Cascade Golfer 0822

VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 3 • AUGUST 2022 • COMPLIMENTARY

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@cascadegolfer

SUMMER’S TOP PICKS FROM PUETZ!

YAKIMANIA is hops heaven Lake Life in CHELAN is calling

CIRCLING RAVEN tops charts again NO RTHWE ST GO LF N EW S & V I E W S

TOP

SUNRIVER is a high desert oasis

10 Best

“The day TIGER WOODS tied me”

BOEING CLASSIC at Snoqualmie Ridge

PUBLIC COURSES IN WASHINGTON

Overall • By Region • For Women

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

A LOOK

INSIDE Features

Departments 4 PUBLISHER’S PITCH 6 SHORT GAME

• Flatstick Pub Redmond • Boeing Classic • Eaglemont GC • Manke to rep Radmor • Huntington wins • Duke’s Scholarship winner • All Things Sports simulator • Seattle to Dublin flights • CG Cup mid-season mark • Portland hosts first LIV stop

26 RISK VS REWARD

34 IN THE BAG

• TaylorMade Hi-Toe 3 Wedge • TaylorMade Stealth UDI/DHY • Sun Mt. 4.5LS Golf Bag • Voice Caddie T9 • Bushnell Launch Pro • PING ChipR • Puetz Golf Clubfitting

60 SAVE SOME GREEN • Cedarcrest GC • Legion Memorial GC

62 POSTGAME

• Hole-in-one heaven

• Sudden Valley GC Hole No. 7

THIS PAGE We aren’t in Kansas anymore Dorothy — we’re on Lake Chelan. One of the finest golf vistas anywhere in the U.S. is found on Bear Mountain Ranch’s 3rd hole. Rob Perry captured this image in the twilight perfectly.

Enjoy our feature on Chelan and all its splendor on page 54.

40 50 54

CG Top 10 Best Public Courses CG readers have named their favorites

Yakimania!

Golf and beer are hopping in Yakima Valley

Lake Life!

The perfect central Washington golf destination

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 28 - 33

ON THE COVER Thanks to our Art Director Rob Becker, the photography of Rob Perry and our top 10 amazing courses in Washington that were chosen by our readers, we present you this exciting issue.

Congratulations to all the nominees.

Read the results on page 40.

Win Free Golf and More!

Eagle’s Pride GC • DuPont

cascadegolfer.com

Summer is here and we are basking in the sun for sure. We are sending readers all over our great state and happy to offer up some great swag. Here’s this month’s prizes and last issue’s winners.

Hey readers, don’t forget about last issue’s contests!

Congratulations to these lucky winners from June Cascade Golfer.

• Flatstick Pub prize pack • Page 4

Apple Tree Golf Day • Scott Brown • Seattle

• Radmor Golf swag bag • Page 20

Classic Golf Club Outing • Don Duncan • Gig Harbor

• Eagle’s Pride Golf Course play day • Page 62

Boeing Classic Tickets and NW Golfers Playbook Judith Gonzalez • Issaquah

AUGUST 2022

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Volume 16 • Issue 3 • AUGUST 2022

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 2022 Cascade Golfer. PRINTED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and/ or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Cascade Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts. The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

O

PRODUCER AND OWNER OF THE

Our top 10 is back, LIV or let die and in-state golf travel hot spots await

ver the 16 years our team has been on this journalistic endeavor, there are a handful of editions that really stand out for me.

A favorite for sure is the issue that featured our interview with Robert Trent Jones Jr., in advance of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. For me, that issue is highlighted by our decision to not run another gorgeous photo of one of his masterpieces as our cover image. Instead, our ‘page one’ was graced with a simple black and white pencil drawing Jones sketched of the Chambers Bay Lone Fir 15th hole. He drew that par 3 doodle long before the first shovel had ever gone into the ground in University Place.

That sketch became the signature hole, and his vision was willed into reality.

He gave our editor the original artwork and a book of his poems to review in preparation for that issue. Hard to top that. I got the chance to thank RTJ II personally in 2015 at the USGA Media Day — what a lovely guy.

This edition you hold in your hands now is just as special for many reasons. For starters, we’re stoked to bring back our top 10 public courses issue once again.

We’ve done this every two years for a long time. But it’s been three trips around the sun this time because of the COVID craziness last year.

So, since we missed a beat in 2021, we sweetened the deal for you all and decided to publish the top 20 picks — kicking it up a notch and doubling down. This is YOUR issue. We don’t pick the winners — you do. Thanks to our editor Tony Dear, we received hundreds and hundreds of votes where you all ranked your favorites one through 20 for us to tabulate. You ‘rocked the vote’ for sure.

When we count them up using our points system (see page 40) we don’t just run the rankings. We summarize each course and create some great sidebars.

We’ve crafted other rankings such as ladies’ top 20, best by region, movers and shakers and other data. So, pour yourself a cocktail, read the results and enjoy our fan poll.

We love seeing SO many courses getting nods by you all — there are dozens of places that received votes. All are deserving since you made the call. This is a democracy here via Cascade Golfer’s vast readership.

And by the way, congratulations to Chambers Bay for winning best public course again this year. Chambers and Gamble Sands have both shared this honor in recent years and

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

A

DICK STEPHENS

CG’s Simon Dubiel blisters one off the 9th tee at Chambers Bay — our winner for best public course. He’s the ‘driving force’ behind our successful CG Cup.

Gamble came in a close second place this year.

I am also excited about this issue as we dip our toes in the water on the biggest news in the sport right now — the LIV Golf tour. The storm of controversy swirling around LIV is like nothing golf has ever seen. LIV made its first stop in the U.S. just down the road at Pumpkin Ridge and we were there in Portland. Tony has covered golf all over the world and his news, views and commentary will give you a lens to look through so you can formulate your own opinion on LIV. What many are calling ‘sportswashing’, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour and players are drawing tons of attention and fire for their support of this upstart producing so much upheaval.

It will be interesting to say the least to see how this plays out in 2022 and beyond. If it can ‘LIV’ or die will be up to the fans, sponsors and players and their ability to sustainably support this contentious Saudi effort.

Finally, you know how much we love regional golf travel and post-round experiences here at Cascade Golfer.

Well, we have two late summer hot spots for you to enjoy and savor right here in Washington state.

Yakima is hops heaven for beer lovers. And Chelan is our lake life treasure here in Washington. What Lake Tahoe is to Cali and the Ozarks are to Missourians, Chelan is to all of us here. We hope you will trek to one or both locales and that our stories motivate you to do so.

The next time we connect it will be December with short days and long nights, so soak up the sun the rest of the summer and during our harvest months here. And, as always, TAKE IT EASY.

Enter to Win a Flatstick Pub experience

s much as we love to see our friends at the Flatstick continue to grow, even more so we love to give away their swag. Get your hands on this Flatstick package and you can rock their gear and play mini golf on them! Enter to win at CascadeGolfer.com.

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AUGUST 2022

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Largents ready to launch sixth Flatstick Pub in Redmond soon

S

ome of the greatest business decisions in America have not necessarily evolved from think tanks, focus groups, or intricate demographic charts and graphs. Sometimes, ideas can flow simply when a couple guys sit around, open a beer and a conversation.

That’s how it happened for brothers Andy and Sam Largent back in Spokane a decade ago. They both agreed and they loved golf. The duo dug beer, bars and the social scene. So, they sat down and discussed how they could pull those disparate elements together to come up with a business plan, paving the way for their Flatstick empire.

In 2014, their plan came to fruition when they opened the first Flatstick Pub in Kirkland. The pub featured a creative nine-hole mini golf circuit and other bar games along with local craft beers, hand-made pizza and munchies. “I think it’s been a positive reaction from both golfers and non-golfers,” said Andy Largent.

From there, the Largent brothers business boomed. They opened two more pubs in Seattle, one located in Pioneer Square and one in South Lake Union. Expansion continued into Tacoma, Bellingham, Spokane, along with Kirkland.

This winter, the brothers will open their sixth Flatstick Pub in the state, in the Redmond Town Center. “It’s our biggest location yet,” Andy said. “We’ll be putting in new putting-related games that we haven’t had at other locations.”

Each Pub has a mini-golf layout specifically tailored to that part of the city or region.

There are also various unique golf-related games and activities. One game invented by the Flatstick folks is Duffleboard. It’s played on a tabletop in which a gamer tries to make a putt using a hand-held putter. Other games include ‘stick putt’ in which a patron putts

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down a long track to an elevated ramp. The putt then flies into a skee-ball-like setup and into holes that have various values.

Another game, ‘Ball Jockey,’ is like air hockey. It’s played on a tabletop and uses handheld ‘pushers’ to propel balls into holes at each corner of the table. Largent said inventing these games, the by-product of many of those beer-and-brain sessions, has been the most fun and creative part of their business-building process.

The pubs also emphasize craft beers from Washington, as opposed to the global corporate kind. All six pubs are in Washington, but the company could expand beyond the borders. “We’re open to continuing to grow. There’s nothing specific,” he added. “We like to continue (to expand) in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon, Idaho.”

The latest Flatstick Pub at the Redmond Town Center is expected to be open by the end of the year, or perhaps by early spring. It is located at the northeast corner of the complex, right across the street from the light rail station.

Drop by FlatstickPub.com for info and find a spot closest to you.

cascadegolfer.com

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

Langer could make history again at Snoqualmie Ridge’s Boeing Classic as he eyes Irwin’s Champions Tour win total

B

ernhard Langer is not real, as we understand that to be. There’s no way to explain him. Common sense doesn’t do it. There must be something we’re unaware of, some advantage he possesses, perhaps an age-defying vitamin formula or cutting-edge workout regimen or maybe it’s sci-fi, bionic limbs or something. He’s a force of nature as much as he is a freak of nature.

Langer is 64 years old, 15 seasons into his over-50 PGA Tour Champions career. He has won 43 times with 199 top 10 finishes and a record 11 Senior Majors titles entering this season. The German has won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup six times. And he’s claimed at least one tournament every year since he qualified for the Champions, including his first year (2007) when he played just five tournaments, and the 2011 season when he missed much of it after thumb surgery.

Where’s the fade? Not the ball flight but the body faltering. Shouldn’t he be declining in all those areas where we’ve seen other plus-50 players decline, his physical skills, his passion, his confidence, his mental sharpness, his will to win. Not detectable. Since he turned 60, Langer has won 17 times with 63 top 10 finishes — and counting.

He’s made more than $32 million in prize money just on the Champions circuit alone. That’s $5 million more than the career runner-up, Hale Irwin.

Irwin, 77, who still plays occasionally on the Champions Tour, is the only mortal golfer who can be compared

to Langer. He has had 211 top 10 finishes in his career and won at least one tournament his first 12 Champion seasons, including nine in 1997 and seven in 1998. His last victory was in 2007, the same year that Langer won his first.

As the Boeing Classic approaches, Aug. 12-14 at Snoqualmie Ridge, there may be quite the drama unfolding involving those two. Irwin has a Champions record 45 career victories while Langer has 43. Langer, who has played in the Boeing every year since 2009, has won the tournament twice, with a second, three thirds and a fourth. He has never finished lower than 18th. There were five years between his first (2010) and second win here (2016) and five tournaments since then.

This is a course that fits Langer’s eye and even a guy turning 65 on Aug. 27, he continues to be on any favorite’s list.

It’s not known who will be in the field for the 18th edition of the tournament. The official field is not announced until a week before the event. Two former Major winners, Justin Leonard and David Duval, became eligible for the Tour this season and could be in the field.

Seattle’s Fred Couples, 62 — two years younger than Langer — generally competes in the Boeing if his back allows. He’s always the fan favorite.

Jerry Kelly, 55, the 2017 Boeing champion who still has plenty of moxie in his game, is a consistent threat to

win. He has won nine times on the Champions Tour.

However, there are peculiarities built into the Champions Tour. History suggests, naturally, that a player ‘s best shot at winning is his first five to 10 years on the circuit.

Their swings are not far removed from the PGA Tour, they’re still fit, and have renewed enthusiasm. Then as the players age into their 60s, virtually all the Tour players not named Langer have increasing difficulty keeping up with each succeeding class.

Boeing’s results over the years reflect that kind of dynamics. The tournament has had a few ‘name’ champions, players who had a fair amount of success on the regular tour, such as two-time champion Tom Kite, Loren Roberts and Mark Calcavecchia.

But there have been plenty of first-timers or infrequent winners who have held the crystal globe. Last year’s champion Rod Pampling won for the first (and only) time in his career. Two other Boeing champions, John Riegger (2013) and Scott Dunlap (2014) were first-timers — and haven’t won since. Brandt Jobe (2019) won for just the second time while Jay Don Blake (2012) and Billy Andrade (2015) are three-time winners.

We’re not sure who will be back, but we know all the fans are invited. The past two tournaments have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Restrictions this year should be eased — go to BoeingClassic.com for details and tickets.

Mt. Vernon’s Eaglemont Golf Course land reportedly sold, but will course reopen?

A

ccording to a report on goskagit.com posted on June 14, the land on which Eaglemont Golf Course once sat has been purchased by a Christian retreat business named Beacon Hill International Ministries. The Mt. Vernon course, which opened in 1993, closed permanently in April 2020 and was put on the market at $6.5 million.

In a 23-page vision statement and prospectus for a retreat center it is hoping to build on the Caribbean Island of St. Maarten and which constitutes its entire website, Beacon Hill’s leader Tim Langenberg says the company

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paid $4 million for the 215-acre golf course property, which included the 20,000-square-foot clubhouse.

In the prospectus, Langenberg writes that he first became interested in the land early in 2021 and that the former golf course will act as a “gatekeeper to a lucrative development opportunity for an adjacent property that involves 500 municipally-approved building lots and at least 75 condos.” It is unclear where the ‘adjacent property’ is and if it was part of the sale. Reportedly the potential profit of developing the land could be $40 million.

Eaglemont GC had been a popular 18-hole stop for the Puget Sound golfer for many years. The John Steidel layout and design was unique, undulating and challenged golfers at every level since its opening in 1992. We have reported on and promoted the course numerous times over the years.

At the time of this writing, it’s unclear if Beacon Hill’s plans might involve the revival of the golf course. cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME R.J. Manke

Former UW star Manke represents Seattle’s Radmor on Korn Ferry Tour

R

admor, the Seattle-based golf lifestyle brand crafting golf apparel from all-natural materials, has signed former University of Washington All-American and PGA Tour University stand-out R.J. Manke to a multi-year deal to represent the brand on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Manke, who made the cut and finished T37 in his professional debut at the BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greer, S.C., will wear Radmor’s collection of polos, pants and shorts during competitive and practice rounds on Tour.

Radmor founders Scott Morrison and Bob Conrad were teammates on the University of Washington men’s golf team in the mid-90s and have remained big supporters of the program over the years.

“Scott and Bob are a couple of guys who are excited about golf in the Northwest and wanted to help the University of Washington program as much as possible,” Manke says. “They’ve embraced the team and are good friends of the program. We’ve built a relationship with them because they’re such good guys.”

Manke was first drawn to the brand because of the

sheer comfort and unique look of its polos, pants, hoodies and accessories. As he dug deeper into the company’s ethos, he gained an appreciation for its unwavering commitment to sustainability and use of all-natural, high-quality cotton and (in select garments) recycled polyester. “You don’t realize how much plastic you’re wearing,” Manke says. “You come out to these tournaments, and we’ve got aluminum cups and water bottles.

People are trying to get rid of plastic, and they don’t know it’s used most in clothes. People wear it, and it sheds and wears off in the laundry.”

Radmor is excited to have the Husky legend representing them. “R.J. embodies everything we stand for.

He’s conscientious, wants to do good in this world and when it comes to golf, he’s an absolute winner on and off the course,” Morrison says. “He’s off to a great start professionally and we can’t wait to follow his season on the Korn Ferry Tour.”

