michael Matson. The competition returns to Chambers Bay for the Cascade Cup finale on Oct. 1 with a two-person, bestball. Each of the tournaments are a separate event with its own prize pool, including stay and play packages. The season standings will be used to crown a champion in both gross and net divisions. Prizes are given to all teams finishing in the top 10 in the gross and net divisions at every event and for the season. Join the fun by visiting CascadeGolfer.com and click the cup to see the remaining schedule.

JUNE 2022

cascadegolfer.com

2022

$50,000 In Prizes! Best Tournament Prizes at Top Tracks

Amazing Grand Prizes including Golf Packages to:

WIN

Tons of Twosomes • Salish Cliffs • Suncadia • Home Course • Apple Tree • Gamble Sands • Port Ludlow • Loomis Trail • Cedars at Dungeness • Eagles Pride

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Product Prizes Galore • Big Brand Drivers and Putters • Swing Caddie Launch Monitors • PING Anser Putters • Odyssey Putters • Leupold & Bushnell Rangefinders • Wedges • Golf Bags • Clicgear Carts • Titleist PROv1’s

Las Vegas

DON’T MISS OUT • SIGN UP TODAY! June 18 • Flag Assist Best Ball at Port Ludlow

cascadegolfer.com

July 9 • Michelob ULTRA Open at The Home Course Aug. 20 • Puetz Golf Shootout at Oakbrook Sept. 10 • Cascade Golfer Invitational at The Classic Oct. 1 • The Fall Classic at Chambers Bay WELCOMING

PRESENTING

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

SUPPORTING

SHORT GAME Bottoms up! Flag Assist is an ace

New Pacific Northwest product for courses, destinations and marketers takes the bottom of cup and flagstick to next level

ountless technological advancements in the sport of golf surround us at every turn — and have for decades. Golf clubs, shafts, grips, balls, bags, handheld electronic tools, shoes and even golf attire are in a never-ending evolution of improvement. All this has benefitted the golfer greatly. But as far as the flagstick and cup, there has not been a major overhaul of this equipment really to speak of. Frankly, there’s been no change to it in decades — until now. An Oregon-based visionary, named Vernie Santos, has changed all that with the recent unveiling of a new product called Flag Assist, which launched during the pandemic, and has attracted dozens of rave reviews. Mike O’Reilly, the Golf Operations Manager at Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisc., and the Badger State’s PGA Golf Professional of the Year in 2017, says employees and guests have been very pleased with how the product has performed on the golf course since the beginning of 2020. “It allowed players to finish the hole without touching the flagstick,” he adds. “And we found the product more versatile and better-made than other options in the market.” Tom Brodeur, superintendent at TPC Boston was likewise impressed. “It helped our members enjoy the golf course at a difficult time for everyone,” he says, referring to the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was nice that they were able to putt without the ball bouncing out of the hole.” And, PGA Professional Mike Raschko of Willamette Valley Country Club in Canby, Ore., goes as far as to say the club’s members have been “really excited” about the

JUNE 2022

product, adding that turf on the putting greens has held up much better since the club began using it. “Also, the majority of the members think it's very convenient not to have to bend over to retrieve their ball after holing out,” he says. What are they talking about? What is this product that is saving greens turf and helping golfers feel better during their round? Flag Assist is described as a ‘Patented, adjustable receiver cup that allows players to retrieve the ball without touching either the flagpole or cup.’ A former plumbing contractor and currently the Vice President of Business Development for Portland-based Aerial Inspection Resources, Santos says Flag Assist receiver cups became a vital tool in assuring golfers could complete a round safely during the pandemic when the USGA advised against touching the pin in conjunction with state, county, and local government policies. By positioning a Flag Assist Cup about two inches below the surface of the green, the ball stays in the hole every time and makes it easy for the golfer to retrieve the ball. Since the USGA guidelines have been lifted, however, and we have been able to touch the pin, golfers have discovered that by taking the pin out of the cup entirely they can retrieve their ball without having to bend over, which is a big deal for golfers of a certain vintage and those with suspect backs. What’s more, says Santos, repeated removal of the ball from a cup with the pin in place can deform the surrounding turf, cause the cup to shift, and even ‘dome’

the earth surrounding the cup. “However, Flag Assist allows players to lift the ball clear simply by lifting the pin out of the hole,” he adds. “This means they won't need to use external tools that could damage the green.” Flag Assist also helps keep the flag straight and centered in windy conditions and gives courses the opportunity to add branding and marketing. “The removable inserts at the top and bottom of the cups are customizable,” says Craig Pelzer a manager at Pelzer Golf, based in Clackamas, Ore., which sells, markets and distributes Flag Assist. Pelzer has supplied golf products (balls, gloves, tees, ball-markers, towels, cleats, bag tags, rangefinders, grips, club repair tools, training aids, umbrellas, ball mark repair tools, range supplies, etc.) wholesale to pro shops and other golfrelated businesses around the country since 1982. “The inserts are a great way to add custom messaging for events, tournaments, holidays, you name it.” Frankly speaking, the marketability of branding the inside of the cup is one of the most innovative opportunities on the golf course as all players reach the cup. Flag Assist was one of the most popular exhibits at the 2022 PGA Show in Orlando and the courses and marketers were crafting orders on the spot. Flag Assist attaches easily to the flagstick with no need to remove the flag, can be positioned at any height, is made to last from high-quality materials and comes with a one-year free replacement part warranty. To learn more visit flagassistgolf.com or pelzergolf. com and learn about the customizable opportunity available for your golf entity. cascadegolfer.com

SHOOTOUT AT

GAMBLE SANDS

Two Amazing Days of Golf at Gamble Sands WIN

Stay and Play Packages! PLUS ROUNDS OF GOLF TO:

Salish Cliffs • Home Course • Apple Tree • Suncadia • Loomis Trail • Trophy Lake • Gamble Sands

Including a round on the Quicksands Short Course

•

ADDITIONAL PRIZES: • PXG

Clubs • Bags • Clubs • Balls More!

• Rangefinders • And

EXCITING NEW FEE! $850-$950 PER TEAM INCLUDES: Two-Day Competition

JOIN US JULY 23-24 BEST GOLF WEEKEND OF THE YEAR! CONTACT: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com • (206) 778-7686

Two-Person Best Ball Net and Gross Divisions Daily and Overall Payout SPONSORED BY

SHORT GAME Corona Premier Shootout is two days of world-class two-person best ball and an action-packed weekend

f course, we’re going back — crazy not to after the success of last year, right? The inaugural two-day Corona Premier Shootout at Gamble Sands produced so many memorable moments we’re still talking about them in the office, and we suspect the 112 golfers that enjoyed the glorious summer weekend last year are still enjoying the memories too. Thirty-six holes on the incredible David McLay-Kidd-designed Sands Course, a trip around the 14hole Quicksands Course (and it was a ‘trip’), evening shenanigans on the Cascades Putting Course and lunch both days added up to the sort of event you remember for years and one that you should sign up for early this year to guarantee your place. This year’s event takes place on the weekend of July 23-24. The format will be the same as 2021 — two-person best ball with gross and net divisions and extra prizes for KPs (4), long drive and straight drive. Following play on Saturday evening, we’ll head to the rollicking Cascades Putting Course for Happy Hour and, with a cold Corona in one hand and your putter in the other, watch the sun going down beyond the mighty Columbia River and Cascade Mountains. There will be prizes for the top five teams daily in both divisions plus the top five overall in both divisions for the weekend. For those of you counting at home, that’s a total of 30 team prizes in addition to those for

CORONA PREMIER SHOOTOUT AT GAMBLE SANDS July 23-24, Gamble Sands Two-person best ball Saturday & Sunday Net and gross divisions Prize pool daily & total 4 KP’s, Long Drive, Straight Drive daily Saturday Corona Premier Happy Hour at Quicksands/Cascade Putting Course long and straight drives each day and several closest- tothe-pin prizes. The fee will be $850-$950 per team and includes the tournament entry and green fees, Saturday round at Quicksands, use of a cart, range balls, plus lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Lodging is available at the Inn but be sure to book it asap as it will go fast. Now go find a playing partner before you miss out on what promises to be the best golf weekend of the year. Go to CascadeGolfer.com to register

NEW ATTRACTIVE TOURNAMENT FEES! YOUR $850-$950 TEAM FEE INCLUDES Greens fees, cart, range & lunch Saturday & Sunday plus Saturday afternoon/evening round at Quicksands. Go to CascadeGolfer.com to register

The Corona Premier Happy Hour on Saturday evening at the Cascades Putting Course is a great way to chill with new friends and old.

The Quicksands course is rollercoaster golf fun.

