Cascade Golfer August 2021

VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 4 • AUGUST 2021 • COMPLIMENTARY

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PUETZ SUMMER PRODUCT PICKS Jeff Coston is a NW legend Cascade Golfer celebrates 15 years Celebrity Q & A with Kasey Keller Making a dream trip reality N O RT H W E ST GO L F N E W S & V I EWS

Tribal Triumph at Salish Cliffs

Squaxin Island Tribe is celebrating the 10th birthday of their magnificent course, which just gets better with age

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A LOOK

INSIDE

Departments 4 PUBLISHER’S PITCH

• Gamble Sands event a huge hit • Corona Premier Property Lake Chelan GC • Boeing Classic is back

• Summer twilight thoughts

by Dick Stephens

6 SHORT GAME

• Golf’s popularity still growing • Snohomish PWP tourney • NW pros at the U.S. Open • Summer cocktail recipe Cascade Golfer Cup news • Leroy Jackson wins Duke’s Scholarship • Sun Country’s star Jamie Colson • Northwest Golfers Playbook offer

22 TEEING OFF

• Q & A with soccer star Kasey Keller

24 IN THE BAG • Summer’s high-tech products, full set choices and golf balls for every player

33 RISK VS REWARD

• The Home Course | Hole No. 10

46 SAVE SOME GREEN

• Avalon Golf Links • Whispering Firs Golf Course • Wine Valley Golf Club

50 POSTGAME

Features

34 38 42

Vox Populi: Cascade Golfer turns 15 Bob Sherwin shares our magazine’s history

Swing King: Jeff Coston

A Northwest legend on the course, on the lesson tee and at home

Tribal Triumph

Salish Cliffs celebrates 10th anniversary

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 28 - 33 ON THE COVER: Salish Cliffs Golf Club and Little Creek Casino have become a genuine bucket list destination. The linked 9th and 18th greens, here on our cover, is just one of their signature elements. Read about their 10th anniversary on page 42.

THIS PAGE: Sun Country Golf Course in Cle Elum represents the best in Northwest golf with elevation, mountain vistas and a challenging layout for players at all levels.

Learn more on page 14.

• Travel There & Back dream trip tips

Win Free Golf and More!

Sudden Valley

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The days are hot and the nights are cool as we wind down the summer. But we won’t turn down the heat with our CG Swag prize bag. Check out these offers:

Check out who won our recent SWAG contests. Congratulations to these lucky winners from the June & July issues of Cascade Golfer!

• Whidbey GC foursome & Sudden Valley foursome • Page 4

Gamble Sands Twosome Cliff Canfield • Bainbridge Island

• Northwest Golfers Playbook • Page 20

Apple Tree Twosome Chris Wynn • Shoreline

• Salish Cliffs twosome • Page 48

SW Idaho Experience Will Patterson • Tumwater

AUGUST 2021

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Volume 15 • Issue 4 • AUGUST 2021

CASCADE

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

VARSITY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. varsitycommunications.com

EDITORIAL STAFF P U B LI S H E R S Dick Stephens & Kirk Tourtillotte E D I TO R Tony Dear ART D I R E C T I O N & G R A P H I C D E S I G N Robert Becker W R IT E R S Bob Sherwin 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 2021 Cascade Golfer. PRINTED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and/ or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Cascade Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts. The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.

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

PRODUCER AND OWNER OF THE PROUD CHARTER MEMBER

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AUGUST 2021

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

DICK STEPHENS

The summer twilight is upon us — make the most of it and swing for the sunset

W

hat a summer so far here in Seattle and across the fruited plain of Washington. We survived the heat wave and it’s one we will never forget. Frankly, I’m not sure I’ll see 110-degree days in Puget Sound ever again.

When we set the record for one of the hottest places on the planet here among the evergreens and rainforests, maybe there’s something going on. But I’ll leave that for you and your friends to sort out on the golf course or after your round over a cold drink.

We have lots of things to discover besides the weather, but I am grateful for an extra 40 yards of roll on the fairways…when I hit them.

We here at Cascade Golfer are delighted to be celebrating our 15th Anniversary all summer long and this issue, much like our June printed and July digital magazines, will be casting light on the heroes and heroines we owe thanks, kudos and gratitude.

Over the years, I’ve often shared in the ‘Publisher’s Pitch’ what my teammates mean to this title and me. And we decided to share a bit of our backstage story here, chronicle our history, pay heed to serendipity and share the blessing of your patronage. Bob Sherwin’s feature looks back on 15 successful years for the magazine and all the projects that emerged from it.

At the end of the day, we try our best to look at golf through our unique lenses, and give you something to know and use that perhaps you can’t get anywhere else. We hope this little ditty about our story and us will give you some perspective on the journey. I know we’re better people as a result of the road we’ve traveled.

Boeing Classic is back – so are the crowds It was so gratifying to add the last few words to that headline. The PGA and LPGA Tours, like all the other major sports organizations that depend on ticket sales and crowds, are just now returning responsibly to full capacity. And that, thank goodness, means our very own Boeing Classic will be played in front of some of the game’s most passionate golf fans.

I’m from the vintage that loved, covered and supported the LPGA’s Safeco Classic when it was played at Kent’s Meridian Valley Country Club, the Senior PGA Tour’s GTE Northwest Classic at Inglewood Golf Club and the annual Merrill Lynch Invitational held at what was then TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. These were star-studded events and stops for pro golfers to enjoy the beauty and passionate sports fans of the Puget Sound area.

Besides the lovely and growing LPGA Legends event at White Horse in Kingston that will return in 2022, the Boeing Classic is our jewel and a connection to the inside lane. Join us in welcoming back stadium golf and seeing the pros do their thing Aug. 16-22. Our editor Tony Dear offers some good info and mojo to get ready for the tournament inside this edition.

This issue is chock full of great news and views you can use, and will propel you all the way to autumn. I so hope you enjoy all the final days of summer and the sun. It’s world-class here where we live. Thank you for your support and love and, as always, TAKE IT EASY.

YOUR Win a Whidbey Golf Club and Sudden Valley foursome

Y

ou might think that Whidbey Golf Club is private but it is open to public play after 1 p.m. So grab your three new best friends and enjoy this foursome on us. While you are heading up north, we are going to send you to Sudden Valley as well. Enjoy one of the hidden gems of the Northwest. But first you have to enter at CascadeGolfer.com

Whidbey Golf Club Oak Harbor, Wash.

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SHORT GAME

Echo Falls Golf Club • Snohomish, Wash.

North Sound tourney you can play: Parkinson’s Wellness Place Scramble Sept. 17 at Echo Falls

I

f you’re a north Puget Sound resident and on the lookout for a quality tournament, make note of this amazing event and even better cause. The Parkinson’s Wellness Place (PWP) will proudly stage its annual golf outing on Fri., Sept. 17, at Echo Falls Golf Club in Snohomish.

This event just gets bigger and better, and raises

funds for those battling and coping with Parkinson’s.

It’s been hosted successfully at Everett Golf Club for a number of years, and this year the tournament directors and PWP leaders, Larae McCurry and Lacey Ramon, have taken it to a new level with an 18-hole scramble, cocktails, prizes, a dozen different hole challenges and a hosted steak and seafood dinner auction to cap it off.

PWP uses boxing training to stimulate and rehabilitate Parkinson’s patients, and the results are astounding. The event comes at the tail-end of summer, starts on a Friday afternoon and is the perfect way to kick off the weekend. Rumor has it the field will include past Super Bowl champions and boxing legends. Go to pwp. ejoinme.org/2021GolfTournament to register today.

Golf’s growth and participation still strong in Northwest and across U.S.

A

ccording to the National Golf Foundation, national rounds played for May 2021 were up an estimated 18 percent over a year ago, when golf operations were still limited due to the Coronavirus in some parts of the country. The Pacific Coast golf data shows 24 percent growth and clearly a leader across the U.S. The May increase followed a jump of 45 percent in March and 81 percent in April. In 2020, the three-month stretch from March through May saw the most significant virus-related impacts, with the loss of around 20 million spring rounds. This year’s resurgence puts the industry at 33.6 percent up year-to-date as we entered the June/July timeframe.

In 2020, there were early indicators of golf’s bounceback by mid-May, when 98 percent of facilities had resumed operations. But 12 states — among them Cal-

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AUGUST 2021

ifornia, Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — still had restrictions on golf operations early in the month and a number of areas were also faced with safety limitations that included wider tee time intervals, two player groups instead of foursomes, walking-only provisions, and reduced guest play.

As a result, it was expected that May 2021 would show a fairly substantial increase in play. Of note, play at public courses was up 22.7 percent for the month compared to a modest 2.6 percent increase for private facilities. That’s in part because private play in May 2020 was up 18 percent compared to 3 percent for daily fee and municipal courses.

Looking ahead, soon-to-be-release June roundsplayed data will be the first real test of the sustainability of last summer’s surge. We will share more information with you as we get it. cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME

Spain’s Jon Rahm closed out his first major win with two clutch putts on the final two holes to win the U.S. Open.

How the Northwest represented at the U.S. Open as Rahm raced to win his first major

T

he U.S. Open Championship presents itself to the world as the showcase of American golf. However, the vast Pacific Northwest region for the 2021 edition at Torrey Pines in June was, by and large, left out.

None of the top 60 ranked players in the world — who earned an automatic path into the championship — were from Washington or Oregon. Joel Dahmen of Clarkston, Wash., ranked 75th, was the closest, but he didn’t attempt to qualify at one of ten regional sites.

Many others did try to qualify — and failed. Kyle Stanley (Gig Harbor, Wash.), Nick Taylor (UW), Aaron Wise (UO) — all PGA Tour regulars, made attempts at the 36-hole qualifier at Brookside Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, but fell short. Andres Gonzales (Lakewood, Wash.; Oregon State), a 38-year-old itinerant pro, also missed the cut in Columbus despite a first-round 66. He faded to a 76 in the second.

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AUGUST 2021

Wyndham Clark, a native of Denver, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz. but went to the University of Oregon, finished third at Brookside to qualify. His 75-72 effort at Torrey Pines missed the cut by one, however. There were 18 more Northwesterners (11 from Washington; five from Oregon; one from Idaho; one from Montana) who teed it up at Meadow Springs CC in Richland, Wash., on June 7-8. That group included PGA regular Andrew Putman of University Place, Wash., who missed out by three shots.

Surprisingly, amateur Joe Highsmith of Lakewood, part of Pepperdine’s NCAA champion golf team, was the medalist at Meadow Springs, earning him one of two qualifying spots. He posted a disappointing five-over-par 76 the first day at Torrey Pines, however, and followed it with a respectable 72 to miss the cut by three strokes.

Encouragingly though, he did finish ahead of PGA Tour

winners Tony Finau, Kevin Na, Jason Kokrak, Cameron Champ, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Webb Simpson.

Highsmith graduated from Bellarmine Prep. His teammate both in high school and Pepperdine was RJ Manke, who barely missed qualifying at Meadow Springs, settling for first alternate. Manke is a graduate transfer to the University of Washington this spring.

Joining Highsmith at Torrey Pines was little-known professional Dylan Wu from Medford, Ore. In his first PGA Tour event, Wu finished tied for 31st on four-over 288 — ten back of winner Jon Rahm. He may be one to watch over the next decade or so.

He grew up in Medford, Ore., and led the St. Mary’s School golf team to three consecutive state championships. He was named the Oregon Boys Player of the Year in 2011 and captured the state individual title in 2012. The No. 1 ranked golfer in Oregon, Wu chose to attend Northwestern in suburban Chicago. He also has other skills, as he was selected three times as the state’s defensemen of the year in hockey.

At Northwestern, Wu was named first team All-Big 12 his senior year (2018) and carried a 72.18 stroke average. He was part of the Mackenzie Tour in 2018 and the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019. Despite all the COVID cancellations and restrictions, he has five KFT top-10 finishes and has won more than $400,000 in his short career.