Manke finished fourth overall in the PGA Tour University class of 2021, earning Korn Ferry Tour member-

ship for the 2022 season. Top five finishers are exempt into all open, full-field events beginning the week following the conclusion of the NCAA Division I Men’s National Championship through the conclusion of the Korn Ferry Tour regular season. The top five finishers are also exempt into the final stage of that year’s Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Radmor is a playful blend of Morrison’s and Conrad’s last names and represents the brand’s dichotomy.

Its secondary logo, ‘BobRad,’ is a whimsical cartoon that aims to bring golf to those who find the sport a bit too stuffy. Meanwhile, Radmor’s serious golf side is reflected in its ‘Dead Center’ ball and cup logo that appears throughout most of its collections and appeals to its green grass partners at high-end clubs and resorts.

The products are available at a growing number of golf shops, many online sites and throughout the U.S. and Nordstrom stores nationwide. Radmor has a concept shop in Seattle at 607 1st Avenue in Pioneer Square. Follow them at RadmorGolf.com.

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Add a round to Kahler Mountain Club 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

kahlermountainclub.com cascadegolfer.com

Sudden Valley Golf Club Bellingham’s Hidden Gem

SHORT GAME Huntington wins Pacific Northwest Boys Junior PGA Championship and punches ticket for Nationals at Cog Hill

W For tee times and best rates visit our website at

suddenvalleygolfcourse.com

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hen you’re a teen and you’re on top, the world is your oyster. And for 17-year-old Eli Huntington, a senior-to-be at Camas High School, life is pretty good as one of the best golfers in the Evergreen State.

He’s earned a spot in the field for the 46th Junior PGA Championship to be played at the famed Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Palos Park, Ill., after winning the Pacific Northwest Boys Junior PGA Championship in June at the OGA (Oregon Golf Association) Golf Course in Woodburn, Ore. Huntington began the 36-hole tournament with a three-under 69 that put him three back of Oregon’s Collin Hodgkinson. But an immaculate, bogey-free 67 the following day saw him finish two clear of Vancouver, Wash.’s Grady Millar, taking the title with an eight-underpar total of 136.

Huntington will be joined at Cog Hill by Girls champion Asia Young, a 13-year-old from Bend, Ore., who shot 66-72 to win by four over Jacinda Lee from Camas.

The Junior PGA Championship is scheduled for Aug. 2-5 and will be played over the Ravines Course and the challenging, Dick Wilson/Joe Lee-designed Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill whose original layout opened in 1927.

Dubsdread, where the final two rounds will be played, opened in 1964 and has hosted the U.S. Amateur (1997, won by Matt Kuchar), the PGA Tour’s Western Open (1991-2006) and the Tour’s BMW Championship (2007, 2009-11). Tiger Woods owns the course record with a 62.

Notable players that have played in the Junior PGA Championship include Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Cristie Kerr, Grace Park, Michelle Wie, Dottie Pepper, Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Stewart Cink and Phil Mickelson.

Jeff Seong of Federal Way won the Boys 13-15 Division at the Pacific Northwest Boys Junior PGA Championship, shooting five-under 139, while Issaquah’s Calvin Cakarnis came in second three shots behind.

Bellevue’s Angela Zhang and Annie Jin finished first and second respectively in the Girls 13-15 Division, Zhang shooting 77-69 to finish two-over 146 and winning on a countback. Sinjin Tran of Sammamish won the Boys 12 and Under division at three-over 147. And Issaquah’s Ira Upadhyay won the Girls 12 and Under division with rounds of 74 and 79. cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Roosevelt HS grad Kelly wins Duke’s Seafood Scholarship and will attend Gonzaga this fall

S

he may have dabbled in the game now and again thanks to an extended family that all played golf, but Olivia Kelley never really thought much about it. From Kindergarten all through middle school she played soccer and softball and never really had time for golf.

But, as she prepared to graduate from middle school to Roosevelt High School in Seattle, she considered her athletic options and decided to try out for the golf team (she also continued to play softball but not soccer). “And to her surprise and excitement, she made the team, despite never having played 18 holes before,” says her aunt Molly Suits, a life-long golfer who nominated Olivia for the scholarship.

Under Roosevelt Head Coach Max Rose, Olivia was not only a regular on the team, but she also finished her freshman year with the second-best scoring average, an achievement that earned her Rookie of the Year honors.

Suits, knowing many high school varsity golfers prefer their family stay well away from the course, was grateful her niece allowed her to come and watch her play. “I so enjoyed seeing her compete and share so many laughs

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with her teammates,” she says. “It was great to see her grow as a golfer and as a leader. I was reminded of my own childhood playing golf. It’s hard to beat those wonderful times.”

Olivia played as much golf during her sophomore and junior years as the pandemic and shortened school sports schedule would allow and was part of the team that won the Metro Championship in 2021, something Roosevelt hadn’t done in 27 years. This time, she was presented with the Rider Award, given to the player who demonstrates the most spirit and leadership as a Roosevelt Rough Rider.

For her senior year, Olivia was named co-captain of the team, and she finished her high school career with a 29-7 record. “As a golfer, she progressed a ton dropping over 10 strokes from her scoring average during her time at Roosevelt,” says Coach Rose. “She has come such a long way from her score that she shot at Bainbridge in her first year.” On top of that, she graduated with a 3.9 GPA. After a summer during which she has worked as an assistant counselor at the Four Winds Co-Ed Camp on Or-

cas Island, Olivia will head to Gonzaga to study marketing in the School of Business Administration. Coach Rose, for one, is certain she will thrive wherever she goes given her personality and determination. “She was always someone I could count on to do things the right way,” he says. “She led by example and was a person that other golfers could come to about anything.”

Olivia will play intramural golf in Spokane and continue teeing it up at Sand Point Country Club in Seattle whenever she’s home. As for the scholarship money, Olivia has it earmarked for some hardware. “I’ve had my current clubs since seventh grade,” she says. “So, they probably need updating.”

John Moscrip, COO at Duke’s Seafood, was in little doubt about who to award the scholarship to this time.

“Like all our past winners, Olivia is so deserving,” he says.

“She demonstrates all the characteristics we are looking for.”

If you wish to nominate a young golfer for the Duke’s award, please send a nomination and bio to tonydear71@comcast.net and put in the subject line Duke’s Seafood Scholarship.

cascadegolfer.com

WIN 500 $

for your

Moscrip (in yellow) the day he played Woods.

The day Tiger Woods tied me

junior golfer

Do you know a junior golfer with the qualities that make this sport great, like respect, motivation, confidence, and discipline? If so, give them a chance to win this special scholarship from Duke’s Seafood.

Lifelong lessons learned from a once-in-a-lifetime moment MEMOIR BY JOHN MOSCRIP DUKE’S SEAFOOD CO-OWNER

P

eople are always so amazed when I tell them that I once played in a tournament with Tiger Woods. At the time, we were both teenagers, and though Tiger was rising steadily through the ranks, he wasn’t the legend he is now. He was still the person to beat, though. And I got really close. In fact, I came within a two-foot putt of doing just that, on the last hole of the round. We tied that day and man, was that disappointing!

As a teenager, golf was an important part of my life. It taught me sportsmanship, dedication, and the importance of setting goals and making sacrifices. These experiences — the wins, losses, time management, respect for rules, creativity — later helped hone my skills as a businessperson and community member. Reflecting back, this was an honor and golden moment that I have the utmost fondness and respect for.

In 2016, my dad, Duke Moscrip, with whom I co-own Duke’s Seafood with (he’s an avid golfer too), decided to help support the next generation of golfers with a quarterly scholarship. Since then, we’ve donated over $20,000 to junior golfers. Sometimes we select a beginner, sometimes a graduating senior, and occasionally, we offer the award to an entire team. We love giving back and it’s been a blessing to recognize these young men and women.

To be eligible, a golfer must be 18 or younger (or in still in high school at the time of nomination), reside in Washington, have good grades, and be enthusiastic about golf. Applicants don’t need to have won tournaments or even be experienced. Do you know a young golfer who could use a boost? Please send applications to tonydear71@ comcast.net so we can review your inquiry.

cascadegolfer.com

Nominate them today for the Duke’s Junior Golfer Scholarship at cascadegolfer.com

Come visit us at any of our 7 locations Reserve online at DukesSeafood.com AUGUST 2022

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SHORT GAME New All Things Sports simulator at Arlington’s Angel of the Winds Casino is a virtual nirvana

W

hen the Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort underwent its 18-month expansion project in 2019, it was done with the intention of increasing its clientele beyond the usual garden-variety type gamers and gamblers.

The $60 million project had its impact on the Arlington community. It opened the doors to so many more groups that had not previously been known for their patronage, such as families, children, golfers, bowlers, and zombies. You never know who you might pass on the way to the tables.

“When we did our expansion, we wanted to include a lot of other people,” said Kayla Weber, the Angel Of The Winds advertising coordinator. “We wanted to bring more people who were not necessarily coming for gambling, but families, kids. Fresh new ideas.”

The casino, in Arlington about an hour drive north of Seattle off I-5, is run by the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians. The Tribe has ventured down that road not often traveled. The Tribesmen knew that it would be running counter to typical casino demographics. Kids and casinos are not typically linked, but the Tribe wanted a place for everyone in the area to enjoy. Fun should not be limited to one-eyed jacks and jackpots.

A good measure of the 300,000-square-foot expansion, indeed, went to enlarging the casino floor. That provided more space for 275 additional slots and 15 more

of the alleys to watch major bowling events. Strikerz hosted the Professional Bowlers Association Tour finals June 1-5.

However, the showpiece of the complex’s entertainment arm is a dedicated area that holds the All Things Sports virtual sports simulators. This is where you will find all the kids — of all ages. “It’s a great showcase to demonstrate what we are as a property,” Weber said. “We can show we have things that are different (from other casinos). It’s a healthy mix (of people).”

Non-gambling families can enjoy separate areas for kids’ birthday parties and social gatherings. The All Things Sports simulators are in bays in which curtains can be closed. Participants can choose from any number of games to play. Their only limitation is the number of games that have not been invented in history. The simulator, as an example, hosts players to participate in homerun derby, field-goal kicking, QB Challenge, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, hockey, cricket, and the always popular Zombie Dodgeball The idea of the dodgeball game is that a player throws a ball at a screen with a zombie stalking the thrower. If the ball hits any part of the zombie, that creeping creature must deactivate for five seconds. Then when they revive, stand up, re-attach their limbs, then the zombie continues his pursuit until his head or limbs are knocked off again

by the thrower.

The core game for the All Things Sports simulators is golf. Patrons hit into a wide video screen and onto a virtual golf course. Your skill at swinging the golf club will be directly reflected in your distance and accuracy on the virtual course. “You can play 18 holes. You can track your swing and get feedback,” Weber said. “You also can play Pebble Beach, St. Andrews, and more than 100 different courses.”

This was the third major project that the Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort has undertaken. The first was the casino itself, built in October 2004 on the Stillaguamish tribal land in Arlington, exit 210 off I-5. A 120-room, $27 million hotel was built adjacent to the casino in December 2014.

The 2019 also expansion included a hotel remodel.

There were many other casino related improvements involved in the 2019 expansion. They included a players’ club, keno lounge, new restaurants/bars such as, Whiskey Prime Steakhouse, Jade Fusion Asian Cuisine, Riverside Buffet, Gateway Bar Gravity Bar and a new 400-space garage with direct access to the casino.

Another area the casino addressed goes under the category, gamble/sports entertainment. It’s sports betting, a measure passed by the state legislature in July 2021. The U.S. Department of Interior finally approved nine Washington tribes to host sports betting.

It took some time for the state and casinos to set the parameters and ramp up the equipment for taking bets.

Most casinos then had to retrofit the sports betting sections somewhere on the gaming floor, as AOTW did at the end of last year. There are plenty of flatscreen TVs for patrons to follow the action and kiosks for placing bets.

Angel Of The Winds won’t be 20 years in existence for another two years yet it has had three significant projects already, as the Tribe has poured more than $100 million into the facilities. What’s next? It’s uncertain to know which trend the Tribe will pursue this time but standing in place doesn’t appear to be an option.

“We plan to keep our eyes on growth,” Weber added.

Visit AngeloftheWinds.com to book your own day away or staycation experience.

tables. “It’s laid out well,” Weber said. “It’s not crowded, and you also don’t have any long walks to get to areas.”

However, much of the expansion was dedicated to entertainment of different sorts, such as 8,800-square foot Rivers Run Event Center for concerts, and a 16-lane bowling alley called Strikerz. It was the first bowling alley built in the area in 30 years.

There are overhead flatscreens above the alleys so bowlers can keep track of scores, sports events, and other activities. They also aren’t so far away from the tables and slots that they can get a lucky strike at both ends of the floor.

A unique aspect of the bowling alley is that crowds can gather behind the lanes and in a gallery section at the end 16

AUGUST 2022

cascadegolfer.com

SHORT GAME Irish golf is a non-stop trip away with Aer Lingus flights to Dublin from SeaTac

T

here is good news for Puget Sound golfers planning the ultimate golf trip to Ireland. Aer Lingus airlines resumed round trip flights from Seattle to Dublin five times weekly last month.

An Ireland golf vacation should be on any golfer’s bucket list with unbeatable golf experiences including Royal County Down, Old Head, Portmarnock, The K Club, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch, The European Club and The Island to name a few of the endless choices afforded to all golfer’s when planning a dream trip vacation.

Everyone flying with Aer Lingus enjoys attentive premium service onboard with complimentary meals and drinks. Flights also include Wi-Fi on board and endless hours of in-flight entertainment, TV boxsets, games and music. Travelers can connect their personal device to the seatback and control inflight entertainment options from their own device and the PressReader app, offering access to over 7,000 digital newspapers and magazines.

Alaska Airlines flyers also enjoy Aer Lingus’ partnership including access to Alaska’s domestic U.S. and

The famous Old Head Golf Links in County Cork, Ireland.

Phot courtesy of Shk tersoc u

Canada network via their West Coast gateways, which includes Seattle. Traveling home includes U.S. Customs and Border pre-clearance at Dublin Airport.

To plan your next Ireland golf vacation in 2022 and beyond, visit AerLingus.com and make your own Irish memories.

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17

SHORT GAME The Classic Golf Club • Spanaway

CG Cup hits mid-season mark — huge trips and prizes still at stake

S

ummer, much like the 2002 Cascade Golfer Cup, is already advancing toward fall. But the best for both is yet to come.

The annual Cup, now well into its 14th year, is a summer-long, eight-event, two-player competition that is contested on some of the most challenging and renown public courses in the region. It began April 16 at Chambers Bay with a two-person, best ball stableford event. It also will finish the season at Chambers, Oct. 1, with a two-person best ball.

The events are roughly three weeks apart. The second event was at Washington National, followed by Salish Cliffs, Port Ludlow and The Home Course. Each of the tournaments is a separate event with its own prize pool, including stay and play packages.

Season standings will be used to crown a champion in both our gross and net divisions. Prizes are awarded to all teams finishing in the top 10 in the gross or net divisions at every event and on the season. There are three events remaining.

•

•

•

Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood will be the showplace Aug. 20 with a two-person shamble. For those who haven’t played this format, golfers tee off then all hit the best drive for their second shot. They then will use their own shots to finish the hole. This allows everyone to take advantage of the big hitter.

On Sept. 10, all the Cup competitors gather at The Classic Golf Club in Spanaway for the only two-person scramble in the eight-event schedule. Scramble is one of golf’s oldest tournament formats and viewed as the most forgiving team version. It’s also perhaps the most fun to play as you and your teammate are working together the entire round.

Chambers Bay in University Place finishes the 2022 season Oct. 1 with a two-person best ball, beginning at 8 a.m. This differs from the scramble in that both players use their own ball through the hole and the best score between them is recorded.

Here’s the winners thus far. At CascadeGolfer.com/ cup you can view the complete results. Chambers Bay — Two-Person Best Ball Stableford (Gross) Abbott-Bethke, (Net) Johnson-Phiel. Washington National — Two-Person Best Ball (Gross) Parot-Matson, (Net) Jones-Gilje. Salish Cliffs — Two-Person Shamble (Gross) Bennett-Willetts, (Net) Bennett-Willetts. Port Ludlow — Two-Person Best Ball (Gross) Bergsma-Murray, (Net) Anderson-Jones. The Home Course — (Gross) Bethke-Abbott, (Net) Higgins-Kingsland.