Enter to Win a Classic GC Twosome

ne of the south end’s hidden gems, The Classic GC is one of the most underrated layouts in the NW. Grab a friend and enjoy a twosome from CG. Enter to win today at CascadeGolfer.com.

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2022

P R ESENTED BY

Since 1915, Jefferson Park GC delivers something unique for golfers — both old school and new

PROPERTY

Golf history at every turn high atop Beacon Hill

hrough it all — wars, a depression, recessions, urbanization, gentrification, pandemics and politicians — Jefferson Park Golf Course, high on Beacon Hill above Seattle, continues to cater to generation after generation of golfers. The venerable course that shaped Fred Couples’ game and once hosted the (1967) U.S. Amateur Public Links, celebrates its 107th year of existence in 2022. There have been many changes over the years as the neighborhood has squeezed it down to a tight 5,970 yards with six Par 3s. But it remains what it always was, a reliable short-game test. Land-use pressure has contributed to a unique rerouting of the first three holes of the back nine, all Par 3s — 142, 149 and 85 yards, respectively. Some of the facility’s biggest changes came 100 years after its 1915 opening with a number of course improvements. The practice area now features a two-tier, 48-station range and an 8,000-square foot clubhouse that includes a restaurant, banquet space and a classroom leased by the First Tee of Greater Seattle — a nod to the next generation. There’s also a nice Par 3 layout where locals can even play Foot Golf. The course has various ‘dynamic pricing’ deals that are especially beneficial to senior, super senior (75-older), military, twilight and even super-twilight golfers. It’s also a course where you can follow in the footsteps of celebrities — Joe Lewis, Tiger Woods, Ken Griffey Jr. and Michael Jordan have all played here, mostly in Fir State Golf Club (the nation’s second-oldest African American organization) events. For a different perspective, lifelong local resident Jimmy Pishue, who grew up on the course and has played it hundreds of times over the decades, gives his thoughts on the key questions.

A Bucket with lifelong Jefferson Looper • Jimmy Pishue

Toughest Tee Shot — 18th hole No. 18 (Par 4, 412 yards) up the hill. Trouble on the left and right. Long second shot into a postage stamp green. And No. 1 (Par 4, 446 yards). From the first tee, slice it and it could be on Beacon Avenue. Chance of hitting a car: Good.

Best Birdie Opportunity — 8th hole No. 8, (Par 5, 487 yards). Short Par 5 that is reachable in two.

Best Par 3 — 12th hole Just 101 yards (which is also the No. 18 handicap).

Favorite Hole — 17th hole No. 17 (Par 5, 490 yards). Dogleg right Par 5. Tree lined, downhill second shot. Reachable for longer hitters. Small green.

Emergency Nine — front or back? Play the Par 3 course. Lots of fun.

Jefferson Park Golf Course 4101 Beacon Ave. S. • Seattle, WA 98108 (206) 762-4513 • premiergc.com/-jefferson-park-golf-course Opened in 1915 • Course Designer Robert Johnston

Go-to lunch item on the menu — anything from the Beacon Grill smoker Sliced brisket, pulled pork, Mesquite turkey, Texas Red Hot, or smoked chicken.

HOLE

PAR

18 TOTAL 4

MEN

COURSE RATING

WOMEN

RATING

SLOPE

TEES

RATING

SLOPE 122

Blue

446 407 176 325 347 167 455 487 495 182 187 101 341 389 361 138 490 412

5906

67.6

113

Blue

73.3

White

365 370 156 308 316 138 418 475 467 167 178

335 375 324 125 480 377

5467

65.5

109

White

70.9

117

Red

327 338 138 248 281 102 373 452 421 142 149

327 346 282 112 447 333

4903

63.2

103

Red

67.4

112

JUNE 2022 2022 JUNE

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Renton’s long-awaited Topgolf range taking shape and reportedly to open in 2022

t’s getting closer and closer and soon the Seattle area will be added to the list of towns that get to claim to be Topgolf worthy. We’ve been patient, too. The long-awaited grand opening of the outdoor multi-decked Topgolf, located in Renton where retail and entertainment establishments are burgeoning, is just a few short months away. This article is not a formal record of the opening as the exact date is still not yet known. We have been working hard to get that information and as soon as it’s available we will share it with you.

However, we went down to the site in early May and spoke to some of the friendly construction workers and the feeling is the facility may be open by mid-summer. There’s been some reports in the local media that it may ever be open earlier. The progress is impressive and the towering range net stanchions can be seen for miles along I-405 and in the Renton Valley. Topgolf has been top news everywhere they open, and the amazing experience caters to avid golfers and first-time golfers alike. In fact, many industry experts credit the Dallas-based Topgolf company for encouraging new golfers into the sport with its fun and easy on ramp to the sport. Kirkland is home to an indoor Topgolf Lounge, which is growing in awareness and only stoking the fire of the new outdoor version to open. We will keep you posted here and on our Facebook page when the opening date is released.

May construction photos of Renton’s Topgolf.

Lalo Wiese, shown here, hits balls at a completed Topgolf in Overland Park, Kan.

Dates: Aug. 8-14, 2022 Location: The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge Field: 78 Champions Tour professionals Format: 54 holes of stroke play, no cut Purse: $2.2 million Par: 72 • 7,264 yards

Be a part of PGA Champions Tour history and volunteer at 2022 Boeing Classic at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge this August

ow many volunteer opportunities provide you the chance to keep score for a golf legend, drive a major champion to the airport, or walk 18 holes inside the ropes with the likes of Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and Mark O’Meara? Volunteer for the Boeing Classic and be a part of one of the most unique experiences in sports. You’ll play an integral role in staging the region’s premier golf tournament event, experience the camaraderie of working

JUNE 2022

alongside a terrific team, and showcase the passion and generosity of this community. This year’s event will take place once again at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge Aug. 8-14 — beautifully nestled into the Cascades and a chip shot from Snoqualmie Falls. The Boeing Classic has become a week that the Tour players look forward to each year and it would be impossible to sustain and improve upon such high expectations without the hard work and ‘can do’ attitude

exhibited by their volunteer base. This is a golden opportunity for you to fulfill a dream and make new friends at the same time. And spending a week at the world-famous Club at Snoqualmie Ridge is a bonus during the warmest month of the year here. We’d love to hear from Cascade Golfer readers about your experiences at the Boeing Classic. Interested? Visit BoeingClassic.com today and click on the volunteer button and play your part in Seattle golf history. cascadegolfer.com

RISK vs. REWARD Camaloch Golf Course

Hole No. 14 Par 5 463 yards (Black Tees)

By Simon Dubiel

The Setup

The Reward

This is one of those tee shots you think about all day, but in a good way. The slight dogleg left tee leads to the top of a hill where from the fairway you are staring down at a monstrous green, its fingers reaching out, daring you to give it a go. A total of six bunkers surround this green, some more penalizing than others. The green complex can create some very tricky pin placements and shots.

Holes 12 and 13 are no walk in the park at Camaloch and 15 and 16 can sink your round for sure. Fourteen is where you gotta get it, and it is set up for you to do so. At 463 yards it plays downhill making this reachable for most anyone that can find the short stuff off the tee and have the nerve to go hit a golf shot worth remembering.

The Risk

Final Call

Although it looks short on the scorecard, there have been plenty of times this hole has led to golfers muttering four letter words to themselves heading off the green. ‘With just 190 in how did I make 6?’ The answer is usually a nasty bunker shot or you got caught in the thick rough that surrounds the green. Both are worthy opponents and can produce costly third shots that quickly turn a birdie hole into a bogey.

If you find yourself sitting around two bills out and nothing but green grass in front of you, you are in the go zone. The downhill approach only makes it even more tempting. Middle of the green is a winner here. Then again, sticking something close always works too. As you know, two circles are better than one. Giddyup!

PRESENTED BY

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2022

IN THE

BAG PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

Summer products for off the tee, on the green and walking between both

e’re in full-swing mode now. The diehards, radicals and fanatics have been at it since January when snow lay on the ground or frost delayed starting times, and three or four layers were only just enough to survive all the way to the 18th green. Others joined in as the worst of the weather abated and the grass began to show signs of life once more. But now, as the sun finally seems set for another glorious Washington summer and temperatures soar all the way into the 60s and, dare we say, 70s. We are all emerging from our quiet, closeted clubhouses eager to do battle with this confounding game which continues to cause us a fair amount of frustration and distress but which provides more than enough glorious, memorable moments to remain firmly in the black with enough credit to keep us coming back again and again. Those that are just now returning to the links might not be aware how active the golf equipment industry has been so far this year, suffice to say the wheels have continued to turn despite the global supply chain issues that have wreaked their own brand of havoc. Manufacturers are still pushing envelopes coming up with innovative gear that enables us to enjoy the game even more than we already did and which guarantees a load more of those glorious, memorable moments. And Puetz Golf has got it all. Here are some of our favorite products that will help make it another great season.

