Our readers have spoken, and the 2024 results and rankings are in
Pros Behind the Prize
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Profiles on superstar talent from our regional winners
Boeing Classic Fan Guide
Players to follow and hot spots to watch the PGA Champions Tour legends
PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS 24-33
ON THE COVER
Desert Canyon Golf Resort in Orondo, Wash., has been topping the charts for over 30 years. Jack Frei’s timeless 7,285-yard design and continued upgrades make it a fan favorite. The Desert and Lakes nines made our Top 10 Best Public Courses in Washington list with an amazing 7th place ranking. Desert Canyon is a must stay and play for golfers seeking to harness the wind high above the Columbia River. Photo courtesy of Desert Canyon
ON THIS PAGE
Gold Mountain Golf Club’s Olympic Course in Bremerton, voted by our readers as the No. 3 Public Course in Washington, is one of the finest courses not just in the Northwest but in America. Gold Mountain Olympic has hosted many USGA events and ranks as the highest non links-like design course once again in our polling. Additionally, Gold Mountain’s Cascade Course made our Top 20 list in 2024. Photo courtesy of Gold Mountain
Enter to win some CG Swag and hit the links on us. Check out these great prizes we are awarding this issue. We love our readers – here’s a small way to say thank you!
• Apple Tree Resort Twosome • Page 10
• The Resort at Port Ludlow Twosome • Page 14 • Loomis Trail GC Twosome • Page 58
contests. Congratulations to these lucky winners from the June 2024 issue of Cascade Golfer magazine.
Country GC Foursome
PITCH
CASCADE GOLFER
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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.
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PUBLISHERS
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ART DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN
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COPYRIGHT 2024 Cascade Golfer. PRINTED IN THE USA. All rights reserved. Articles, photos, advertising and/ or graphics may not be reprinted without the written permission of the publisher. Advertising and editorial contained herein does not constitute endorsement of Cascade Golfer or Varsity Communications, Inc. Publisher reserves the right to edit letters, photos and copy submitted and publish only excerpts. The publisher has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all material contained in this issue. However, as unpredictable changes and errors do occur, the publisher can assume no liability for errors, omissions or changes.
All photos are courtesy of the course or individual unless otherwise noted.
PRODUCER AND OWNER OF THE
Hats off to these people, places and performances making golf memorable this summer in the Evergreen State DICK
As I write this column, we’re in the dog days of summer and it's hot and beautiful!
With seaside links, amazing forests, high desert layouts, routings through vineyards and parkland settings, we golf and live in paradise.
Given that, I want to thank and tip my fedora to a few people, places and performances that have highlighted the summer here on both sides of the 2024 Solstice.
Top 10 Public Courses in Washington — the votes are in!
This issue will surely be the most-widely read one of the year as we unveil the Top 10 (actually we go as deep as 20) favorite courses in our state.
My first kudos go out to the hundreds of golfers who cast their votes in June and July — this time via our new online balloting system that worked beautifully. There were thousands of category votes to count and this year we wanted to put some focus on the not just the overall winner, but regional winners, too.
My second kudos go to Chambers Bay, our repeat winner for Best Public Course 2024. This place just gets better with age thanks to the vast improvements, leadership and a timeless Robert Trent Jones Jr. design. I won’t spoil the fun — enjoy the results and surprises this issue.
Sahalee and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship glimmered for all to see
Enjoy our brief tournament coverage on page 6 and congratulations to South Korea’s Amy Yang who beat the best on a challenging course. Her seven-under-par result yielded one the biggest paydays on the LPGA Tour at $1.56 million — part of an overall $10.4 million purse.
The PGA of America put on a very polished event. It was our honor to play our part in getting the word out in the magazine and at the Seattle Golf Show.
Sahalee was immaculate with pristine conditions and perfect stadium setups. NBC’s broadcast was postcard pretty, and added to the club’s amazing history in hosting past Men’s and Women’s PGA Championships, the NEC World Golf Championship and the U.S. Senior Open.
Chambers Bay or Sahalee deserves another shot at a major soon.
Greg Bodine shines at the U.S. Open
He’s not only a great client and insider to this magazine and the Seattle Golf Show, but Greg Bodine has been a good friend to us over the years. The co-owner of Evergreen Golf Club with local football legend Jermaine Kearse, has made a name for himself as a longtime professional caddie on the PGA Tour. He really shot to prominence being Tony Finau’s bag man for several years.
Then, by introduction of mutual acquaintances not long ago, Bodine took a meeting at a Starbucks with PGA Tour top man turned LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau,
and DeChambeau at the U.S. Open.
who was looking for a compatriot to take his bag. One thing led to another, and the two just clicked. DeChambeau at the time was already an accomplished PGA Tour veteran and a newly minted main attraction with LIV — taking the big bucks as he went all in.
Before Bodine took his bag, The Scientist won a U.S. Open, a handful of Tour events here and in Europe, was part of winning Ryder Cup and Walker Cup teams and won the NCAA Championship and U.S. Amateur in the same year — a feat only done by Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
One could argue, he’d claimed a Captain America status already. But something was missing from his allure and balance in the last couple years and from my seat, it seems that Bodine was the elixir. He struck a balance with Bryson and became not just a great caddie but perhaps a life rudder to a steamship of an athlete that few could partner with — and guide.
To see Bodine get the USGA’s caddie medal on live international TV, hear DeChambeau sing his praises and then he himself give interviews on his recent ascension to the top of the pro golfing world really slammed an exclamation point on the statement that good things happen to great people. The Tacoma native is just that.
Kudos to you Greg for your belief in yourself and here’s to many more. And, by the way, enjoy Tony Dear’s Post Game viewpoints on Bryson in the back of this issue. Here’s to all of us — enjoy the end of summer, and AS ALWAYS, TAKE IT EASY!
Photo courtesy of Greg Bodine
Bodine
Yang notches first major at Sahalee
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both put
on
a
great show at KPMG Women’s PGA Championship SHORT GAME
As far as we could see, there were four clear winners at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee. The first, of course, was Amy Yang, the bucket hat-wearing, 34-year-old from South Korea who turned pro in 2006. Yang has now won nine times around the world with six victories on the LPGA Tour, but her win in Sammamish was her first major title after 75 starts and half a dozen top-five finishes in the biggest tournaments.
What a joy it was to watch her swing that weekend in late June. We’re sure she felt some nerves on Sunday and that her swing got a smidge quicker at some point on the back nine, but to the untrained eye, her sweet tempo appeared flawless throughout. Honestly, that move makes Fred Couples’ swing look hurried. It’s hard to see her ever hitting a poor shot.
That said, before arriving at Sahalee, Yang had endured an indifferent season with five missed cuts in 11 events and a high finish of T22 at the Tournament of Champions in January. Who knows what clicked at the KPMG, but whatever it was, Yang took home $1.56 million (93 percent of her 2024 winnings) and rose 20 places to fifth in the world rankings.
Also winning was ladies’ professional golf. The women’s pro game and LPGA Tour continues to grow here and around the world. And events like the KPMG only raises the profile even more.
The third and fourth winners were Seattle sports and Sahalee Country Club. We don’t get a lot of major championship golf here but when we do, it’s a very big deal. The economic impact from the KPMG will surely be significant and the area proved once again it can put on a fantastic show. As for Sahalee, it looked amazing in person and just as superb on NBC’s TV coverage. This will only add to the allure of golf in Seattle.
Champion • Amy Yang
Do you believe in miracles? Big Lake golfer posts a pair of aces in one round in a banner day at Avalon
A SHORT GAME
fter Steve Story made holes-in-one on the first two par-3 holes at Avalon Golf Links on a Friday afternoon in May, he still had one more par-3 on Avalon’s North Nine to go for three in a row.
Didn’t happen. He didn’t even hit the green on the par-3 8th.
Oh, well.
Let’s revisit, however, the first part of the lead sentence above, the part that says Story wrote “1” on his scorecard for No. 2 and again for No. 5.
Has that ever happened?
Certainly not for Story, whose first ace of the day was the first of his life.
“The first one was a total shock,” said Story, 70, of Big Lake near Mount Vernon. “I struggled around the next two holes. The last thing in my mind was I was gonna hit another one.”
Eric Ferrier, Avalon’s clubhouse manager and a PGA professional, has worked at Avalon for 30 years. He’s never seen anything like it. He said the odds against anyone collecting two holes-in-one in a single golf round are
estimated at 67 million-to-one.
“I’ve got to believe this is the first time this has happened,” Ferrier said.
Story is a retired architect who’s played golf for about 25 years. He only had time May 17 for nine holes when he teed off at 11:50 a.m. on the North Course, one of three niners on Avalon’s 27-hole property.
His playing partners were Avalon regulars Dan Stoner, Randy Geoghegan and Rick Whalen, who would become witnesses to history.
At No. 2, Story’s rangefinder read 125 yards to the pin. He chose 9-iron and hit a nice, high shot, he said. It bounced once and landed in the cup.
“We all saw that one,” he said.
It was not the case on the 5th, 178 yards to the cup, which was not visible behind a false front to the green. Again, Story struck it boldly, with a 4-iron this time. He watched his ball check up and trickle over the false front. It had a chance.