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2022

$50,000 In Prizes!

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Puetz Golf Shootout

The Fall Classic

Aug. 20 • 11:30 am • Two-Person Scramble

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Cascade Golfer Invitational Sept. 10 • 9 am • Two-Person Best Ball Shamble

The Classic Golf Club

WIN

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Product Prizes Galore

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

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

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cascadegolfer.com CLICK ON THE CUP! Contact: Simon Dubiel simon@cascadegolfer.com (206) 778-7686

SUPPORTING

SHORT GAME Portland hosts first LIV Golf tour stop on American soil amidst controversy and intrigue

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR In North Plains, Ore.

I

t’s 1:10 p.m. on Saturday afternoon at LIV Golf’s first tournament in America (the tour’s inaugural event took place outside London two weeks prior). About 25 golfers are hitting balls on the range and another 15 or so are on the practice putting green (leaving eight who are just hanging out chatting to each other) when a voice rings out over the public address system. “This is your five-minute call,” it says. “Please make your way to your assigned tee.” The golfers start parading out to the collection of carts that will take them to the hole at which they’ll begin the final round of the 54-hole, no-cut, shotgun start competition. Suddenly the crowd gets noisy.

“Come on Dustin,” spectators yell as former Masters champion Dustin Johnson walks by high fiving almost everyone offering an outstretched arm. “Go Brooks,” they clamor as the four-time major winner makes his final preparations. “We love you Bryson,” a group chants as the burly 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau marks his ball with a Sharpie.

This crowd, to adopt an expression Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter or any of the other British players here might use, is ‘definitely up for it.’

This embracing of the players, and the event itself, comes as something of a surprise.

Portland, Ore., one of America’s most progressive cities, was a very strange choice for LIV to begin life in the U.S. The very existence of the controversial tour, funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) — established in 1971 and, according to the fund’s website, an ‘impactful investment strategy…to drive Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation…‘ — but which is seen as a massive financial resource the kingdom perhaps is using to clear their record, seems totally at odds with a city often described as a ‘liberal utopia’.

One term in the mainstream media used to describe LIV and other sporting events like it backed by Saudi interests is called sportswashing. Time and longevity of this new tour will determine if this model and spectacle will be seen as sportswashing or a reputable professional athletic endeavor.

The venue was Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains, Ore., where holes from both the Ghost Creek and Witch Hollow Courses were used for the composite layout that measured 7,641 yards. Some pressure has been brought to bear on the LIV venues — including Pumpkin Ridge — and those inside and outside of the club’s membership have voiced their opinions and discord. It’s fair to say that the controversy has been the story.

Significant dollars were spent with the venues that were chosen. The other American LIV Golf tour stops are: Trump National GC (Bedminster, N.J.), July 29-31; The International (Boston), Sept. 2-4; Rich Harvest Farms (Chicago), Sept. 16-18; and Trump National Doral (Miami), Oct. 27-30. Stops in Bangkok, Thailand and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, also will take place in October.

There’s been many reports in the media about Escalante Golf who owns Pumpkin Ridge and The International and why they elected to host LIV events. Escalante, based in Fort Worth, Tex., has properties across the U.S. Questions such as money, perception, sensitivity to the many rights violations and matters surrounding the Saudi backers are at the forefront of these reports and protests. And many members of these clubs

R

have been heard and have stood against their club’s position to host the LIV tour.

There certainly were a good many angry voices objecting to LIV’s arrival in Oregon.

Senator Ron Wyden, Governor Kate Brown, and several mayors of area cities including Teri Lenahan of North Plains where the course is located, shared strong opinions against the event. A press conference where people who lost family members on 9/11 (most of the terrorists were Saudi nationals and there remains an allegation that the Saudi government was involved) appealed to the golfers to renounce their participation in the tournament was held near the course.

Also making news was Cynthia Triplett, grandmother of Fallon Smart, the 15-year-old Portland girl killed by a Saudi hit-and-run driver who showed up in his home country before he could stand trial in the U.S., spoke to reporters outside the SunStone Rescue Ranch, across the road from the course. The ranch owner Ricky Freeman had offered his land as a place of peaceful protest.

Despite the issues outlined above, the sizeable crowd congregating around the range, opening holes and Fan Zone (music, food, comfy chairs, chipping/putting greens, etc.), were enjoying the events and tournament. Clearly, the people here to watch some of the best male golfers in the world (the LPGA has been coming to Portland since 1972) aren’t thinking about LIV’s connection to Saudi Arabia as they roar their approval of the players and follow them off to various corners of the course.

Back at the putting green where Johnson is holing a few last-minute putts before going to the first tee where the 36-hole leaders start the final round, a mother shouts to Dustin’s brother Austin standing just 25 yards away inside the ropes. “You’re my son’s favorite caddie,” she says as he ambles across and leans in for a shot with the young lad.

“Come and find me on the course later and I’ll get him a ball and glove and introduce him to Dustin,” he says.

It’s all part of the show. It’s certainly possible Austin would have done this at a regular PGA Tour event, but there seems to be an eagerness here, almost an encouragement to engage with the fans whenever the mood might strike them. Perhaps since LIV is not the PGA Tour, the players and caddies are bringing a different aura and/or interaction to events.

Besides the stuttered and perhaps disingenuous answers the players were giving reporters who ask what their motivation for joining LIV might be (such as ‘Growing the game’ and ‘Spending more time with my family’), the message is clear. They are collectively saying ‘this is so much fun. The fans are amazing. I’m so glad to be a part of this,’ etc.

Roughly five hours after setting off, Branden Grace holes out on the last hole becoming the latest South African to win a LIV event — compatriot Charl Schwartzel won in England. The large gallery around the green cheers and Grace gets covered in champagne. To be honest, it all seems quite normal for a professional golf tournament, wholesome even.

Clearly the dubious Saudi-backed prize money fueled the allure and controversy.

Reportedly, the last place finisher in this no-cut format, Jediah Morgan (21-over par), still grossed $120,000. The champion, Grace (13-under par) took home $4 million. Carlos Ortiz, who was runner-up, banked $2,125,000.

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cascadegolfer.com

CG COMMENTARY

In the “Sun Belt”

Reflections on LIV Golf coming to the Northwest

At The Golf Course

Voted #1

in Washington for Best Value

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

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

Offering Discount Punch Cards

I

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR In North Plains, Ore.

knew this would be tough to write. It could get a bit heavy for a regional golf magazine that just wants to keep you up to date with Seattle area golf news and help you enjoy the game more. Oh well, here goes.

It wasn’t all that long ago the very thought of attending a LIV event, one ultimately funded by a regime guilty of human rights violations, made me feel sick to my stomach. To some extent it still does. Somehow just attending and, worse, writing about it, made me feel complicit in the whole sorry business.

I get the impression most people felt like this until recently. Perhaps they still do, but the focus of the conversation seems to have changed rapidly over the last few weeks. It’s moved on to several debates and topics. Here’s a few to consider and grapple with that I’m pondering.

• Greg Norman’s attempt as commissioner and what Saudi Arabia does to change its radical regulations.

• How the PGA Tour is reacting to this very real threat on its dominance.

• The frequency of events and the lightweight format —

no cut, three rounds, etc.

• Will Major championships allow LIV players to enter.

• How LIV players will earn the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) points.

• If the PGA Tour and DP World Tour whose alliance seems to strengthen one minute and weaken the next should cut a deal with LIV, etc.

All the above, and other subjects are momentarily dimming the spotlight off the human rights aspect. A large part of me still wishes this conversation started and ended with how Saudi Arabia treats gay individuals, discriminates against women, how it inhumanly forces confessions from people that stand against their politics and policies (reported by stalwart outlets I follow like Reuters and Amnesty International), etc. That’s all I need to know thank you very much.

But how does one react to knowing the PGA Tour does business with a great many companies that do business with Saudi Arabia? There are many sides to this coin.

I’ll just finish by saying, for me personally, it might be hard for me to attend any other LIV events at this time.

No Expiration

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

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(360) 387-3084

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AUGUST 2022

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EAST WENATCHEE

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

COME SPEND THE SUNNY DAYS WITH US!

P R ESENTED BY

Port Orchard’s peninsula powerhouse

PROPERTY

McCormick Woods has been wooing golfers since 1986

B

A Bucket with GM • Bjorn Bjorke

jorn Bjorke, general manager of McCormick Woods Golf Club, has been working at the woodsy Port Orchard property for 26 of the 36 years the course has been open. Perhaps the most dramatic change he has seen is something that’s essentially unnoticeable.

“This was built in the mid-1980s (1986), so the trees that were 30 feet tall then are now 130 feet tall,” Bjorke said. Most of the firs still majestically line the fairway corridors, but some have had to be thinned out over the decades for better sun penetration and air flow.

That has produced subtle changes on the course, more openness in some areas, wider landing areas and probably fewer lost balls.

Where those long-gone logs ended up is uncertain, but they may still be around the course somewhere, in another form. That’s the other change Bjorke has witnessed – housing projects.

“We’re on our second master plan,” he said. “They’re still building homes here, more on the back nine. There’s another 200 homes that are going in a quarter mile away.” That’s certainly the trend there as many folks love living close to the first tee.

Bjorke said the course is undergoing some smaller projects, such as building a new tee on the right side of the par-4, 440-yard 10th hole and a new chipping area, with a new sand bunker to be added this summer.

Golfers have appreciated the care and maintenance the staff has devoted to the course, complicated by the much higher than normal rainfall this spring.

Bjorke said coming out of the pandemic “really increased the number of golfers on the course. We’re down from last year but still way up overall. It’s exciting.”

Toughest Tee Shot — 2nd hole It might be No. 2 from the white tees (great par 5 playing 475 yards) because it’s a long carry. There’s a lot of long grass. They’ve let the fescue grow out there. It may not be a real long carry. It’s mostly mental and it’s tight, making people miss it a bit.

Best Birdie Opportunity — 8th hole That is probably No. 8, a shorter par 4 (black tees, 384 yards). You don’t have to hit a driver, but you can. Most people do. That’ll put you within about 100 yards. Or you can lay up at 120-150 yards.

Best Par 3 — 7th hole

It’s the shortest par 3 at 122 yards from the white tees. It’s slightly uphill and over water.

It’s only about 80 yards to clear the water. The front of the green is 100 yards. It looks good, very aesthetic. It’s a severe and unique green. There’s a large grass bunker in front, 8-to-10-foot deep. The green slopes back to front pretty severely.

Favorite Hole — 5th hole I like No. 5. It’s a par 4 and plays 398 yards from the black tees. It’s an elevated tee. You hit down to a pond. To take that on it’s about 280 yards. Or you can lay up short to a flat part of the fairway. Hit up on the right and you risk the pond. The green is a skinny hour-glass shape with a swamp wrapped around the whole back and right side. You really must try to manage both (drive, approach) shots.

Emergency Nine — front or back?

Bjorn couldn’t make that choice but since all the holes he mentioned here are on the front nine, that might be a clue.

McCormick Woods Golf Club 5155 McCormick Woods Dr. S.W. • Port Orchard, WA 98367 (360) 895-0130 • McCormickWoodsGolf.com Opened in 1986 • Course Designer Jack Frei

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Go-to lunch item on the menu — Monte Cristo Definitely the Monte Cristo (ham, turkey, Swiss, pan fried). We sell that the most. We’ve had it forever. People come here just to eat it, and not even play golf.

HOLE

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

PAR

4

4

5

4

4

3

5

4

3

4

4

4

3

4

4

3

5

18 TOTAL 4

MEN

COURSE RATING

72

RATING

SLOPE

TEES

6,461

72.6

132

Blue

WOMEN

RATING

SLOPE 134

Blue

356 400 525 395 354 175 450 432 283 298 358 383 132 393 420 186 528 393

White

338 375 500 370 325 160 420 425 178 285 326 275 115 352 356 163 525 352 5,840

70.2

126

White

76.1

Gold

335 350 448 365 320 157 415 420 172 278 301 250 111 332 335 152 520 338 5,599

60.0

100

Gold

61.8

98

Red

286 294 404 314 283 150 360 412 100 270 152 202

66.1

116

Red

71.2

120

AUGUST 2022 2022 AUGUST

78

234 335

74

436 325 4,709

cascadegolfer.com

RISK vs. REWARD Sudden Valley Golf Course

Hole No. 7 Par 4 483 yards (Blue Tees)

By Simon Dubiel

The Setup

The Reward

This is a classic risk/reward through and through. Hitting driver off the tee on this gentle dog leg left means navigating the hazards that chokes in the right side of the fairway at 260 yards. A creek runs down the entire left side of the hole, ultimately crossing right in front of the green. Two Sequoia trees protect the front of each side of the green, while three bunkers gobble up shots left, right and long.

Hit two great shots and you have something to talk about at the end of the round. This hole will give up eagles if you have the guts to make the bet. Get after it off the tee and a long iron may be all you need with your second. However, proper contact and deft accuracy is a must. Glory doesn’t go to those that lay up, however.

The Risk

Final Call

There are a lot of ways to play this hole, including laying up off the tee and on your second shot. Although not long, trouble awaits you every step of the way.

If you decide to get frisky, anything not struck pure with your approach can leave you in huge trouble. Short is dead and shots sprayed right or left will leave a very challenging up and down, assuming you can get a club on it.

If you are in the go zone you are pushed to a decision, and a tough one at that.

You have been dealt 11, is it time to double down or play the safe route? Today we ease back off the pedal some and lay up to our yardage of choice. For most it’s 100 yards or less for your pitch. There is more than one way to make a birdie, we are just doing it the ole’ fashioned way.

PRESENTED BY

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IN THE

BAG PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

BY TONY DEAR — CG EDITOR

Late summer scoop on golf’s biggest brands — hot off the press

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pparently, the rest of the country, or much of it anyway, has been basking in sunshine in recent weeks and temperatures have been soaring. News of great weather elsewhere comes as absolutely no consolation whatsoever to us in western Washington who have endured day after day after day after day of gray skies, intermittent rain and temperatures that have just about made it into the 60s.

A friend recently joked we were entering our ninth month of winter. We laughed and then stopped abruptly realizing how the dreadful spring and early summer stalled our golf season. But hope springs eternal. The sun is currently beaming in through our window right now, the needle just passed 70, and there’s no rain in the forecast until…er…7 p.m. this evening.

But we know not to expect 80 degrees and sunny every day, so we go play regardless. And, needless to say, Puetz Golf has everything we need when we do. There are some great new items in store right now, so new, in fact, the manufacturers only just added them to their websites.

Who knows how much of 2022 we still have left in which to play golf? Hopefully, we still have a couple of months at least to post some great scores, visit some new courses, and enjoy time with our family and friends out on the golf course. We sure do deserve it. And you deserve these new great offerings from In the Bag this month.

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AUGUST 2022

1 TAYLORMADE

Hi-Toe 3 Wedge 1 PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$179.99

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igh-toe wedges and full-face grooves have become a thing in recent times. Several manufacturers now offer one or the other, or both.

Bob Vokey (Titleist) might be too much of a traditionalist to make one (so far), but Callaway, Cleveland and Ping are all doing it. Ping, in fact, was the first to make a high-toe wedge, at least in the modern era (we’re certainly not discounting the possibility that some obscure Scottish inventor in a far-off corner of the Auld Country made one in the 1800s) with its Eye 2 L Wedge in the 1980s. That club raised some eyebrows, but Karsten Solheim, the man behind Ping, was motivated more by performance that aesthetics. TaylorMade has certainly embraced the high-toe concept which seeks to raise the club’s center of gravity (CG) to hit lower-flighted wedge shots. That flatter trajectory is followed by quick spin generated by large ZTP RAW Grooves which are built for optimal stopping power in various conditions – i.e., dry and wet. The clubhead is made from a soft 8620 carbon steel, ensuring really good feel in addition to the desired launch angle and spin – a combination that hopefully sees your ball come to an abrupt halt within tap-in range. The milling process that cuts the grooves, adds ribs between the grooves, and enhances multiple sole options is so precise it will help you become a more consistent wedge player. Oh, all that and lots of practice, too.