JUNE 2022

SCOTTY CAMERON

2022 Phantom X Putters 1 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$429.99

ride of ownership is strong among Scotty Cameron users. Those fortunate to have one in the bag treat theirs much like Judge Smails did his own Billy Baroo in ‘Caddyshack’ — a revered, precisely engineered tool that evokes love and devotion. The Californian putter-maker, who introduced his first putter 31 years ago, released the original high Moment of Inertia (MOI) Phantom X mallet line in 2019. Since then numerous different models have been added to the family. This year, seven new shapes became available in April and three more will arrive in June. The majority of the Phantom X line combines lightweight, central 6061 aluminum bodies with steel in the heel and toe to create stable heads that refuse to twist at impact (propelling your ball offline), no matter how far from the sweetspot you strike the ball — obviously the closer the better but mallets, and the Phantom X in particular, give you a pretty big margin for error. The sole-plate X is designed to make it easy to set the putter squarely to the target and flush on the ground. The new putters feature a new, textured grip and new graphics, and the faces are milled 303 Stainless Steel that produces a firm, satisfying feel. The X5 and 5.5 have been redesigned and the X7, 7.5 and 12 updated. The X9 and 9.5 are brand new. Hi-Bend, lowbend and straight shafts together with multiple alignment styles make it easy to find a putter that fits you perfectly.

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

PING

Glide 4.0 Wedges

3 2

COBRA

KING Black Vintage and 3D putters 3

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$198.99

$249.99 Vintage, $349.99 3D

ING, founded by Seattle native Karsten Solheim who attended the University of Washington, began life making high-MOI putters, progressed to equally high-MOI irons (Eye 2, Zing, etc.), makes drivers with the highest MOI in the game (G425 MAX) and has also been making highly acclaimed wedges for many years. The Glide 4.0 replaces the Glide 3.0 (see how that works?) and is the best-looking Glide wedge yet with its blade styling and attractive Hydropearl chrome 2.0 finish which reduces glare as well as flyers from the rough in damp conditions. A wedge needs more than good looks though — these are the all-important scoring clubs after all. There are four grind options — Standard, Wide, Thin and high-toe ‘E’ that suit all swing shapes, angles of attack and different turf conditions (firm or soft and lush), and the soft 8620 carbon-steel body has an elastomer CTP insert that gives a soft, responsive feel at impact. The grooves in the lower-lofted clubs (46-, 50- and 52-degrees), which you typically use for full shots from around 70 to 110 yards, are milled with a 20-degree sidewall and a .005-inch edge radius while the higher lofts (54-, 56-, 58- and 60-degrees), used for shorter shots around the green, are milled to a .004-inch edge radius with a 28-degree sidewall to impart more spin. The new ‘Emery’ face blast adds texture to the clubface, creating more friction between the club and ball which produces more spin and a slightly lower launch which adds up to more control. Glide wedges are popular and we suggest you pick up yours sooner than later.

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

obra Golf has added black editions of its 3D and classic Vintage Series putters, identical to the original clubs except for the sleek, no-glare finish. The 3D putters were first introduced in May 2021 and were typical of the sort of highly adventurous and innovative clubs Cobra have been coming out with in recent years. The 3D putter features a 3D-printed, nylon, lattice cartridge created using HP’s advanced Multi Jet Fusion technology which sounds great but does perform an important role — optimize weight distribution within the putter chassis and, thus, increase the club’s MOI which, as we know, makes the club more stable and forgiving. In the 3D Series, the original Grandsport-35 plumber, SuperNova single-bend, and Agera single-bend models were joined by the Agera 30 and Supernova 20 and 30 at the end of April. And new hosel styles were added to the King Vintage Series line which appeared at the same time as the 3D line and features SIK Aluminum face inserts with Descending Loft Technology (DLT) as well as an Adjustable Weighting System that allows for simple weight adjustments (additional weights sold separately). The oversized mallet King Cuda, King Cuda-40, oversized blade King Widesport and oversize mallet King Stingray also became part of the King Vintage Series line which included the classic blade King Sport-45, King Sport-60, fang-shape King Nova, KING Nova-40, oversized mallet King Stingray and King Stingray-40. King Collection putters come standard with a Cobra SuperStroke Traxion Tour 2.0 grip and KBS Tour 120 shaft.

JUNE 2022 2022 JUNE

29 29

IN THE BAG

BETTINARDI

2022 Putters

CALLAWAY

Rogue ST Family 5

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Starting at $399.99

Drivers $549.99, Fairways $349.99, Hybrids $279.99 Irons start $144.99 per club

obert Bettinardi founded his putter company in 1998, building simple, elegant putters from a single block of metal while the major manufacturers used more elaborate methods to produce theirs. Bettinardi became the darling of OEMs designing clubs for many of them and introducing his beautiful milling patterns and sophisticated machining methods. As he returned to building putters under his own label, he teamed with son Sam who has become Vice President of a company that now boasts over 90 professional tournament wins. The current Bettinardi lineup has four styles for 2022 — BB, Inovai (6.0 and 8.0), Queen Bee and Studio Stock. The BB (Bob Bettinardi) family is made up of four handsome models built using 303 Stainless Steel instead of the carbon-steel of previous years and has an attractive PVD (PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition coating, also known as thin-film coating, is a process in which a solid material is vaporized in a vacuum then deposited onto the club’s surface) finish. The BB-1 is a classic Anser-style blade, the BB-8W is similar but shorter from heel to toe and wider from front to back, the BB-1F features a distinctive flow neck, and the simple mallet BB-46 has a beautiful curved back. The two Inovai series are made up of high-MOI mallets that combine 303 Stainless Steel with 6061 aluminum. The 303 Stainless Steel Queen Bee putters feature an attractive Rose Gold PVD finish. And Studio Stock, also fashioned from 303 Stainless Steel, feature Roll Control Face-Milling and a distinctive Diamond Blast finish.

JUNE 2022 2022 JUNE

here’s so much tech in the new Rogue ST MAX driver: Tungsten Speed Cartridge, Artificial Intelligence-designed Jailbreak Speed Frame, Triaxial Carbon crown and sole, etc. Callaway says it’s the highest MOI driver the company has ever made. The face is designed to remain stable at impact making it very forgiving. And the low CG makes it so much easier to launch the ball high. The family of drivers also includes the ST MAX D which, as the D suggests, is designed to promote a draw, the ST MAX LS (Low-Spin) that flies a little lower and without a draw or fade bias, and the 450cc (a little more compact) ST Triple Diamond LS which really reduces spin and launches the ball on a low, boring trajectory and is, undoubtedly, the better-player’s club in the Rogue ST line up. There are three fairway woods — Rogue ST MAX, Rogue ST MAX D and Rogue ST LS and four hybrids — Rogue ST MAX, ST MAX OS, ST MAX OS Lite and ST Pro. And no modern family is complete without irons. Callaway says the Rogue ST MAX iron is the longest it’s ever created and made possible by several innovations including 62 grams of tungsten that improves launch conditions and maximizes speed. The company’s patented urethane microspheres give the club amazing feel. The other Rogue ST irons are ST MAX OS, ST MAX OS Lite and ST Pro which features the ST MAX’s game-improvement technologies in a more compact, hollow-body head. The hollow construction brings an exciting trampoline-like experience with each strike.

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GOLF BALLS

Roll it and hole it with these 2022 high-tech golf ball models designed to improve optics and functionality.

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olf’s first five-layer ball, the TP5 has a low-compression core and four increasingly stiff layers whose interaction creates greater ballspeeds. Those speeds are enhanced by HFM (High-Flex Material) which is designed to absorb energy and rebound quickly. The Tour Flight dimple pattern and urethane cover help send it far but stop quickly on the green. Twelve evenly spaced graphics make it easy to see in different light conditions and easier to line up.

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KING LTDx 6 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

Drivers $449.99, Fairways $299.99 Hybrids $249.99

obra’s KING LTD driver, introduced in 2015, was built with input from scientists in the International Space Station and was the first driver to position the CG on the Neutral Axis — the imaginary line running between the center of the clubface and the back of the head. This gave it an optimal combination of ball speed, launch and spin. This year’s LTDx is the next zero-gravity driver and features PWR-COR Technology which positions a substantial amount of weight low and forward in the head for faster ballspeed and reduced spin. An additional tungsten back weight increases the MOI to help make the club more forgiving. Cobra’s famous E9 face which effectively increased the size of the sweetspot has become the AI-designed H.O.T. Face with multiple zones of varied thickness to increase ball speeds across the face. The standard LTDx is joined by the LTDx LS (Low Spin) for players with faster swing-speeds who want to work the ball and the very forgiving, highest-launching LTDx MAX. There are three fairway-woods, two hybrids, and the game-improvement irons feature a steel core bar behind the CG suspended in a soft polymer. Together, they create great ballspeeds and great feel. The PWRSHELL Face has a larger thin area, which increases ballspeeds when you miss the sweetspot and the L-shape cup face wraps around much of the sole reducing spin, raising your launch angle and increasing speed. A thick topline and generous offset is the game-improvement combo 20-handicappers and higher love to see.