Geoghegan took a cart up to the green … gave a yell and put a thumb in the air when he saw the result.
When he got to No. 8, his hands were visibly shaking, he said. He didn’t hit a good shot. It never had a chance. “I screwed that one bad, mishit it,” he said. Oh, well.
Avalon No.5 South
Proof! Steve Story aced Avalon’s 2nd and 5th holes.
SHORT GAME
Two new, high-tech facilities open around the Sound in Bremerton and Sedro-Woolley
In the rainy winter or sweltering summer when the weather drives you indoors, you might as well play golf in air-conditioned comfort.
Over the past two years, Washington state has witnessed rapid growth in indoor golf simulator businesses. Two of those are new and ready to make their mark. We welcome Pin Seeker in Bremerton and Backspins in Sedro-Woolley.
PIN SEEKER
Pin Seeker Indoor Golf is playing a part in transforming the golf and leisure scene in Bremerton with its business model and innovative golf simulator technology.
Opened in January 2024, Pin Seeker — located a little north of downtown Bremerton at 5960 Highway 303 N.E. — has quickly become a favorite among local golfers seeking a high-tech, year-round golf environment.
Manager Theo Miller says Pin Seeker features Golfzon TwoVision simulators with golf courses including Pebble Beach, The Old Course of St. Andrews, Bay Hill, Kiawah Island and more, all within a climate-controlled facility.
The simulators offer realistic game play, Miller said, plus precise ball tracking and customizable settings for golfers of every skill level. Pin Seeker can be especially good for beginning golfers who can play in a more informal setting with fewer performance expectations, Miller says. Pin Seeker is also a rep and authorized club fitter for PXG golf clubs.
Hourly simulator rates are set at $65 during prime hours (after 4 p.m. weekdays and all-day weekends) and $55 during non-prime. The hourly rate is good for up to six golfers per bay. More details at pinseekerindoorgolf.com.
Punchcard packages start at $500 for 15 hours, discounted at $400/15 hours for PXG Heroes (retired or active military and first responders), plus a $350 rate for 12 hours for juniors (under 18) and seniors (65 and up).
The 19th Hole café area offers a Pour My Beer tap with locally made Rainy Daze and Seven Seas of Gig Harbor, plus two ciders, and a range of shareable food items, including pizza, wings, loaded tots and nachos created to be eaten while playing on the simulators.
BACKSPINS
Scheduled to open later in 2024, Backspins is an indoor golf destination and full-service restaurant ready to make a splash in the golf leisure arena in Sedro-Woolley.
Located at The Depot at West Sedro Station on Hodgin Street, Backspins will blend cutting-edge technology, community commitment and a passion for golf.
At the core of Backspins' offerings are Full Swing Golf's simulators, which offer the best technology available and a spectrum of games. Backspins’ guests will be able to play full rounds of golf or just practice, as well as play soccer, football, baseball and other sports.
Led by local golf and hospitality professional Josh Williams and longtime Skagit Valley restaurateur Billy Elms, Backspins is a homegrown organization that values community involvement, recreation and a dedication to economic development.
“Our partnership with Full Swing Golf ensures a premium experience for patrons, setting us apart as the first indoor golf facility in the area while providing a fun and safe social atmosphere for all of our patrons,” said Williams, who has spent more than 20 years leading golf operations at a variety of courses and studios in King, Skagit and Whatcom counties.
In the restaurant, Backspins will be serving a full menu of favorite pub fare designed by Elms, with beer on tap and signature cocktails available at the bar.
Memberships, group packages and hourly rates are available to ensure everyone can afford to check out the newest addition to the Sedro-Woolley community.
For more information, visitbackspins.com, check out the business on social media, or contact marketing@ backspins.com.
Enter to Win for an Apple Tree Resort Twosome
ell known for the apple-shaped green on No. 17, Yakima’s finest is great from start to finish. The entire layout snakes in and out of the orchards, showing off pristine conditioning and unique character. Enter to win for a twosome at CascadeGolfer.com. We are putting you and your best buddy on the first tee, just don’t forget your camera!
Pin Seeker Indoor Golf
Backspins
Backspins
Apple Tree Golf Resort • Yakima
Pin Seeker Indoor Golf
Here we are. The best stretch of weather us Northwesterners will get all year is upon us. We wait through the dark and rainy winter days dreaming of August golf with beautiful sunsets as we sneak in a few last holes before darkness takes back over.
As many of you have probably noticed, the price to do so has taken a big jump this year. Courses are as packed as ever and the cost to operate one has gone up as well. Green fees reflect all of this.
This is where the 2024 Northwest Golfers Playbook comes in, making sure you can still have a few coins in your pocket for the 19th hole.
Whether you want to play the who’s who of top 20 courses — such as Gamble Sands, Wine Valley, Suncadia, Apple Tree, White Horse, Port Ludlow, Loomis Trail, Avalon, The Home Course or your local favorites (too many to list), we’ve got your back.
Even after the weather heads south for the winter, don’t let your golf game follow. Plenty of indoor golf facilities are wanting you to come check them out, including Five Iron Golf on Capitol Hill, Kutting Edge Fitness in Redmond, Loft Golf out of Olympia, Back 9 Parlor in Lynnwood, Stadium Golf in Tacoma and Evergreen Golf Club in Redmond. All have an offer in the Playbook. Oh, and, of course, Puetz Golf. You get $10, as usual, with other offers included.
What type of offers are in the book? Well, you name it, it’s in there. You will find 2-for-1s, 4-for-3s, percentage discounts, free carts, lessons, range balls, twosome specials, foursome specials, simulator time specials, food and beverage offers, etc. All putting money back in your pocket so you can PLAY MORE GOLF.
With more than 120 pages of golf deals, you simply need to use a coupon or two and you’re already in the black. And now, we are offering the book for almost half off. Yes, you read that correctly — $20 off today!
You can purchase a book online for $44.95. However, use the code Savetwenty and save another $20! Put the book in your golf bag and count your savings for the rest of 2024. Maybe even open it up and head to a new track or indoor facility you have never played. Either way, pick one up at NWGolfersPlaybook.com and start saving today!
SHORT GAME
Golf gear, Mexico trip
still up for grabs at CG Cup events at White Horse and Oakbrook
Two prize packages featuring golf equipment and a golf trip to Mexico are still available to a fortunate twosome in this summer’s 15th Annual Cascade Golfer Cup competition.
Three events have already been held, with the Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse GC in Kingston the fourth on the list. It will be held Aug. 10 and played under the two-person shamble format. Both golfers tee off separately, then they take the best drive for their second shot. Each player will then use his/her own ball to finish the hole. The winning team is awarded a Mexico stay and play.
Finally, the summer CG Cup concludes with the fifth event Sept. 7 at Oakwood GC in Lakewood. This will be another two-player best ball. The winners receive PXG drivers.
Prizes will also be given to all teams finishing in the top 10 in the gross or net divisions at every event in the series. Season standings will will be used to crown a champion in both our gross and net divisions.
Each tournament, limited to 64 amateur two-player teams, will be a separate event.
The first competition was April 27 at Chambers Bay,
a two-person best ball Stableford format which included a grand prize of a Hawaiian Stay and Play package.
Salish Cliffs used a best ball format over the challenging 7,269-yard layout for the second event June 1. Both net/ gross teams received a 36-hole package at Bandon Dunes.
Then on June 29, the Michelob ULTRA took place at The Home Course GC. It was a two-person stroke play aggregate Stableford with a grand prize of a Central Oregon golf vacation.
It’s not too late. Get a partner and register by visiting CascadeGolfer.com/Cup or email simon@cascadegolfer.com.
CG CUP SCHEDULE – three events done and two remain
April 27, Season Opener at Chambers Bay: Two-person best ball Stableford. Prize: Hawaii stay-and-play package
June 29, Michelob ULTRA at The Home Course GC: Two-person stroke play aggregate Stableford.
Prize: Central Oregon Fifty-Four Winners: (Gross) Paul Carey/Alex Diaconou; (Net) Luke Hiatt/Jonathan McCallum.
Aug. 10, Puetz Golf Shootout at White Horse GC: Two-person scramble. Cost: $340. Tee times start at 11 a.m. Prize: Mexico stay-and-play package.
Sept. 7, The Fall Classic at Oakbrook GC: Two-person best ball. Cost: $300. Tee times start at 10:30 a.m. Prize: PXG drivers.
TPC Danzante Bay Golf Resort trip is up for grabs.
Wine & Nine SHORT GAME EXTRA
Delicato parlays portfolio and celebrity partnerships into a growing empire and builds a fanbase in the Northwest
ne way to measure the quality of Delicato Family Wines is knowing that they have been enjoyed by the imbibing public for 100 years. How many companies that started in 1924 are still even around?
That’s when Sicilian immigrant Gaspare Indelicato planted the first vineyard in Manteca, Calif. Today, his great-grandchildren, the fourth generation, perpetuate his wine-making tradition as the fifth largest winery in America.
Along the way, they’ve satisfied millions of discerning palettes.