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

IN THE BAG

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Stealth UDI/ D HY

2

he majority of amateur golfers rejoiced the day hybrids were invented. They were easier to hit than both long irons and lofted fairway-woods and helped the average golfer hit it 180-210 yards with some confidence. Hybrids launched easily and high and had the loft and power to hit the ball a good distance, making it possible to hit long par 4s and even short par 5s in two. Some didn’t much like the shape, spin and launch angle of the hybrid though, so manufacturers designed driving irons which looked more like a traditional long iron and launched the ball a bit lower, but which were still significantly more forgiving than the old long irons. As TaylorMade says, they gave golfers another option between their shortest fairway wood and longest iron. The Stealth UDI (Ultimate Driving Iron) has a Tour-inspired shape and a CG positioned to promote a penetrating ball flight but create enough spin to make shaping shots possible. The DHY (Driving Hybrid) has a lower-profile head and wider, cambered sole. The DHY is the more ‘game-improvement’ of the two and will launch the ball a bit higher but still generate good distance. Both clubs have an ultra-thin 4140 high-strength steel face and Thru-Slot Speed Pocket to help the face flex and ensure maximum distance, even when contact is made low on the face. Both also have a hollow body that’s filled with TaylorMade’s SpeedFoam Air which makes contact feel so much better than it ever did with those old long irons.

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4.5LS Golf Bag

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s a couple of reviewers on its website point out, Sun Mountain, based in Missoula, Mont., has perfected the stand bag in recent years and the 4.5LS is another of its highly acclaimed designs. Weighing in at just 4.5 pounds, it has an adjustable EZ Fit Dual-Strap system (straps over both shoulders), nine easy-access pockets including a roomy clothes pocket, hydration pouch, multiple accessory pockets and a water-resistant, velour-lined valuables pocket. The Air Flow hip pad which is designed for increased ventilation and lumbar support is a comforting touch. It comes in six colorways (Black/ Carbon, Navy/White/Red, Moss-Sage/Inferno, Black, Charcoal-Spruce/Aztec, Navy/Cobalt) but two additional designs warrant special mention. The first celebrates America’s favorite pastime (besides golf, of course) with a red stich pattern up the two side garment pockets on a white body with blue and red trim. And in a tribute to Jackie Robison, the number 42 appears on the front ball pocket. The other depicts Bigfoot on a black and green body and raises the question did the Yeti exist and, more importantly, does it/he/she play golf? The baseball and Bigfoot designs are also available on the company’s C-130 cart bag. The baseball and Yeti limited release bags were co-designed by the National Golf Buyer’s Association, of which Puetz Golf and Sun Mountain are a part of. “They are only available through an NGBA retailer,” says Puetz Golf General Manager Mike Livingston. “I believe we’re at 40 members across the country.”

T9 4

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hat clubs and balls have improved greatly over time isn’t in dispute. And though the introduction of advancements has certainly accelerated this century, the speed at which the upgrades have appeared since the game was first played has been fairly steady and manageable for the layman. What’s happened in the hitech distance-measuring, stat-keeping, launch-monitoring, caddie-capable device world though is frankly astonishing and has left most Gen-Xers and older shaking their heads. It is incredible what today’s devices can do and these gadgets are both wearable or something you hold or attach to your bag/cart. The new Voice Caddie T9, which calls itself the most advanced, ultra-premium smart golf GPS watch available, comes equipped with a color touchscreen, and gives yardages to the green front/center/back, offering advanced features such as ‘Active Green’ (improves accuracy). It also comes with ‘V-Algorithm’ (which calculates slope), and green undulation (indicated with, would you believe, a heat map and arrows showing the direction of break – available on 13,000 U.S. courses and 15,000 worldwide). It has a Practice Tempo Mode, tracks all shots, a course layout view with yardages to all bunkers and water bodies, customizable pin placement, course and green zoom, and is completely fee-free. The T9 is compact and is very light. It’s available in black (and limited numbers of gray). The display has a diameter of 1.2 inches. Battery is a rechargeable Lithium-Polymer unit.

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

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IN THE BAG

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5 BUSHNELL

Launch Pro

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PING

ChipR

PUETZ GOLF

Clubfitting 7

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PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

PUETZ GOLF PRICE

$2999.99

$178.99

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Static is Free, Dynamic $49.99 or free with club purchase

hat did we say about hi-tech devices? Since the original Trackman was introduced in 2004, launch monitors have rapidly become more accurate and consistent and have added a multitude of cool features. Perhaps the greatest difference between the Bushnell Launch Pro, made in conjunction with Foresight, and that first Trackman is how shot metrics are generated. Early launch monitors used radar to catch the flight of the ball and then employed several algorithms using certain factors to calculate impact data. These devices are usually placed behind the golfer and used in open spaces. Launch monitors that use high-speed cameras (photometric) only require a small space and are positioned a few feet from the ball. The device captures up to 10,000 frames a second before, at and after impact. It also produces a wealth of data like clubhead speed, clubhead path, angle of descent, face orientation at impact, smash factor, ball speed, spin in revolutions per minute, vertical launch angle, horizontal launch angle, spin tilt axis, backspin and sidespin. Wow! Launch Pro also gives you ‘true-to-life’ simulation allowing you to play the world’s best courses or work on your game on the range. Launch Pro offers a range of software packages powered by Foresight Sports. Included with your purchase is a 30-day free trial of gold software and a year of free basic software. The Bushnell Launch Pro gives you Tour-level accuracy anywhere you use it.

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ack in the old days, like the really old days, Scottish golfers employed a jigger, aka a pitching niblick, to help them around the greens (strangely, a jigger was also a long/mid-iron with the loft of about a 4-iron). It had about 40 degrees of loft and a relatively short shaft. Because it was such a uni-tasker incapable of hitting anything other than a short, chip shot, its use died out. Professionals became adept at hitting chips and pitches with a short iron or wedge, which could obviously be used to hit a much greater range of shots. It has reappeared at various times with a varying degrees of success and now Ping believes there are enough golfers whose chipping is so poor they require a club made specifically for the job of lofting the ball onto the green and letting it run out. Indeed, Ping says its research indicates that one-third of all golfers would greatly benefit from using its new jigger-style club, which it’s calling the ChipR. It’s not clear what exactly ‘greatly benefits’ means though we’re guessing those that consider themselves hopeless chippers could cut maybe four or five shots from their score. The ChipR has 38.5 degrees of loft and weighs 325 grams. The sole has eight degrees of bounce and the club is 35 inches long. MicroMax grooves, a shallow face, cambered sole and even a little perimeter weighting are all there to help you get it close to the hole from, say, 40 yards and closer.

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ou’ve seen enough now to know that having your clubs custom built will likely have a dramatic impact on how well you swing them, how well you hit the ball, how well you score and how much fun you have playing golf. To play their best, the six-foot 25-year-old who swings a driver at 110 mph will need very different clubs than the average septuagenarian who swings out of his shoes to reach 80 mph. The flex, weight and length of the shaft will need to reflect each golfer’s respective size and level of athleticism as will the clubs’ lie angle and loft. The set will probably need to be composed differently — driving irons instead of hybrids, four wedges instead of three or two, maybe blades rather than game-improvement irons. Grip thickness will also be a consideration. You can learn a certain amount during a static clubfitting in which the fitter will measure your height, the distance from the tip of your middle finger to the ground and the size of your hands, and assess your current clubs’ lie angles. Puetz offers these static fittings free of charge. You and your award-winning Puetz Golf fitter will learn significantly more during a dynamic fitting with a launch monitor in which you hit balls, however. Results from a dynamic fitting at any of Puetz Golf’s four locations (Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and Tukwila) will help your fitter pinpoint exactly what clubs will help you shoot lower scores. It costs $49.99 — waived with club purchase.

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

C A P B ACK DESIGN WITH TOE WRAP CONSTRUCTION THAT REDISTRIBUTES WEIGHT LOWER FOR DISTANCE AND FORGIVENESS

© 2022 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.

Chambers Bay

Gamble Sands

Gold Mountain - Olympic

TOP

Wine Valley

10 Best

Salish Cliffs

PUBLIC

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by Rob Perry /Course robperry.com The Home AUGUST 2022

Photo by Rob Perry Lake / robperry.com Trophy

White Horse

Suncadia - Prospector cascadegolfer.com

Phot y b Rob Pery m/oc. ryepbor

Palouse Ridge

COURSES IN WASHINGTON

Our readers have spoken, naming their favorites from all corners of our great state and Chambers Bay repeats as top course in Washington

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR & BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

t may take an awful lot of organization, long days and late-night counting to come up with the top 10 public course list in Washington, but it’s definitely a labor of love.

Identifying the winner(s) is always an exciting moment, but more than that it’s the confirmation we live in a state full of fantastic golf courses that really hits home.

In Washington, you, me, and everyone else be they male, female, young, old, a scratch player or once-a-year dabbler can put a tee in the ground and whack a ball towards a bounty of amazingness. Here, we are blessed that we take aim at the ocean, Puget Sound, forests, mountains, valleys, the Palouse, high desert, orchards, gorges, vineyards, dunes, rivers and cityscapes. And, except in very rare and perhaps justified scenarios (hey, we live in a capitalist society) we do so very affordably.

It probably goes without saying that we are extremely biased and perhaps even a little blinkered, but we’d say the public golf offering here is special. We acknowledge there is a generous handful of states – California, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Alabama, Illinois (Chicagoland specifically) — whose public golf may eclipse even ours. But Washingtonians are well catered to and the visitor that comes for a week’s golf will leave satisfied, having played some of the finest and most beautiful public courses in the country.

It’s a measure of their quality that the top 10 courses in 2022 are the same courses that populated the 2019 list. Their order might have changed (see ‘Movers and Shakers’), but the 10 are the same 10 that attracted the most votes three years ago and, indeed, two years before that.

The top two are probably set for eternity (well, until someone builds something better which seems very unlikely at this point), but the winner, Chambers Bay, appears to have established itself as the course to beat. The only layout that seems capable of beating it is Gamble Sands, which took first-place honors in 2017. But golfers can be a fickle bunch so never say never.

The perennial, predictable success of the top two says a lot about firm, sand-based golf but it would be wrong to suggest those features alone are a guarantee of success. It’s all well and good having a sandy site that can be manipulated and shaped far easier than one with heavy soils, which promote captivating running golf where you should refrain from celebrating your shot or commenting on your partner’s until the ball has completed its journey.

And we still need architects of exceptional vision, experience and expertise to route the courses and craft the holes in a way that maximizes that site’s potential. That’s why golfers here will be forever grateful to Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Jay Blasi who, together, designed numerous truly great holes at Chambers Bay and David McLay Kidd and Nick Schaan (and former Kidd associate Casey Krahenbuhl) who turned almost 1,000 acres of high desert overlooking the Columbia River into a pulsating course of intrigue, discovery

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and sport at Gamble Sands. And lest we forget to mention the 25 acres to the northeast of the original Sands Course which Kidd transformed into the laugh-a-minute, 14-hole playground called Quicksands.

We also have the jewels crafted by John Harbottle, Dan Hixson, Gene Bates and other skilled designers who took slightly less acquiescent sites perhaps, but still forged unforgettable courses that always provide an entertaining game no matter how often we play them.

All these gents have collectively put Washington on the world’s golfing map making the Evergreen State a true destination.

The response this year was enormous, and we are, of course, extremely grateful to everyone who voted and allowed us to produce such a credible list. You need look no further than the winning course’s haul of votes the last three times we have run the contest to get an idea of how many people are getting involved. In 2017, Gamble Sands came out on top with a total of 660 points. Last time, Chambers Bay returned to the top spot with 1,107 points. This year, Chambers won again with 1,587 points.

The gap between it and Gamble Sands rose slightly from 80 to 134 points and, just as we did in 2019, we’re putting that down to the continued improvement in the greens and the fact it’s a lot easier to get to than Gamble. That said, the number of voters giving each course at least one vote was very similar this time.

Gold Mountain (Olympic) and Wine Valley did their customary flip with Gold Mountain taking third this time. And Salish Cliffs remained close enough to them both for it to feasibly crash the third/fourth party at some point in the future. The gap between fifthplaced Salish and the course in sixth place (The Home Course in 2019, Palouse Ridge this year — again, see ‘Movers and Shakers’) widened significantly in 2022 suggesting that top five is getting ever more solid.

Looking further down the list, we’re still shocked at the quality of some of the courses that appear in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and even eighth group of 10. That a course as good as Rope Rider at Suncadia ranks 26th in the state tells you all you need to know about how golf-rich we are and, perhaps, that not enough people have played it.

Four courses received over 1,000 points, another 18 polled somewhere in the hundreds and 58 more reached double digits. Another 31 courses got at least one vote, meaning 111 courses gained some sort of recognition.

It’s the very nature of golf and golfers that some will give their local track their nod while totally rejecting a U.S. Open venue. We know people have their favorites — one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? We welcome the outliers and appreciate their inclusion but, at the same time, want to publish the most trustworthy ranking possible.

Given the consistency of each course’s position over the years we don’t think there can be much argument over its validity.

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How’d We Do It?

Course (First-Place Votes) Total 1. Chambers Bay (73) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,587 2. Gamble Sands (62) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,473 3. Gold Mountain - Olympic (15) . . . . . . . 1,185 4. Wine Valley (19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,047 5. Salish Cliffs (10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916 6. Palouse Ridge (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 610 7. White Horse (12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574 8. The Home Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 9. Trophy Lake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449 10. Suncadia - Prospector (2) . . . . . . . . . . . 416 Others receiving votes beyond our top 20: Cedars at Dungeness 112, Avalon 100, Newcastle (Coal Creek) 97, Eagle’s Pride 85, North Bellingham 85, Suncadia (Rope Rider) 84, Snohomish 81, Moses Pointe 77, Echo Falls 67, Indian Summer 64, Battle Creek 63, Harbour Pointe 63, The Classic 63, The Creek at Qualchan 58, Canyon Lake 52, Auburn 49, Sudden Valley 47, Hawk’s Prairie 40, West Seattle 39, Lake Padden 38, High Cedars 38, Lake Spanaway 35, Oakbrook 33, Camaloch 32, Kalispel 32, Bellevue Municipal 30, Gallery 30, Homestead 30, Newcastle (China Creek) 30, Mount Si 29, Latah Creek 27, Highlander 26, Downriver 25, Legion Memorial 23, Whidbey Island 22, Sun Country 22, Jackson Park 21, Redmond Ridge 20, Leavenworth 20, Alderbrook 20, Horn Rapids 20, Snoqualmie Falls 20, Allenmore 19, Alta Lake 19, Chewelah 18 Whispering Firs 18, Meadow Wood 17, North Shore 16, Tumwater Valley 16, Columbia Point 15, Riverbend 14, Shuksan 14, Tri-Mountain 14, Capitol City, Foster 12, Horseshoe Lake, Lynnwood 11, Desert Aire 11, Camas Meadows 10, Liberty Lake 10, Interbay 10, Meadow Park 9, Willows Run 9, Madrona Links 9, Meadowmeer 9, Enumclaw 8, Cedarcrest 8, Riverside 7, Lake Chelan 7, Twin Rivers 6, Ocean Shores 6, Three Rivers 6, Kahler Glen 5, Colockum Ridge 5, Veterans Memorial 5, Maplewood 4, Elk Ridge 3, Harrington 3, Rolling Hills 3, Suntides 3, Port Townsend 2, Sunland 2, Vic Meyers 1, Mint Valley 1, Fisher Park 1, Lake Tapps 1, Mount Adams 1, Scott Lake 1, Village Greens 1, Orcas Island 1, Lakeland Village 1.

Editor’s Note: *Nearly 33 percent of those that voted for Port Ludlow gave it 10 points, meaning it ranked third for first-place votes. While we love this beautiful course and welcome any opportunity we get to cross the Sound and play there, we suspect those that ranked it so high were ‘encouraged’ to do so. See our 11-20 section for Port Ludlow’s ranking report.