Wu chose to qualify for the U. S. Open at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., where 71 players vied for four spots. He finished second at seven-under-par (6671), a shot behind medalist Taylor Pendrith.

At Torrey Pines, Wu was given the unenviable second-to-last tee time — delayed until after 5 p.m. because of fog. It took him two days to finish his first round, shooting a 70 on the brutally tough South Course. That was just three shots behind the first-round leaders.

In the second round, he shot 73 to make the cut with room to spare. At one point, television cameras focused on him — his 15 seconds of fame -- with a commentary that suggested one day he could be a competitive player on Tour.

Wu closed the tournament with rounds of 74 and 71 and earned $79,535. It was the biggest paycheck of his career, and he finished ahead of such notables as Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Tommy Fleetwood and Phil Mickelson. He was one behind Bryson DeChambeau, the defending U.S. Open champion.

Wu, 24, came out of nowhere, well, Medford, to save the sporting honor of the Northwest. He may have gone 2,000 miles away to college and now lives in the Chicago area, but we claim him. He learned the game through all the crazy weather and rough terrain this region can offer. It can’t be denied. He’s on our list. He’s one of us. cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME

You need a drink!

S

ummer is here and so are the cocktails! Crafting good cocktails doesn’t have to be hard. All you need is a good bourbon — we recommend 2BAR 80 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey, fresh ingredients and an easy-to-follow recipe. We’ve got you covered.

Let’s make a 2BAR Bourbon Cherry Chocolate Old Fashioned. It’s light, crisp, and refreshing. The perfect cocktail to enjoy after you’ve finished a round of golf or just an early afternoon drink.

2BAR Bourbon Cherry Chocolate Old Fashioned By 2BAR Spirits INGREDIENTS • 2 oz. 2BAR

Bourbon cherries • 4 drops of Bittermans Mole Bitters or equivalent • .25 oz. Luxardo Maraschino or equivalent • A lovely rocks glass that feels fun and 19th hole-ish • 5

For more information or to visit Seattle’s 2BAR spirits in the SoDo district check out 2BARspirits.com today.

INSTRUCTIONS • Muddle

everything together. ice.

• Strain over an ice-filled rocks glass.

• Garnish with a fresh cherry and cherry leaf.

• Enjoy with family and friends. Cheers!

• Add

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AUGUST 2021

cascadegolfer.com

2021

Cascade Golfer Cup Great prizes at every tournament

August 21 • 10 am Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse

The Classic Golf Club • Spanaway

Two-Person Scramble

Three great events remaining on 2021 CG Cup Tour

A

s golf continues in full throttle, so does our 2021 Cascade Golfer Cup schedule. Although five events are in the rear-view mirror, our sights are still set on three great events to close the season, with fantastic courses welcoming all at each stop.

Aug. 21, we will once again take the Puetz Golf Shootout to White Horse, a great test for every golfer. The two-person scramble format will allow for a crooked shot or two though — very handy at a beautifully maintained but decidedly rugged track.

Four weeks later, Sept. 18, we bring the Cascade Golfer Invitational to one of our south-end favorites — The Classic. A popular, two-person shamble format awaits those teeing it up at this great layout, owned by the Moore Family (yes, that Ryan Moore). Check out the newly renovated ninth hole, which has been converted from a par 5 into a cool, short par 4.

To cap our season, we start where we began, at Chambers Bay. We could go on and on about how fun the Robert Trent Jones II beauty is to play, but you already know that. It holds the flag for great Washington public courses, and we can’t wait to finish our series there with the Fall Classic. The format for the last of our three 2021 majors will be two-person best ball.

Whether you have played in several of our events or never teed it up with us, we welcome you with open arms. Fun awaits. Play great and you will win something worth bragging about such as a package trip to Hawaii; a PXG Driver; or golf at Wine Valley, Gamble Sands, Chambers Bay, Salish Cliffs, The Home Course and plenty more. Don’t hit it your best…well, it’s Saturday and you’re playing golf at a great course with your favorite golfing partner — not a bad consolation prize. Oh, and did we mention free beer?

Spice up your golf schedule with a little exciting, and friendly, competition. To get inside the ropes, head over to CascadeGolfer.com/cup. We hope to see YOU in the fairway.

Sept. 18 • 9 am Cascade Golfer Invitational at The Classic

Two-Person Shamble

Oct. 9 • 8 am The Fall Classic at Chambers Bay Two-Person Best Ball

Net & Gross Divisions

Two-Player Formats

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

To register or for more information visit

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

cascadegolfer.com Click on the Cup!

WELCOMING

PRESENTING

SUPPORTING

Fir State Golf Club product Leroy Jackson loves golf and is bound for Loyola Marymount

L

eroy Jackson admits he didn’t start playing golf until last year. A recent graduate of Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Jackson got a call one day from a friend looking for a caddie. He showed up and kept up like all good loopers, enjoyed the experience, and learned a lot from his friend, a member of the Fir State Golf Club. FSGC is a Renton-based golf club without a course, established in 1947 with a vision of diversity and inclusion. The organization holds dozens of tournaments for its members around western Washington every year.

The event at which Jackson caddied was played at Lake Wilderness outside Maple Valley, and it gave him a valuable insight into a game he didn’t know much about. “I played football and ran track at school,” he says. “But after that day at Lake Wil-

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AUGUST 2021

cascadegolfer.com

derness, I joined the FSGA Junior Program and have since played a few rounds at the Willows Run Par 3 course and Twin Rivers in Fall City.”

Jackson says he enjoys practicing and that he has improved a lot since last year. “I will obviously be looking to improve my technique, but I also have to work on patience,” he says echoing the sentiments of roughly 99 percent of all golfers. Indeed, Jackson confirms he is discovering just how frustrating golf can be. “But it’s fun trying to work it out,” he adds.

This fall, Jackson will be heading to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he will study psychology on an academic scholarship having aced his way through high school. He isn’t just an honor student though, but a community volunteer, too. For the last three years Jackson has been involved with a Sammamish-based non-profit called Athletes for Kids, a youth mentoring program that pairs high school athletes with children who have disabilities and special needs. “I’ve been matched with the same kid my entire time there,” says Jackson. “I spend some time with him every week and help him become more comfortable in social surroundings. I obviously try to be a positive role model for him.”

Even though Jackson’s time with AFK officially came to an end when he graduated a few weeks ago, he has continued to hang out with his ‘buddy’ this summer, and says they have formed a special bond over the years.

Jackson hasn’t actually been to the Loyola Marymount campus yet because of Covid, but says he has been on Google Maps looking for accessible courses where he can pursue the game he has quickly fallen for.

ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS

Junior Golfer Scholarship

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

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2021

13

SHORT GAME SUPERINTENDENT SPOTLIGHT: Sun Country’s Jamie Colson

H

ow many hats can one person wear? Whatever the record is, Jamie Colson is bidding to match it. Hired in 2009 as Head Superintendent at Sun Country Golf Course seven miles west of Cle Elum, the Clarkston, Idaho, native was then awarded the role of General Manager in 2011. But lest you think he swapped his boots and jeans for a shirt and tie, Colson didn’t move from one job to the other — he now does both.

We’ve come across that combo before, though. We know Todd Lupkes did the same at Palouse Ridge before moving to Montana, and we dare say there have been other superheroes in Washington that have performed both roles over the years. But were they also involved in construction, pro shop operations, and food and beverage?

When we spoke, Colson was part of a team laying the foundations for the course’s new restaurant. He put

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AUGUST 2021

Sun Country Golf Course • Cle Elum

in a few hours in the pro shop and, when all that’s done, he might be heading to Safeway to stock up on ingredients for the current snack bar.

Despite his many responsibilities, Colson sees himself as a superintendent first. He began as an irrigation specialist at Clarkston Country Club under Mike Waisanen in 1998, and then moved to Quail Run in 2001 where he worked for Paul McCarthy. “I learned the job

hands-on from Mike and Paul,” he says. “I consider them both mentors.”

Colson took his first head superintendent position at nine-hole St. Maries in Idaho in 2004, then spent a couple of years under Matt Atterberry at Suncadia (Rope Rider) 2007-08. When he arrived at Sun Country, his main task was to get the course’s new nine holes (it originally opened as a nine-holer in 1970), designed by John

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Right now, Sun Country GC is looking immaculate and attracting golfers like never before. A big part of its popularity can certainly be put down to golf-friendly COVID-19, but the lion’s share is surely due to the supreme efforts of Jamie Colson.

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T

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

Enter the Northwest Golfers Playbook. Once again we have put together our fan favorite packed to the gills with special offers from golf facilities all over the Pacific Northwest. Over 120 pages of offers adding up to a potential $5,000-plus in golf savings. At 50 percent off, you just need find an offer or two you like and you’ll already be saving some green. You will have access to all sorts 2-for-1’s, 4-for-3’s, free golf carts, lessons, offers at Puetz Golf, and a lot more.

Want to save like never before, use code ‘HalfOff’ to get this book at 50 percent off and save thousands all summer and fall. Make the Northwest Golfers Playbook a staple in your bag. Go to NWGolfersPlaybook.com today, and start saving big on your golf this summer. cascadegolfer.com

Salish Cliffs

GREAT DEALS! In Washington

The Home Course

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Apple Tree

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West Seattle

For more information, offers and to purchase your playbook, go to

NWGolfersPlaybook.com AUGUST 2021

15

SHORT GAME Corona Premier Shootout at Gamble Sands lived up to its billing as the golf weekend of the year

W

e knew it would be good. We just didn’t know how good. Turns out the Corona Premier Shootout at Gamble Sands, played the weekend of July 17-18, was way more memorable than we ever could have anticipated.

Fifty-six, two-player teams turned out for a weekend of fun competition on the epic Sands Course, plus a little light relief on the newly-opened, 14-hole Quicksands Course and roly-poly Cascade Putting Course (all designed by David McLay-Kidd).

Some seriously stellar prizes were up for grabs with a three-night stay at Kaanapali’s Royal Lahaina Resort on the island of Maui going to winners of both the gross and net divisions in the weekend-long best-ball competition. Golf gear, twosomes on some of the state’s best courses, Duke’s Seafood gift cards and a swing lesson at GolfTec went to the winners of numerous KP and long-drive contests.

Earning a fair amount of this treasure was the weekend’s star performer Johnny Carey, a +3 handicap at Mill Creek Country Club who smacked his drive 365 yards down the 18th fairway on Saturday, hit it closest-to-the-pin on the par 3 6th on Sunday, and partnered with his good friend Andrew Fuller to win the overall gross prize with

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AUGUST 2021

SHOOTOUT AT

GAMBLE SANDS

The Saturday evening Corona Premier Happy Hour Putting Challenge was a huge hit.

cascadegolfer.com

GROSS CHAMPIONS Andrew Fuller (left) and Johnny Carey

NET CHAMPIONS Jay Horton and Mark Shaefer rounds of 65 and 63 (Johnny shot 65 on his own ball on Sunday). Jay Horton and Mark Schaefer took the net prize with a 36-hole total of 126 following a Sunday 61.

It’s likely these four golfers went home the happiest, but really every single one of the 112 players that enjoyed the Gamble Sands sunshine, not to mention the hospitality and professionalism of Gamble Sands General Manager Blake Froling, Head Professional Brad Dorau and their awesome staff, will have left with a ton of great memories and a number of new golf pals.

Carey sums it all up pretty well, in fact. “It was a perfect weekend,” he says. “Everything from the buildup of the event, to the rollout, and everything in between was really well run. Everyone at the course was great, the food was delicious and, good heavens, the resort is so amazing.”