Another way to measure is who stands behind the wine. The company’s board of directors features four Indelicato family members, there to safeguard their century-old reputation. Among others on the board are several former CEOs and prominent California winemakers Michael Mondavi and Francis Ford Coppola — the Academy Award-winning director (Godfather trilogy) and award-winning winemaker. Coppola’s brand was acquired three years ago by Delicato, and it is now among its best sellers.
“We’re not a little company. We have a pretty large portfolio,” said Amy Berry, Delicato’s sales manager for Washington/Northwest. “I would say 100-plus (different labels). We’re covered nationwide. We have wines for every occasion.”
Among those are golf occasions, as Berry can attest.
“I do focus a lot on golf courses, primarily because I love to golf,” she said. “I played Willows (Run in Redmond), and they had Coppola there, chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. I do a lot of country club banquets and 19th holes and Coppola does the best. I’ve seen golf carts on some courses that carry Bota Box minis.”
Bota Box is the winery’s top seller. Berry said, “it’s in every convenience store, everywhere.”
Berry is an accomplished golfer, loves the sport and is committed to growing the connection between wine and golf, as evidenced by Delicato’s display and showcasing at the 2024 Seattle Golf Show for thousands of attendees.
The other big seller is Black Stallion, which won the 2023 American Winery of the Year award, as selected by Wine Enthusiast.
Gaspare Indelicato might have been the wine-making genius in the vineyard, but his three sons and succeeding generations have been marketing mavens. By 1940, the company was producing about 15,000 gallons annually. Fifteen years later, production was up to 74,000 gallons, then jumping to 403,000 gallons by 1964 to more than 16 million cases per year today, putting the company among the top brands in the country. The company has vineyards and production facilities throughout Napa Valley.
Much of the growth this century has been through acquisitions, such as Coppola, and expansion to vineyards/ winemakers in Chile and Germany.
Also, in the Delicato fold is country singer Zac Brown, who created his own line, Z. Alexander Brown wines. He produces chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, cabs, pinots and red blends. Brown and fellow country artist Kenny Chesney combined their talents for a mega concert July 13 at Lumen Field in Seattle. Berry expected the Z. Alexander Brown brand to be flowing.
Berry also said that the Coppola brand has made inroads at Climate Pledge Arena as it is now served in the suites. She said Coppola’s more premium wine, Director’s Cut, part of Delicato's transcendent collection, is stepping up.
“We’re definitely gaining our share in the market, bars, restaurants,” Berry said. “We’re doing very well in grocery stores with Bota Box.”
Overall, however, for a Napa Valley wine to make inroads into the Northwest can be more deliberate. “There are challenges in Pacific Northwest because Washington makes some amazing wines.”
What matters is folks here have the option of a multitude of quality wines, either in-state or Napa/Sonoma, gratifying those gathering at all the 19th holes.
“People like a glass of wine after golf or setting up for dinner,” Berry added. “It’s great.”
Enter to Win for a Port Ludlow Twosome
ort Ludlow combines a great layout with fabulous course conditions, making it a mainstay in our Top 20 Washington Public Courses every year. Don’t believe us? See for yourself and enter to win for a twosome on us at CascadeGolfer.com. P
We’re always a little wary when grandma nominates her grandson/granddaughter for the Duke’s Junior Golf Scholarship. Is it a legitimate recommendation or would meemaw, gram, nana, etc. put forward her progeny regardless of how deserving they were, or even if they didn’t actually play golf (yes, it’s happened)?
Most of the time, granny can be trusted, though, and Puyallup’s Sig Ray was absolutely right about her granddaughter, Hannah Thill.
A junior at Rogers High School, Hannah has played on the girls’ golf team since she was a freshman. Coach David Johnston says no one outworks her, adding that she is humble and a tremendous role model for the younger players. Nicholas Pike, general manager at Lake Spanaway Golf Course, where Hannah cleans carts, picks the range, and does whatever else needs doing to keep the place looking its best, is also extremely impressed.
“She sets the standard for our outside services team,” he says. “Her positive attitude is infectious and motivates fellow team members to do their best. She’s a joy to work with and very deserving of the scholarship.”
Hannah has a 4.0 GPA and plays three musical instruments. She’s also a junior ski instructor, ac-
Photos courtesy of Emily Dymond
tive member of her church youth group, and an avid hiker. The Puyallup teen plays most of her golf at Lake Spanaway but also enjoys the odd round at Meadow Park in Tacoma. The best thing about golf, she says, is being able to spend fun time outside with her friends and family, adding that she loves meeting new people and getting paired up with golfers she’s not met before when playing as a single.
Like a lot of girls her age, Hannah names Nelly Korda as her favorite golfer and was extremely excited to learn she was coming to Washington to play in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“It is so inspiring to see how many victories she has,” Hannah says, “and to see how much she enjoys playing.”
The Duke’s Junior Golfer Scholarship is a $500 scholarship awarded three times this year in Cascade Golfer to a deserving young player from the Puget Sound region. If you know of an area youth that loves golf and has a desire to take their career to the next level, submit your letter of inquiry for scholarship consideration to both tonydear71@comcast.net and stephens@varsitycommunications.com — subject “Duke’s Scholar.”
TRAVEL THE NORTHWEST
Spotlight Spokane
The Kalispel Golf and Country Club offers an exceptional golfing experience, especially when paired with the luxurious amenities of Northern Quest Resort & Casino.
For avid golfers and casino travelers, this Spokane-area destination presents a blend of challenging golf, high-end accommodations, and a variety of dining options, making it a top choice for a memorable stayand-play experience.
Originally established in 1898, the Kalispel Golf Club is one of the oldest and most revered golf courses in the Pacific Northwest. The course was acquired by the Kalispel Tribe in 2015 and has since undergone significant enhancements to restore and preserve its history while incorporating modern amenities.
The 18-hole, par-72 course stretches to more than 6,600 yards, featuring manicured fairways and greens that meander through the Spokane River Valley. The combination of natural beauty and thoughtfully designed holes ensures a rewarding experience for golfers of all skill levels.
Among the many standout holes is the long par-4 4th at 466 yards, known for its partially hidden bunker on the right and a sunken green guarded by bunkers on left and right.
Another highlight is the par-5 16th hole, which features an elevated tee and a sharp dogleg right, with out-of-bounds running tee to green on the right.
No. 5, a 407-yard par 4, calls for 3-wood to lay up in front of a grass trough 260 yards off the tee. Or go bombs away, if you can, to clear the trough and shorten your approach.
The 413-yard, par-4 14th offers a chance for long hitters to grip and rip it. Stay along the right side for the best access to the green.
No. 7 is a fascinating par 3 at 194 yards. Aim clear of a greenside bunker left of the green and a hazard further left.
For those looking to improve their game, the club provides a state-of-the-art practice facility, complete with a
driving range, putting greens, and professional instruction.
The golf course and Northern Quest Resort & Casino offer stay-and-play packages tailored to meet the needs of golf enthusiasts.
The hotel Stay and Play Package, starting at $185 per person (based on double occupancy), includes a round of golf for two at Kalispel with GPS-enabled cart rental; a night’s stay in a luxury room at Northern Quest Resort & Casino or a luxury cottage at Northern Quest RV Resort; 10 percent off dining and $2 off drinks at both 1898 Public House and the members-only Kalispel Grill (both located at Kalispel Golf and Country Club); and up to 20 percent off golf shop purchases.
Northern Quest Resort & Casino boasts an impressive array of dining options, catering to a wide range of tastes and preferences. For a casual bite, guests can visit EPIC, a sports bar offering a lively atmosphere with giant screens, perfect for catching the latest game while enjoying classic American fare like burgers, wings, and craft beers.
For a more refined experience, Masselow’s Steakhouse stands out as the resort’s signature restaurant. Named after Chief Masselow, a revered leader of the Kalispel Tribe, this fine dining establishment specializes in premium steaks, fresh seafood, and an extensive wine list. The elegant ambiance and impeccable service make it a top choice in the Spokane region for a special evening.
The Kalispel Tribe, a federally recognized tribe, has a history dating back thousands of years in the Pacific Northwest. Traditionally known for their fishing, hunting, and gathering lifestyle, the Kalispel people have maintained a deep connection to the land and its natural resources.
In recent years, the tribe has made strides in economic development, including acquisition of the golf course and establishment of Northern Quest Resort & Casino. These ventures not only provide economic benefits but also serve to preserve and promote the tribe's cultural heritage.
Kalispel Golf and Country Club and Northern Quest
Kalispel G & CC and Northern Quest Resort & Casino is a top spot
Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Resort & Casino offer a premier destination for those who appreciate the finer things in life – exceptional golf, luxurious accommodations, and exquisite dining. Whether you’re an avid golfer looking for a challenging course or a casino enthusiast seeking a vibrant entertainment experience, this destination has something for everyone.
Kalispel Golf & Country Club
RISK vs. RE WARD
Foster Golf Links
Hole No. 15 Par 4 224 yards (Blue Tees)
Setup
Foster Golf Links, sometimes referred to in the local golf community as TPC Foster, is a fun loop filled with risk, yet even more reward. If your golf confidence has taken a hit, head to Foster; confidence awaits around every corner. Speaking of corner, No. 15 is only 224 yards, but wrapping your tee shot around the bend is what defines your decision on the tee. Most everyone can get there, but you have to move your ball significantly left to right to avoid the large cottonwood tree on the right and the three bunkers that protect the green. A straight ball will run through the fairway into the fir trees.