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Chambers Bay University Place

What mattered when Chambers Bay opened in 2007 is the same thing that mattered for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open played at the University Place course. It was just one critical element — the greens. They turned out to be temporary greens that lasted a dozen years.

Chambers, the linksy, treeless layout poised on a hillside overlooking Puget Sound, was exquisitely designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. It was long and challenging enough to draw the USGA’s attention. What we all missed was the design flaw — fescue grass greens. They couldn’t hold up under wear from regular folks and by the time the U.S. Open competition arrived, the greens were water-starved putting patches (ask Dustin Johnson).

That changed in April 2019 when the conversion to poa annua greens was completed. That’s when Chambers Bay became what all its supporters had hoped it could be, pretty much a flawless beauty. The greens were receptive, they were consistent and true. Chambers has rallied back to No. 1 because this region’s golfers recognize that the poa retrofit was the final piece.

It’s a world-class layout that can be reliably played. Expectations among the golfing legions have been realized.

It’s appropriate Chambers Bay takes the cake and title this year. The U.S. Women’s Amateur will be a showcase event this summer there.

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Gamble Sands Brewster

No one we know has ever taken a half-day drive to Brewster, Wash., to gaze at orchards of apple trees. But Cass Gebbers, the apple magnet who employs much of Okanogan County, had a transformative vision for those otherwise fruitful fields.

In 2014, he oversaw the establishment of a championship caliber golf course right there among the Honeycrisps. The golfing public paid off Gebbers’ gamble with overwhelming support of glorious Gamble Sands, on a scenic bluff above the mighty Columbia. It was masterfully designed by David McLay Kidd, the same guy who developed Bandon Dunes. Its opening was heralded as the best new course in America by Golf Digest and has drawn dozens of accolades along with thousands of golfers over the years. And that was just the start.

These folks don’t sit on their McIntoshes. In 2017, the 37-room Inn at Gamble Sands was completed. It’s vital stayand-play lodging is just a minute walk from the clubhouse. Securing a room in the summer now is as easy as an albatross.

Adjacent to the Inn is the 100,000-square-foot Cascade Putting Course. Kidd was brought in to design a 14-hole par-3 Quicksands course. It opened a year ago and has been enormously popular. Ever-evolving Gamble Sands and poa-powered Chambers are virtually neck-and-neck, really No. 1 and No. 1A. It seems the race for No. 1 in this state is never static.

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e sent out our first call for votes in April, asking friends, industry colleagues and, most importantly, Cascade Golfer readers to send us what they think are Washington’s 10 best courses.

Repeated requests were made on social media throughout the spring and early summer and a very healthy bank of responses was collected, analyzed, sifted and counted toward the end of June. As in past years, we gave 10 points to each voter’s number one course, nine for their second pick and so on down to one point for their 10th. We added up all the points to determine the state’s best courses, women golfers’ favored courses, the best by region and the courses voted for by those that work in the golf industry.

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Gold Mountain Olympic Bremerton

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Gold Mountain, part of a vast 36-hole footprint (with the Cascade course) that spreads through the Kitsap Peninsula forests in Bremerton, is the unchallenged No. 1 golf course in the state — with trees. It’s third in our poll, first in firs.

The top three links courses, Chambers, Gamble and Wine Valley, have a combined, maybe seven trees. Gold Mountain’s number is just shy of a zillion, wrapping around in green ribbons and woodsy corridors with stretches of short grass interspersed. The lanky swaying pines, the trustworthy greens, popup hills and placid ponds keep your interest (and at times your golf ball) throughout Gold’s 18 diversified holes. The course, designed by late legend John Harbottle, is worth its lofty rank because of its playability and pure enjoyment. The course has gotten inside of poll voters’ heads and hearts. You breathe better and feel better when you play it, no matter your score.

No doubt, golfers have bestowed value on its forest ambiance. It’s a good walk through a virtual park and has been that way since it opened in 1996. Harbottle, a Northwest native, understood as much about drawing up crafty risk-and-reward shots and he did about his showcasing of Mother Nature. cascadegolfer.com

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Industry Colleagues

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hile we’re not suggesting everyone that voted is an expert, we do believe the majority of those that did really do know what they’re talking about when it comes to Washington’s public golf courses. So, we decided to do away with the ‘expert’ tag and, instead, rank the top 10 according to industry colleagues. The colleagues are superintendents, media, PGA pros, pro shop employees, marketing personnel, administrators, manufacturers, retailers, etc.

And, as expected, the rankings are similar to those in the overall vote, though the order in which they appear isn’t quite the same. Industry colleagues seem to prefer Rope Rider to Prospector at Suncadia, and the two courses at the very top of the main list swapped places with Gamble Sands emerging as top course.

The mere fact that Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, a considerable drive from all the region’s population centers, ranks No. 4 in our poll is a tribute to its quality. There is not the volume of golfers that play this course compared to those in-demand big-city tracks.

But WV proponents are unified in their passion. Their strong support is a testament to its high caliber.

The course, which opened in 2009, has climbed steadily in our voting because golfers appreciate the design brilliance of Dan Hixson. Hixson, who developed sneaky good Bandon Crossings in 2007 and highly inventive reverse-18 Silvies Ranch in 2017, took what the ground gave him at Wine Valley. His minimalist linksy design plays firm-and-fast with generous fairways and dependable greens.

It’s Scotland with better wines. Golfers negotiating the course’s gentle hills can look around and enjoy the Palouse expanse and the Blue Mountains on the horizon. They are views not available in those big cities, perhaps why they’re willing to drive such long distances to the state’s southeast border to drive long distances.

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Salish Cliffs Shelton

Salish Cliffs is what Washington golfers have expected from tribal ownership. The course, established in 2011 by the Squaxin Island Tribe, is a 7,269-yard test that is well designed and maintained. And while it may go unnoticed or underappreciated, the course adheres to responsible environmental standards, ancient people respecting their ancient lands.

Golfers can see it in how the tribe showcases the natural elements, as virtually every hole is surrounded by lush forests. It also is a certified salmon-safe course. How all that figures into the voting is unknown, but fifth place this year takes a substantial range of support.

The beauty of Salish is that it is adaptable. Bombers love the course and want to play here because it challenges them. But there are five tee boxes, allowing hitters of any length the opportunities to make birdies.

There are also several holes that can catch you by surprise for their design, entertainment value and environmental factors. One might be the par-3, 161-yard 17th hole. You tee off from a panoramic elevated tee, 80 feet above the valley, with trouble right, left and back. It keeps your interest throughout the round and keeps you coming back. This would be a top course in most states.

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Photo by Rob Perry / robperry.com

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Palouse Ridge Pullman

Opened in 2008, Palouse Ridge Golf Club, just three miles west of the Washington State University campus, was among a wave of new eastern Washington golf courses that provided better competitive balance, hard against the more touted west-of-the-mountains layouts such as Chambers Bay, Salish Cliffs and The Home Course.

Palouse joined other such celebrated eastern courses as Gamble Sands, Wine Valley and ‘tweener’ Suncadia and its courses, Prospector and Rope Rider. Together, they got many in the state to turn their heads east and realize that a drive to the state’s eastern corners can be richly rewarded by quality designs. And it’s reflected in our poll with four of the 10 courses located in the much less populated east side. Palouse, which replaced a nine-hole course built in 1925, was desperately needed. The $12 million project was a hit from the start. The late John Harbottle design has intrigued golfers with a back nine that features three par 3s, three par 4s and three par 5s.

For Palouse to rank this high, it takes more than mere Cougars, Eagles and Zags. It takes a substantial amount of support from both sides of the mountains.

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Photo by Brian Oar

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Course (First-Place Votes) Total 1. Gamble Sands (18) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 2. Chambers Bay (10) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286 3. Wine Valley (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 4. Palouse Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 5. Salish Cliffs (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 6. Gold Mountain - Olympic (2) . . . . . . . . . . 187 7. Trophy Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 8. White Horse (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 9. Suncadia - Rope Rider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 10. The Home Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Other courses receiving double-digit totals: Suncadia (Prospector), Desert Canyon, Indian Canyon, Washington National, Druids Glen, Kalispel, Newcastle (Coal Creek), Loomis Trail, North Bellingham, Bear Mountain Ranch, Lake Padden, Eagle’s Pride, Port Ludlow and Moses Pointe.

Ladies’ Choice

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omen may look for different things in a golf course than men. In many cases – not always, but often — they are seeking a different experience. Geography, tee availability, slope and many factors can and do come into play when looking at the courses through a different lens. Is there a set of tees that are appropriate for different golfers’ games? And are they made to feel welcome? The clear winner here was Port Ludlow, which reflects how beautiful and welcoming the course is and how keen Port Ludlow’s female golfers are to promote the course they love.

Course Total 1. Port Ludlow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 2. White Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 3. Gamble Sands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 4. Chambers Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 5. Salish Cliffs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 6. Trophy Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 7. Palouse Ridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 8. Wine Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 9. Gold Mountain - Olympic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 10. The Home Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Others receiving votes beyond our top 20: Suncadia (Prospector), Eagle’s Pride, Loomis Trail, Indian Summer, Bellevue Municipal and Gallery.

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Seattle/Tacoma/Eastside 1. Chambers Bay 2. The Home Course 3. Washington National 4. Druids Glen 5. Newcastle - Coal Creek 6. Eagle’s Pride 7. Echo Falls 8. Indian Summer 9. The Classic 10. Auburn

North to Border 1. Loomis Trail 2. Avalon 3. North Bellingham 4. Snohomish 5. Battle Creek 6. Harbour Pointe 7. Sudden Valley 8. Lake Padden 9. Camaloch 10. Gallery

Central/Eastern Washington 1. Gamble Sands 2. Wine Valley 3. Palouse Ridge 4. Suncadia - Prospector 5. Desert Canyon 6. Apple Tree 7. Indian Canyon 8. Bear Mountain Ranch 9. Suncadia - Rope Rider 10. Moses Pointe

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White Horse Kingston

Not enough gratitude can be bestowed on the Native American tribes that have built, rebuilt and restored so many of the state’s prominent golf courses, turning them into economic and environmental assets. In this case, the Suquamish Indian Tribe, purchased White Horse Golf Course in Kingston basically out of bankruptcy in 2010 and transformed it into an ever-glorious walk-and-swing through ancient Northwest forests. The tribe took the original design by Cynthia Dye McCarvey — the first female designer to win new course of the year (Golf Digest) — and hired the late architect John Harbottle to soften the edges for more playability.

Flora and fauna were virtually unaltered in the process, leaving an exquisite pristine setting. The only authorized damage allowed was drilling 18 four-inch holes in the earth. The course gained in popularity which brought a LPGA Senior tournament here — underwritten, not for profit, by the tribe. But golfers far and wide also have a high regard for the course, as it has been a steady top 10 selection for much of the tribe’s stewardship. Golfers also favor two other aspects, the quite reasonable green fees, $39 weekdays and $50 on the weekend, and the adventure to get there, generally via the Kingston ferry. Likeability here is to the sky.

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The Home Course DuPont

Timing for the opening of The Home Course in the summer of 2007 could have been better. The 7,420yard course in DuPont opened within weeks of the more celebrated Chambers Bay only a few miles away.

Chambers carried more prestige, destiny, and cache. By comparison, that made it initially difficult for The Home Course to establish its identity. It was like Chambers’ little brother, but that was just fine with its supporters. It was our little brother, owned by public golfers, cooperatively by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and Washington Golf.

It represented the Washington golfer and provided a well-designed playground at much more reasonable prices.

Golfers never lost sight of that. With so many newer or established courses in the minds of voters, such as Washington National, Desert Mountain, Desert Canyon, Apple Tree and Port Ludlow, among others, The Home Course has stood tall.

Voters have supported The Home Course consistently in the top 10.

As the course has matured, it has only gotten better, and the regulars are more passionate. They understand and appreciate its history of this piece of land, going back to the Salish People for a thousand years to the Hudson’s Bay Co., to E.I. du Pont de Nemours to Weyerhaeuser. We come from that history. This is us.

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Trophy Lake Golf & Casting Port Orchard

If a Northwest golfer would be asked to describe what the quintessential golf course in this region would look like, the simple answer is just over to the Kitsap Peninsula in Port Orchard — Trophy Lake Golf & Casting. It has it all. Lush fir forests. Check. Sparkling meadows amid vast carpets of green fairways. Yes, yes.

Breathtaking vistas featuring The Olympics and Mt. Rainier. Indispensable. Expansive and pristine whitesand bunkers, 80 of them. Yes again. And, of course, two fly-casting ponds stocked with rainbow trout.

While that last one might seem a bit incongruent, not for folks here. Golfing and fishing are two Northwest passions.

Why not combine them both? That was the intention of the original Trophy owners since it opened in 1999, as symbolized by its fishing-style clubhouse. This is the Northwest in spirit, passion, and design. The John Fought-created course, measuring a mighty 7,206 yards from the tips, is a joy to play, as poll voters have agreed in ever-increasing numbers.

Trophy Lake seems to move up a notch with each poll, now solidly entrenched in the top 10. Folks are hooked on the place, in more ways than one. It’s the only place in the entire region where course management means deciding what to use that day, a club or a rod.

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Photo by Rob Perry / robperry.com

Olympic Peninsula 1. Gold Mountain - Olympic 2. Salish Cliffs 3. White Horse 4. Trophy Lake 5. Port Ludlow 6. McCormick Woods 7. Gold Mountain - Cascade 8. Cedars at Dungeness 9. Alderbrook 10. Sunland

Photo by Rob Perry / robperry.com

T

hese rankings should come in handy when dreaming up road trips to the state’s far away corners or weekend breaks a little closer to home.

Photo by Rob Perry/robperry.com

By Region

Movers & Shakers

Photo by Rob Perry/robperry.com

W

10

Prospector at Suncadia

10

Cle Elum

Driving into the woodsy Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, just east of the mountains from Seattle, you might believe you have arrived at a golf theme park. Or heaven, with a scorecard. You weave along Suncadia Dr., from I-90, with glimpses of Prospector’s lush fairways on the left, Rope Rider’s greens peeking through the pines on the right, and the wonderful private Tom Doak-designed Tumble Creek clinging to the distant valley ahead.

Prospector, opened in 2005 and built by Arnold Palmer Course Design, is the centerpiece and public face of the place. And what a face it is. Golfers/voters have always liked its well-groomed looks, consistently hoisting up this gem among the top 10 courses in the state (with nearby Rope Rider following in lockstep just behind). For many of us, Prospector is the reason we play golf. It has matured into a challenging course, inducing golfers to use their heads to get through it, a feel-good mind and body workout.

The elevation changes and high vistas are breathtaking while maintenance and conditioning are as perfect as possible. The fact that virtually everyone must drive some distance to get to this divine complex — yet still has a groundswell of top 10 support — is an indication of how special this place is.

cascadegolfer.com

ith little to no new course construction happening, 18 months of precious little activity thanks to COVID and because our top 20 is established, it stands to reason there won’t be a great deal of movement up or down the rankings from one list to the next. But it’s always interesting to see which courses have moved and by how much.

Course 2019 Rank Change 1. Chambers Bay . . . . . . . . . . 1. . . . . . . . . . none 2. Gamble Sands . . . . . . . . . . 2. . . . . . . . . . none 3. Gold Mountain - Olympic . . 4. . . . . . . . . . . . +1 4. Wine Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. . . . . . . . . . . . -1 5. Salish Cliffs . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. . . . . . . . . . none 6. Palouse Ridge . . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . . . . . . +1 7. White Horse. . . . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . . . . . . +3 8. The Home Course . . . . . . . 6. . . . . . . . . . . . -2 9. Trophy Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. . . . . . . . . . none 10. Suncadia - Prospector. . . . . 8. . . . . . . . . . . . -2

Noteables

* Biggest rise — North Bellingham 44th to 25th * Biggest drop — The Creek at Qualchan 20th to 34th

AUGUST 2022

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Port Ludlow

NEW THIS YEAR

WE PRESENT YOUR CHOICES FOR THE

TOP 11-20 TRACKS

Loomis Trail • Blaine

11

Desert Canyon Orondo

Ever since this Jack Frei-designed course opened in 1993, 25 miles north of Wenatchee, golfers from the Seattle area and elsewhere in western Washington have enjoyed the trip over the pass to play on the high desert with amazing views of the Cascades and over the Columbia River.