Players got to unwind between rounds and enjoy the new 14-hole Quicksands Par 3 course.

cascadegolfer.com

AUGUST 2021

17

THIS ISSUE’S

Lake life shines for Chelan golfers

Lake Chelan Golf Course has been hosting players since 1970

PROPERTY

L

A Bucket with the GM • Jim Oscarson

ike so many courses in our region and, indeed, around the country, Lake Chelan has experienced something of a rollercoaster over the last year and a half.

Shut down for over two months in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions, it enjoyed a surge in visitor rounds when it finally reopened in May with golfers itching to return to this 6,170-yard beauty. “We had a record year,” says Jim Oscarson, Lake Chelan’s PGA head golf professional.

“This year, it’s just continuing.”

Oscarson knows this course, and region, as well as anyone having grown up here. He learned the game on this course.

He helped encourage the beginning of a golf team at his Lake Chelan High School.

He went off to Las Vegas for three years to learn the golf trade, then returned to Chelan in 1991 and became the course’s head pro three years later. He’s also coached his alma mater’s golf team to 16 straight appearances in the state tournament. “It’s been a life sentence for me here,” he jokes.

Toughest Tee Shot — 17th hole It’s a tough choice between the final two holes. The 498-yard, par 5 17th, has OB left and right off the tee. Straight matters. If you survive that, you now face an uphill 182-yard par 3 where the wind can play havoc with your tee shot.

Depending on which direction it’s blowing, you might need an 8-iron or a driver.

Best Birdie Opportunity — 12th hole

The short par 4, 252-yard 12th. Your drive (or approach) is into a very small, sloped green where you must try to keep your ball below the hole. It’s definitely a birdie hole but if you get out of position your three can quickly turn into a double-bogey six. The green gets quick in the summer, so you really don’t want to be above the hole.

Best Par 3 — 18th hole

The 182-yard uphill 18th. It’s also the most picturesque hole, surrounded by trees in the back of the green. That’s also where groups tend to collect after rounds to be entertained by players attempting to finish strong.

Favorite Hole — 10th hole

The long par 4 10th is the popular choice. The drive must cross a canyon and then you likely have a sloping lie for your approach into the green. It’s probably the course’s signature hole, and affords some of the best views of the lake and mountains.

Emergency Nine — Front or Back?

The back nine is the more scenic, though my buddies and I will happily play either side. Emergency nines are for when you just haven’t had enough. Either the betting is close or tied and you took it in the shorts. We’ll play another nine just to square the bets. It seems like we’re always playing emergency nines. They’re so much fun.

Lake Chelan Golf Course

Go to Lunch item on the menu — The burgers

1501 Golf Course Road • Chelan, WA 98816 (509) 682-8026 • cityofchelan.us/golf-course

HOLE PAR Blue White Yellow Red M-HDCP W-HDCP

18

1 5 550 531 463 418 5 3

2 3 182 174 160 151 17 17

3 4 400 388 340 281 1 5

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4 4 352 345 336 313 9 13

5 4 353 345 333 328 11 9

6 4 354 341 322 319 13 11

7 3 175 165 118 114 15 15

The burgers are the most popular here with our guests. On some occasions, however, they do ribs, and it would be your lucky day if that’s the day you visit.

8 4 416 396 360 352 7 7

9 5 550 528 454 389 3 1

10 4 399 394 278 285 2 12

11 3 171 154 151 147 18 18

12 4 270 251 237 227 16 14

13 4 357 340 319 301 12 10

14 5 488 479 408 403 10 6

15 4 390 359 300 265 4 4

16 4 372 366 333 325 8 8

17 5 498 475 443 389 6 2

18 TOTAL 3 72 182 6459 139 6170 123 5478 61 5058 14 16 -

MEN COURSE RATING WOMEN RATING SLOPE TEES RATING SLOPE 70.6 118 Blue 69.4 117 White 75.0 127 66.1 107 Yellow 71.0 117 64.0 104 Red 68.5 114

cascadegolfer.com

Drink responsibly.

Corona Premier ® Beer. Imported by Crown Imports, Chicago, IL Per 12 fl. oz. serving average analysis: Cals 90, Carbs 2.6 g, Protein 0.7 g, Fat 0.0 g.

SHORT GAME PGA Champions Tour and Boeing Classic return to Snoqualmie Ridge Aug. 16-22

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THE SKINNY Dates: Aug. 16-22, 2021 Location: The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge Field: 78 Champions Tour professionals Format: 54 holes of stroke play with no cut Purse: $2.1 million Par: 72 | 7,264 yards Television: Aug. 16-22, The Golf Channel

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Photo by Kene Sperry

ith all due respect to reigning Boeing Classic champion Brandt Jobe, it wasn’t really the Oklahoman that people came out to watch on the final day of the 2019 tournament (COVID-19 caused the cancellation of last year’s event). Most Washington golf fans will remember Seattle’s own Fred Couples was wellplaced after 36 holes to win in his hometown event for the first time — so well-placed, in fact, that recording his 14th win on the Champions Tour and breaking Jerry Kelly’s 54-hole tournament record of 19-under 197, seemed far more likely than what actually transpired.

With an opening seven-under 65 and a second-round 63 that included an ace at the 207-yard 9th hole across the water, the 1992 Masters champion established a fiveshot lead heading into Sunday.

And when he birdied the par 5 1st in round three, Couples appeared to be cruising. Up ahead, though, Jobe was making birdies for fun. The six-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour opened with five straight and reached the turn in 30 while Freddy’s solid iron-play began to desert him.

The birdie he made at the opening hole was actually his last of the round and, with five subsequent bogeys, he wound up shooting a disastrous four-over 76 — 13 shots worse than Jobe, who came from seven behind to win by three over fellow UCLA Bruin Tom Pernice.

Couples finished tied for third, six back, and lamented

his disappointing performance. “At the end, it was just like, ‘Let me just finish and get the hell out of here,’” he told reporters.

We won’t know who’s competing this year until the Friday before tournament week (Aug. 13), and actually the final 78-player field won’t become official until after the qualifier at High Cedars on Tuesday (Aug.17). But it’s safe to say we will see another stellar lineup of Champions Tour stars, Major winners and Hall-of Famers. Indeed, the 2019 field included seven members of the World Golf Hall of Fame — Retief Goosen, Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara, and Vijay Singh as well as Couples, of course — all players who have reached the absolute pinnacle of the sport.

The beautiful and always entertaining Club at Snoqualmie Ridge will host its 16th Boeing Classic Aug. 16-22 with the usual program of events leading up to the first round on Friday, Aug. 20. It’s great to have the tournament back, and the good news is there are very few restrictions on who is allowed to attend. “We do not have a limit on the number of spectators but will be following state guidelines with masking of unvaccinated individuals and have some social-distancing in place at certain locations,” says Tournament Director Brian Flajole. “Masks will be required for all fans coming to the tournament from public parking on buses.”

We will definitely see you there. For more information, visit boeingclassic.com

THE SCHEDULE Aug. 16 - Seahawks Rumble at the Ridge

- Practice rounds Aug. 17 - FREE youth clinic

- PGA tour Practice rounds Aug. 18 - Korean Air Pro-Am day one Aug. 19 - Korean Air Pro-Am day two Aug. 20 - First round, Boeing jet flyover Aug. 21 - Second round, family day Aug. 22 - Final round, military appreciation day TICKETS* Daily: $20 Weekly: (Aug. 16-22): $60 Tournament: (Aug. 20-22): $40 Kids under 14: Free with paid adult Seniors (60+): 50 percent off general admission Passes also available to VIP Club sections; see boeingclassic.com for details. * Advance prices indicated, prices increase by $5-$10 at the gate

DIRECTIONS / PARKING Parking is $10. From Seattle, take I-90 east to Exit 25 (Snoqualmie Parkway). Turn left onto Snoqualmie Pkwy, passing under I-90.

Signs will direct you to public parking.

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

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

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AUGUST 2021

21

TEEING OFF

PRESENTED BY

Lacey’s legendary Kasey Keller keeps making his mark on the ‘Beautiful Game’ and enjoys life on the links

K

A CONVERSATION WITH BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

asey Keller, among America’s greatest ever soccer goalkeepers, played in England in the late 1990s and was invited to participate in a charity golf tournament at the prestigious Wentworth Club in Surrey. He had, strangely, what the British would say, the collywobbles.

Despite playing 17 years for the U.S. National Team along with stops in Germany, Spain, the English Premier League and finally the Seattle Sounders in his 23-year career, Keller was uncharacteristically uneasy. A world-class athlete used to performing in front of massive audiences, Keller sensed there were undue expectations on him.

The charmed Wentworth folks shadowing him on the first tee didn’t care that Keller had little opportunity to play during the intense soccer season. They simply anticipated

him striping it down the fairway.

“You’re a professional footballer and everyone knows who you are,” says Keller. “So, there’s this expectation that you’re supposed to be a decent golfer.”

Keller, who took up golf as a teenager growing up in Lacey, Wash., needed something to steady him, perhaps retrieving a similar experience. How about that time at the FIFA World Cup, in goal for the U.S. Team, playing in front of 80,000 fans and give-or-take another 100 million watching on TV? “Obviously, I was a lot more confident seeing a shot (on goal) than climbing up to a tee box with a bunch of people around me,” he remembers. Drawing on his soccer experience, he ‘collywobbled’ to the tee, took out his 3-metal and

split the fairway, earning polite applause from the delighted gallery. “There is no question that having to play under pressure for a living can make a difference in golf,” he adds.

It hasn’t made such a difference that the 51-year-old, now a decade after retirement, is building up to PGA Champions Tour status. In fact, since Cascade Golfer Magazine took a measure of his game in a 2010 story, he said his game now “has gotten worse”.

That’s because he can’t make enough time for it, as he primarily works as a media soccer analyst for ESPN. He also goes boating, fishing, trap shooting, snowboarding, hiking and even had a three-year stint as the assistant soccer coach at Newport High (supporting ex-Sounder Marcus Hahnemann). Here’s where Kasey Keller is in 2021.

Where is your game?

“There comes a point when you have to say, I get it. I’m not that good. I have the potential to be good, but not the time. After I retired, I was doing so many things that I wasn’t allowed to do when I was playing. Now I can snowboard a bunch of times. Now I can take the motorcycle out.”

The Plateau Club (Sammamish) more than anywhere else.

When it isn’t busy, I go to Newcastle, Washington National.

I’ll play Aldarra or Broadmoor, then Overlake quite a bit because I have friends there. They ask if I want to be sponsored (for membership) and I say I’m not playing enough.

I’d just be wasting my money. I don’t have that one course that I play a lot, but I have had access to a lot of great courses. So, I kind of play the Tour of private courses.”

that they wanted to have.”

When did golf begin for you?

“Seventh or eighth grade (in Lacey), kind of like a golf club. We had a little instruction in a field with some Wiffle balls. Then we’d go play Scott Lake or Capital City and I started to get in it a little more. I got into college and played even more. My mom worked for an eye doctor, and he was an avid golfer, so I played with him quite a bit. What I got angry about was once I got to England and took some lessons, I was mad that it took me that long to get lessons.

I should have done it years previously because the lessons corrected my mechanics. I could take time off then go back and play and not feel like a complete disaster.”

What’s holding you back from being a better player?

“I was never a good putter. I played with a lot of teaching pros in England, and they would always say “go see him, go play here”. And I’d go and people would ask what my handicap was. I’d tell them and they’d say “no chance”. I’d say “wait till we play a few times, and you’ll see the putts I make and the putts I miss”. I’d be a good five or six shots better just by being a good putter.”

Where do you play now?

“I have a really cool membership, what’s now called an honorary membership, at Indian Summer (Olympia). I barely play there though I know I should. I probably play 22

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Does your competitive nature carry over onto the golf course?