Final Call
By Simon Dubiel
Risk
This dogleg right (the tee box sits 40 yards right of the angle of the photo above) forces you to either layup or be willing to gamble. Anything pushed too far right will be caught in the tree 100 yards out and won’t make it around the corner. Hit one pure but straight … well, you’ll need to try to bump something on the ground back towards the green. The three bunkers in front of the green aren't going to destroy you, but don't expect to add any chips to your stack from there either. Sometimes nine iron and then 56 degree is the way to win a hand.
Reward
On a course with several short par fours, No. 15 is the shortest. If fact, you might not find a shorter par four in the state. It allows almost all golfers the chance to take a go at it, and we love that. Although you need some serious action on your ball flight, anything that ends up near the green gives you a real shot to put another circle on your scorecard. The peanut-shaped green is not too diabolical but does slope away from you and towards the river. This hole has been giving Seattle golfers risk-reward fits for decades and is common fodder at the course's 19th hole Billy Baroo’s.
“Maybe I will just hit nine iron?” ... “What?! Just wrap your 3 hybrid/wood around the corner.” That conversation occurs daily on this hole, with results ranging from going broke to hitting the jackpot. Like many holes at Foster, we love the aggressive approach. It is fun to make birdies. Now’s the time to open up the stance and splash the pot. As the great American philosopher Cosmo Kramer once said, “Giddy-up!"
PRESENTED BY
SPROPERTY
A Snoqualmie stalwart for the ages in the Cascade’s shadow
Mount Si weathers the storm with an enduring history and popularity since 1927
cott Barter has weathered the storms. Literally and figuratively.
For more than 30 years, Barter has been the general manager of Mount Si Golf Course, located in the Snoqualmie Valley, tight to the western Cascades most distinctive peak and namesake, Mt. Si.
It can be a challenge to operate a mountain course. Weather can change swiftly and dramatically, and rain can be unrelenting at times. But the course has kept pace over the years, identifying perennial soggy spots and putting down an extensive drainage system.
“We drain very well,” Barter said. “We’re a good year-round course.”
Barter has been there long enough to persevere amid the industry downturn early in the century and the most recent COVID turmoil. Now, coming out stronger after the pandemic, he says, “business is fantastic. The course is in great shape.”
This past winter, the course added a covered pavilion near the rear parking lot for golfers to enjoy a post-round adult drink and watch the travails of foursomes passing by.
Barter also notes that he gets plenty of positive feedback for the course’s unique double-sided range. Mats on one side and at the far other end, grass tees. Take your pick.
Here’s where Mount Si stands today, with Barter’s six-question perspective.
“It’s going to be No. 13 (par 4, 369 yards). Slight dogleg right, down the hill but very narrow. Trouble left and right. There are a couple hazards that come into play for the longer hitters, left and right as you come over the hill. You can lay back a little bit to give you more room but then you have a tough shot to a giant green with a lot of undulation.”
Best Birdie Opportunity
“Probably No. 2 (par 5, 540 yards). Slight dogleg left, very reachable. The hole plays a little shorter. A flat green that works away, but reachable in two even for the moderate handicap players. Good scoring opportunity for birdies.”
Best Par 3
“No. 11 (210 yards). Slew frontage on the left, creek on the right. Moderately long. The only real bailout would be short. From there, it’s an easy pitch, if you don’t get to the green because you have trouble left and right. It can play 200 yards so it’s a longer par 3. It demands accuracy.”
Favorite Hole
“I would call No. 6 (par 4, 366 yards) our signature hole because you are facing right at the mountain. It’s a very demanding short par 4. Your tee shot needs to be placed perfectly, very narrow, trouble with woods on the right. Green is well guarded by trees. And the views are just outstanding.”
Emergency Nine — front or back?
“I would definitely prefer the back. It just has a lot more character, undulations, tougher greens. It’s just a better diversity of holes. I think it’s a little tougher but a lot more scenic.”
Go-To Lunch Item on the Clubhouse Menu
“I’d probably go with the burger dip. It’s kind of set up like the French dip but with burger and au jus. It’s great burger meat that we use.”
IN THE BAG 1
PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use
BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR
Keep your summer simmering with these great new products
We’re well into the season now and you’re hopefully approaching top form assuming you haven’t reached it already. Barring one week in the middle of June, the weather has been mostly excellent with lots of comfortably warm, blue-sky days giving you plenty of opportunity to get out and fire at some pins.
We hope Rory McIlroy fans weren’t too disappointed with his closing-stretch strife at the U.S. Open, but rather we trust you were inspired by Bryson DeChambeau’s sensational closing par (yes, pars can be sensational) to go and play some winning golf of your own.
By the time this issue hits your inbox or mailbox, the Open Championship at Royal Troon may be underway and the Olympic Games golf competitions at Le Golf National in Paris will be fast approaching. U.S. players Xander Schauffele and Nelly Korda will be looking to repeat their performances of four years ago when both players earned a gold medal in Tokyo. Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark will also be going for gold, as will Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang. The men will be hoping to do a lot better than the U.S. Ryder Cup team did at the same venue in 2018 when it lost 17½-10½, though none of the four male Olympians were there so they won’t be harboring any bad memories.
Talking of memories, we hope you’re making plenty this summer by recording some stellar rounds, playing some great courses and, who knows, maybe even notching your first ace. You’ve had plenty of time to get your equipment in order, but you know that if anything needs renewing or upgrading, Puetz Golf will have what you need to keep your 2024 season humming. Something here for instance…
Vessel is a brand that seems to have quickly shot to prominence, but this is no overnight success story. The Carlsbad-based company was founded 10 years ago by Ronnie Shaw whose father, David, had created Taiwan’s first golf bag factory (Zonson) in 1981. While Zonson made bags for large OEMs such as Nike and was primarily about volume, Vessel began (and still is) as a boutique brand offering premium quality and superior customer service and customizing a few bags a week for Tour players. Zonson still operates but, as Vessel’s reputation has grown, the Shaws have focused more of their energy on raising its profile. It now makes a range of top-quality cart and stand bags as well as luxury lifestyle bags and accessories (it also produces tennis bags and backpacks). There are three cart bags in Vessel’s lineup, which includes the superb Lux XV 2.0, whose list of features seems endless. Made with Tour-grade synthetic leather, it has a 15-way, velour-lined, full-length club divider, three grab handles, forward-facing storage, straps that hold it securely to the cart, an anti-microbial-lined personals pocket, an upper magnetic pocket, interior lock pocket, genuine leather touchpoints, and so much more. It is, in short, everything you want from a cart bag and was obviously made by people who understand what cart bag-users need. The same can be said for the company’s excellent stand bags of which the Player IV ($394.99), VLS Lux ($384.99), and VLX 2.0 ($354.99) are perhaps the standouts.
PUETZ GOLF PRICE
$454.99
OGIO was founded in 1987 when Michael J. Pratt created a popular sports locker tote bag called the Travel Cube. In keeping with its name, which is an acronym for “Our Gear Is Organized”, OGIO built a reputation for adding features to golf bags that made them significantly more streamlined and easier to use. The company was bought by Callaway Golf for around $75 million seven years ago but has continued to produce a solid range of golf bags and accessories in addition to travel bags, golf travel bags, backpacks, duffels and pickleball bags. Among its highly acclaimed golf bags for 2024 is the Woode Hybrid Stand Bag, made with 300D Double Ripstop Polyester and which features a molded, eight-way club divider designed to always keep your irons and headcovers separate and highly visible. It also benefits from innovative Drop Top Technology, which mounts the legs lower down the bag to assist when using a push/pull trolley/cart. There are nine front-facing pockets which include a Rapid Access Snap Ball Pocket, and a Rapid Access Snap fleece-lined valuables pocket. The space for your water bottle features a drainage port, and the Foam-Molded double shoulder strap has a Fit Disc self-balancing strap system. A “ball silo” gives you instant access to three balls, there’s a Velcro glove patch, towel loop, pen holder, umbrella holder, the rain cover is included, and the ball pocket can be personalized. Available in seven colorways – Grey, Black Sport, Navy Sport, Agave Ahora, Tiger Swirl, Aloha and Graffiti Kaleidoscope.
The Japanese brand (its stablemates are Srixon and Cleveland Golf) is an industry leader for lightweight clubs aimed at moderate swing speed (slower than 90 mph) golfers. The components in the XXIO 13 driver, for instance, allow it to weigh in at just 286 grams. Despite not being terribly cheap, XXIO clubs are popular among seasoned golfers who are gradually losing their swing speed, especially when grouped together in complete sets which saves the consumer a little cash at least. XXIO has a special relationship with Puetz Golf which enables it to offer the women’s, 11-piece XXIO 13 complete set, consisting of an 11.5-degree driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 5-hybrid, 6-iron to PW, AW, and SW, at an attractively-discounted price — $500 off with a bag when compared with buying clubs individually. XXIO 13 was launched at the start of this year and features several technologies that help you hit your drives long and straight including a new airfoil design on the heel side of the crown, which makes the most of aerodynamic forces to generate greater clubhead speed. The Cannon Sole and Step Crown in the fairway woods and hybrids, together with the other technologies found in the driver, help you hit impressive shots of around 200 yards from the fairway, and the four-piece construction irons and progressive variable face thickness help you hit your irons long and high and land them softly, hopefully close to the hole. Puetz Golf also offers the Prime 11 complete set at a very attractive price.