There are numerous memorable holes on a layout that can stretch to 7,285 yards, but it is perhaps the par 5s you’ll remember most. The approach shot to the wide but shallow green at the 575-yard 7th on the Lakes Nine (should you choose to aim for the more distant of the two greens) must carry a 40-yard-wide chasm filled with trees, bushes, rocks and long grass. The 536-yard 10th (1st on the Desert Nine) which heads northwest toward the river and the distant mountains is a great birdie chance, but it is the awesome 679-yard 15th (6th on the Desert Nine) that will surely linger longest in your mind’s eye.

Heading due west, the drive is played to a generous fairway. The second, to a similarly wide expanse, must carry a collection of rocks and long grass at about 300 yards. The approach then tapers and passes a lone tree 25 yards short of the green. A five here is very well-earned.

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Port Ludlow Port Ludlow

Robert Muir Graves was a Navy man who served in Korea and as part of the Naval Reserves for 22 years, eventually becoming a Commander. Born in Michigan in 1930, he studied at Michigan State before completing his degree in Landscape Architecture at UC Berkeley. After the Korean War, he set out as a landscape architect but transitioned into golf course architecture in the late 1960s. Before he died in 2003, Graves built more than 70 courses including the first 18 (made up of what were later named the Timber and Tide Nines) at Port Ludlow which opened in 1975. In 1990, Graves added a third nine (Trail) on more rugged land above and to the west of the original holes.

Sadly, the economic crash did hurt the Trail Nine which shut in 2009. Happily though, the remaining holes underwent a significant renovation in 2016 when Superintendent Dick Schmidt, who had worked alongside Graves back in the 70s, came back to oversee the work. Today’s Port Ludlow is a Northwest gem that plays very much as Graves intended, making a trip across the Sound to the peninsula an absolute must for Seattle golfers. cascadegolfer.com

Rest of the Best

13

Apple Tree Yakima

Ninety-eight percent of Golfpass.com readers who have been lucky enough to play it recommend taking on this John Steidel-designed beauty nine miles southwest of downtown Yakima. The main attraction is, of course, the 10,000 square foot, apple-shaped island green at the 17th, but it certainly isn’t the only noteworthy hole. The par 5 immediately after it, a dogleg left around a pond that cuts into the fairway, keeps the interest alive all the way to the clubhouse and concludes a terrific closing stretch of holes that starts with the 544-yard 14th – an exciting hole with water left and a waterfall splashing down a rock feature short of the green.

One hundred-year-old orchards surround much of the course which opened 30 years ago and invariably receives high marks for its conditioning.

Besides the thrill of playing the island green, Apple Tree is well-known for its friendly staff and superb food at The Slice Outdoor Lounge. Celebrate finding the putting surface with your tee shot at the 17th with a bowl of chicken yakisoba, plate of ale-battered fish and chips, a 12-ounce ribeye or buerre blanc stuffed salmon.

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Ladies’ 11-20

Indian Canyon Spokane

H. Chandler Egan, the 1904 and 1905 U.S. Amateur champion and a Chicago native who journeyed west in 1909 to become an orcharder in Medford, Ore., designed this wonderful Spokane municipal in 1930 though it didn’t open until 1935.

Occupying just over 100 acres, the course starts atop a canyon wall with great views over the course and city and plunges over 200 feet into a mostly wooded landscape that’s home to several truly excellent holes.

Perhaps none are better than the 438-yard 14th which curves left and features a fairway set in something of a valley. The course hosts the prestigious Rosauers Open every July when the region’s best pros usually make light of the 6,255-yard layout shooting four rounds in the low-to-mid 60s.

The typical city golfer doesn’t go quite so low as a rule but reveres this Spokane jewel, which national golf publications have often ranked among the country’s best 25 municipals, nonetheless. The USGA has hosted three championships here – the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1941 and 1984 and the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in 1989.

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Course (First-Place Votes) Total 11. Desert Canyon (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358 12. Port Ludlow (20*) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345 13. Apple Tree (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 14. Indian Canyon (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274 15. Loomis Trail (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251 16. Bear Mountain Ranch (2) . . . . . . . . . . . 235 17. Washington National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 18. McCormick Woods (1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 19. Druids Glen (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 20. Gold Mountain - Cascade (1) . . . . . . . . 135

Loomis Trail Blaine

Now owned by the Lummi Nation which purchased the course in 2018, and part of the Silver Reef Casino Resort, Loomis Trail is a genuine championship challenge having hosted the Division II NCAA Men’s Championship in 2009, U.S. Amateur qualifying in 2006 and 2016, and U.S. Senior Open qualifying in 2015.

Though you must be wayward to find it sometimes, water does technically come into play on 17 of the 18 holes, most notably perhaps at the 11th, 12th and 13th, not forgetting the 9th, 14th and 16th, of course. There are several outstanding holes on the Graham Cooke design that opened in 1993, but the two back nine par 5s are probably the pick of them. The 506-yard, split-fairway 11th finishes at a long narrow green with water right and four bunkers left while the 563-yard 14th likewise is a mix of trees, grass, water and sand where a five is hard-earned.

Off the back tees, Loomis stretches to 7,137 yards but, unless you’re in the form of your life, you’ll go easy on yourself by playing from the Blue, White or even Yellow tees. While the front is plenty tough, the back nine is the more difficult half but, as with 99 percent of golf courses around the world, pick the right tees and you’ll have a delightful round.

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Course Total 11. Cedars at Dungeness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 12. Bear Mountain Ranch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 13. Apple Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 14. McCormick Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 15. Snohomish & Battle Creek . . . . . . . . . . . 19 16. Desert Canyon & Gold Mountain - Cascade . . . . . . . . . . 17 17. Sudden Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 18. Harbour Pointe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 19. Suncadia - Prospector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 20. Eagle’s Pride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Editor’s Note: Note ties above for 15 and 16.

Movers 11-20 Course 2019 Rank Change 11. Desert Canyon . . . . . . . . . 12 . . . . . . . . . . . +1 12. Port Ludlow . . . . . . . . . . . 11 . . . . . . . . . . . -1 13. Apple Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 . . . . . . . . . none 14. Indian Canyon . . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . +2 15. Loomis Trail . . . . . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . . . . . . . +4 16. Bear Mountain Ranch . . . 15 . . . . . . . . . . . -1 17. Washington National . . . . 14 . . . . . . . . . . . -3 18. McCormick Woods . . . . . 26 . . . . . . . . . . . +8 19. Druids Glen . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . . . . . . +1 20. Gold Mountain - Cascade . 28 . . . . . . . . . . . +8

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16

Bear Mountain Ranch Chelan

Bear Mountain Ranch opened in 2005 on high ground overlooking the lake, seven miles west of Chelan. It was designed by a three-person team made up of the original developer Jerry Scofield, Bellevue landscape architect Robert Yount and the owner of Alta Lake GC, Don Barth. He later ended up owning Bear Mountain Ranch too along with Rock Island and Desert Canyon, which he bought from original owner Jack Frei in 2010.

The incredibly scenic front nine starts with a short, blind par 4 then opens up beautifully as it moves downhill and counterclockwise toward the lake for the glorious, downhill, par-3 7th. It climbs back uphill on the 8th and 9th before setting out on a wild back nine that includes a double-green (10th/16th), an extremely tough climb at the short par-4 13th and a 680-yard closing hole where your approach shot must carry an unmaintained area with rocks and a few bushes, plus a front bunker if it is to find the safety of the green.

Both halves are memorable for different reasons, but it will be the holes from which you get the best views of the lake that you will remember most.

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Washington National Auburn

Home of the University of Washington Huskies for many years before the team also trained and competed at Aldarra, Broadmoor and Seattle Golf Club, Washington National opened in 2000 and was designed by 1977 U.S. Amateur champion John Fought whose highly rated Trophy Lake course on the Kitsap Peninsula had opened just a year before.

Developed by OB Sports and located 15 minutes east of Emerald Downs racetrack, the course was sold shortly after opening to San Diego-based Heritage Golf Group which itself sold it in 2005 to Oki Golf. Chinese firm HNA Holdings then took it over in 2016 but unloaded it to a privately held firm owned by Google engineer Elaine Bai. Oki Golf, however, continues to operate the course, which has a British heathland and New Jersey Pine Barrens feel in places. Among a collection of genuinely excellent holes, the 635-yard (Husky Tee) 14th perhaps shines brightest, a Pine Valley-esque par 5 with a 40-45-yardlong bunker/waste area about 330-370 yards off the tee that you must carry with your second shot if you are to hit the green in regulation. The 17th where you must cleverly avoid two water hazards (penalty areas) is another great par 5.

In recent years, the course’s condition has declined somewhat resulting in a slide from 6th place in 2013 to its current position. We certainly hope it will return to its former glory because, at its best, Washington National would surely push for a spot in the top 10, if not top five.

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18

McCormick Woods Port Orchard

After placing 21st in both 2013 and 2017, then 26th in 2019, McCormick Woods has finally broken into the top 20. There are so many results this year – indeed, every time we do this — that underscore the quality of Washington’s public golf courses, but perhaps the fact this is the first time Jack Frei’s beautiful design, which opened in 1986, has appeared among the top 20 says it best of all.

Cut from a forest of evergreens, McCormick Woods is pure Northwest golf. It lies just five miles north of Trophy Lake, and six miles east of Gold Mountain. Together, those three courses make for an amazing triangle of golf. A handful of lakes and ponds in amongst the tall firs and stately cedars add to the challenge and frequent deer sightings add to the charm.

The course is managed by Columbia Hospitality, which does a good job keeping what must be a very difficult course to maintain in good condition. Stand out holes include the long par-3 4th which stretches to 235 yards from the back (we don’t normally like such long par 3s but there’s always an exception), the 575-yard 9th hole and superb 350-yard 12th which curves right round one of the course’s fetching ponds.

19

Druids Glen Golf Club Covington

The percentage of golfers that recommend a course is obviously an indication of how good it is, but equally significant is the number of reviews it gets. That well over 400 Golfpass.com users would take the time to comment on Druids Glen, 12 miles east of Auburn, is very telling.

Of course, there are the one and two-star reviews from people who caught the pro shop staff on a bad day or played it the morning after the greens were punched, but a sizeable majority give it four or five stars.

We’re not at all surprised it made it into our top 20 where it has been four out of the five times we’ve conducted the contest (it slipped to 22nd in 2015). In fact, the Keith Foster design, which opened in 1997 and is currently owned by Phoenix-based Parks Legacy Project, has placed 19th three times now and it has the potential to climb higher if Parks Legacy is able to make the improvements it outlined just before the pandemic struck.

The highlight comes early with a magnificent view of Mt. Rainier at the par-5 2nd hole, but the quality of Foster’s layout is evident throughout the round with water coming into play on nine or 10 holes depending on how well you’re hitting it.

Not only is Druid’s Glen an amazing spot to play golf in the south end but dining at their Grill in the Woods is just as special. With 30 beers on tap, regional wines and a classic menu it’s a perfect 19th hole stop. cascadegolfer.com

Professional-quality lanes for avid and recreational bowlers alike.

Book your lane today!

20

Gold Mountain Cascade Bremerton

Designed by Ken Tyson who also built the excellent Lake Spanaway and Madrona Links courses, the Cascade Course at Gold Mountain opened in 1971, 25 years before the Olympic Course debuted on the 360-acre City of Bremerton-owned property, 15 minutes southwest of town. Like McCormick Woods and so many other western Washington courses, Cascade is the archetypal Pacific Northwest layout with evergreen-lined fairways which appear much narrower than they are.

The scene is set at the short par-5 1st which sweeps right with a deep, dark conifer forest all down the left — we strongly advise against a right-to-left curving drive here.

The Olympic Course, which comes in third in this year’s rankings, naturally gets the lion’s share of the acclaim here, but the Cascade is a lovely walk you shouldn’t dismiss. From the back tees, the course reaches 6,775 yards which certainly isn’t long by today’s standards, but this is a course where bombing it off the tee is certainly trumped by the ability to keep the ball in play.

Highlights include the uphill par-4 12th hole, just 341 yards but a significant climb, and the gorgeous, downhill par-3 17th, which takes a solid 7/8-iron shot to avoid the trees.

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49

Yakimania!

Beer, Wine, Food, Festivals & Golf are HOPPIN’ here in Yakima Valley

F

BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

or 30 years running, thousands of visitors have been drawn to the Yakima Val-

ley to play the state’s most iconic golf hole, the apple-shaped par-3 17th island green. Called a ‘visual masterpiece,’ the 180-yard hole at Apple Tree Golf Club is

one of the most famous island greens in the country, covering 10,000-square feet

with nine different tee approaches.

How can any golfer resist taking a shot at the famed island — consistently ranked among

the area’s top tourist attractions — then regaling your mates with boasts over a beer.

Yet in the view of Valley boosters here, maybe it should be the other way around. Maybe it’s the beer — or more specifically the hops that give beer its flavor and robustness — that should be at least as renowned as a hole in the ground.

The reason is simple. Yakima Valley annually harvests and ships out 75 percent of the nation’s hops, and a hefty percentage globally as well. It’s one of the ‘big three’ highly acclaimed products that grace this region and the hops, apples and grapes (wine) that grow here are among the finest in the world.

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Apples set the table with 1,700 Valley growers, many working 100-year-old orchards, and supplying two-thirds of the nation’s consumers with apples, along with many sent to far-off countries. The Valley is at the core of the industry.

Wine production from this region, which shocked the world a generation ago with spectacular yields, is now recognized around the globe from sommeliers to two-buckchuck lovers. Wineries, both the corporate variety and single-vineyard vintners, have sprung up throughout the Valley, attracting ever-increasing throngs. The Washington Wine Commission boasts over 1,000 wineries in our state and the Yakima region is on par with places like Napa, Sonoma and Bordeaux.

Hops have been there all along, dating back more than 150 years, but, for whatever reason, it has been late to the party. It only has been during the past decade that the area’s hop industry – best in the world by nearly any measure – has held celebrations honoring itself.

The Yakima Valley Tourism folks, cranking up the promotions for the local hops industry, are giving new meaning to the term bar hopping. All summer long, bars, breweries, tents, and taverns are enticing visitors to come through (after taking their Apple island shot) to sample hops in their most efficacious form. The hop celebration culminates Oct. 8 with the Fresh Hop Ale Festival.

“It’s a golf-beer-wine adventure,” said Jennifer Martinkus, marketing manager for Yakima Valley Tourism. cascadegolfer.com

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Yakimania!

Even though hops have been around forever, celebrating the climbing dioecious plant didn’t really take root until recently. That’s when local craft beers became such a thing with the opening of Bale Breaker Brewing Company.

The establishment, bordered on three sides by Cascade hop fields, features craft IPAs and ales.

“Wine was definitely here before the hops. They’ve

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been grown (grapes) for generations,” Martinkus said.

“Craft beer wasn’t big until about nine years ago. When Bale Breaker opened, the scene really started to explode.

We went from a handful of small breweries to a craft beer trail with 15 breweries and nine taphouses. It’s a huge part of the fabric of the community now.”

Better late than never, but why so late?

“In retrospect, we’ve had that conversation a lot. Our roots are wine, but the hops industry (celebration) should have been here a long time ago. It’s a perfect fit for our area. For those growing hops, they get a passion for beer, for the aroma, the fragrance, and the flavor of the hops,” Martinkus said. “The inspiration (for the celebration) came from within the hops community.”

Only commercially grown hops are harvested in the Yakima Valley. There are three distinct growing areas: Moxee Valley, the Yakima Indian Reservation and the Lower Yakima Valley. Each area is separated by just 50 miles but have their own unique growing conditions and produce different hops characteristics.