“I have friends who are extremely competitive, and I have to laugh a little bit because they get so worked up. Oh, the stress of a ball going through your legs with 100 million watching. That’s something to get worked up about. I get pissed at myself, don’t get me wrong, because I am competitive, and I want to play well. But I also have to keep it in perspective. Look, this isn’t my job. I haven’t been playing very much. My life isn’t going to change just because I shanked two straight balls into the trees.”

When you played on off days during your career, what did that do for you?

“You can get away from the game a little bit, get out of the football environment. That for me was therapeutic.

In England, there’s a big overlap between football and golf. When I played for Tottenham (2001-05) we went to Wentworth a lot, but they don’t allow carts on their championship course. The caddy master was a Tottenham fan, and he didn’t want us to be tired on the weekend. So, he let us use carts. A couple of Arsenal (Tottenham’s big north-London rival) players were members there and they used to get so pissed when we’d come riding by in carts

Have you made a great shot in golf that gave you a lasting memory?

“I never played tournament golf, where the professional athlete has to deal with the pressure in front of a big audience. I never felt that was something I wanted to put myself through. But at the Rumble at the Ridge (before the Boeing Classic), I was playing with all the Seahawk guys and a bunch of NFL players. It was the first year after I came home from Europe before I started with the Sounders (2009). I was playing pretty well. We were at No. 14 (at Snoqualmie Ridge), which is the one over the canyon, and I stuck a three-wood on the green. Matt Hasselbeck’s brother (Tim) was playing with me, and he sunk the eagle putt. It’s always fun when people are watching and you’re able to perform.”

What’s one of your greatest soccer memories?

“When I was playing for Millwall and we were playing Chelsea for the FA Cup and it went to penalties. I made a save on the fifth shot. That was a marquee moment. We won and our fans went crazy.”

What is your handicap now?

“I have no idea. I don’t play enough to have a handicap right now.”

Why do you not use a driver off the tee?

“Because I never felt like I could consistently hit it well enough. Distance isn’t my issue. Getting on the fairway is my issue. If I can be anywhere between 250-290 yards (off the tee) with 3-wood and have a better chance of finding the ball, I’ll go that route.” cascadegolfer.com

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AUGUST 2021

23

IN THE

BAG PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

Our summer selections are just what you need to score

A

ssuming you and your golf equipment didn’t melt during those wretched few days of absurd heat in late June when temperatures broke the 100 barrier, you’ll now be hitting mid-summer form and looking forward to a few weeks of consistent ball-striking and steady scores before the wind and rain return again. Sorry, didn’t want to be the first to tell you what’s coming, as if you didn’t know.

Or you could be enjoying your first full summer of golf having taken the sport up last year when the lockdown and open courses gave you the opportunity to try something you’d never considered before and discovered, much to your surprise, that golf was in fact incredibly fun, easily accessible, occasionally rewarding and, yes, perhaps a bit frustrating at times — but in a good way.

We like to think of it as closer to tantalizing, which our computer defines as ‘tormenting or teasing with the promise of something unobtainable’. ‘Tormenting’ is a bit strong perhaps, and we don’t believe the rewards are ‘unobtainable’. In fact, we think it’s more or less guaranteed that during a Washington summer, you’ll get sunny days when playable hours stretch until 9:30 p.m. or even later. If you’ve never raced against the clock to get all 18 in and putted out on the last green in near darkness then you don’t know what you’re missing.

As usual, Puetz Golf will have everything you need to keep your summer of golf going. This month, we’re featuring complete sets — demand for which has soared since last year, 15 balls divided into three price brackets, a new driver from Cleveland, shoes from New Balance, and a couple of very affordable, portable, launch monitors which are incredibly fun to use and profoundly useful for identifying what you need to work on to become a better golfer.

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1 GARMIN

Approach R10 Launch Monitor

1

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$599.99

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aunch monitors were never the size of “War Games” supercomputers, requiring an entire room to house them, but the speed with which they have dropped in size is quite remarkable. The first truly portable units appeared a few years ago, and now Garmin’s Approach R10 is barely bigger than a deck of cards. Founded in 1989, Garmin’s technology now spreads across numerous industries including marine, automotive, sports/fitness and aviation — it’s quite reassuring knowing your golf launch monitor was built by a company that also builds flight decks, autopilots, active air traffic systems, and numerous other ‘gadgets’ that keep planes in the air and pilots safe. The Approach R10 calculates all the key metrics including clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, launch direction and distance, smash factor, club path and clubface angle (over 20 metrics in total) while automatically recording video clips of your swing and associating those clips with that swing’s metrics.

The unit connects with the Garmin Golf App (phone mount attaches to golf bag for viewing and interaction) enabling you to monitor your game. Take it inside and you can virtually play your home course or one of 42,000 in the Garmin database (Garmin Golf subscription optional).

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

IN THE BAG

2 VOICE CADDIE

Sc300i Launch Monitor

3 2

COBRA

Fly XL Complete Set

4 3

CLEVELAND

Bloom Complete Set PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$499.99

Steel $799.99 Graphite $899.99

$699.99

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GA Tour pros have access to all the best equipment. But what they are seeking to give them whatever edge they can to beat the competition is optimization – the correct mix of spin, apex, and launch angle that ensures their drive goes as far as it possibly can, and their irons fly on the trajectory they need for optimal control. You can swing the club at 120 mph and make solid contact, but if you’re hitting a high-spin driver or ball, the shot will likely balloon high into the sky and come down short of where it could have gone.

Same with too little spin — the ball will nosedive out of the sky. Voice Caddie launched its portable and affordable SC200 launch monitor six years ago helping to revolutionize a sector that had been the domain of high-end teachers and Tour pros. The SC300i has all the features of its predecessor, but has a number of additional features as it is also able to record/calculate your ball’s launch angle, apex, and spin-rate. The Video Record mode allows you to see your swing, and you can pair the launch monitor with an app enabling you to track your progress.

t wasn’t all that long ago that complete sets were something of an afterthought for most manufacturers. They didn’t exactly sweep used components off the floor and make sets from whatever they could find, but it would be fair to say these starter sets were not the clubmakers’ top priority. Last year, when over half a million new golfers decided to try golf, complete sets became a much bigger thing. No, they still weren’t taking up valuable space on the front page of a major manufacturer’s web site, and their top-line products were still getting the lion’s share of R & D money of course, but it was evident in the number and quality of complete sets appearing they were now getting far more attention than they once did. Cobra had certainly made complete sets before, but the Fly XL was a major upgrade. The 13-piece set comes with a 10.5- or 11.5-degree driver, two fairway woods, two hybrids, six irons (6-SW), a blade putter, and cart bag. The woods have plenty of loft and are weighted to enable to new golfer to get the ball airborne and, likewise, the irons should help you get the ball into the air easily.

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

4

ot to be outdone by its stablemate, Cleveland Golf also offers a ladies’ starter/complete set though at an even more affordable price point. The Bloom features 11 pieces, and is available in either Black/Mint or Black/Lavender color schemes. The driver has 14 degrees of loft and a low Center of Gravity (CG) making it easy for beginners, or those with slow-to-moderate swingspeeds, to get the ball in the air. The 3-wood likewise features a low CG to help you get the ball off the ground. There are two hybrids (5 and 6) which makes sense for a women’s starter set as they launch high and are a great deal more forgiving than irons with similar loft. The wedges have wide soles for the sort of turf interaction that aids high-handicappers get the ball on the green and hopefully close to the hole. The mallet-style putter has a high Moment of Inertia (MOI), which means it won’t twist much should you happen to hit your putt off-center. That helps to keeps the ball on line. The cart bag features a five-way divided top and eight pockets. Five head covers (driver, 3-wood, hybrids, putter) bring the total number of pieces to 16.

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IN THE BAG

5 XXIO

11 Women’s Set

7

6 5

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

CLEVELAND

Launcher XL Driver

6

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$2999.99

See PuetzGolf.com for pricing

X

A

XIO clubs belong to the same stable as Cleveland and Srixon. Together they are owned by SRI Sports, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which also owns the Dunlop Sports brand. XXIO, Srixon and Cleveland all have their own identity – Srixon makes Tour-quality clubs and balls, Cleveland is the short-game specialist making some of the finest wedges available, and XXIO is a very popular, high-end, Japanese brand focused on game-improvement clubs. The 11-piece Women’s XXIO 11 complete set is made up of a 12.5-degree driver, three fairway woods (3, 5, 7), a hybrid, five irons (7-SW) and a Navy-colored cart bag. The irons feature a Double Undercut Cavity — two slots cut into the clubhead behind the face that increase face-flexibility and thus help generate greater ball speed, while each club is fitted with brass and rubber weights in the butt-end which promote a more rhythmic swing. This counter-balancing was something Jack Nicklaus had in his MacGregor driver beginning in 1963 without knowing it! Since the discovery, a lot of clubs (not all as it might not be for everybody) have been made with the counter-balancing weights. The irons are available in Stunning Blue or Rich Bordeaux color schemes.

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AUGUST 2021 2021 AUGUST

s mentioned in the XXIO text (No. 4), since becoming part of the SRI Sports stable, Cleveland has focused on short-game clubs — x wedges specifically.

But that’s not to say it got out of the long-game business entirely. In late 2019 it released the Launcher HB Turbo family, which proved popular among game improvers.

Now comes the XL series, and as the name suggests, oversize heads. The driver has a 460cc head with the largest MOI Cleveland Golf has ever created. Couple that with a very low CG and the high-handicapper will appreciate how easy it is to get the ball airborne and how high the ball launches. A really cool feature of the Launcher XL is the Rebound Frame consisting of two flex zones that are designed to transfer max energy into the ball increasing ballspeed and the potential for distance.

An eight-gram weight in the butt-end counter-balances the club helping you swing with better tempo (see XXIO), and an adjustability sleeve enables you to alter the club’s loft from nine to 12 degrees. The Launcher XL Lite is the same club but without the adjustability sleeve and a lighter shaft. Fairway woods, hybrids and irons also coming.

NEW BALANCE

Striker V2 & Fresh Foam Links SL PUETZ GOLF PRICE

See PuetzGolf.com for pricing

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ew Balance was founded in Boston in 1906 when it made arch supports for police officers, waiters and others who worked on their feet. New Balance has always been known for quality, comfort, performance and long life for runners, track athletes, soccer players, NBA players and now the golfing world. Its handsome Striker V2 shoe is 100 percent synthetic with a microfiber/leather upper and numerous design elements that boost comfort – REVlite 10mm drop midsole, lightweight cushioning and a CUSH insole. The TPU Exoskeleton harbors seven FTS 3.0 Pulsar cleats that are designed to move with your foot’s natural motion.

The Striker V2 has a two-year waterproof guarantee.

The Fresh Foam Links SL likewise has a two-year waterproof guarantee and a microfiber/leather upper that combines a classic athletic look with modern performance. And, as with the Striker V2, the 10mm midsole provides what New Balance describes as a ‘cloud-like’ feel on every step. The Fresh Foam Links SL has a ‘Bootie Construction’ that ensures a snug fit, and a spikeless outsole designed to give maximum stability and traction.

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

7

BALLS, BALLS AND MORE BALLS HIGH-END

MID-LEVEL

BARGAIN

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$40-$50 per dozen depending upon brand

$30-$40 per dozen depending upon brand

Below $30 per dozen depending upon brand

Titleist Pro-V1

Titleist Tour Soft

TaylorMade Soft Response

The Pro-V1 has been changing the game since 2000. Combining the distance of Surlyn-covered, distance balls with the feel of wound, balata-covered balls the Pro-V1 was the dream scenario for Titleist which, naturally, says the 2021 version is the best yet – softer urethane cover for better greenside spin, new core for greater distance, newly-shaped dimples for more penetrating ballflight.

Callaway Chrome Soft

Graphene is an allotrope of carbon and said to be the strongest material in the world. Callaway infuses it into the Dual SoftFast core of the Chrome Soft to maximize compression energy while minimizing driver spin. That means longer drives while the urethane cover enhances spin.