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TAYLORMADE

Tour Response Stripe PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$39.99 per dozen

three-layer, Tour-quality ball with soft, low-compression core that helps boost ballspeed, a urethane cover that feels great and helps you generate spin around the greens, and a new dimple pattern that improves aerodynamics. The lime-yellow stripe wraps around the entire ball making it easy to line up on the greens and give you instant feedback on the quality of your roll.

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IN THE BAG ECCO

Biom H4

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$199.99

ong a mainstay of Ecco’s impressive range of golf shoes, the Biom has seen numerous updates and improvements over the years. The leather H4 comes complete with micro-perforated embossing and GORE-TEX waterproofing, MTN GRIP outsole for stability, FLUIDFORM Technology that creates a comfortable, lightweight sole, a smart PU midsole with TPU inserts for stability and grip, NATURAL MOTION Technology which brings your foot closer to the ground, X-TENSA INVISIBLE Technology which links the sole to the laces for stability, and an Ortholite inlay sole for comfort.

TREAT YOUR FEET FOOTJOY Fuel

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$129.99 - $159.99

stylish, lightweight, well-cushioned, waterproof shoe that, FootJoy says, delivers ‘max walkability’ with a full rounded toe and full fit across the forefoot and instep. A toe spring and a slightly narrow heel complete the athletic profile.

FOOTJOY Tour

Alpha

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he Tour Alpha is a waterproof, leather, full-on Tour shoe that features FootJoy’s proprietary Optimized Performance Stabilizer system.

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he latest Biom COOL PRO model comes with its own lengthy list of technologies that give ‘breathable comfort and exceptional performance with a contemporary, sneaker-style aesthetic’.

FOOTJOY

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Traditions

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$139.99

classic-looking shoe with full-grain leather for exceptional comfort, durability and style, and Pulsar LP cleats from Softspikes for great traction.

$199.99

he design of the S-Three emphasizes comfort and style, but there are several other technologies that deliver great stability, traction and waterproofing.

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$89.99

kechers’ patented Arch Fit insole system with podiatrist-certified arch support was developed with the help of 120,000-foot scans.

PRICING NOTE: Please check PuetzGolf.com or visit our locations for updated and final pricing of all products.

JUNE 2022

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o t h P y b b o R r y e P m /o c . r y e p b o r

Time to cast your ballot

o t h P y b b o R r y e P m /o c . r y e p b o r

Photo by Rob Perry / robperry.com

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WRITE IN AND

VOTE 1-10 2022 Cascade Golfer Top 10 Public Course readership VOTING NOW UNDERWAY

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

t’s about time we published our top 10 public courses in Washington again. We did so every two years between 2013 and 2019, but then COVID hit, throwing a very large and very unwelcomed spanner in the works. Having found our feet again, and with the pandemic a thankfully receding blot in the rearview mirror (being careful not to proclaim it extinguished just yet), we thought it the perfect time to remind everyone how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful corner of the country and one that enjoys a phenomenal amount of great public golf. You don’t really need us to remind you of that, of course, but everyone loves making and debating lists and it gives us the opportunity to publish loads of gorgeous photographs of beautiful golf courses. Lists and great photos are always a sweet combination. Five years ago, Gamble Sands knocked Chambers Bay off what seemed like its established position of No. 1 — where the Robert Trent Jones/Jason Blasi design that hosted the U.S. Open in 2015 had placed the first two times we ran the contest. We wondered if Gamble Sands would now take over as a perennial No. 1, but Chambers Bay came storming back in 2019 claiming the top spot once again -- no doubt a result of Director of Agronomy Eric Johnson replacing the old fescue greens that never really thrived with excellent poa annua surfaces that have settled remarkably well. We could be totally wrong (it’s happened before), but the only way we see Gamble Sands overcoming the 80vote margin from last time and taking back the top spot is through the addition of Quicksands, the incredible 14hole par-3 course that was designed by David McLay-Kidd (who had designed the original Sand Course, of course) and opened in May of last year. It’s likely Quicksands is an extra amenity for golfers who are already at the resort to play the Sands Course. But there may be golfers out there in Cascadia who have discovered what Gamble has to offer the other way round — coming for what they’ve heard is a rollicking good ride round and staying to play the original, which they discover to be their favorite course in the state, if not the country. We’d be willing to bet a decent-sized sum of money that Chambers and Gamble will be battling it out for the top prize again, but we’re very curious to see what hap-

cascadegolfer.com

pens after you all chime in. While the top two duke it out above them, the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain, seven miles west of Bremerton, and Wine Valley, nine miles west of Walla Walla, have had a similarly intense struggle for the No. 3 spot for several years with Gold Mountain winning the race within a race in 2017 and Wine Valley taking over in 2019. The difference between them last time was just 48 votes and, with both as strong as ever, who knows which way that scuffle will swing? Before considering the rest of the top 10, it’s worth pausing and reflecting on the variety of golf we see just in the top four. You have a course most would consider a genuine links; a treeless, high-desert layout overlooking one of the country’s mightiest rivers; a stereo-typical Pacific Northwest course that cuts through dense, evergreen forest, and another fast-running, treeless venue crafted on top of an old alfalfa field. This quartet is as good as pretty much anything else in the country, but we don’t have to go through security lines and sit in uncomfortable seats with no leg room for three/four/five hours to play them. Further down the 2019 list, we see more good courses that anyone from outside of Washington would envy us for (okay, New Yorkers, Oregonians, Michiganders, Floridians, Californians, North Carolinians, Chicagolanders and Arizonans might like a word). Suncadia’s two public courses — Prospector and Rope Rider are both exceptional rounds. Then there’s Salish Cliffs, Palouse Ridge, White Horse and Washington National. And we’ve not even mentioned Trophy Lake, the Home Course, Loomis Trail, or Desert Canyon yet. Or Druid’s Glen, Apple Tree and Indian Canyon. We’re asking industry experts, people involved in the golf industry and well, everyone we know what they think. What gets your vote? We’d like to collate as many votes as possible to get as clear and credible a result as we can. So, if you have a spare couple of minutes email your results to tonydear71@comcast.net and your voice will be heard. Simply send us your top 10 courses in order 1-10. Your name and contact info will not be published of course — we will only use the data you share. And, for ALL those that vote, we will put your name in a prize drawing for a Leupold Rangefinder, PING Putter, Dukes Gift Cards, NW Golfers Playbooks and more.

Email us your ranking of top public golf courses 1-10 at tonydear71@comcast.net today. We will draw randomly from the voters for these great prizes.

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Seattle’s new generation favorite son, Macklemore makes his mark on golf, Sounders, Kraken and in his community BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

ow did he get here? How did Macklemore, who admits to a destructive and addictive lifestyle growing up on Seattle’s inner-city streets, become a rapper with world-acclaimed hits and a slew of Grammy awards on his mantle? Talent. Yes. He can sing. He can compose. He can stir an audience. But there’s more. There must be more for a guy, born as Ben Haggerty, who matriculated through Garfield and Nathan Hale High Schools. It takes passion, irrepressible passion. He had to overcome the novelty of being a white rapper to prove he’s legit. He had to battle his self-confessed addiction to drugs and alcohol, honestly incorporating his struggles, even his relapses, into his music. He had to press on even when his long performances were short of people. He did it while taking on seemingly un-rappable, socially-conscious subjects like addiction (‘Starting Over’), gay marriage (‘Same Love’) and wanton consumerism (‘Wings’). His wife, Tricia, who has stood by him and supported him through all his rises and falls for more than 15 years, is the beneficiary of Haggerty’s extraordinary passion and dedication. The couple, married in 2015, now share their lives with their three children — two girls, Colette and Sloane, and newborn son Hugo. 42