The hops community has been gearing up all summer with something going on just about every night in the Valley. It all leads up to the Fresh Hop Ale Festival Oct. 8. Best to check VisitYakima.com for a rundown.

One early summer highlight was in late June when ESPN came to downtown Yakima to televise a Cornhole competition. A better excuse to drink a beer has not been invented.

Music performances at Single Hill Brewery and Perfect Circle Brewing and comedy competition at Hop Capital Brewing were scheduled in July. There have been many other music events and craft beer trails throughout the summer.

“What I love about it is everyone is so approachable and welcoming, for all ages,” Martinkus said. “Come as you are. No need to dress up. Just have fun.” There are 300 days of sunshine a year in the Valley, so prepare for summer heat. But when the calendar flips to September, action picks up and the temperatures decline. “September and early October are my favorite times to be in the Valley. cascadegolfer.com

The sun is not as hot and the nights are crisp,” Martinkus said. “Come over for the golf -- catch the crush.”

Golfers annually gravitate east as fall approaches, looking for dry weather and more comfortable temps over the mountains. The Apple island will have its many glory seekers and golfers will try some of the other tracks in the Valley, such as Fisher Park or River Ridge.

Concurrently, September is also the month when all the hops are harvested, a frantic 30-day period when the cones are picked, stripped and readied for processing. The entertainment highlight of the summer will be the first ever Hop Country Music Festival, featuring Salah-native country star Cole Beebe and The Crooks on Fri., Sept. 9 at Sozo Sports Complex. Generation Radio also will be featured.

On Sat., Sept. 10, the Hop Country Music headliner will be Cole Swindell, a multi-platinum-record award winner.

One month later, the Fresh Hop Ale Festival will commence at Sozo, a beer-lover’s delight, part of “one of the top 10 beer festivals in the nation.” There will be more than 70 breweries, wineries and cideries represented at the event.

Everyone is guaranteed that whatever beer they order, it will be fresh. All beer served at the Fresh Hop Ale Festival is required to be brewed from fresh hops harvested in the Valley this fall. It’s also a competition. Each brewery submits its best beer for judging by the patrons, who vote through tasting tokens.

It seems that while all along beer loving Yakimanians were raising toasts and holding celebrations for their other acclaimed commodities, they could have been toasting what they were holding. Hops have finally taken their rightful place among the ‘big three.’

Residents and tourists alike enjoy an embarrassment of riches that this treasured land yields, apples, grapes and hops. While many are drawn to the region as sort of ‘island-hoppers,’ taking their shots at the 17th Apple Tree green, there’s more to experience after you put your putter away. Come for the golf and stay for the beer.

Make your own memories and click to VisitYakima.com and craft your own experience this summer or fall. cascadegolfer.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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53

Life

Lake

!

Desert Canyon Golf Resort

Highlander Golf Course

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cascadegolfer.com

Lake Chelan is a perfect golf destination for those who want to sip and savor central Washington

Bear Mountain Ranch

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

uring the hot summer months (you remember them), there are few places Washingtonians would rather be than in or near Lake Chelan. The narrow, 50-mile-long body of water which sits at 1,100 feet above sea level in the center of the state is a great spot for fishing, (with several species of trout calling the lake home), wine-tasting and numerous other adventures.

What Lake Tahoe is to California, Lake Chelan has been to Washington for generations. It’s been the play spot for sunseekers yearning for high desert warmth and lake life at all budget levels.

Our main concern, of course, is golf and those who head east from Seattle with their clubs in amongst their fishing gear and vineyard map — or rather their fishing gear and vineyard map in amongst their golf clubs — will find plenty of excellent places to play near the lake, some of them ranked among the very best public courses in the state, which you can read about in this issue (see page 40).

cascadegolfer.com

One course that might not have polled the most votes (the competition up here is pretty stiff) but ticks the three municipal golf course must-have boxes — welcoming, affordable and fun-to-play every time you visit — is the City of Chelan-owned Lake Chelan Golf Course, a couple of miles north of the city center, with beautiful views over Spaders Bay and the eastern reaches of the lake.

The course first opened in 1964 and stretches to 6,459 yards from the back tees. The front is the longer and tougher of the two nines, so hopefully you’re warmed up and are ready to make some birdies on the back which includes five relatively short par 4s and a couple of par 5s under 500 yards.

This isn’t arduous, relentless championship golf but entertaining, sporty vacation golf where you’re guaranteed to have a good time.

Highlander Golf Course, opened in 2002 and about 50 minutes south on Highways 150, 97, 2 and 28, offers much the same type of golf as Lake Chelan but comes with a touch more pedigree. Situated 800 feet above the Columbia River, a short drive south and east of Wenatchee, Highlander was designed by John Steidel (Apple Tree, Canyon Lakes and Riverbend).

Steidel’s efforts came to life by Jim Haley who built and shaped the course.

Haley is one of the game’s most respected construction experts who worked with Pete Dye before spending 11 years with Rees Jones and then joining David McLay-Kidd to build the original course at Bandon Dunes and other nationally ranked courses like Nanea in Hawaii and TPC Stonebrae near San Francisco.

Highlander saw some changes in 2011 when the last two holes were rebuilt, and four others altered to accommodate a new real estate development. Views from the course are pretty special and might even surpass those at Lake Chelan GC. The course tips out at just 5,899 yards — enough to be a genuine challenge for most vacationing golfers, but not so many you can’t relax for a moment and enjoy the incredible panoramas while you punch out a few pars.

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Life !

Lake

mor F Nesuoira f Cesral ko beca F Paeg

Bear Mountain Ranch

After a day of golf, what could be better than a glass of wine overlooking the lake with friends.

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On your way back to Chelan, be sure to stop off at one of the many fruit stands and orchards along Highway 2 where you can pick up a few boxes of the finest-tasting cherries you ever had, plus as many apples, peaches, apricots and plums as will fit in your car.

The following day, after a breakfast of coffee, toast and some of that delicious fruit, head back out on Highways 150 and 2. After about 20 minutes, turn left off the highway and on to Brays Landing Rd. N.W. which will take you to one of our fan favorite courses (ranked 11th in fact) — Desert Canyon. If you’re looking for a little sterner challenge than you had at Lake Chelan and Highlander you’ve come to the right place because this exquisite Jack Frei design which opened in 1993 can play well over 7,200 yards.

Those that want to maintain the holiday vibe though and take in the terrific views of the river and mountains just need to play from a friendlier set of tees — try the Blues (6,766 yards), Whites (6,144 yards) or the Blue/White combo which, at 6,418 yards, should be plenty of golf without being totally overwhelming.

If you go for four straight days of golf, your next round comes just seven miles west of Chelan and south of the lake this time. Bear Mountain Ranch is another of your top 20 courses (16th) and a spot at which you could take enough photos to fill an SD card.

And, for those vacationers that are looking to stay close to the city of Chelan and play golf within stone’s throw of the lake, Bear Mountain and Lake Chelan GC are a perfect pair to do just that.

The vistas from some of the front nine holes will drop the jaw, widen the eyes and quicken the pulse. And, though the sensory overload might come down a notch on the back, the golf holes still provide enough drama for you to make some memories.

Bear Mountain Ranch is owned by the same group as Desert Canyon, and the two scorecards are very much alike. Bear Mountain Ranch also extends to over 7,200 yards for the big boys, but Blue, White and Blue/White tees offer a gentler game. Some other facets that make Bear Mountain unique are 10-foot pins. Because this course has some rollercoaster elevation changes and raised greens as the layout is set atop a mountainous terrain, the extra tall flags allow you to take aim. They are not just pins but markers for your climb. And it’s a real confidence booster to hit Bear Mountain’s greens in regulation — trust the distance, flags, wind and intuition. And your scope if you bring one — I would.

The first seven holes are downhill as you wind your way outward. The inward nine features some great rises and falls and many of the greens are elevated, so bring sharp grooves. Low ball hitters are not as rewarded as those with no fear to play the ball airborne. cascadegolfer.com

OAKBROOK GOLF CLUB Open to the Public

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Good through August 31, 2022

To a person, everyone I’ve ever spoken to that played this place loved the experience and felt a ‘woosh’ — it’s a great Chelan links jewel.

By now, you might need a day off and are eager to check out what else the area has to offer. Perhaps some frolicking about on the lake or a visit to one of three excellent wineries you’ll probably have seen signs for on your way to and from Bear Mountain Ranch is in order. Karma Vineyards, Nefarious Cellars and the multi award-winning Tsillan Cellars, which was voted Winery of the Year in 2020 will hit the spot. I’m missing several but depending on how much time you have, not to mention how much you’ve already sampled, you may want to visit a few more of the 30 highly-acclaimed wineries within the Lake Chelan American Viticultural Area (AVA). Some leaders are Benson, Amos Rome, Vin du Lac, Mellisoni, Lagrioth, Rio Vista, Siren Song and Succession.

Before leaving for home, you have one more round to play. And, though you’ve already played a lot of really good golf, you’ve actually saved the best for last. If you’re up for it, try 18 at the wonderful Alta Lake Golf Course before finishing your trip at the incredible Gamble Sands.

We’ve written quite enough about David McLay-Kidd’s Brewster masterpiece, 35 minutes northwest of Chelan since it opened in 2014.

Suffice to say only a U.S. Open venue (Chambers Bay) could keep it off the top spot in our Washington public course rankings.

After a few nights at Campbell’s Resort, Lakeside Lodge and Suites, The Landing or any of the area’s dozens of other lodging options, maybe it’s time for a night at the Inn at Gamble Sands before bidding farewell to central Washington and a trip you’ll likely not forget.

These are a few Chelan hit parade hot spots, but you can chart our own ‘course’ on the web at LakeChelan.com and craft your own late summer or fall getaway today. cascadegolfer.com

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

Couples Chapman August 27-28

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WhidbeyGolfClub.com • (360) 675-5490 2430 SW Fairway Lane, Oak Harbor WA 98227 AUGUST 2022

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ROAD HOLES

Idaho Icon Circling Raven still tops the charts for golfers and media alike

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BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

oming up on 20 years since Circling Raven has been stretched out gently across the rolling and remote countryside on the northwest Idaho panhandle and nothing much has changed. When it opened, it was hailed among the best new courses in America and is still racking up the awards today.

The Worley, Idaho, course, close to the Washington border about 40 miles south of Spokane, was recently ranked Idaho’s No. 1 public course, according to Golfweek. The course has been given the ‘best’ award 11 times since it opened in 2003. The annual rankings are based on 10 criteria.

There’s more, according to the magazine ratings. It also was rated among the nation’s best for resort courses, casino courses, and pro shop categories.

The golf/casino complex includes a full-service spa, two hotel wings, multiple restaurants, a live entertainment section and a renovated gaming floor at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort. The Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe operates the properties, and its Native American heritage is a most significant influence.

Circling Raven was named after one of the tribe’s most important chiefs, although stories about him tend to view him more as a prophet or supernatural figure.

He was said to have ruled over his people for 100 years, from 1660 to 1760. At around age 150, it was said that his ‘spirit departed.’ Over the years, stories have been passed along about him by word of mouth. He was so revered that there was no debate among his people when it came to giving his name to the land.

“Circling Raven is named for one of our tribe’s most important chiefs, who guided us through our most difficult times,” said Laura Penney, the CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Resort Hotel. “Our homelands mean everything to the tribe, so Circling Raven’s award is testament that we’re nurturing it respectfully and our honoring our ancestors as well.”

The course was designed by Florida-based architect Gene Bates. He was selected specifically because the tribe believed he could design the 18 holes that could take great care of the land and cause minimal disturbance.

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Bates’ reputation and work on Circling Raven won him the favor of the Squaxin Island Tribe in 2011 to build a similar course called Salish Cliffs Golf Club in Shelton, Wash.

What made people notice Bates’ design at the opening in 2003 was the sheer size and scope of his layout. The 7,189 yards cut across the Idahoan wilderness through a variety of terrains, wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands.

It was spread over 620 acres. That’s nearly four times the number of acres for a ‘normal’ course in the country.

Everything is giant sized, the greens, vast fairway stretches and the white-sand bunkers. Bates made sure that a golfer’s round was as close with nature as possible. He made sure there was not a structure in sight, just natural settings.

From the start, the awards were bestowed on the course, as it was ranked among the top 100 resorts and top casino courses. It quickly was ranked among the top courses in the state, which includes a stiff competition, the elegant Coeur d’Alene Resort and its ‘Island Green’ just up the road, Banbury in Eagle, River Bend in Wilder, The Highlands in Post Falls, and Sun Valley Resort.

The tribe also has made sure the amenities have kept pace over the past two decades. Just three years ago, the casino and the 300-room hotel underwent a $15 million renovation. The gaming floor and Events Center were revamped while improvements were made to the various restaurants, bars and the Ssakwa’q’n spa. Even the golf shop won national and regional awards for its excellence and displays.

Bates has been re-commissioned by the tribe to work on phase-in projects, part of a master plan that will add more holes and course/property improvements. Initially, the plan included renovating existing bunkers (and some removal), repositioning tee complexes, expanding the practice facility and exploring the possibility of adding nine new holes to the course to be called Twisted Earth.

“We are advancing the golf experience at Circling Raven for the next 15 years, with its condition, playability and aesthetics,” said Bates as he began his work. “Each phase of the master plan will be implemented such that the course will be available for play the vast majority of time.”

He added that the plan will guide course enhancements and provide a blueprint for future refinements. cascadegolfer.com

High Desert Hideaway Sunriver’s 63 holes and Northwest vibe is just a half a day away

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unriver, the wilderness-elegant, golf-oriented resort in the high country of Central Oregon, has banked on a half century of good facilities and goodwill to preserve its place among the finest resorts in America.

The 3,300-acre property, 15 miles south of Bend, Ore., is on the Deschutes River and in the shadow of Mt. Bachelor. It has counted on its hard-earned reputation to pay it forward, gracefully getting it through the recent storms affecting all such facilities.

Virtually no travel destination in the U.S., or the world, has managed to escape the tourism drop-off damage caused by two-plus years of the pandemic and subsequent curtailments. Over the past few months, travel destinations faced further impediments caused by record-high gas and air fuel prices, pilot strikes/shortages/ cancellations, rental car scarcity, and a vacay dampening spring, the Northwest’s coldest/wettest in 65 years.

Tourism might have dropped off for a bit, but not services or accommodations. Sunriver still shines, still serving its guests at a high standard, recently recognized by multiple travel outfits such as World Travel Awards, Luxury Hotel Guide and Conde Nast. Sunriver continues to win various awards for Oregon’s top resort, best staycation location, best spa, best women’s destination, best wine list, excellence in the meetings industry, and for its four (63 holes) golf courses. Golf Digest has given Sunriver the 2022 Editor’s Choice Award for Best Golf Resort.

The facility has had a reputation to preserve as the land there is historical with roots that include World War II service — making Sunriver hallowed grounds indeed.

Sunriver was once a remote World War II training facility, Camp Abbott, which opened in 1942 to train combat engineers heading overseas. It churned through soldiers for two years before closing in June 1944. The Officers’ Club is the only remaining structure, which has been renovated and given dignified status now as “The Great Hall” on the Sunriver property.

It wasn’t until 1968 that the first vestiges of ‘Sunriver’ began forming with resort accommodations. John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn brought fame and attention to Sunriver in the early 1970s while filming the movie “Roostcascadegolfer.com

BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

er Cogburn,” and staying in the area.

Golf reached this part of Oregon in 1969 with the opening of The Meadows. The course, designed by Portland-born John Fought (Washington National, Trophy Lake) is adjacent to the venerable Sunriver Lodge. A challenging course, with seven holes skirting the river, The Meadows has won numerous awards and hosted various tournaments, including a NCAA Division I Championship.

It has been named a top 10 destination for family golf by Golf Digest.

The Woodlands course, designed by renowned architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr., was added in 1982. It was lauded for its design and beauty, meandering through the ponderosa forests, wetlands, and lava rock outcroppings. It also has been honored as a top 10 family golf destination in America.