The Tour Soft features Titleist’s largest core which results in greater distance.

The core is surrounded by an ultra-thin 4CE grafted cover for better short-game performance.

OnCore Vero X1

OnCore was the first (and still only) company to produce a hollow, metal-core ball. Called the MA 1.0 and released in 2012, it conformed to USGA regulations and was surprisingly successful given its unconventionality. The four-piece Vero X1 features a metal-infused perimeter-weighted mantle layer for maximum forgiveness and a slightly firmer feel (80-84 compression).

Snell MTB Black Srixon Z Star

The FastLayer Core in the Srixon Z Star is soft in the center and becomes gradually firmer towards the edge. It’s an innovative way of increasing ballspeed and maximizing distance.

TaylorMade TP5

As the name suggests, the TP5 features five layers each of which is engineered to maximize carry distance or greenside spin.

The Hi-Spring core and dimple pattern combine for what TaylorMade calls ‘extended flight’ (greater carry distance).

Available in White, Matte Yellow, and Matte Red.

After 11 years at Titleist and 18 at TaylorMade, Dean Snell formed his own company in March 2015 selling top-quality balls directly to the customer to keep the price down. The MTB Black is a fairly firm (75-80 compression) three-piece ball with a cast urethane cover ensuring great feel and control, and a fast, low-spin core for greater distance.

Wilson Duo Professional

A large, low-compression core helps maximize distance while the mid-hardness mantle layer delivers great feel/control on wedge shots.

Titleist Velocity

The higher a golfer’s handicap, the less likely he/ she will be able to distinguish between a $50 Pro-V1 and $30 Velocity. Better, more seasoned golfers most certainly can tell the difference, however — a little longer, slightly better feel (urethane vs. ionomer covers), more green side spin, better in the wind — and, for them, the extra $20 is worth it. The Velocity performs as well as any ball in this price bracket and is available in White, Matte Green, Matte Orange and Matte Pink.

Callaway Supersoft

The Callaway Supersoft has a ‘Hybrid Cover with DOW PARALOID™ Impact Modifier for a versatile, multi-material construction that delivers distance, spin, feel, durability and control.’ That’s quite a mouthful…but a pretty appealing one.

Bridgestone e12 Contact Bridgestone B RX

A low-compression three-piece ball with a firm REACTIV urethane cover which reduces spin for increased accuracy.

The Gradational Core is designed to generate greater distance through higher ballspeeds and lower sidespin.

Srixon Q Star Tour

The Q Star Tour is a low-compression, soft-feeling ball that manages to maintain Tour-level performance with the same large, FastLayer core as seen in the Z Star.

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

The attractively-priced e-Series has been a big seller for Bridgestone over the years, combining numerous technologies that aid the mid-high handicapper. The mid-low compression e12 Contact features dimples with raised centers that Bridgestone says allow more contact with the club face, transferring more energy and leading to greater ball speeds.

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RISK vs. REWARD

BY SIMON DUBIEL • SALES/MARKETING MANAGER & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

The Home Course

Hole No. 10 Par 5 515 yards The Setup Like many holes at The Home Course, the fairway on hole 10, known as Narrow Gauge, allows you to swing with confidence, with the fairway more open on the right side than it appears. The lateral water hazard of Old Fort Lake angles close to the left of the green while several bunkers guard the green on both sides. The green is large and relatively flat.

The Risk

The Reward

Final Call

A drive that splits the fairway will leave the middleto-long hitter with a decision to make. Anything pulled left will be followed by a four letter word. Bunkers are on both sides to collect poorly struck shots while anything short right with leave a very challenging ‘sandy’.

The wide fairway allows you to reach back for a bit more off the tee, potentially leaving you in the 215-255 range. Strike one pure and you should have a putt at a big bird. If you are going to miss favor the right side and leave yourself a shot at getting up and in for four. No risk it, no biscuit.

Aim small, miss small. The center of the green is a great target. Time to parlay that massive drive into an eagle putt. We like our odds today, and the payoff is worth it. Pull that head cover and go hit a rocket. Giddyup!

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t’s darkly ironic that while Seattleites have easy access to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country, if not the world, there is precious little green space within the Emerald City itself. The Seattle Times reports that just 12.5 percent of the City is devoted to parks, whereas 21.7 percent of New York City is used for public recreation. Nearly 20 per cent of San Francisco, 19.4 percent of Las Vegas, and 15.2 percent of Phoenix are similarly zoned.

Of Seattle’s 6,414 park acres, only 528 are reserved for public golfers, with just three and a half municipally-owned courses — or, 72 open-to-all holes, including three 18-hole championship courses and nine-holers at Jackson Park and Interbay — available to a population of 750,000 people.

It’s not pushing the boat out terribly far to suggest that Seattle is not a big golf town, but the three 18-holers — Jefferson Park, Jackson Park, and West Seattle — have served the City since 1915, 1930, and 1940, respectively, and are held dear by those who have been playing them for decades.

Regulars got quite a jolt, therefore, in April when reporter Erica C. Barnett revealed on thecisforcrank.com that the City had spent $104,000 on a 131-page study completed by Lund Consulting, Scanlan Consulting and Cocker Fennessy, that looked into the ongoing feasibility of Seattle’s publicly owned golf courses and whether or not the land upon which they sit might be better-suited to other purposes, most notably low-income housing.

As expected, reactions to the Lund Report ran the gamut of opinion.

First came shock and alarm from golfers. Margaret Anthony, a former Parks employee and a member of the West Seattle Women’s Club, organized a “Save Seattle Golf” meeting at Jefferson Park in late May, and was astonished when hundreds of fellow golfers turned out.

A week later, the issue surged to the forefront when Scott Hanson published a story in The Seattle Times under the headline, “Booming Seattle questions future of City courses,” in which Mayor Jenny Durkan was decidedly non-committal, stating that, “It would be a breach of our duty to the people of Seattle not to be really looking at what is the best use of those golf courses, from everything to continuing as golf courses, to finding a way to use part of them as parks, to use part of them for affordable housing.”

Multiple editorials followed — include from those in support of golf, like Chris Daniels at KING-TV and Aaron Levine at Q13 Fox, each of whom aired fierce defenses of the sport on their respective stations; those opposed, like Mike Eliason at The Urbanist, who lashed out at golf’s environmental impact, falling popularity and elitist mindset; and those like Times columnist Danny Westneat, who didn’t so much defend golf as park space in general.

Lost in much of the back-and-forth discussion, though, were the facts. Golf’s opponents claim that the city’s courses are “bleeding money,” and that they are used by a small — and, largely older, white and male — segment of the city’s population, while tens of thousands

By Tony Dear and Brian Beaky

West Seattle Golf Course • No. 16

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Brian Beaky, who took over the editorial arm of the magazine in the second year of the publication (2008) before leaving last year, said when he came aboard, “I wanted it to be hyper-local. We were not going to do stories if they were not relevant to a large number of Seattle readers. That was our focus by the second year, to nail that down,” he added. “I feel that resonated with people and helped it grow.”

‘Local’ became an expansive word. The core of the magazine was and continues to be stories of people, places and events in Seattle/west of the mountains, but other regions generated attention. New courses such as Palouse Ridge at WSU and Gamble Sands in Brewster raised the status of eastern Washington golf. Western Idaho became all the golf-road-trip rage with the pairing of Circling Raven and venerable Coeur d’Alene and its ‘Island Green.’ Oregon also has a pair of blossoming golf meccas, Bandon and Bend.

“Anyone who popped (their) head out of the weeds, we brought light to them,’’ Stephens says. “Kyle Stanley.

Fred Couples turning 50. Bandon Dunes has been a big part of it, marking time as they kept adding courses.

We’ve done a ton of stuff on Idaho. Central Oregon has been a real big part of it. What we tried to show is this is our Hawaii, our Palm Springs, and our Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail right here. East of Montana, we’re out of the picture. The areas touching the Cascade Mountains, that’s what we’re talking about.”

Stephens got his first taste of publishing, a bad taste at that, in 1990, a year out of college when he produced a local golf magazine called Northwest Golf. The owner reneged on his promises, however, and that endeavor ended unfavorably after just eight issues. In 1991, Stephens hooked up with Varsity Communications, a Seattle-based marketing/publishing company that primarily featured slo-pitch (softball) and soccer news. It had been founded by Ozzie Boyle and Kirk Tourtillotte in 1985. “I didn’t have much interest in golf in the early 1990s,” says Tourtilotte, who has been a driving force behind countless publishing efforts of Varsity’s over 35 years there, including Cascade Golfer. “I was a die-hard softball player.

When Dick came on board, he had been a publisher of a golf magazine. He wanted to do a golf magazine, so he went to talk to John Bodenhamer.”

Bodenhamer was then the Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (now the Senior Managing Director, Championships at the USGA). Stephens

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or native Northwesterners or folks who have been in the Seattle area for some time, there are a handful of golfers that we all know, that we’re all proud of and represent who we are.

Certainly, Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, tops the list. The Seattle native, who learned the game at the inner city Jefferson Park track, is a 15-time winner on the PGA Tour and World Hall of Famer. JoAnne Carner – Big Mama — who grew up in Kirkland, won 43 LPGA tournaments, including three USGA titles. Other Northwest elite players include Ryan Moore and Kyle Stanley, Washington’s Joel Dahmen, C.T. Pan and Nick Taylor and Oregon’s Peter Jacobsen, Aaron Wise and Wyndham Clark.

However, there’s one more player in the fairway, overlooked perhaps, that has had a significant impact on this region’s golf identity: Cascade Golfer Magazine. This one. The one you are reading. The magazine is celebrating its 15th anniversary this summer, an apt chronicler of all those elite players along with so much more that matters to this region’s golfers. The magazine was out in front when Chambers Bay was still a vision of designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr. It has detailed so many splendid courses that have opened over the past decade or so, Wine Valley, Gamble Sands, Suncadia’s Rope Rider, The Home Course, Silvies Ranch, Bandon Dunes’ Sheep Ranch, and Salish Cliffs which celebrates an anniversary of its own this year (see our feature in this issue).

It has been our guide through a series of major tournaments — the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers, and the 2010 U.S. Senior Open and 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club. It was there at the beginning for the Boeing Classic at Snoqualmie Ridge.

Most importantly though, the editorial staff tried to stay true to its motto: ‘News and views you can use.’ That could mean stories of the latest equipment technology, discounts on green fees, or measuring your game against other local players in annual Cascade Golfer-sponsored tournaments. “We wanted this to be the ESPN of Seattle golf and follow what people are doing here,’’ says Dick Stephens, the magazine’s publisher. “We talk about consumer products, places to play, where to save a few bucks, what’s new and upcoming. We give a voice to golfers who would never have anything else written about them. Our readers are our heroes and golf in Seattle and Northwest is an endless bounty to report on.”

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struck a friendship and a deal to publish the Pacific Northwest Golfer magazine along with running the Seattle Golf Show shortly after. Sales/marketing whiz Simon Dubiel began a long association with Varsity in 2000 as well as art director Rob Becker, hired in 1997. Prior to Dubiel, David Stolber provided years of sales marketing talent and impact to all of Varsity’s golf projects — blazing many trails.

But in 2002, the PNGA decided to produce the magazine in-house, ending Varsity’s eight-year run as its publisher. It didn’t deter their vision or motivation, however.

Stephens believed a new golf publication could prosper in this market, clinging to that dormant idea for the next five years. “We have maintained and built friendships with the other two local golf publications for many years — PNGA’s Pacific Northwest Golfer and Inside Golf Newspaper. We follow and respect what they do, as we have all stood the test of time and work together on different projects. But, knowing both publications very well, we knew in our hearts we could create a new voice of the people for golf in the Northwest that was more like a conversation with our readers, which is what we set out to do.”