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Seattle also has benefitted from his passion, especially its thrift stores and sports teams. Haggerty, as Macklemore, and music collaborator Ryan Lewis have performed in front of Mariners crowds since Ichiro was still a BlueWave. He wrote a charitable song (‘My Oh My’) dedicated to the late great team broadcaster, Dave Niehaus. He gave the Seahawks a private concert in 2014. The Seattle Sounders added him to its soccer ownership group in 2019 and this spring the Seattle Kraken brought him into its hockey ownership group. He has emerged as Seattle’s favored son. But how did he get here? How did a rapper find his way into a Northwest regional golf magazine? It’s no secret. It’s the same traits — the passion and indefatigable personality that carried him to the No. 1 song on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Best New Artist in 2014 also brought him to his first tee. He took up the game in 2017 and threw himself into it, as he is prone to do. He joined two local country clubs. His handicap has dropped to 11. This February, he was good enough to play as a celebrity partner with PGA Tour professional Lanto Griffin at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. And, as we’ve come to realize with any Ben Haggerty pursuit, he doesn’t just take something on, he envelops it in a way that doesn’t deny who he is or where he’s from. His fascination with golf has taken him back to his old Capitol Hill neighborhood, bricks and mortar. This spring, Five Iron Golf, which specializes in indoor golf entertainment centers around the country, opened its first West Coast location at 1125 11th Ave. on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Haggerty is the co-owner of the 12,000-squarefoot facility that features 12 TrackMan golf simulators. It caters to the casual golf fan and, basically, anything casual. No pretenses. No pretensions. Come as you are. Folks hit golf balls into a large flat screen that records not only swing speeds and hitting angles but shows where the balls end up on an animated golf course. You can play for improvement, entertainment or even for a coin or crypto in friendly competitions and environments. Haggerty, who is the Five Iron brand ambassador, likes the idea of making golf more accessible and less staid. “It doesn’t matter if you never played golf before or if you’re a scratch golfer, Five Iron’s mission is all about getting more people involved in the game,” Haggerty said in promoting the opening. “I love having them in my city and I’m excited to work with the team to grow the game.” He’d also love to have all those coming into Five Iron looking good, something that has taken the Seattle rapper into uncharted territory in the golf world. Through his golf apparel company — Bogey Boys which he started two years ago — Haggerty has turned modern golf fashion into a Wayback Machine with throwback styles from the 1970s and 80s. He loves the timeless style of, among others, the always elegantly dressed Arnold Palmer. His designs mix plaids, stripes, checkerboard and tartan prints with bold colors. He has become an instant icon, sort of the Pierre Cardigan of golf fashion. cascadegolfer.com

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the ceiling can’t hold us Some designs might remind folks of the late Doug Sanders who was often called The Peacock of the Fairways because of his colorful shirts and pink, purple and pumpkin pants. Haggerty’s apparel line opened for business in February of 2021. Sales have been so encouraging that he opened his first store Sept. 18 on Seattle’s Capitol Hill — 1523 10th Ave. — not far from Five Iron. It is appropriately located in the Goose Magees Vintage Mall as a thrift store occupies the bottom level. Another Seattle icon — Nordstrom — features his Bogey Boys apparel at two locations. In his own lyrical way, Haggerty composed a promotion video for his Bogey Boys business to appeal to the above-par golfer.

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This is for us For the golfer tired of going into a pro shop And coming out looking like everyone else For those who have a bigger imagination than a pair of khakis and a plain polo For the golfer who’s aware that they’ll never play like a pro But is certain they can dress better than most of them For the golfer who aspires to par But knows bogey isn’t bad either.

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When he launched the brand, Haggarty told Golf Digest, “I’ve always loved old school golf fashion, even before I was paying attention to the sport itself. How (golfers) were dressing in the 1970s and 80s — those outfits were fire compared to what’s on the PGA Tour or in an everyday pro shop now.” You won’t see any PGA Tour golfers working the Bogey Boys brand around Tour events, not yet anyway. It’s not because they don’t like his style. They do. He’s sent many of them gift boxes full of Bogey Boy hats, gloves, shirts and cardigans and they’ve praised his vintage vision. But they can’t publicly comment or display them because they are bound by long-standing and lucrative golf industry apparel contracts. That could change with industry shifts. “I don’t want to just have a quick moment here,” he told Forbes Magazine in March 2021. “We are building a sustainable brand. We want to build with people that want to look dope on a golf course, that want to help grow the game, that are like-minded and love the sport and our style of clothing. The 70-80’s golf era is what the brand is inspired by, but we also want to bring people together.” Haggerty’s journey has been full of doglegs, hazards, and blind shots. It may have been a circuitous and atypical journey but talent, determination and his passion have got him here. The old-school new guy is setting up the course with revised fashion standards. How long can it last? Who can tell? But as Haggerty and his team might say, “the ceiling can’t hold us”. cascadegolfer.com

Young Seattle golfer’s essay on Macklemore’s impact on his coming-of-age BY SIMON STEPHENS • SPECIAL TO CG

he bond between city and artist is something that is evident in both the work they produce and the image they project to the world. When an artist can bottle up art with community, magic can happen. For me, as a 21-year-old, Macklemore is doing just that. Music permeates the lifeblood of Seattle. The Puget Sound birthed artists in nearly every corner of the spectrum with a classic hip-hop star Sir Mix-a-Lot, to a legendary crooner like Bing Crosby, to the rawness and swagger of guitar great Jimi Hendrix. Seattle’s prominent counterculture gave wings to grunge music with bands like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Foo Fighters. They gave a voice to the youth of our region and Nirvana’s front man Kurt Cobain embodied that at the time. Those bands woke the world up to Seattle. For me and many, the next Seattleite to truly imprint their art into the greater cultural lexicon in a meaningful way was Macklemore. “Thrift Shop” was a defining moment in my middle school years for me and my peers. It was the sheer absurdity of the lyrics, the melody and short looping saxophone that drove the whole song. And of course, the visuals of the music video are iconic. Every aspect of it was like nothing else on radio or video at the time. Gone where mentions of expensive clothes and jewelry. The chorus (sung by the artist Wanz) is about going to the secondhand store with $20 and wondering what treasures can be acquired. A broken keyboard, a knee board, and of course that almost mythical leopard jacket. That fur coat is as synonymous with Macklemore as Prince’s heels or Kanye West’s pink polo. His style propelled him to super stardom, and I totally see his style in his Bogey Boys products. The brand even carries its own “Thrift Shop” inspired garb — evidenced by the leopard print turned in for a green Masters-like jacket. Ben Haggerty cares as deeply about connecting with his fans and community as much as he cares for his hip business ventures. A lifelong Seattle sports fan, Haggerty was able to fulfill a dream of owning professional sports teams with his stakes in the Kraken and Sounders. Though Macklemore’s music career has taken a breather, his influence and undeniable vibe can be felt in his new golf ventures and it’s obvious that he loves his hometown. He inspires me and played an important role in my “growing up” here in Seattle — and I dig his new duds, too. cascadegolfer.com

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Golfing evolution is now a revolution Millennial stars and stats bring new lifestyle and lift to the sport at an unprecedented clip

BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

n its surface, the scene was incongruent, beyond what anyone could have imagined from decades past. The backdrop was Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of the country’s most prestigious courses, flush against the blue Pacific and elegance of Carmel. Applause all around from the stylish and sophisticated gallery politely greet golf shots from players participating in the annual AT&T-sponsored tournament. The event is one of the oldest on the PGA Tour, dating back to when it was called the Clambake in the late 1940s. Crooner host Bing Crosby uniquely mixed in his Hollywood gents such as Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bob Hope, Phil Harris, Jack Lemmon, Glen Campbell, and Clint Eastwood with the Tour professionals. Then came the 2022 ‘Clambake’ last February and a distinctly discordant threesome sauntered down the famous par-3 17th ocean hole. In the middle of the trio, holding a microphone for an on-course interview, was CBS/Golf Channel’s Amanda Balionis. On her left was Quincy Hanley, otherwise known as Schoolboy Q, a black rapper from the streets of South-Central LA. On her right was Ben Haggerty, otherwise known as Macklemore, a white rapper from Seattle’s Central District. There was a time that dignified and decorous golf gatherings would have been reluctant to embrace these two fellas. Golf has had a long history of blocking participation from women, from folks of color, from those of certain lifestyles, certain regions or certain religions. There also was a time when those rappers, put off by the game’s prohibitions, would have declined to participate and even expressed disdain to be even seen at such plush places. But here they were, not with vengeance but with reverence. “Coming from where I’ve come from, the life that I had, I never thought about playing golf,” Schoolboy told Balionis. “When I got to it, it changed my mental outlook. It helped me learn about myself as a person. It fixed my attitude in life; it fixed a whole lot of things about me in life.” He talked about how the game humbles you and how it becomes even a spiritual pursuit. “Accepting what you just did,” he says, “and letting it go.” “Life is a golf game. Some good shots, some bad shots,” he added. “But more importantly, keep going because you never know. Don’t give up because you’re