It wasn’t until 1995 when the Crosswater course, designed by Bob Cupp (Pumpkin Ridge and Liberty National), was built that Sunriver was set off on its path to national prominence. Crosswater has been chosen as one of “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” by Golf Digest. The 600-acre layout, which hosted the 2006 NCAA Division I Championship, runs 7,700 yards through meadows, wetlands and close by the Deschutes and Little Deschutes Rivers. Crossing water is your preoccupation throughout.

Cupp, along with local architect Jim Ramey, put together the par-3 Caldera Links course in 2007. The holes range from 65 to 170 yards. The course is quite family friendly

(under 11 is free). That, combined with The Meadows and Woodlands, fortified Sunriver’s family golf reputation.

The combination of all 63 holes, including the premier Crosswater course, has made Sunriver a consistent (pre- and post-pandemic) and unshakeable member of America’s top golf destinations.

However, those who rate, and rank golf destinations are not limited in their assessment by holes alone. It takes a village to get what Sunriver has achieved. It’s that village that has continued to add structures and activities to enhance its destination status.

Once you put the clubs away, among the varied and eclectic activities are: 45 miles of paved biking trails, tubing, canoeing and kayaking down the gentle streams, horseback riding, art walks, nature walks, tennis, and fly fishing, among others.

In the winter when everything turns white, there’s another setlist. Winter is the best time to enjoy the Cove Aquatic Center, a $40 million indoor water park facility that features a huge, heated pool, spas and a ‘Cinder Cone’ water slide that weaves out then back into the facility.

The Cove, it should be noted, was opened in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic, which should provide extra credit consideration for all those raters and rankers.

Sunriver can help you plan the perfect vacation and has numerous options for golf and family activities. Visit Sunriver.com to see what adventures await.

AUGUST 2022

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SAVE SOME GREEN

Cedarcrest Golf Course • Marysville

Legion Memorial Golf Course • Everett

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Legion Memorial Golf Course

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Cedarcrest Golf Course MARYSVILLE

When Legion Memorial, one of this region’s most popular golf courses since the age of persimmon drivers, undergoes the time, trouble and expense of a remodel, it’s not so that it can attract the U.S. Open Championship. It’s to benefit us, the average golfers.

Legion, the iconic Everett golfing complex that opened in 1933, understands that in order to fill its tee sheet not just with regulars but also subsequent generations of local golfers, it has had to evolve. That’s why the course has undergone two somewhat recent remodels — one in 1998 and another just three years ago before the pandemic — to enhance the enjoyment and playability of the course.

“No doubt,’’ said Shayne Day, Legion’s general manager and head professional.

“You’ve got to do new things to keep the excitement up.’’

The latest remodel, initially begun in 2018, dealt with the flow of water, which can be an enemy or an ally for golfers and golf courses. The project, a collaboration of Legion, the City of Everett, which owns the course, and nearby Everett Community College, added stormwater detention ponds, introduced four new holes and reversed the nines.

The ponds capture the stormwater runoff and allows the steady flow into the adjacent Snohomish River. It has created a firmer, less marshy surface for golfers.

Legion was already considered among the driest courses in the region. The pond network also allows water to come into play on three of the four new holes.

The par-5 3rd hole was converted into two new holes, the par-4 9th was eliminated and the par-5 8th was revised to become the finishing hole (old par-3 9th became a practice area). With the nines reversed, golfers have a water hazard for five of the final six holes. Inevitably, the result is a gross loss of more golf balls but a net gain of more golfers.

“It’s been great. Our customers really enjoy the new layout,’’ Day added. The length of the course has been reduced about 300 yards, to 6,603 yards, and par was dropped from 72 to 71. There are five sets of tees for us, the average golfers, can find a comfortable distance on a more playable surface. Legion also has an on-going enhancement and reshaping project for its many bunkers for better play.

Legion is one of 11 golf courses in seven Puget Sound municipalities managed by Premier Golf Centers, LLC, which oversees and encourages these kinds of improvements at all its properties. For Legion, it’s hard to improve on its built-in beautifications, such as views of The Olympics, Mount Baker, the Cascades and the Snohomish River.

It speaks to its resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness that, as we emerge from the pandemic restrictions, we can still play and appreciate Cedarcrest Golf Course. COVID-19 was just one of many storms Cedarcrest has weathered in nearly 100 years and still manages to fill its tee sheet each day.

The course, two miles east of I-5, opened 93 years ago. That means it has survived The Wall Street Crash, The Great Depression, World War II, the Great Recession, vagaries, and viruses. Many other courses have disappeared, but Cedarcrest’s layout, reputation and glorious history remain intact.

Its history began in 1928 when Roy C. Sargent and Roy H. Dobell designed the original 4,700-yard course, called Hillcrest, just a couple hours horseback ride north of Seattle in pastoral Marysville. The official opening was June 1929 and a weekday round cost a stiff 50 cents – it was double that on the weekend. Four months later came the fateful and calamitous Crash.

Owners Tom Quast and his wife Joan Quast, who renamed the course Cedarcrest in 1935, maneuvered the course through the Depression and the war. Their daughter, Anne Quast Sanders, who learned to play on the family property, developed into one of the finest golfers ever produced in the Northwest. She became a three-time U.S. Amateur Champion and British Women’s Amateur Champion.

The city of Marysville purchased the property in 1971 and noted Northwest golf architect John Steidel was hired to redesign the course in 1998.

He has designed some of the most iconic Northwest courses, among them, Apple Tree in Yakima, White Fish Lake in Montana, Whitehorse Resort in Pendleton, Ore., and Coeur d’Alene GC in Idaho.

More than 50 bunkers were added in 2010, providing an enhanced challenge for golfers while protecting the smallish greens, considered to this day among the best in the region.

Premier Golf Centers, LLC., which manages 11 golf course in seven Puget Sound municipalities, came aboard in 2015. Premier changed mowing practices and put an emphasis on better drainage, which is always an issue for western Washington courses, especially this year.

It’ll cost you a bit more than a buck a round today, but just $32 daily and $37 on the weekend remains among the best deals in the area. And you get more bang for your buck, now more than 1,000 yards longer, at 5,811, than the original measurement.

Another generation can thank a bunch of early 20th Century folks who cared enough that golfers could continue to enjoy lush tree-lined fairways and Northwest ambiance rather than what could have been a soybean field or a car lot.

YARDAGE 4,439-6,603 (71) RATES $38 daily, $43 weekends, $31 senior/military, $17 junior* TEL (425) 259-4653 WEB EverettGolf.com * Check website for current rates

YARDAGE 4,727-5,811 (70) RATES $32 daily, $37 weekends, $26 senior/military, $14 junior* TEL (360) 363-8460 WEB CedarcrestGC.com * Check website for current rates

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cascadegolfer.com

An approach shot to the 333-yard, par-4 4th at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

It’s one of the great ‘course management’ holes on the Monterey Peninsula and where your caddie tells you to keep your driver in the bag.

Financial caddies Misner and Bridges keep their golf clients’ portfolios on the fairway and focused on their goals

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or John Misner and Timothy Bridges, two Seattle-based financial advisors for Edward Jones, they take the approach to building financial strategies that is not dissimilar to course management in golf.

The objective is the same – putting yourself in a favorable position that will help produce the best possible outcome. They are confident and experienced in their approaches focusing on their customers and their needs – bringing honesty, faith and humility to their clients.

“I think that’s a pretty good analogy,” said Misner, who has been a financial advisor for 36 years. “If interest rates are moving in one direction, for example, or the yield curve is flat verses inverted or steep, when I talk to people, I make sure they are where they should be.”

It’s the same process a caddie goes through when they give advice to a golfer. If the green is flat, steep or difficult to read, that caddie, with the combination of experience, instinct, and awareness of the conditions, knows where the golfer should be. A financial advisor, like a caddie, is someone who can be relied upon for personalized advice. It’s important to bring sound choices of the individual.

At a glance, golfing and investing might seem to be incongruent, yet Misner and Bridges see parallels. “Like golf, investing takes time, patience and is a lifelong pursuit,” said Bridges. “There’s no reason to push beyond your capability and important to use all the information available to the individual. And, just as important, to use that same approach in assessing the steps just taken to grow and stay on course while adjusting to the many conditions affecting us all.”

Both gentlemen believe that the typical golfer has the same analytic mindset as an investor. In fact, the pair, each cascadegolfer.com

with his own independent client base at Edward Jones, decided to team up this spring to share a booth at the Seattle Golf Show to substantiate that premise.

They think of themselves as financial caddies, offering advice, where to invest and what to avoid, in the same fashion as a caddie would steer a golfer away from trouble and toward a better approach. The more personalized the advice, the better equipped you become.

Both pursuits have their uncertainties and ambiguities. Economic gyrations, year over year and even day to day, have roiled the markets for as long as they’ve existed.

So too, a golfer, dialed in and unfaltering one day, can be a victim of the weather, a sore back or tough pin placements and doomed to struggle the next round.

“A caddie can be trusted. He knows the course,” Misner suggested. “He knows that in the afternoon the wind may come strong off the water, or he knows to stay to the left on a hole because it’s real soggy turf down that hill.

One of the similarities between investing and golf is you can make a mistake (in both) but also you can recover from a mistake.”

He gave the example of a recent round at Hawks Prairie in which he had an exceptionally long drive but when he got to his ball it was squarely behind a large bush. He remained calm and rational as he surveyed the conditions.

He determined he needed to play it safe.

“It was disappointing, but the only thing to do was chip it to the fairway. There was no other way,” he said. “It’s the same thing with investing. You can have every good intention and execute it perfectly, but something happens.”

When slips happen, in golf or investing, he said you need to accept the situation and ease yourself deliberately

through it and focus on your long-term goals.

“Taking the short-term risk for short-term reward is not an approach that you can build a sound long-term strategy on – while on the course or when investing,” said Bridges. “No reason ever to risk and divert from the strategy and swing for the green. Just like watching golf highlights on TV, you only see the best of the best and the birdies. We all get birdies but getting bogeys and playing to your handicap is par for the course for the steady golfer and investor.”

Misner grew up in Oregon and played Eugene Country Club as a young man. He said one of his playing partners constantly used the same expression nearly every time they played, ‘play within yourself.’ It resonated with him then, and now.

Bridges, like Misner has deep Northwest roots and a love for the game and he summarized the opportunity and expectations beautifully. “Golf and investing can be humbling at times because success can be short-lived. An excellent performance today doesn’t provide any guarantees for tomorrow. Aligning the fundamental, technical and psychological forces driving the market all at the same moment is nearly impossible. The same can be said about playing a perfect game from the initial swing to the 18th hole. When evaluating your success, focusing on long term goals rather than daily fluctuations is imperative. It’s not about the small victories or gains along the way, it’s about where you land in the end.”

If you are seeking financial advice contact John.Misner@edwardjones.com if you are in Seattle area and eastside or timothy.bridges@edwardjones.com if you are in south King County and sound Puget Sound area.

AUGUST 2022

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P R ESENTED BY

Odds are your ace is more than ‘one’ of your best moments in life — it’s a badge of honor COMMENTARY BY DICK STEPHENS • CG PUBLISHER

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t’s not every issue we talk about, or promote, Pacific Northwest Golfer or Inside Golf no matter how well we get on with them. We see ourselves as collaborators and friends, sharing information and promoting each other’s projects. We’re pulling the same rope and scratching each other’s backs, though none of us are in the habit of mentioning the others with any great regularity.

But I couldn’t let this go without commenting. While checking social media a couple of weeks ago, I was delighted to see my friend of 32 years, Steve Turcotte, celebrating a hole-in-one on the 10th hole at Gamble Sands.

Steve has been editing the monthly print newspaper Inside Golf since its inception in 1988.

In the photo, he’s grinning like a Cheshire cat which is entirely understandable, of course, as making a hole-inone is an incredibly memorable moment in any golfer’s life. Doing it at a place like Gamble Sands just makes it that much sweeter. The 147-yard 10th has a large, amoeba-shaped green and is like a skateboard park with backboards and side slopes.

The pin was in the center of the green and Steve hit the 7-iron from a set of PXGs he’d been fitted for the previous day. Unfortunately, he didn’t see his ball roll into the cup. “I looked away thinking it was running off down the slope to the right,” he says, adding that he’s seen none of his four aces go in the hole. “But someone in my group said it might be close. Then we saw the group up ahead on the 11th tee going crazy.”

In his post, Steve alludes to the bar bill and, without giving the exact amount he spent on Michelob ULTRA and whiskey, jokingly said he’s now broke. We won’t charge Steve for the column inches here — it’s our honor to make him the story and all of us here at Cascade Golfer tip our hat to him, his ace and his nearly four decades of journalistic con-

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tributions here in the Northwest.

Talking of aces, I dug around and discovered that, years ago, Golf Digest had done a study in which they calculated the typical amateur golfer’s chances of holing out from the tee at a par 3 is about 1-in-5,000. It takes on average 1,250 rounds for someone to hit that special shot, and less than two percent of us will mark one down in a typical year.

Of that two percent, only 14 percent will make a second hole-in-one at some point in their life, and the number making a third drops to just nine percent. Those are some crazy long odds, and unfortunately, most amateurs, including a fair number of single-digit handicappers, will never grab the golden goose.

The odds of shooting an albatross -- a hole-in-one on a par 4 or two on a par 5 — are much higher at 1-in-6 million according to the Double Eagle Club (another report has it at 1-in-1 million, which seems more likely to me). Apparently, only three golfers in history have scored a condor — a hole-in-one on a par 5 and obviously the rarest bird of all. I couldn’t find the odds of such a shot, suffice to say if you put a dollar down and it happened, you’d not only put the bookie out of business but never have to work again.

The two coolest hole-in-one stories I know amazingly took place in the same English county (Norfolk) as each other, three years apart. In 1971, at the European Tour’s Martini Invitational at Royal Norwich Golf Club, John Hudson had consecutive holes-in-one. The first at the 195-yard 11th, the second at the 311-yard 12th (despite being fiveunder-par for these two holes alone, Hudson did not win the tournament).

Then, in 1974, in a county match between Leicestershire and Rutland County at Hunstanton Golf Club, Bob Taylor aced the 189-yard 16th on three consecutive days. Dude!

Enter to Win our Eagle’s Pride GC foursome

Steve Turcotte

My ego has been tugging at my elbow while I’ve been writing, and I hope you won’t mind if I shoot crap by sharing that, in my 45 years as a golfer, I’ve carded five holes-in-one. To say I’m lucky is an understatement and each is unique. One was freak luck, hitting a rake and bouncing in, and another on the par-4, 260-yard 8th at Bandon Trails. That was especially neat as my Cascade Golfer colleagues were there to see it.

Surprisingly perhaps, the most vivid one is not that albatross, but the result of a really ‘crappy’ shot. My dad taught me to play golf back in Kansas and saw me get my second hole-in-one when my Dunlop Silver Max flew right into the hole from 120 yards. I had just turned 16.

We both ran to the green yelling and pulled the slightly torn balata from the cup. Just a few seconds later walking off the green, another bullseye occurred when a meadowlark (our Kansas state bird) really did shoot crap — hitting me squarely on the head. God was clearly telling me not to get cocky — splat!

I kept the ball, tossed the visor and went home to wash the bird poo out of my hair. I wonder what the odds of making a hole-in-one and getting hit by meadowlark manure on the same hole are?

I’m hoping this little story jogs your memory banks.

Who, among our loyal 100,000 readership, has a hole-inone story of their own? Please share with us when, where and how you made your ace. And how much did it cost you at the 19th hole?

Shoot our editor, Tony Dear, a note at tonydear71@ comcast.net and feel free to gloat because, in 35 years of playing golf, working as a teaching pro and First Tee/high school golf coach, he’s never had one.

Our Post Game page is always meant to spark water-cooler chatter, bringing out the fish tales and remembering the ones that got away. Cheers!

Eagle’s Pride GC • DuPont

erhaps the most underrated layout in the Northwest, Eagle’s Pride features some of the very best holes you will find in our great state. Now, grab a buddy, make that three, and get your foursome booked for this fall/winter.

Enter to win at CascadeGolfer.com.

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