In 2007, Varsity finally seized the opportunity, working out an arrangement with longtime golf merchandiser Puetz Golf, which had begun serving the area’s golfers in 1945. “They (Puetz) had a 60-year-old database and are the gold standard in customer service,” says Stephens. “It was the perfect union. We own the magazine but Puetz plays a starring role in each issue. We created the editorial (content), they select products that are keen to Seattle golfers and we sent it out to their customers. Puetz General Manger Mike Livingston has been the greatest co-pilot we could ever ask for.” The Varsity golf gang was back together again. Stephens, Tourtillotte, Stolber, Dubiel, original editor Charles Beene and Becker handling the art direction and page layout. “I remember closing our first ad, with Wine Valley, on the floor of CenturyLink Events Center at the golf show,” says Dubiel. “Wine Valley was on the back cover of our first issue.”

The Puetz leadership feels the magazine plays an integral role in their reach and messaging. “Our partnership with Varsity Communication, and Cascade Golfer magazine, has been the centerpiece of our marketing every year over the past 15 years,” said Puetz’s Livingston.

“We feel that the magazine has the biggest impact on our connection to our customers throughout the year.”

The Dan Hixson-designed Wine Valley had opened outside Walla Walla in 2009, and it has had a symbiotic relationship with the magazine. “We’ve been working with Cascade Golfer since our inception, working on golf shows with them, partnering with advertising,’’ says Chris Isaacson, Wine Valley’s director of golf. “They have a good reach. They really do. They’ve been integral in spreading the word about Wine Valley.”

Beaky, with his fresh UDub journalism diploma in hand, took over the editorial vision in 2008, beginning with issue No. 3. He didn’t want Cascade Golfer to be similar to the other established golf publications. Instead, Beaky wanted stories on local courses, local events and local personalities. If the magazine suggested a road trip story, it would focus on how to get there from here. Everything stems from here, from the people here. About cascadegolfer.com

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caddie Michael Greller and Tony Finau’s bagman Greg Bodine. The magazine also took on hard news stories, such as how public and particular private courses were surviving during the 2008-10 recession, why more young African-Americans still weren’t embracing the game, and reporting on the City of Seattle eyeing golf properties as a possible solution to the homeless crisis.

From the start, the magazine got the reader involved.

That may have been through various standing features such as ‘Save Some Green’, ‘In the Bag’ which featured the latest Puetz equipment, and course reviews. There are the Players Card and Playbook offering discounts at local courses, match play events, and dozens of other tournaments over the years at some of the state’s best courses. The first tournament the magazine sponsored was the 2009 Muckleshoot Casino Masters at Druids Glen, the winner earning four tickets to The Masters.

Other trips the magazine has offered have been to Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, The Olympic Club and Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in England.

“We really tried not to just talk about amazing things but let people experience them,” says Dubiel who organizes the tournaments. “It’s a long, long list of sweet things.”

Stephens feels like the magazine found something people are interested in. “The prizes were so good winners had to consider their amateur status. One year, the total value for Cascade Golfer prizes was $100,000.”

A measure of reader influence was reflected in 2013 when the magazine conducted a survey on Washington’s best 10 courses and more than 11,000 people responded.

“The readers like the magazine,” says Dubiel. “The best evidence of that is when we sit in our booth at the (Seattle) Golf Show and people come up to us and say ‘we love your magazine. We can’t wait to read it.’ We hear that over and over again.” Stephens adds, “we follow the sport, we follow the trends, we follow the money (advertising), but we’ve never changed the departments in the magazine. We still feel it is the right mix.”

Little more than a year ago, the pandemic had a devastating impact on all things, including Cascade Golfer and its team. Its strategic partner, Puetz Golf, had to limit operations and curtail like so many businesses. Nothing was selling. It faced an uncertain future. The magazine went to a digital format, eschewing the printed editions, perhaps for good. But by mid-2020, golf had regained its popularity because it was one of the few activities — outdoors with social distancing — the general public deemed safe. Puetz rebounded strongly, and now works hard to keep up with pent-up demand. Local courses are packed and the printed magazine has returned. “The pandemic has been our biggest challenge,” says Tourtillotte. “No one could play golf for a couple months. We went from print to digital, and back again. We had to move fast and make immediate decisions working closely with our partners. It’s a different world now.”

Tourtillotte is constantly gratified but amazed at how many people love Cascade Golfer. “It continues to have an impact,” he says. “Its success has largely been down to Dick’s leadership and vision, but also Brian Beaky’s editorship for 14 years, and Simon Dubiel’s role as salesperson with a lot of editorial discretion. I can’t believe it’s been 15 years. It’s been an incredible ride.”

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anything that ran in Cascade Golfer he would ask, “how does this benefit local golfers?”

The magazine’s first issue, published in the first quarter of 2007, had provided insight for what would follow. It featured Puyallup legend Ryan Moore, making the transition from his spectacular amateur career to his budding PGA Tour career. But in the corner of the cover was a tease about a burgeoning new course in University Place — Chambers Bay. Cascade Golfer covered every step Chambers took — the opening, the leadup to the U.S. Amateur, the grass issues, the development of the U.S. Open — as well as or better than any publication. Its coverage of Chambers’s designer Robert Trent Jones, Jr. even led to a scoop of sorts for Beaky.

The editor and his wife were in Kauai in 2015 and had a chance meeting with Jones, who was familiar with the stories Cascade Golfer had done on Chambers. “I talked to him for about a minute,’’ Beaky says. “And later that day, I got this call. It’s Robert Trent Jones. I don’t know how he got my number. But he wanted to know if we could have dinner with him.”

Beaky and Jones talked for two hours over dinner — about Jones’s career, his courses, his philosophies, and his poetry. “It was kind of a unique experience,” says Beaky. As he was paging through Jones’s poetry book, Beaky noticed original sketches of various Chambers Bay holes, from Jones’s own hand. Piqued by journalism instincts, Beaky asked Jones if he could run his sketches in the next issue of the magazine. Jones agreed and they appeared on the April 2015 cover, two months before Chambers hosted the U.S. Open.

Beaky, who wrote many of the stories, also sought out veteran writers to raise the standard of reporting.

Writers such as Craig Smith, Blaine Newnham, Jim Street, Josh Kerns, Steve Kelly, Bart Potter, Jeff Shelley, and British-born Tony Dear, became involved. Many of the slick photos have been taken by one of the nation’s top golf course photographers, Rob Perry.

“The writers are all seasoned veterans,” says Stephens. “We didn’t bring in interns to teach them about writing. We bought in guys we wanted to write for our magazine.” Besides stories on all the professionals from our region, there have been dozens of profiles on a wide variety of subjects. Beaky said the first story he remembers, in 2009, that generated significant reader reaction was a look back at Karsten Solheim’s time growing up in Ballard. In the article, the founder of Karsten Manufacturing Company (PING) was remembered by his then 91-year-old wife Louise.

The look of the magazine is just as important to the team as the journalism, and CG clearly has a sports-forward colorful arty vibe each issue. “Rob Becker is as important as any of us in the history of this title and his cool, creative, Seattle-themed art direction doesn’t mirror a stiff or traditional golf look,” said Stephens. “Rob is cutting edge and his page designs speak to the meat and potato reader in a way that says ‘open me’ and show this to your friends because it’s so cool looking. He’s hands down the best art director in the Seattle magazine business and a brother to all of us here.”

There have been celebrity golf-related stories with Drew Bledsoe, Raul Ibanez, Edgar Martinez, among sports figures, along with profiles on Jordan Spieth’s

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wo hours before we’re scheduled to meet, Jeff Coston texts a couple of photos. It’s sort of his day off — “Just a few online lessons” — but the first image shows him hitting balls. In the second, he’s performing an elaborate stretch on the True Stretch cage he has installed in his home gym. The message is clear – even at 65, Jeff Coston rarely, if ever, truly takes a day off and, despite his advancing years, is still eager to learn and improve.

“I’m just that kind of guy,” he says. “I need to be the best I can be at whatever it is I’m doing – father, grandfather, husband, instructor, golfer…”

Forty-five years of marriage to Diane; three successful, grown kids — Tyler, Kyle and Courtney; and eight grandchildren who dote on ‘Pa Pa’, suggest Coston has been fairly successful with the family-related stuff. He’s also clearly doing well with the instructing part as his loyal students, whether they live in Whatcom County, drive up from Seattle, or fly in from further afield, leave glowing testimonials about their time with him at Semiahmoo Resort outside Blaine, where Coston began building his now highly-acclaimed academy 27 years ago.

Those students come for a comprehensive mix of sound mechanics, a homespun wisdom that only a man with Coston’s experiences can offer, an unrelenting passion for his vocation; and a devotion to everyone fortunate enough to call him their teacher. “I care about the people I teach,” he says simply. “I enjoy helping people reach their goals.” Spend five minutes with the man, and you know it’s not just talk.

His many Twitter followers know that while Coston certainly champions textbook (preferably Ben Hogan’s textbook) technique, he has a knack for explaining potentially complex theories in a way that makes the movements refreshingly simple to grasp. “It’s no good my understanding a student’s swing problem if I can’t explain it to him/her in a way that they’ll understand,” he says.

“It’s very important they’re able to repeat what I’m telling them. That’s why I’m always asking them questions to assess how much they’ve picked up and see if they know what to work on during their next practice session.”

You’d expect him to have identified a few great swings in his time, but Coston actually has a surprisingly varied list he admires. “Canada’s George Knudson had a terrific action,” he says. “And I liked Nick Faldo, Moe

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Norman, Nick Price, and Stuart Appleby’s swings for different reasons. Freddie Couples and Adam Scott’s too.”

And though they certainly didn’t have the most beautiful, satisfying moves, he also mentions Lee Trevino and Jon Rahm. “Trevino may have bought the club back way on the outside and looped it back inside in a sort of figure of eight motion,” he says, “but his impact position was perfect. The hips have cleared, his weight is shifting to the left side, he approaches the ball from the inside and his head is behind the ball.”

Same with Rahm, he adds, pulling up video from the U.S. Open, which the Spaniard had won just a couple of days before. “His backswing is short and looks a little hurried perhaps, his left wrist is bowed and the club is laid off,” he says. “But look at that…” Coston advances the video frame by frame and, sure enough, following a quick transition, Rahm slots the club back onto the ideal plane, and performs a sequence of movements that puts him in perfect position at impact to hit another powerful, laser-beam iron. “Then you have (Jim) Furyk and (Matthew) Wolff,” says Coston. “Their swings are obviously pretty funky, but they position the club beautifully on the way down.”

However many swings he likes though, Coston invariably returns to Hogan whom he often references in his videos. “I do believe you will get better if you swing the club on the proper plane, like Hogan did” he says.

“He always thought about the pane of glass going through your body and tilted at about the same angle as the club shaft, and the club then swinging beneath the glass. Your spine is a tilted tetherball pole, and the ball moves fastest when it rotates at 90 degrees to the pole. So, going back, the club should bisect the spine at 90 degrees. This is not my opinion, it’s just physics. It’s science.”

Coston credits a number of mentors that have shaped the instructor and coach he’s become – mental game experts like Bob Rotella, Deborah Graham, David Cook, Chuck Hogan and Fred Shoemaker, and swing technicians like his coach from Seattle U. Bill Meyer, Andy Plummer, Mike Bennett, Mike Adams about whom Coston says he could watch teach for several hours at a time, and perhaps the most influential of all, Mike Bender.

The pair first met 40-odd years ago playing minitours in the Dakotas. “I beat Mike and Dave Rummells in a playoff one week,” Coston remembers. “I still tease AUGUST 2021

39

Swing

Photo courtesy of Bellingham Tourism

King What separates him from many of his peers is a self-belief and focus that are second to none Erik Hanson • former Mariners pitcher

him about it. We’ve taught maybe 150 schools together over the last 25 years, and I’ve learned so much from him. If Mike Adams is my father in golf and Plummer and Bennett are cousins, Mike Bender is my brother.”