JUNE 2022

in the sand on your fourth shot because you might chip it in.” Macklemore, who picked up the game just four years ago, added, “this game is amazing. It’s not one of those sports that you can just pick up right away. It takes a little bit before you get that first dopamine hit of a great shot.” Like Schoolboy, it didn’t take long before Macklemore was hooked. He belongs to at least a couple Seattle area country clubs and tries to get his golf fix between his gigs and family time, as he and his wife welcomed their third child last fall. These two are among the new faces of golf, tats and all. More communities and more minorities are being represented. One reason suggested for the resurgence is that many were brought into the game amid COVID restrictions the past two years. Folks came to accept that the game is safe, accessible, and competitive for people of all backgrounds, genders, classes, races and musical tastes. No longer the domain of the male country-clubber, it is pushing past barriers and approaching, dare we say, the game of the people. “I think that in general we need more people playing. We need more accessibility. We need to really just open up the floodgates,” Macklemore said. “And make sure that all people can play, that courses are affordable, that equipment is readily available to those who need it, and we get youth out there enjoying this amazing sport.” Macklemore has been so taken by the game that he created his own golf clothing line, Bogey Boys (see our feature here). Its fits and patterns harken back to a time when he wasn’t there, the 1970s. The decade before he was born. Curiously, it was a time when golf was perhaps its most insular. His line features Arnold Palmer-like five-button cardigans, Nick Faldo-like checkerboard patterns and solid bold-colored Tony Jacklin-like pants. His fashion statements, in which he also mixes in cheetahs and cherries, have been received well, he says. Much like everything associated with the game at this stage. Golf’s virtues are being revealed. According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of golfers who played a round in 2020, the last full available statistical year -- and first COVID year -- was 24.8 million. That’s a two percent increase over the previous year and the largest net increase in 17 years. The biggest increase was with beginners and young golfers.

Schoolboy Q

The average number of rounds played by golfers in 2020 was 20.2, the highest ever. It ended an overall steady decline for the past two decades. Women participants had the biggest increase in five years, up eight percent. Golfers in their 30s and golfers in their 60s both played about the same number of rounds. Millennials (born 1981-96) now make up a third of all golfers. Through July last year – when the golf season was at its peak — rounds were up 16.1 percent over the previous year, according to the NGF. Over the past two years of this bleak pandemic period, the golfer population has increased by 800,000. Another 12.1 million people participated in ‘off-course golf activities.’ These are driving ranges, indoor simulators, and the blossoming Topgolf business (an outdoor Topgolf facility opens this year in Renton). More than 50 percent of those who do Topgolf say they are not golfers. But it is likely an entry point for a more expansive, on-course golf experience. Golf manufacturers sales are soaring, pushing $3 billion annually. Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and the PGA Tour Superstore are all looking at huge increases, year over year. Forbes said the Superstore’s sales are up more than 70 percent over the past two years. Unfortunately, as Macklemore laments, the higher cost of equipment can be a barrier to participation for some. TV viewership for golf, no doubt helped by COVID cabin fever, jumped last year. The 2021 Masters’ telecast was up 69 percent while the last day of the U.S. Open was up 76 percent in the ratings. These numbers are not confined to the U.S. The whole world is riding a wave of golf expansion, especially South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Australia and parts of Europe (Saudi Arabia is attempting to buy up the sport with its heavily financed new golf league to rival the PGA Tour). Just this year’s Tour winners reflect not just the array of countries involved but also the tender ages of the winners. Among the early-season winners were: Sungjae Im (South Korea, age 25), Hideki Matsuyama (Japan, 25), Lucas Herbert (Australia, 26), Viktor Hovland (Norway, 24) and Joaquin Niemann (Chile, 23), the second youngest winner in the 53-year history of the Genesis Invitational. Whether it’s boomers, millennials, X Gens, Xennials, crooners or rappers, we are all mixed together within our odd-fellow mainstream. cascadegolfer.com

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John and Duke Moscrip

Our follow up to GREAT 19TH HOLE GASTRONOMY no matter where you play in Washington state

he proximity between several Puget Sound golf courses and the legendary Duke’s Seafood restaurants has been a long-running championship-caliber combination. From Tacoma’s world-renowned Chambers Bay Golf Course, site of the 2015 U.S. Open, to the little par3 course at Green Lake in north Seattle, any given day pursuing birdies and perhaps even an eagle or two, can be a memorable experience topped off with some crab cakes and/or a bowl of yummy clam chowder at a nearby Duke’s Seafood restaurant. Golf and Duke’s Seafood Restaurants have been a working tandem for years. That makes perfect sense as golf was a huge part of co-owner and COO John Moscrip’s life. He started in the junior golf program at age 10, played in high school and earned top honors on the varsity team at the University of Washington. After graduating from the UW, he went on to play professionally and later joined his father in the family business and seven years ago started a scholarship program for local youth, which has awarded over $25,000. “Golf is a difficult game,” said John, a member at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club, site of the annual PGA Champions Tour Tournament, “but I think the rewards are worth it.” It was 50 years ago this year when John’s dad Bill “Duke” Moscrip invested in Ray’s Boathouse. Going forward, he helped turn it into what is now one of the most 48

JUNE 2022

Duke’s Seafood Green Lake

BY JIM STREET • SPECIAL TO CG

popular seafood restaurants in the Puget Sound. Duke opened the first “Duke’s”, on Lower Queen Anne Hill in 1976, and the rest is history. Along with Green Lake, the current Duke’s Seafood/ golf course connection includes: Alki (West Seattle Golf Course), Bellevue (not far from the Bellevue Golf Course), Kent (Riverbend Golf Complex), Tukwila (Foster Golf Links), Seattle (minutes to a handful of courses), and Tacoma (about 10 minutes from Chambers Bay). Many of the dishes available at all seven Duke’s Seafood Restaurants in the Puget Sound area have won awards for being the best. “It’s no secret that I love salmon, I mean I really love it,” Duke said. “It’s one of my favorite things in the world to eat — breakfast, lunch or dinner. I will always love wild Alaskan salmon. But if I had to pick a second favorite, I’d go with Dungeness crab. This is a love I share with my Executive Chef, ‘Wild’ Bill Ranniger.” John also shares his family’s passion for the restoration of wild salmon. Each year, he leads members of Duke’s restaurants in hands-on activities to restore riparian zones such as the stretch of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, which is the only western Washington waterway with only wild fish (no hatcheries). And lest we forget the crab cakes — a fan favorite. They are near the top of the “most wanted” dish on the menu. Duke credits the popularity of the item to a lesson his chef/friend learned as a kid. “Don’t over-complicate something that is already delicious.”

Using fresh Dungeness crab meat, herbs from the garden and simple, flavor seasoning mixtures created a crab cake that is better than good. “It’s epic.” And so is Duke’s Seafood restaurants. Among the passions that keep John busy these days — and many days prior to now — are running the seven Duke’s Seafood restaurants as they build back coming out of the pandemic. “I am blown away, but not surprised in the least, with what John has had to overcome in steering his company and teammates through the pandemic,” said Cascade Golfer Publisher Dick Stephens — the Moscrip’s partner in the Duke’s Junior Golfer Scholarship. “I have known John and Duke for a long time, and I was so impressed with how they took care of their employees, their fanbase, clung to their sustainable and fresh culinary values despite long odds that faced restauranteurs the last two years. And they stood next to the scholarships when kids needed them the most,” said Stephens. “These men walk the walk, pay it forward and exude humility, class, character and sincerity. I am proud to call them my friends and their seafood and libation menus they keep rolling out truly rock.” In addition to Duke’s, we offer the following amazing Foodie Fare-Ways options for your consideration all over western Washington. No matter where you are north, south, east or west of Seattle, you’re never far from 19th hole comfort food. There’s always first class fish, steaks and chops and Northwest wines, beers and sprits to savor as you count your strokes for the day. cascadegolfer.com

Apple Tree Grill

The House of Seven Brothers

GREATER SEATTLE

EASTERN WASHINGTON

Duke’s Seafood Restaurants

Cedars at Dungeness & 7 Cedars Casino

DUKE’S SEAFOOD Locations: Alki, Bellevue, Green Lake, Southcenter, Kent Station, Lake Union and Tacoma DukesSeafood.com Chef: “Wild” Bill Ranniger Menu: dukesseafood.com/menus/dinner-menu What makes it cool: For almost 50 years, Duke’s Seafood restaurants located in or near Seattle have been the go-to place for a memorable lunch or dinner — from as far south as Tacoma, east as Bellevue, west as Alki and north as Green Lake. There are seven current locations, all serving some of the best seafood delicacies you’ll ever experience. After all, it recently received the highest seafood restaurant rating in the State of Washington by Fish2Fork, a leading evaluator of worldwide seafood restaurants, garnering a 4.5 out of 5, the highest rating in the world. Furthermore, Duke’s was awarded a 100 percent sustainable seafood volume compliance rating from Smart Catch, a program designed to promote sustainability and raise consumer awareness regarding sustainable seafood options. Their die-for crab cakes, along with the delicious and award-winning bowl of clam chowder, stand out on the menu. Ranniger has mastered the crab cake, using Dungeness crab meat, herbs from the garden and simple, flavorful seasoning mixtures.