TAYLORMADE Spider Tour X L-Neck 4
he Spider Tour series of putters was announced last September and is made up of the standard Spider Tour, the Spider Tour X, Spider Tour Z, Spider Tour V, and Spider Tour S. Rory McIlroy has had much success with the Spider X shape and now uses the Spider Tour X, as does Scottie Scheffler who switched from a blade to a mallet for the first time at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in August 2023. Scheffler’s debut mallet was a prototype, however — the Spider Tour X SS Proto — which lasted until the Tour Championship. There was much he’d liked about it, however, and after a few tweaks (PURE ROLL insert with grooves slanted at 45 degrees for optimal roll, instead of the milled face, and back weights as opposed to front weights), the mallet was back at Bay Hill in March. Scheffler won that tournament by five shots, and has since claimed the Masters, Players Championship, RBC Heritage and Memorial. His putter is the same Spider Tour X that McIlroy uses but, instead of McIlroy’s short slant neck model, Scheffler’s has an L-Neck similar to that on his old blade putter. This hosel gives him a familiar visual and creates 30 degrees of toe-hang (good for strokes with an arc). It has a Moment of Inertia (MOI) of 5,000 making it very stable, and the True Path alignment system which Scheffler says helps him line up easily. The Hybrar Echo Damper is positioned behind the face to help remove unwanted vibrations.
IN THE BAG
PUETZ GOLF PRICE
$179.99
aylorMade’s vaunted Milled Grind series of wedges continues to impress with the fourth generation featuring laser-etched Spin Tread and a raw, unfinished face which is made from 8620 Carbon Steel for a soft feel at impact. It rusts over time, and creates more spin around the greens, particularly in wet conditions with the grooves acting much like a tire tread, redirecting water at impact and generating more friction. The shape of the MG4 is slightly different from previous models, offering more refinement and a slightly different distribution of mass, creating a different feel. TaylorMade’s staff players contributed input on details such as the shape and weight of the hosel, the amount of offset, and the straightness of the leading edge. Though noticeably rounder and smoother looking with a compact appearance, the MG4 has a slightly bigger footprint than the MG3. The new black finish minimizes glare from the sun and blends seamlessly with the raw face to give a sleek and sophisticated look. The black model is available in six different degree options — 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 with between nine and 12 degrees of bounce (less bounce for tight lies and firm, dense sand; more for soft, lush lies and fluffy sand). The MG4 comes fitted with a stiff, 115-gram True Temper Dynamic Gold Wedge Shaft that is designed to launch the ball on a flattish trajectory and prevent it from ballooning. The club’s milled sole maximizes consistency and optimizes club-turf interaction. The grip is the Lamkin Crossline 360 Black/Silver/Green.
PUETZ GOLF PRICE
$1,499.99 4-PW, Limited Edition
his club celebrates TaylorMade’s logo from the 1980s, but it isn’t so much about a logo as it is the gorgeous copper plating that gives it its distinguished look. You almost feel bad for hitting something so gorgeous and think it should be hanging in a museum. Looks aside though, the P790 is today’s best-selling players-distance iron largely because of how it performs. It features TaylorMade’s thick-thin back wall construction which takes weight away from the back wall where it isn’t very important and strategically redistributes it to other areas of the club to enhance performance. Each iron is uniquely designed using Artificial Intelligence, in fact, to position every gram carefully and achieve specific performance goals. The mass removed from the back wall is replaced by carefully-located tungsten weights that alter the position of each club’s Center of Gravity (CG) — lowest in the long irons to help you get the ball in the air and rising as the club gets progressively shorter to help generate a flatter, more controlled trajectory. TaylorMade calls this positioning of the Center of Gravity “FLTD CG.” The 4140 forged high-speed face is just 1.56 millimeters thick at its thinnest location which, combined with a hollow head, allows the face to flex and generate terrific ball speeds. The hollow body, meanwhile, is filled with TaylorMade’s proprietary SpeedFoam to create a soft feel, minimize vibration and enhance the sound of impact. All that tech is nice and all, but who cares about tech when you look this good.
PUETZ GOLF PRICE $189.99 $199.99
Danish shoe and leather goods company ECCO was born in 1963 but didn’t make its first golf shoe until 1996 when founder Karl Toosbuy and son-in-law, former ECCO CEO Dieter Kasprzak, quickly became hooked and decided to expand the company into golf. They hired Denmark’s young, rising star, Thomas Bjorn, as ECCO Golf’s first brand ambassador and sales grew steadily until 2010 when they skyrocketed following that year’s Masters. Fred Couples had become ECCO Golf’s first ambassador in the U.S. and played at Augusta National in the ECCO Golf Street, the game’s first hybrid golf/athletic/street shoe. “ECCO started the hybrid revolution,” says Couples. “At the 2010 Masters, I shot a first round 66 which gave me the lead, but all anyone wanted to talk about was my shoes.” ECCO Golf has since developed dozens of highly-regarded golf shoes including a couple of its current models — the LT1 and BIOM Tour. The exceptionally-comfortable LT1 features an advanced bounce and rebound foam, called ECCO LYTR, which is embedded in the sole using FluidForm technology — ECCO’s way of maintaining the anatomical integrity of the foot. Leather uppers, a waterproof membrane, and Ortholite insole add to the LT1’s appeal. The BIOM Tour is another beautiful, performance shoe aimed at providing comfort, stability and traction. The leather uppers and BIOM Natural Motion Technology, with soft/light PHORENE in the mid-sole, combine to provide the comfort and allow natural, efficient movement of the foot while the Pivix spikes (by SoftSpikes) and molded grooves ensure you remain upright.
Air Pegasus ’89 G, FREE Golf NN & Air Max ’86 OG 8
Like other manufacturers, Nike has been on something of a retro trip recently. The Beaverton, Ore., company says the Air Pegasus ’89 G “melds the vintage vibes of yesteryear with our game-breaking golf technology for an everlasting look on the links.” Synthetic leather overlays combined with stretch skin and mesh keep your feet dry (one-year guarantee) and wet rubber traction is designed to give you “multidirectional bite” on sketchy terrain. There’s two soft, yet supportive, foams in the mid-sole and hidden Zoom Air in the heel adds to the comfort level. Available in seven colorways. The Free Golf NN is a blast from the past, too, and uses some of Nike’s best running-footwear technology. The low-profile shoe also includes design elements from the Tiger Woods ’13 with Brio cables piped into the upper to secure it to the outsole and provide strength and support without adding bulky materials. The Free Golf NN also has a tough plastic clip placed around the heel to improve stability. Available in three colorways. The Air Max 1 ’86 OG is, likewise, modeled on a legendary Nike shoe with design details inspired by the Air Max 1 released in 1986, including the debossed “Nike Air” logo on the heel. It features the four-window design that lets you see the Max Air and optimal cushioning in the mid-sole and comes with an updated traction pattern that gives you good grip in the wet. It comes with a one-year waterproof guarantee and is available in six colorways. With Nike being a Northwest company, these models will fly off the shelf so act fast.
ravis Mathew set out in 2007 to make golf cool, at least cooler than what it was. Based in Huntington Beach, Calif., the company shipped its first orders in 2008 and, the following year, recorded its first PGA Tour victory when Geoff Ogilvy won the Sony Open in Hawaii. In 2012, Bubba Watson won the Masters wearing Travis Mathew and, in 2017, it was purchased by Callaway for $125 million. Jon Rahm then won the 2021 U.S. Open in Travis Mathew and, in 2023, the company’s second Masters. Other PGA Tour winners include Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns and Joel Dahmen. Travis Mathew offered its first golf shoe under its sub-brand Cuater in 2020. There were two models – the Moneymaker and Ringer which not surprisingly were the last word in cool and comfort. Four years on, the brand still offers two models – the Ringer 2 and Daily Pro Hybrid, a spikeless model that is essentially the Moneymaker 2 but with a more sporty, sophisticated name. The waterproof Ringer 2 is the company’s premium model and features what Travis Mathew calls “Sweetspot Cushioning” with multiple layers of soft support. An air-mesh lining keeps it breathable and seven Tour Flex Pro spikes (by SoftSpikes) on each shoe help keep you stable. The Daily Pro Hybrid also features Sweetspot Cushioning and is perfect for summer golf. It’s a shoe you’d be happy wearing on the course or at the bar. A crisscross design of plastic nubs and ridges on the sole provides traction. Travis Mathew just keeps pushing the coolness and tech envelope — we can't wait to see what's next.