Bender recalls those days in the Dakotas fondly.

Tournaments there were popular with PGA Tour hopefuls who’d head north for the summer months, before leaving for Florida in the winter. “No one practiced harder or longer than Jeff and I,” says Bender. “We played a lot of practice rounds together and became close friends.”

Bender insists Coston is very underrated as an instructor because he still plays so much. “Jeff just works so hard at it,” he says. “If we have a school that begins at 9 a.m., he’ll be out at dawn to practice and get prepared for the class. Then, when it’s finished, he’ll practice some more. And because he still competes quite a bit, he’s never given his due as a teacher. But I’ve learned from him every bit as much as what he’s learned from me.”

As for being a ‘golfer’, Coston still holds up pretty well on that score too. A former member of both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour (Nike Tour back then), his record started becoming notable in the late 1990s when he began winning prestigious Pacific Northwest titles. It progressed to exceptional in the first decade of the new century, and it currently stands at ‘kind of surreal’. Listing all his tournament victories would likely need more words than we have space for, so let’s focus on just one.

It came in May, and it would have been convenient to describe it as his most recent win. But, of course, Coston

Photo courtesy of Jeff Coston

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has had another since then.

Beating a field of talented, young professionals at the Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open Invitational at Meridian Valley was an achievement few could have predicted — outside the Coston residence anyway. Indeed, it looked pretty grim after three holes of the final round when he fell seven shots out of the lead. “I was bleeding bad and got knocked to the canvas,” he told The Seattle Times. “I had a talk to myself. I try not to beat myself up on the golf course. I just took some deep breaths, tried to relax my body, and said to myself, ‘It’s OK, Jeff. Today can be easy. It doesn’t have to be hard.’”

Coston shot six-under the rest of the way, to win by two. “I guess the patience thing served me pretty well,” he says. On his bag was son Tyler who, many remember, caddied for his father at the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. “That day was pretty special,” says Coston.

“Especially when my approach shot to the 72nd hole was in the air, and Tyler looked at me and said ‘Happy Father’s Day, dad’. But the day at Meridian Valley, winning my sixth Washington Open with him beside me may have been even better.”

Coston was touched by how many of the younger competitors approached him afterwards to offer their congratulations. And even though he’s been beating them for so long, players from the previous generation are only too happy to acknowledge the caliber of Coston’s play. “What separates him from many of his peers is a self-belief and focus that are second to none,” says Erik Hanson, the former Mariners pitcher and distinguished amateur golfer we profiled in the last issue. “Jeff has always had a lot of talent and has extensive knowledge of the biomechanics of the swing, but his ability to stay in the moment and execute whatever shot he is faced with, stands out above the rest.”

Two-time Washington Open champion Tim Feenstra, the Head Professional at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, mentions how impressed he is by Coston’s continued success, but adds he isn’t surprised by it at all. “He has no weaknesses in his game,” says Feenstra. “He’s supercompetitive and takes tournament golf very seriously. I’ve played competitive golf against him for 15 years, and his will to win hasn’t wavered.”

Brad Faller, an assistant as Rainier Golf and Country Club who lost to Coston in a playoff at the PING Pro Pro at Wine Valley in 2018, says he is one of those players that just seems able to do whatever he needs in order to win. “He’s fit, composed, and plays the same way today as he did in his prime,” he adds, “which he might still be in. So many of us that have the ability to hang around the leaderboard are affected by outside influences like health, pressure, confidence, doubt, etc. He’s not like that. He controls his performance better than most because he’s seen it all.”

And Coston plans on seeing plenty more. “Don Bies, a former PGA Tour winner from Seattle, once told me that with the way I played and prepared for tournaments he expected me to remain competitive into my mid70s,” he says.

It seems highly improbable, of course, but perhaps we shouldn’t reject the notion immediately. This is Jeff Coston we’re talking about. cascadegolfer.com

Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham’s Hidden Gem

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suddenvalleygolfcourse.com

Play at beautiful Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course

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

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Available at snoqualmiefallsgolf.com 425-441-8049 or 425-222-5244 AUGUST 2021

41

Tribal Triumph

The Squaxin Island Tribe’s wonderful

celebrates its 10th birthday later this year

D

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

evelopment of Salish Cliffs Golf Course didn’t run terribly smoothly at any stage really, but thank goodness it did eventually get built. The Squaxin Island tribe, eager to diversify its economic portfolio, first conceived the idea for a course in 2006. Not only was the golf industry in good shape and the timing right for a new course — a Golf 20/20 report determined that golf had a direct economic impact of $76 billion in 2005, and that it employed two million people with wage income of $61 billion — it would also help protect the value of the Tribe’s other major assets — the Little Creek Casino which had opened in 1995 and the adjoining hotel, added in 2003. But then, of course, the economy collapsed. Like, really badly.

“We obviously had to put it on hold for a while,” says Ray Peters, the Tribe’s Intergovernmental Affairs/Council Liaison. Gaming revenue was falling dramatically (bizjournals.com reported in May 2011 that while Washington casinos grew more than 56 percent a year from 1999 to 2009, the increase in revenue dropped to a little more than nine percent during the downturn), which obviously affected the speed with which the project could progress.

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The Tribe had invested heavily in previous years establishing a seafood processing company, the Skookum Creek Tobacco Company, a day-care center and a number of retail establishments as part of its business arm — Island Enterprises, but it needed to expand its resort operation. “We wanted to capture new markets in order to safeguard the investments we already had in place,” says Peters.

Because the Tribe had those extra revenue streams elsewhere, it was able to resume the golf course project in 2008 at a time when course construction around the country, and indeed the whole world, had more or less ground to a halt. “From a business standpoint, to go out and build a golf course by itself wouldn’t have made any sense,” Peters told bizjournals.com in May 2011. “But it did make sense for us as a resort property, because we already had visitors. We wanted to build the complete resort, so we’re also looking to develop the spa and RV park.”

Two sites for the course were considered. The land originally earmarked was a strong contender because of its location close to the Sound, but the three or four miles between it and the casino/hotel worked against it. “It was a nice site with great views over the water,” says Peters, “but we wanted it to be closer to the hotel.”

The Tribe did own land adjacent to the hotel, but in order to build a golf course there it would need to purchase an extra 100 acres from a timber company. The idea for this site had been put forward by golf course architect Gene Bates whom the Tribe hired in 2006 after assessing many of his previous designs. The assumption was Bates had got the job on the back of his highly acclaimed Circling Raven course that he had built for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort outside of Worley, Idaho, which had opened in 2003. Peters says it was based on a good deal more than that though.

“We vetted Gene thoroughly,” he adds. “We knew about Circling Raven obviously, but I had seen a few more of his courses. One that stood out in particular was Carolina National (in Bolivia, N.C.), which we had seen during a conference. We liked how Gene’s courses blended with nature so well, and that every owner/developer we spoke with said he was fantastic to work with and had become a firm friend.”

The site Bates proposed was not only closer to the casino and hotel, it had a great deal of elevation change, plenty of interesting features, and also splendid views over the Kamilche Valley. “There was something like 600-foot difference from top to bottom, which does sound a bit daunting, but it rose in terraces, which actually made routing the course quite straightforward,” says Bates.

Things looked good for Salish Cliffs with a Bates plan in place and the worst of the recession past, but soon after construction begun, it became clear the choice of contractor wasn’t working. Work actually halted for a year or so as the Tribe took the opportunity to reassess its finances, build much-needed infrastructure, and add a water treatment plant.

When construction recommenced it was with a new construction company but, as if the course hadn’t dealt with enough already, that relationship soured forcing Bates to find yet another company capable of finishing the job. The course also needed a superintendent, and fast! cascadegolfer.com

The site Bates proposed was not only closer to the casino and hotel, it had a great deal of elevation change, plenty of interesting features, and also splendid views over the Kamilche Valley. “There was something like 600-foot difference from top to bottom, which does sound a bit daunting, but it rose in terraces, which actually made routing the course quite straightforward,” says Bates.

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Photos by Brian Oar

Regular readers will know the struggle the Tribe had in convincing Bob Pearsall to take the job. In May’s ‘Superintendent Spotlight’, Pearsall described how reluctant he had been to leave his position at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie in Lacey, and that it was only after three calls that he agreed to meet with Peters, Bates, and Tribal Vice Chairman Andy Whitener. While the others knew of Pearsall’s excellent reputation in the Northwest and were sure he was the man for the job, Bates had no idea who he was and wasn’t so certain.

Pearsall, who brought his brother Mike and Anton Diaz with him as first and second assistant superintendents, proved himself proficient not only with turf, the Northwest climate, and growing a course in, but also the vagaries of Tribal politics. “He clearly knew what he was doing on the golf course,” says Bates, “but he worked so well with the Tribe too. He turned out to be the perfect guy for the role.”

That just left the head professional’s position to fill and, while Bates had very little impact on the Superintendent decision, he was pivotal in effecting the choice of pro. At the time, Bates lived in North Palm Beach, Fla., and played at North Palm Beach Country Club where a gentleman by the name of David Kass was Director of Golf Operations. Bates passed him on the way to the first tee one morning and told him about a course he was building in Washington state. Kass was intrigued when Bates showed him some pictures of the place and asked if Bates could get him an interview.

“My wife and I were very interested in moving to such a beautiful place,” says Kass. “And the course looked incredible. But the clincher for me was talking to the Tribe.

They were just so passionate about the land and excited about the course. I wanted to be a part of it.”

Kass arrived in January 2011 and remained the Head Professional and Resort Director until May 2019 when he moved to Bear Creek Country Club in Woodinville as General Manager. He remains especially proud of his early years at Salish Cliffs when he helped build its national reputation, but two days stand out in particular. “The first was the official tribal ceremony to dedicate the course in August 2011,” he says. “It was so moving with the chants, the sage smudging, the drums. The whole ceremony was filled with emotion, and it was very powerful.”

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cascadegolfer.com

Salish Cliffs is the first course to ever be assigned ‘Salmon-Safe’ status by Seattle-based Stewardship Partners

The second happened just a few weeks later when Fred Couples, a design partner of Bates (though not at Salish Cliffs), was scheduled to perform an opening clinic on the range and hit a drive with every group that had signed up for the day. “It didn’t quite go according to plan, however,” says Kass. “It began in a light drizzle, but before long the rain had become quite heavy so we moved it to the clubhouse.”

Inside the beautiful cedar log building, the future Hall of Famer sat on a table and engaged the attendees with about an hour’s worth of stories and memories from his impressive career. “It worked out so well,” says Kass “That impromptu Q & A session with a Masters champion is probably my favorite memory of all.” He doesn’t mention them, but I’d wager the day Golfweek named Salish Cliffs one of the 10 best new courses in America for 2011, Golf Digest ranked it among the top 10 courses in Washington (five times, actually), GolfAdvisor.com readers voted it the best course in Washington (twice), or any of the other days it won prestigious industry awards (not to mention the day it became the first course to ever be assigned ‘Salmon-Safe’ status by Seattle-based Stewardship Partners), were pretty special too.

Chris Koch, Kass’s assistant from the very start, took over the head pro spot following his departure. A graduate of Western Washington University, Koch spent four years as an assistant pro at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Hawaii before joining Salish Cliffs. Acknowledging that Kass has been a tough act to follow, Koch says his job has largely been continuing where his predecessor left off, though he has been keen to add programs for younger golfers. “Together with my assistants Sheena Prante and Brian Green, I’m dedicated to growing junior golf, especially among the Tribal youth,” he says.