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OLYMPIC PENINSULA

THE HOUSE OF SEVEN BROTHERS Location: 270756 US-101, Sequim, WA 7Cedars.com Chef: Jet Katterhenry Menu: 7cedars.com/dining

Apple Tree Golf Club APPLE TREE GRILL Location: 8804 Occidental Rd. #9637, Yakima, WA AppleTreeResort.com Managers: Tara Trudeaux (Front of House); Mario Alfonzo (Back of House) Menu: appletreeresort.com/menus What makes it cool: Once you have played the spectacular 18-hole layout that appropriately features an apple-shaped green basically surrounded by water, it’s time to relax, reflect on the round and enjoy the cuisine offered at Yakima’s exquisite golf club. The Apple Tree Grill features a nostalgic theme that brings to life Apple Tree’s homegrown heritage in farming the orchards surrounding the golf course and throughout the West Valley. “Our Applewood Smoked Prime Rib dinner is one of our most popular items,” said manager Tara Trudeax. “It is considered the ‘House Specialty’ and is lightly smoked with Applewood chips, and horseradish.” Side dishes include the choice of seasonal vegetables, baked or mashed potato, salad or homemade soup of the day. Overlooking the golf course, from the inside or on the deck, adds to the overall experience. Photos decorating the walls and the antique orchard tools that were used on-site more than 90 years ago is like taking a trip through history.

What makes it cool: Besides having former Huskies quarterback Sonny Sixkiller as the face of an annual and popular charity golf tournament, there is enough crushed crab at any of the dining choices to feed a small army. The 7 Cedars Casino and 18-hole Cedars at Dungeness — part of the same tribe and the place to go on the Peninsula — are a hop, skip and jump away from each other and the course itself is recognized as “driest golf course in the Northwest”. The Double Eagle Steak & Seafood Restaurant at the course is the prime eatery, sharing accolades with The Crab Shack, an ideal pit-stop on the course, and Stymies Bar & Grill, home of the popular Elk Burgers that are 80 percent elk and 20 percent beef. At the casino, fine dining at The House of Seven Brothers is memorable. Inspired by the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe’s immemorial connection to local waterways the menu features locally-sourced seafood, produce, and protein from fisherman, farmers, and ranchers across the Olympic Peninsula.

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NORTH PUGET SOUND

Angel of the Winds Casino Resort WHISKEY PRIME STEAKHOUSE Location: 3438 Stoluckquamish Lane, Arlington, WA AngelOfTheWinds.com Chef: Chandler Dehl Menu: AngelOfTheWinds.com/Dining What makes it cool: There isn’t a golf course within one of Bryson DeChambeau’s booming drives, but the Angel of the Winds Casino, located just off I-5 north of Seattle, offers a unique combination of golf and cuisine. Imagine having a bite to eat prior to playing a round of golf at such courses as Gleneagle (35 miles), Avalon Golf Links (28 miles), Cedarcrest (29 miles), Battle Creek (27 miles) and Overlook (50 miles), or a post-round meal after some birdies, bogies and perhaps an eagle. And, if you are playing some of the fantastic courses in Whatcom County, this is the place to stop on your way home to Snohomish or King County. And, if you are looking for a stay-and-play regardless of your handicap, two simulators at “All Things Sports” on site puts your mind in a long-drive or short-putt mood with a “practice” round.

JUNE 2022

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Whiskey Prime Steakhouse at Angel of the Winds Casino Resort

The Casino offers a variety of places to eat, including the quick-serving Katie’s Kitchen – ideal for golfers on the go. But one of the most popular culinary stops anywhere within 20 miles of the casino is Whiskey Prime Steakhouse. They feature their own barrel-aged whiskey, incredible prime cuts and seafood that will be on “par” with anything you might find in downtown Seattle. Angel of the Winds is truly aligning themselves as a golfer’s casino.

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JUNE 2022

In the “Sun Belt” CASCADE MOUNTAINS Suncadia

At The Golf Course

Voted #1

in Washington for Best Value by GolfAdvisor.com Featuring some of the best and most well maintained greens in the area!

Located in the Sunbelt of Western Washington We receive less rain during the wet season and less heat during the summer

Offering Discount Punch Cards No Expiration

SWIFTWATER CELLARS Location: 301 Rope Rider Drive, Cle Elum, WA DestinationHotels.com/Suncadia-Resort Chef: Taylor Widrig Menu: swiftwatercellars.com/dine

What makes it cool: Assuming all the snow in the Cascades has melted, the skiers have packed their winter gear away and the word “Fore” echoes through the Suncadia Resort, visiting golfers can conquer their appetite at several eateries in the area. First, choose your golfing pleasure at one of four nearby courses — Tumble Creek, Prospector, Rope Rider, and Sun Country, a layout where you can drive your recreational vehicle to a nearby RV Park, take out the sticks and play away. And after you have brought any course to its knees (or not) there are several dining choices, including Swiftwater Cellars’ All-Day menu that features among other delicacies, the Kobe burger Wagyu with white cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, roasted garlic aioli, on a brioche bun. For an afternoon round of golf followed by a relaxing dinner, a good choice would be the 20-ounce bone-in New York steak with fingerling potatoes, mushrooms and black garlic sauce. As you can imagine, there is an amazing variety of wines to choose from.

Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham’s Hidden Gem

Remember, we’re only 15 minutes from I-5exit #212, in the “Sun Belt” on Camano Island. Like us on Facebook

Camaloch Golf Course

(360) 387-3084

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JUNE 2022

For tee times and best rates visit our website at

suddenvalleygolfcourse.com

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SAVE SOME GREEN

Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course • Fall City

Whidbey Golf Club • Oak Harbor

Whidbey Golf Club OAK HARBOR

About the only thing that might be as good as playing Whidbey Golf Club is getting there. The 61-year-old facility is situated on the north end of the island in beachy Oak Harbor, one of the most popular spots in the state. Coming from the Seattle area, folks can take I-5 to the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry for a 20-minute ride across the Sound. Then it’s another 45-minute drive to Oak Harbor, a beautiful pastoral route past Freeland, Greenbank, Ebey’s Landing and Coupeville. Or you can continue north on I-5 (or south from Bellingham/Vancouver, B.C.) to SR 20 west and come onto the island over the Deception Pass Bridge, an awe-inspiring sight. Then it’s just another 15 minutes to the course. Whidbey is semi-private which works well not just for local members but also visitors. Locals have access to the course each day until 1 p.m. when the tee-sheet opens to the public — ideal for visitors who spend the morning traveling. “It’s a nice destination for the weekend,” says Arik Dahlen, Whidbey’s general manager. “There’s a lot of stay-and-play places and five or six hotels in the area.” Something else that’s really attractive about the course is that it drains well. And even if there’s a downpour in much of the Puget Sound area, there’s a good chance of a dry round as Oak Harbor 54

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Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course FALL CITY

is in the Olympic Mountain Rain Shadow — the area receives around 19 inches of rain annually which is about half of the rest of the region. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean your golf ball is guaranteed to stay dry. “Water is in play on almost every hole,” says Dahlen. “It’s a very good everyday play. You have to miss in the right spots on the greens which have some tricky hole locations. There’s a lot of risk/reward shots, and you’ll have to use every club in your bag — not just your driver, 8-iron and wedge. There’s good character to it.” Dahlen adds there are at least a couple holes that you’ll remember on your pleasant ride back home — the 8th, a short par 4 of 244 yards that curls around a large lake, and the 414-yard 12th where you’ll face all sorts of water and tree issues, especially as you near the green. Dahlen says the course enjoys a long list of loyal members, and visitors. “Absolutely,” he adds. “We have a lot of repeat customers.”

Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course, much like most golfers’ games, is never the same, always changing. “We’re always trying to make improvements,” says David Doty, the course’s director of golf, who has been at ‘SnoFalls’ for 29 years and has seen a myriad of changes. “We’re always moving.” The course, which sits in a flood plain adjacent to the Snoqualmie River, has undergone extensive irrigation improvements over the years. It has been lengthened and now measures 5,900 yards from the added blue tees. There’s also a new name for its eatery — ‘the Slapstick Grill’, with improved menu items and the latest microbrews. “We came out of the winter just fine,” says Doty. “We’re building a new tee (No. 3), and the course is in great shape. The greens are in wonderful condition. I’d put our greens up against anyone’s.” Like so many other golf courses, public and private, Doty says that during last year, and continuing this year, folks are playing the game in abundance. “Golf has grown like crazy here.” He adds. “I had no idea it would go up that much after the pandemic. We’re seeing a lot of new faces now becoming regular faces. They’re discovering us. It’s their golf course.” What keeps these new golfers coming back are some of the lowest green fees in the area and the companionship of the course’s clubs. SnoFalls has a Men’s Club, a Ladies Club and a Club At The Nation that’s a mix of all.