The modern rangefinder is generally so good, it’s tough to make them much better. Garmin seems able to do it every time it releases something new, however, and its new Z30 Rangefinder pushes the envelope that little bit further. An attractively priced unit, it does all the stuff you’d expect from a quality rangefinder but has four new features not previously seen on a Garmin rangefinder. Pair it with a compatible Garmin smartwatch or handheld or the Garmin Golf smartphone app and you’ll see more through the viewfinder, including distance from the pin to the front and back of the green. The PlaysLike Distance feature lets you adjust the yardage for uphill or downhill shots based on the change in elevation from where you’re standing. You get even more with the latest enhancements to PlaysLike Distance when you pair it with a compatible device that includes this feature. This enhanced feature factors in air pressure, temperature, wind and humidity — a combination known as ‘air density’. Lastly, there’s now a magnetic cart mount. Though not as feature-packed as the $600 Z82, released in April, the Z30 still gives you 6x magnification, Tournament Mode with an external indicator light, vibrational feedback, the Find My Garmin feature, and an IPX7 water-resistance rating. The Z30 is accurate to plus or minus one yard up to 400 yards, and the battery should be good for a year. The Z30 weighs 210 grams and comes with: carry case, carabiner clip, hand strap, wipe cloth, and CR2 battery.
Air Max '86 OG FREE Golf NN
Daily Pro Hybrid
Mixology Master John Crallie
John Crallie was bored in retirement. He’d spent many years — “more years than I’d care to mention” — as an executive chef in multiple locations in the Marriott Hotels corporation.
In his boredom, the 73-year-old kept an eye on his Indeed job-finder account … and what should pop up but a listing for a food and beverage manager at Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club in Federal Way.
As it happens, he was already living in the Twin Lakes community, so what better fit for this veteran of the industry? Now, two and a half years later, he oversees the greenside lounge and restaurant in the clubhouse at Twin Lakes G & CC.
In that capacity, he creates the Friday night special menu, which includes several dinner specials, a wine special and a cocktail special.
19TH HOLE
Late Summer Cocktail with a Kick
The
Irish Mule
is the perfect après golf toast to your round
BY BART POTTER • CG STAFF WRITER
This premium whiskey – and a copper mug – provides punch and panache
With the cocktail special, Crallie tries to introduce Friday night patrons to brands and concoctions that might deviate from their usual bar order.
“If they like it, they can add it to their repertoire of drinks,” he says. “It’s a bit of an adventure for them.”
Most drinkers know of the Moscow Mule, a vodka and ginger beer cocktail laced with fresh lime juice, served in a distinctive copper mug.
The Mule can have as many variations as there are spirit brands compatible with ginger beer and lime. Crallie leans toward Tullamore Dew, a premium Irish whiskey distributed worldwide by William Grant and Sons.
The cocktail, in its Irish iteration, is a frequent entry on the lounge’s Friday night special menu and is widely enjoyed by customers.
Why Tullamore?
“It has a distinct flavor that sets it apart from just any whiskey,” Crallie says.
At Twin Lakes, on any given Friday night, it could be Tully Time.
At Home Bar Mixology
The Tullamore Irish Mule
By John Crallie • Food & Beverage Manager Twin Lakes G & CC • Federal Way
INGREDIENTS
• 2 oz. Tullamore Dew
• 6 oz. ginger beer
• Juice of half a lime (1 oz.)
• Lime slices for garnish
• Mint sprig for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Consider mixology for a single cocktail or batched for a larger vessel. Measure carefully and properly for mix and taste. Pour and mix ingredients — stir or gently shake with tools and vessels available. Serve over ice in a copper mule mug.
Thanks to our loyal readers, we present to you the public’s view of the top places to play — recognizing not 10 but 20 amazing courses with Chambers Bay retaining its No. 1 ranking
Two years ago, in the introduction to the Top 10 Public Courses in Washington feature, we stated that with the gap between fifth-placed Salish Cliffs and the course in sixth position — Palouse Ridge — “widening significantly”, the top-five (Chambers Bay, Gamble Sands, Gold Mountain Olympic, Wine Valley, Salish Cliffs) was becoming “ever more solid”.
There’s some exciting changes in this year’s results and it's possible that with more votes and our new system for casting your ballot, we saw increased opportunity for courses moving up and down the rankings.
This time, we’ll just say the top-three is looking strong, because there’s been a bit of a shake-up. Wine Valley is still in the top-five but has dropped a spot, but in fourth place now is…drum roll…The Home Course.
The Michael Asmundson design which opened in DuPont in 2007 surprised us by overtaking not only Wine Valley but also Salish Cliffs and Palouse Ridge. To be honest, we didn’t see that coming but now that we’ve tallied everything up, we’re not surprised.
Factors? The cool Performance Center opened a couple of years ago, but that has no bearing on the course itself. Perhaps voters had a good experience in the new facility and decided to rate the course higher as a result. Positive association and all that. Whatever it
BY TONY DEAR & BOB SHERWIN •
was, The Home Course is in at No. 4, and it’s not as if it very marginally beat Wine Valley as 250 points separate the two.
The Home Course was ranked second-best public course in the state in Golfweek’s highly respected rankings the year it opened and, though it has since slipped outside its top 10, it’s important to note five of the courses in its current list weren’t even open in 2007. In Cascade Golfer, it’s never been outside the top 10, finishing seventh, ninth, seventh, sixth and eighth (respectively) in the five previous iterations of our polling. So, we know it’s good.
Elsewhere, Desert Canyon’s own four-spot jump into seventh is less surprising. The Orondo beauty enjoys such a magnificent location overlooking the Columbia River and has so many exciting holes we’re a little surprised every time it finishes outside the top 10 which it did in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
Another welcomed surprise is the return of Washington National, not so much because of the fact it’s in the top 10 after nine years on the outside, but rather how far it climbed. In 2022, the now 24-year-old John Fought design fell to its lowest ever position of 17th, meaning a rise of seven places this year. That’s the biggest jump we’ve seen inside the top 20 since the contest began.
Covington’s Druids Glen was another big riser, mov-
ing from 19th to 15th. Avalon is back in the top 20 for the first time since 2015, and Rope Rider at Suncadia is surely now where it belongs having risen 10 places from 26th in 2022 to 16th this time.
That’s a little more volatility that we’ve seen in recent years though that probably has as much to do with the new voting system as it does any of the courses.
And we’re certainly expecting there to be changes at the top the next time we run the contest in 2026 as David McLay-Kidd’s second 18 at Gamble Sands will have been open for a year.
As we’ve said before in these pages, the terrain over which the second course has been laid is possibly even more thrilling that that of the original course. We’re confident the new course could crack the top 10 in our polling — perhaps even higher — in two years when we roll this out again, but that all depends on the readers and their experience at the new Gamble Sands DMK beauty. Washington state is fortunate to have some exciting prospects like this waiting in the wings to join and measure up with the Sands course already there in Brewster and the stiff competition that is represented here in this issue.
For now though, let’s enjoy the 2024 results. Chambers Bay still reigns supreme with the usual suspects all present and correct. A hearty thanks to all who voted and shared your views.
FOR CASCADE GOLFER
e debuted an entirely new voting system this year with readers filling in their lists online rather than emailing them to the editor, or even communicating their preferences over the phone.
Given the simplicity and efficiency of the new voting system, it’s probably not surprising we counted more votes this year than in previous years.
We’re confident it’s the best way to proceed and, as more and more readers discover how quick and easy it is to vote, we’re sure we’ll count everincreasing numbers of votes in future contests.
A course topping a voter’s list received 10 points, nine for second, and so on. Thirty-six courses were voted No. 1 by at least one reader with Chambers Bay being the top course on 35 percent of voters’ lists. Gamble Sands was second at 21 percent, followed by Wine Valley (eight percent) and the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain (six percent).
Course (Voting Points) Total
1. Chambers Bay 2,493
2. Gamble Sands 2,114
Chambers Bay University Place 1
For years, inside those Chambers Bay shuttle vans that take golfers from the high-on-the hill clubhouse down 500 feet or so to the driving range, drivers put up world maps and used pins to keep track of visitors’ home cities and countries. It's difficult to find open space anymore. Golfers far and wide, from just about every burg on Earth, have played here.
7. Desert Canyon 963
8. Palouse Ridge 954
9. Suncadia Resort (Prospector) 863
10. Washington National 861
EDITOR'S NOTE: See rankings 11-20 on page 42.
Over 70 other courses received at least one vote here they are in order: Apple Tree, Trophy Lake, White Horse, Port Ludlow, Druids Glen, Suncadia Rope Rider, Bear Mountain, Gold Mountain Cascade, Avalon, Loomis Trail, Cedar at Dungeness, Indian Canyon, Indian Summer, Newcastle (Coal Creek), McCormick Woods, Harbour Pointe, Bellevue Municipal, Auburn, Creek at Qualchan, West Seattle, Echo Falls, Alderbrook, Newcastle (China Creek), Eagle’s Pride, Links at Moses Pointe, Mount Si, Hawks Prairie (Woodlands), Lake Chelan, North Bellingham, Willows Run (Eagle’s Talon), Classic, Canyon Lakes, Hawks Prairie (Links), Snohomish, Highlander, Battle Creek, Legion Memorial, Latah Creek, Snoqualmie Falls, Meadow Park, Jackson Park, Desert Aire, Camaloch, Cedarcrest, Sudden Valley, Oakbrook, High Cedars, Redmond Ridge, Columbia Point, Jefferson Park, Foster, Riverbend, Walter Hall, Nile, Tumwater Valley, Willows Run (Coyote Creek), Capitol City, Shuksan, Gleneagle, Downriver, North Shore, Camas Meadows, Horn Rapids, Gallery, Riverside, Sun Country, Lakeland Village, Sun Willows, Swinomish, Ocean Shores
They have sought out the 17-year-old University Place links course, no doubt, because they wanted to play on the renowned layout that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open (won by Jordan Spieth) and 2010 U.S. Amateur. Most importantly, they have come because the Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout is rated among the best courses in the world. So, it’s no wonder that Chambers Bay is ranked by Cascade Golfer as the best in the state. For the first dozen years, however, it wasn’t so heralded. It wasn’t until April 2019 that it was given a fateful invigoration. The decision was made to strip out all the fescue grass greens — which can be inconsistent and stressed out under constant wear — to more durable and reliable poa annua grass. The result has been dramatic. The greens are receptive, consistent and true. The poa retrofit was the answer.