The combination of the Squaxin Island Tribe’s courage and foresight, Gene Bates’s clever design, Bob Pearsall’s agronomic expertise, David Kass’s industry insight and professionalism, Chris Koch’s loyalty and enthusiasm, and no doubt the contributions of numerous others behind the scenes, created something great at Salish Cliffs. We’re fortunate to have such an amazing course in our part of the world, and are enjoying watching it mature into something truly special. Here’s to its next 10 years. cascadegolfer.com

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

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Wine Valley

Avalon Golf Links • Burlington

The Home Course

ONLY

Special Rates Discounts 2-for-1s Bonus Offers

$3995

1

Avalon Golf Links BURLINGTON

You’ll notice when you play Avalon Golf Links, about an hour north of Seattle in Burlington, you may just be purchasing the best bargain in the state as that $75 entitles you to play all day on the course’s three nines — just $20 above the 18-hole rate (tee times between 8:30 a.m. and 10:50 a.m.).

With summer sunsets past 9 p.m., you could set a new standard for swings-per-day.

What you also get with that bargain is a golf pedigree. Avalon opened in 1991 and was designed by a legend — Robert Muir Graves who designed more than 75 courses, mostly on the West Coast. Among his finest designs, besides Avalon, are other Washington classics like Canterwood in Gig Harbor, Overlake in Bellevue and Port Ludlow. He’s also known for his work at Sea Ranch Golf Links, in Sea Ranch, Calif., Buffalo Hills in Kalispell, Mont., Furry Creek in British Columbia, Lake Merced in Daly City, Calif., Big Meadow at Black Butte Ranch, Ore., and Quail Lodge in Carmel, Calif.

Avalon has been the site for big regional events such as U.S. Open qualifiers in 1994 and 2001, the 2007 Pacific Northwest PGA Senior Championship, and 2009 Pacific Northwest PGA Championship. The bonus — and it’s all free — is that this golfing complex is on the edge of the Skagit Valley, offering glorious views of the Cascades and Olympic mountain ranges.

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The three nines are distinct from each other, by (Graves) design. The North Course has three of everything — three par 3s, three 4s and three 5s with the four-hole stretch from the 4th to the 7th considered the toughest at Avalon. The 594-yard par 5 6th, where the second and/or third shots need to clear the large lake guarding the green, is the longest and possibly most challenging hole of all.

The west nine is shorter and tighter, but at least the greens are smaller. Any angst over your score can be assuaged by the best stretch of Cascade views. The defense of the South Course is the vagary of the greens. It may take you a full nine to figure them out. Tip: Stay below the hole. The 427-yard par 4 1st is another of Avalon’s particularly tough holes.

Even with an impressive tee shot, you’ll likely have a long approach to a slanted, elevated green.

YARDAGE North 2,529-3,462 yards West 2,285-3,231 yards South 2,507-3,376 yards RATES $49-$55 weekdays, $57-$65 weekends Juniors: Half price* TEL (360) 757-1900 WEB avalonlinks.com * Check website for current rates

cascadegolfer.com

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

Whispering Firs Golf Course • Tacoma

2

Public Facility With Country Club Amenities

Whispering Firs Golf Course TACOMA

When you play Whispering Firs Golf Course you may not notice that every green is protected by more than just bunkers or watery penalty areas. In fact, the entire course is completely protected as it lies within the Joint Base Lewis McChord military facility in Tacoma.

Just to get past JBLM main entry gate, you need an authorized visitor’s pass and must show your passport or an enhanced driver’s license to an armed officer. Yet despite being a military property and catering to Department of Defense ID cardholders, authorized guests are still allowed in. That means civilians of any ilk, even those who tend to play ‘military golf,’ — left, right, left, right.

Those in the military, whose primary responsibility is to protect and defend, get and deserve a better rate than the rest of us. Any active-duty personnel can play Whispering Firs for $19 while civilians pay $34 during the week and $38 on weekends. Really, to play such a beautiful, well-maintained, 6,646-yard par 72 layout, that’s a great deal no matter who you are.

Whispering Firs is one of two golf courses maintained by the recreational arm of the JBLM base. The other is Eagle’s Pride, outside the gates and 11 miles west on I-5. Both provide JBLM personnel (and limited guests) leisure-time benefits that also include oldschool military competitions. There are two annual competitions that cater to active-duty personnel and family members. One is the JBLM CG Scrambles — a six-event monthly competition rotating between the two courses.

cascadegolfer.com

Four-man teams compete in each of the 18-hole events, which begin at Whispering Firs in May. The final three scramble events will be Aug. 13 at Eagle’s Pride, Sept. 17 at Whispering Firs and Oct. 15 at Eagle’s Pride. It is designed for active-duty personnel, but civilians can be involved as well – though ringers and sandbaggers should take note.

The other competition is the 54-hole Rainier Cup — the biggest annual summer event that has been held for the last 20 years and which is traditionally contested on the final weekend in June. It’s a mighty battle for bragging rights among the Air Force, Army, and Navy teams. Play starts Friday at the Gallery Golf Course in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. That’s followed by 18 at Eagle’s Pride on Saturday, then Whispering Firs hosts the finale on the Sunday.

Each military squad has 36 players (with six captain’s picks) that might also include members of the National Guard, DOD, Coast Guard, retirees, family members and civilian guests. Anyone, inside or outside the gates, gets a shot at glory.

YARDAGE (PAR) 5,564-6,646 yards (72) RATES General public: $34 daily, $38 weekends Military: $19-$26. Juniors: $13* TEL (253) 982-2124 WEB jblm.armymwr.com/programs/ whispering-firs-golf-course * Check website for current rates

18-hole championship course 9-hole executive course Driving Range & Practice Center High Cedars Golf Academy Footgolf Advanced Tee Times Recommended 2021 Junior Golf Camps begin June 22nd Ladies Golf Lessons & Wine Tasting

HIGH CEDARS GOLF CLUB

14604 149th St. Ct. E. • Orting, WA 98360

(360) 893-3171 • highcedars.com AUGUST 2021

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SAVE SOME GREEN

3

Wine Valley Golf Club WALLA WALLA

During my last visit to Wine Valley Golf Club — sometime during winter 2019, the needle struggled to top 15 degrees. I sat in the clubhouse, chatting with the young guy behind the counter, waiting patiently for the temperature to rise just enough to allow golf. It never did, and the course remained empty.

On Tuesday June 29th, that same needle completed its long journey to 115 degrees making golf unlikely once again. Chris Isaacson, director of golf since January 2018, confirms there weren’t many out. “While the morning was still pretty busy, we didn’t see many during the afternoon,” he says.

It takes a couple of bizarro weather days like that to stop play at Wine Valley.

At just about any other time though, the superb Dan Hixson design seven miles west of wine town Walla Walla will be doing brisk business, as you’d expect of a place ranked within the state’s top-three publicly accessible courses.

The order in which Chambers Bay, Gamble Sands, and Wine Valley sit in your top three can change on a whim, and is probably dependent on superficialities like the weather and how well you played last time you were there. But it’s significant that even up against a couple of courses ranked within the top 50 in the nation, Wine Valley more than holds its own.

It opened in 2009 on rolling land that once yielded wheat and alfalfa and, for its first few years, remained the preserve of Pacific Northwesterners fortunate enough to have heard of it and able to make their way to Washington’s remote southeast corner. The secret would inevitably emerge, however, as one national publication after another recognized how good it was and ranked it accordingly.

With its firm bluegrass/fescue fairways and treeless

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Wine Valley Golf Club • Walla Walla

expanse, Wine Valley is the polar opposite of what people elsewhere in the country might regard as the typical northwest course with its conifer-lined holes. The ground rises, dips, heaves and undulates so beautifully Hixson needed to move very little earth in creating something that plays much like a links course where a canny ground-game goes far. Indeed, though it has no ocean or sound views, Wine Valley calls for many of the same shots you might play at Chambers Bay. As has been the case everywhere else it seems, reserving a tee time at Wine Valley has gotten a little tougher over the last few months, and the estimated 23,000 rounds the course usually logs each year will likely see a little jump in 2021. Just be sure to schedule your tee time before those nasty winter temps show up again.

— Tony Dear, CG Editor

YARDAGE (PAR) 5,105-7,600 yards (72) RATES $100 (weekday twilight), $175 (peak weekend) * TEL (509) 525-4653 WEB winevalleygolfclub.com * Check website for current rates

Win a Salish Cliffs twosome n honor of the Salish Cliffs 10-year anniversary we are sending one lucky reader, and his/her’s lucky friend, to play this pristine course, on us. To put your name in the hat go to CascadeGolfer.com.

AUGUST 2021

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P R ESENTED BY

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort • Bandon, Ore.

Booking a dream trip? Here’s expert advice on how to do it and stay on budget

Y

ou want to plan a momentous golf trip to play America’s most iconic courses or perhaps the revered and acclaimed courses in Scotland and Ireland, but you are uncertain about access, accommodations, and costs. That’s where the folks at the Travel There and Back agency in Monroe, Wash,. come in as they have all the answers.

Michelle Wicks Cypher and her husband Michael have been shaping trips for the past half-dozen years, sending golfers off to such coveted properties as Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach and St. Andrews. They plan every detail, from where to play to lodging, dining, touring, even shopping.

These are not one-size-fits-all trips. They are customized to their clients’ needs and interests, which is why the Cyphers get as much information as they possibly can.

“My process starts with a consultation,” says Michelle.

“I ask a lot of questions like who’s going, for how long, what you definitely want to do, and what courses you want to play.”

She then asks what other things you might like to see or do. “Do guests want to play golf every day, or maybe three times during their stay? It varies from person to person. And does everyone want to play golf? You need to keep non-golfers happy too.”

The Cyphers have the experience and the contacts to make any golfer’s dream come true. Most of their clients

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are from Seattle and elsewhere in Washington so many of their golf trips involve long drives or short plane rides to the glorious Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the southwest Oregon coast. They also dispatch groups for wine/golf adventures in the Yakima, Willamette, and Napa Valleys.

The ultimate trip, at least on planet Earth, is always to Scotland, the home of golf. And Ireland is becoming more popular and accessible. Some clients might want a bit of both, which the Cyphers are well equipped to provide. Those overseas trips are logistically more challenging, but the Travel There and Back folks have seen and done it all.

For anyone with plans to play those ancient tracks one day, this is how the Cyphers intricately piece it together…It begins with an obvious question -- how many are going? If it’s just a couple golfers, father-son, buddies, mother-daughter, siblings, etc. it’s fairly simple. They get you there, set up tee times and, if you’re comfortable driving on the opposite side, reserve a vehicle.

When it’s a foursome, it’s a tad more cumbersome.

With all the clubs and luggage, maybe a van or minibus or even a driver would be more practical. When the numbers increase to a couple of foursomes (with spouses) or a dozen or more, then a bigger bus is necessary or perhaps a driver/guide who would remain with the group for the duration. “We’d have a guide handle all the luggage and clubs, get you to the hotel, and get you to the course and

then onto the next destination,” Michelle says. “With a dedicated driver, moving around is obviously so much easier, and you don’t have to think or worry about your clubs.”

Once the price point is reached, the Cyphers can determine the type of accommodations and various amenities. They can recommend, and make reservations for, wine/whisky tastings, museum visits or cultural tours. So many golfers want to play the Old Course at St. Andrews, which, depending on the time of year or day of the week, can be hard to get on. The agency will use its Scottish contacts to secure tee times then build the rest of the trip around that course.

After all the questions are asked and answered, Michelle puts together a trip that makes logical sense and doesn’t involve any backtracking. She’ll plug in the nongolf time for the cultural activities and give the clients a complete outline. About two weeks before departure, Michelle will go over every detail with the clients, including unforeseen events such as missed flights, lost bags, lost passports or simply lost travelers.

Until travelers return home, the agency maintains remote responsibility, so if they have a problem they can contact the Cyphers who will do whatever’s necessary to help resolve thorny issues. They do, after all, live up to their name, getting all their travelers There and Back with clubs, bags and memories intact. Visit TravelThereandBack.com for more information. cascadegolfer.com