YARDAGE 4,207-6,537 yards RATES $$31-$57* TEL (360) 675-5490 WEB whidbeygolfclub.com * Check website for current rates

YARDAGE 4,767-5,900 yards RATES $32-$47* TEL (425) 222-5244 WEB snoqualmiefallsgolf.com * Check website for current rates cascadegolfer.com

cascadegolfer.com

JUNE 2022

SAVE SOME GREEN Lake Chelan Golf Course • Chelan

Desert Aire Golf Course • Mattawa

Desert Aire Golf Course MATTAWA

When you think of a destination golf course experience there’s those little things that you want to see that make it special or worth it. Water features, nice sand, maybe a mountain, desert, links or a parkland layout that separates it from the tracks you beat on in your hometown. Of course, you want something with lots of sun, warmth, friendly staff, and easy to get to. Then, if you’re really looking for some sweet amenities, it would be cool if the golf getaway had RV parking and its own airport. So, when you find a place that ticks all those boxes, top locales like Sunriver (Ore.), Sand Hills (Neb.) or the finest course in all the land Pine Valley Golf Club (N.J.) come to mind. Well, a not-so-secret golf course right here in Washington state has nearly all the aforementioned features — and a lot more — and it’s less than three hours away from metro Seattle. Desert Aire Golf Course in the little central Washington town of Mattawa has long been a favorite of golfers that live and visit there since the first nine holes opened in 1972. The 18-hole championship course, which plays at nearly 6,500 yards from the tips, is tucked into the sand and sage in the desert and runs along the mighty Columbia River. Known for its meticulous grooming and maintenance it’s been ranked as one of the top public courses in the region. The layout promotes course management, true shot-making and rewards players who play with their head -- not their heart. But your heart will be pounding on this original Jim Krause design — punched up with some lovely tweaking by one of our favorite architects Dan Hixon, widely known for course designs at Bandon Crossings, Wine Valley Golf Club and others. Desert Aire is the recipient of accolades 56

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Lake Chelan Golf Course FALL CITY

from Golf Digest, Northwest Golfer Magazine, Washington Golf Guide, and the Central Washington PGA. We at Cascade Golfer love this track and it’s a favorite in our Northwest Golfers Playbook with great offers each year. The course features a driving range, practice green, full-service pro shop for fitting, club repair, apparel, equipment, golf cart storage and concessions. Those that live at Desert Aire swear by the place. And, as we mentioned above, it has its own airstrip, which is cool. You can save some green here all the time as it’s easy on the pocketbook (under $50). It’s worth the drive from Seattle for just a day tripper round and is a perfect place to stop if you are heading east to play or picking off the top spots in central Washington for a getaway. A great review is worth its weight in gold and Desert Aire gets 4.5 out of 5 stars on GolfPass. Here’s a recent review that is worthy of publication. “When driving from Seattle to the Tri-Cities I have passed Desert Aire many times and never stopped and played. I guess I just had low expectations because it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere. Wow, glad I stopped. I found it very fun, well-manicured and well-maintained. The greens were perfect. The fairways were lush, and the ball sits up nicely. Now that I’ve discovered Desert Aire, I will be stopping by again for sure.” Put this one in your queue for 2022 and share your experience with us after you put Desert Aire to the test yourself — we’d love to hear about it.

From start to finish, Lake Chelan Golf Course is a test of both distance and precision. The 6,459-yard layout opens with the longest par 5 on the course, 531 yards from the white tees (the yellow tees provide a better birdie break at 463 yards). Then, after weaving through the picturesque course adjacent to the most scenic lake in the state, you finish with perhaps the most challenging of the four par 3s, the 182-yard 18th. It’s a bit unusual to finish a round with a short hole, but it’s not easy. It’s uphill, which means you’ll need more club to reach the green. There’s water on the left, trees throughout and the green is pretty small. Plus, you are under pressure to finish strong because that’s where people collect with refreshments and retorts. The course was developed in the mid-1960s as a private club to serve a local resort community but was turned over to the City of Chelan in 1970. The facility is run by local legend Jim Oscarson who graduated from Chelan High in 1985, was hired by the course in 1991 and became Chelan’s head golf professional in 1994. He has taught thousands of Lake Chelan golfers over the years and was the coach of the Lake Chelan High School golf team for 16 years. The club has a ‘traditional’ feel to it, with tree-lined fairways, light rough and small, elevated greens. Those greens are its best defense — lightning fast in the heat of summer. Lake Chelan is a great test, but the views of the lake and surrounding mountains might be its best quality. The lingering winter has affected the opening and maintenance of the facility, but folks are ready to play. Coming out of the COVID-19 restrictions (the course was shut down for nearly three prime months in 2020), Lake Chelan had its best season ever in 2021, and it’s expected to do even better in 2022.

YARDAGE 5,233-6,490 yards (PAR 72) RATES $36-$42* TEL (509) 932-4439 WEB doaa.org * Check website for current rates

YARDAGE 5,058-6,459 yards RATES $$41.15-$59* TEL (509) 682-8026 WEB cityofchelan.us/golf-course * Check website for current rates cascadegolfer.com

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JUNE 2022

P R ESENTED BY

Bandon Preserve at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Are we coming up ‘short’? Par 3 courses are popular

BY THE NATIONAL GOLF FOUNDATION

re we in the midst of a short course movement in golf? The attention given to certain new par 3 layouts can make it seem that way. Last year, six of the 19 course openings were par 3s, among them the Staple Course at PGA National Resort & Spa in Florida, Tiger’s complete rework of the Hay Course at Pebble Beach in California, the 14-hole QuickSands Course at Gamble Sands in Washington, and The Baths at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin. Go back a little further and you’ll remember some other par 3 courses that have gotten a lot of ink, places like Bandon Preserve, The Sandbox at Sand Valley, The Playgrounds at Bluejack National, the Gimme at The Concession and Top of the Rock at Big Cedar Lodge. You can see why folks are noticing and saying ‘Hey, what’s going on here?’ Do these high-profile properties constitute a ‘movement’? Yes, in a way. At least when it comes to some high-end resorts and private clubs choosing to broaden the experience, they offer by adding high quality par 3 courses to their existing facilities. On the other hand, consider that during golf’s supply correction over the past 16 years the number of par 3 courses declined by 26 percent in 18-hole equivalent courses compared to a reduction of 11 percent in regulation length courses. Executive courses are only a little more likely than regulation courses to have closed. There are 13 percent fewer of them since the

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correction began in 2006. Part of this is because of the nature of the operations that shut down; rather than the beautiful par 3 courses we see pictures of at golf destinations, many were value-priced and more likely to be barely, if at all, profitable. In these cases, as with most closures, it’s likely that the land became more valuable for redevelopment than the golf business sitting on top of it. Does this mean that we are running out of ‘short’ courses in America? No, we are not. There are 1,538 par 3 and executive golf facilities in the U.S., or one out of 10 of all golf facilities. In this ‘short course’ category, executive facilities outnumber par 3s around 3 to 2. Despite all the examples cited above in which short courses were added to existing facilities, 84 percent of executive facilities are ‘stand-alone,’ as are 69 percent of all par 3s. The business case for short courses is straightforward: Americans generally desire less time-consuming offerings just about everywhere. And the complaint that golf ‘takes too long’ has been around for, well, a long time. While there is a market for short courses, the quality of the experience is likely as important as the ‘length’ of the experience. To be successful as businesses, short course operators need to pay attention to the quality of their golf experience, inside and out.

Enter to Win — PGA Champions Tour Boeing Classic Day and Northwest Golfers Playbook iving away this prize last issue was so fun, we are doing it again. Enjoy saving green all summer with the Northwest Golfers Playbook and get out to the Boeing Classic in August on us! Enter to win at CascadeGolfer.com.

JUNE 2022

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Cascade Golfer June 2022

Articles inside

Short Game

Publisher's Pitch

Corona Premier Property

Risk VS Reward

Puetz Golf • IN THE BAG

Golfing evolution is now a revolution

Young Seattle golfer’s essay on Macklemore’s impact on his coming-of-age

Bogey Boys Ben

FOODIE FARE-WAYS - Part 2

Post Game

Save Some Green

2022 Top 10 WA Public Courses