Chambers is now held in high regard again from folks around here, as well those willing to travel across the globe to play the virtual treeless course (one tree) in the Evergreen State. The question now is whether it’s enough for the course to host another major, men’s or women’s. Whatever happens in the future, we benefit by having it in our backyard.
Gamble Sands Brewster 2
Every year, it’s a raging debate here over who’s No. 1. Since Gamble Sands opened, going on a decade now, it has swapped places with Chambers as the best course in the state. The 10-year-old Gamble Sands links course, set amid Okanogan County apple orchards on a scenic bluff above the Columbia River (10 miles east of Brewster), has slipped back to No. 2.
CENTRAL WASHINGTON REGION
However, there is one category in which Gamble is unrivaled. It continues to make its case as the best golf complex in the state by a country mile. Since Cass Gebbers — the apple magnet who employs more than 100,000 people in the Okanogan Valley — authorized Bandon Dunes’ famous architect David McLay-Kidd to build Gamble Sands in 2014, the building and the planning haven’t stopped. In 2017, the 37-room Inn at Gamble Sands was completed, along with the adjacent 100,000-square-foot Cascade Putting Course. The 14-hole, par-3 course Quicksands (also designed by Kidd) opened in 2020.
This past March, The Barn — a new rural restaurant featuring craft beers and craft pizza — was opened on the grounds. Currently under construction, and slated to open in 2025, is a second 18-hole course along with some additional lodging. None of this would have been possible without the laudatory response to the original Gamble Sands course, which was selected by Golf Digest as the best new course in America at the time. The debate over who's No. 1 will continue.
3
Gold Mountain Olympic Bremerton
It’s a tribute to Gold Mountain Golf Club’s Olympic course, one of two lush and forested 18-hole beauties among the Bremerton pines (the other is Cascade — 18th on our list), that the course record is still 65. It has been around for nearly 30 years now. Plenty of shots at it.
It has hosted the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links, NCAA men’s regionals in 2008 and 2015, the Husky Invitational and the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur (won by Jordan Spieth, who was 17 at the time). Yet, the best they could do is 65. It can’t be tamed. It’s also a tribute to the course designer, the late John Harbottle. He made it playable, enjoyable and diabolical. Harbottle, who has another course here in the top 10 (No. 8 Palouse Ridge), is a Northwest son who created a quintessential Northwest course.
While the top two courses on our list have a combined number of trees that can be counted on one hand, Olympic has just shy of perhaps a billion. The green fairway ribbons are brackets in woodsy corridors. It’s always well maintained, like a walk — sometimes a hilly hike — through a lush park. It’s no wonder it’s a Northwest treasure and a consistent top five finalist.
4 The Home Course DuPont
Something has happened to The Home Course. Did the golfing public just suddenly discover it 16 years after it opened? The DuPont, Wash., course, just a few miles off I-5, has shot up the Cascade Golfer’s best course list in the readers’ poll. It is now at its highest level ever, passing perennial reader favorites Wine Valley and Salish Cliffs, among others.
It was ranked ninth last year. For a course that is always in the shadows of the more illustrious Chambers Bay (they both opened within weeks of each other in 2007), The Home Course finally might be standing on its own merits. Folks have a better appreciation of the 7,420-yard layout, its architectural nuances and the history of this special piece of land. The land dates to the Salish People, 1,000 years ago or more, then the Hudson’s Bay Co. had a trading post here — when virtually nothing else was around (there is evidence that a six-hole golf circuit was outlined around the post). Then it was owned by E.I. du Pont de Nemours Co., which made explosives to clear stumps and debris to cultivate the land, and finally Weyerhaeuser before golf made its mark on the gentle, hilly terrain.
It could be that the readers understand this is their course, for and by the people. It is owned cooperatively by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and Washington Golf. It’s our course and we’re No. 4. Also playing a role in its popularity, green fees are just $58 at peak times (for association members), cheapest on our list.
Wine Valley
Walla Walla
One day, an enterprising promoter will figure it out — the Dan Hixson Golf Trail. Hixson, the innovative Northwest golf course architect, is building a creative resume, with more to come as his reputation grows.
His anchor masterpiece is Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, No. 5 in our poll. The course, which opened in 2009, is a links-like design amid the rolling fescue hills.
It’s like Scotland, but with better wines. This is probably the most remote course in the rankings, on the state’s southern borderline, yet it continues to hold a steady spot despite fewer tee times than so many others on the list. The first four courses and seven of the top 10 are all on the west side of the mountains.
Hixson’s courses, mostly in Washington and Oregon, are long drives (by car, not driver.) It could be the reason why he is perhaps lesser known. He designed Bandon Crossings, which continues to hold up well against the heralded courses at the nearby Bandon Dunes complex in southwest Oregon. Another one of his designs is the brilliant Silvies Ranch complex and the two 18-hole courses there. Silvies, one of two reverse courses in the country, is in way-out rural and remote Burns, Ore. It needs to be played to be appreciated. You must figure far fewer golfers have played Wine Valley than the west-of-the-mountain layouts, but they are passionate and unified in their regard to give Wine Valley a top five ranking.
Two years ago, we decided to drop the expert tag, thinking it a bit presumptuous. Club professionals and assistant pros often comment on how little golf they play compared with how much they did before joining the golf industry and, after several years of working with people employed in golf, we realized that’s probably true of most people in the business, be they general managers, superintendents, food and beverage professionals, retailers, marketers, instructors, coaches, etc.
That doesn’t make the people who do work in golf any less expert than they once were perhaps, but we thought a reader playing 100 rounds or thereabouts every year might know more about Washington’s public courses than a clubhouse restaurant server, for instance, who got out now and again. Not all readers know or understand what makes Chambers Bay or Gamble Sands so good (and they most assuredly are), but a lot do. So, we changed Experts to Colleagues and, as in previous years, asked a few dozen for their lists.
And, as it did in 2022, Gamble Sands came out on top, with the gap between it and Chambers Bay even wider this time than it was two years ago. We’re not sure why the David McLay-Kidd design is so much more popular with industry folk than Chambers Bay, but it’s definitely a thing because it’s won this category every time we’ve published this list and the difference in points won between the two is growing. Well over half of the lists submitted by industry colleagues this year had Gamble Sands at No. 1, in fact. The list of courses in the top 10 is very slightly different than it was in 2022 with the order changing some and Port Ludlow replacing The Home Course in 10th spot. Yes, that seems strange — while The Home Course rose to an all-time high of No. 4 in the main poll, it dropped to 11th among people employed at a company somehow involved with golf. One thing we ask industry people to be wary of, is that all we’re really interested in is the quality of the course rather than the whole experience — value, food quality, hospitality and services, which could affect the outcome.
Other courses receiving double-digit totals: Suncadia Resort (Prospector), Indian Canyon, Washington National, Desert Canyon, White Horse, Loomis Trail, The Home Course, Bear Mountain Ranch, Kalispel, West Seattle, Apple Tree, Avalon, North Bellingham and The Creek at Qualchan
EDITOR'S NOTE: Thank you to all the Northwest golf media, pros, GMs, club personnel, grounds experts and influencers who voted.
Photo by Rob Perry / robperry.com
Photo by Rob Perry / robperry.com
Best By Region
Looking for ideas on where to play during a road trip, or weekend away with the guys, gals, significant other, or family? Our regional polling results should give you plenty to chew on.
6 Salish Cliffs Shelton
We should all have such an amenity. That’s what the Squaxin Island Tribe elders termed the Salish Cliffs Golf Course when it opened in 2011. An amenity, something that brings “comfort, convenience or enjoyment” to folks who might benefit from something else. In this case, something else is the tribe’s nearby Little Creek Casino.
White Horse 5. Port Ludlow
6. Gold Mountain (Cascade)
7. Cedars at Dungeness
8. McCormick Woods
9. Alderbrook 10. Ocean Shores
Chips may be about the only thing in common between golf and gambling, but their somewhat symbiotic relationship has worked. Salish Cliffs debuted as one of the best new courses in the country. Subsequently, the casino also has seen a lot more Titleist hats and golf bags in the check-in lines over the past 13 years. It wouldn’t have happened if the tribe hadn’t put so much money, effort and heart into its creation. It’s a 7,269-yard test of golf and a model for natural harmony. The tribe made sure the course adhered to responsible environmental standards, respecting their ancient lands. The course showcases the natural elements, as virtually every hole is surrounded by lush forests. It also is a certified salmon-safe course.
It’s a long course but adaptable to all skill levels, with five tee boxes. The par-3, 161-yard 17th hole is one of those holes you might want to play again and again. You tee off from a panoramic elevated tee, 80 feet above the valley, trouble right, left and back. It's a grand way to close out your round and it keeps you coming back. Just a short distance away, you can unwind after your round with a casino amenity.
7
7 Desert Canyon
Orondo
What an opening hole! It’s totally distracting. How can you concentrate on your swing coming down Desert Canyon’s first fairway when, just beyond the first hole and across the Columbia River, is that towering and magnificent granite wall on the other side of the river. Breathtaking doesn’t do it justice. Sure, there are probably other opening holes around the nation as spectacular. We know of one, this one.
Northwest architect Jack Frei (and Rick Fehr), who has designed such courses as Bear Creek, Wing Point, Echo Falls and McCormick Woods, knew exactly what to feature in his design — that distinctive wall. Many holes face it and it’s in sight for all the first nine holes. The 10th hole, which runs parallel to the first, gives you the same awesome sightline as you descend the 515-yard par-5. Then the course swings back to more prairie terrain, the desert side. That rocky backdrop only goes so far.
Golfers return to the Canyon — and have voted it into our top 10 — because the course offers a variety of challenging holes, is always maintained well and it’s fairly cheap, $70 with a players card.
Ridge
Back-to-back east-of-mountain courses in our top 10! That’s hard to accomplish, considering the west courses have so many more tee times and so much voting power. But Palouse Ridge Golf Club stands out as one of the state’s best no matter which side of the mountain.
It may be the late John Harbottle’s finest design. He passed away in 2008, the same year the course opened. Palouse, just three miles from the Washington State campus, replaced a nine-hole course built in 1925. The $12 million project was praised from the start. Harbottle’s design has intrigued golfers with a back nine that features three par 3s, three par 4s and three par 5s. Palouse Ridge was part of a wave of new state courses during that time, including Chambers Bay, Salish Cliffs and The Home Course, as well as celebrated debuts from courses on the east side — Gamble Sands, Wine Valley and Suncadia’s Prospector.
Look now, seven of those courses, including Palouse Ridge, are in our top 10. The new guard is taking over, as many of these courses continue to climb in our poll every year. Those eastside courses have attracted the attention from golfers all over the state.
Photo by Brian Oar
9 Suncadia Prospector
Cle Elum
Prospector, opened in 2005 and built by Arnold Palmer Course Design, is the public centerpiece of the Suncadia Resort (the other public course is Rope Rider, which is 16th on our list this year). You can catch glimpses of both courses, on either side of the elegant shady road as you enter the resort. It’s like driving into a golf heaven. You can’t wait to get out, get on your shoes and embrace this golfing paradise. The course, off I-5 past The Summit at Snoqualmie ski facilities, also has a classy third course in distant view, the private Tom Doak-designed Tumble Creek. It just adds to the golfing ambiance. All the courses are pristine, not a twig or pinecone out of place. They pride themselves here on their maintenance but take no credit for the views of the surrounding Cascades. They come naturally. Rope Rider, which opened in 2011, is seven spots down but it’s hard to measure the differences between the two.
One thing is certain, you won’t find a better 19th hole. After your rounds, stop by the glorious Swiftwater Cellars, overlooking Rope Rider’s No. 9 green and Tripple Hill, for a taste of Washington wines.
10 Washington National Auburn
Some of the best players in the country have tested their skills at Washington National. Most of them come from the same place — Montlake.
The course is the primary home for the Husky golf team. The course, opened in 2000, has seen such top Husky players as Nick Taylor, C.J. Pan, Brock Mackenzie, Joel Dahman and Yuehum Yuan come through. The UW golf team, which was ranked as high as fourth in the nation this past season, was anchored here. Could it be that the challenging layout has made these fellas better prepared for the professional game? Could be.
National has moved up in the poll this year, knocking top 10 perennials White Horse and Trophy Lake to the second 10. This course also prepares ordinary folks for better games. The practice facility is as good as anywhere, with an 11,000-square-foot practice green, with ryegrass tees, a practice bunker and bent grass chipping area. Play like a Husky. National was designed by John Fought, who also did dozens of courses around the country including Trophy Lake (12th in our poll). Remember that name when you play the short par-4 313-yard 15th at National, one of the trickiest holes in the state.
Even if you could, you dare not try drive the green, with a wide moat in front. So, whatever distance you’re left with, you need to wedge it gently onto the green and settle it quickly. But if the Huskies can do it, so can you, one day.
Ladies’ Choice
We know that women may rank facilities differently than men when assessing a golf course. Major deciding factors will surely be rooted in how the round felt to them as a golfer, if the grounds stood up as a quality experience from start to finish and how the course is genuinely regarded by their golfing peers. We do know that hospitality and the authenticity of the welcome is very important to female golfers. And is there a set of tees from which they will be able to enjoy their round and appreciate the design of the course. Whatever the female golfer is looking for, these are the 10 courses that scored well in our polling. The scoring was so close for the majority of these that we are listing them alphabetically and tipping our hat to them collectively.
Cedars at Dungeness
Chambers Bay
Desert Canyon
Gamble Sands
The Home Course
Loomis Trail
Port Ludlow
Salish Cliffs
Suncadia Resort (Rope Rider)
Wine Valley
Movers & Shakers
Our reader-fueled Top 10 of Washington’s Best Public Courses was originally published in 2013, and nine of the courses that appeared in that first list are still there (White Horse is the one that has dropped into the second 10, replaced by Gamble Sands).
Given how good our best courses are, it’s hardly surprising there has been relatively little movement in and out of the top 10, but there are always one or two courses that enjoy a sudden surge in popularity for whatever reason.
The five biggest positive movers and shakers from 2022 to 2024 were:
• The Home Course jumped from 8th to 4th
• Desert Canyon climbed from 11th to 7th
• Washington National leapt from 17th to 10th
• Druids Glen rose from 19th to 15th
• Both Avalon and Rope Rider moved into the top 20 after being left out in 2022
Up & Down
This how our top 20 fared in this year’s rankings and how they moved up or down since 2022's results were published.
Photo by Rob Perry/robperry.com
Photo by Rob Perry/robperry.com
TOP 11-20 TRACKS
12
Trophy Lake Golf & Casting
A rise of two places since 2022 for this much-loved John Steidel design is not unexpected. Positive, recent reviews on Yelp, TripAdvisor, Reddit, Top100golfcourses, golfcoursegurus.com, greenskeeper.com, golfreview.com and a handful of other credible websites confirm its jump is justified.
As we pointed out last time, most out-of-staters come for the famous apple-shaped island green at the par-3 17th, but all of them find so much else to like. The rest of the course features some pretty good holes, for a start. More than that, though, nearly every review you read about Apple Tree mentions the hospitality and the quality of the customer service. Those interested only in course architecture will be pleased they made the trip to Yakima but, for the vast majority of golfers, friendliness and an authentic welcome are a big part of the experience.
As is the food. In 2022, the chicken yakisoba and 12-ounce rib eye at the Slice Outdoor Lounge got a mention. Both are still on the menu, but let’s add to the list of recommendations the smoked Brazilian picanha which is described as “Tender and juicy sirloin cap smoked and charbroiled with Chimichurri sauce.” I mean, come on!
This 1999 John Fought design may have dropped out of the top 10, from No. 9 to No. 12, but that may have more to do with the quality above it that any shortcoming on the Kitsap Peninsula course’s part. The surroundings are dependable, pristine and continue to mature beautifully. The fact you can still play a course of this quality with architectural bones as good as this, for less than $80 outside of peak hours during the week, makes it a great value.
The 1977 U.S. Amateur champion, Fought reached his 70s in January of this year and has definitely slowed down in recent years, but he still has a couple of big jobs on his drawing board and his designs from the late 1990s and early 2000s clearly show how good he can be. Formerly owned and still operated by Oki Golf, Trophy Lake was named one of the top 10 courses in the state, public and private, by Golfweek magazine as recently as 2021.
Awesome views of the Olympic Peninsula and Mt. Rainier make the trip to Port Orchard a must for Washington golfers. A round of golf and visit to the Dry Fly for a beef brisket dip or lobster roll is still a great day out.
11 Apple Tree Golf Resort Yakima
Port Orchard
Port Ludlow
Loomis Trail • Blaine
Photo by Rob Perry
Regional Winners!
13
White Horse Kingston
Who remembers when White Horse Golf Club really was a tough nut to crack? It’s no pushover now certainly, but Cynthia Dye-McGarey’s 2007 original was, perhaps, a touch strong. Golf Digest named it one of the best new public courses in the U.S. when it opened and, sure enough, Dye McGarey, niece of course architecture legend Pete Dye, built a cracker deserving of national acclaim. For the public golfer looking for a pleasant day out, however, it probably just had too many tough shots and bogey holes.
After the financial crash of 2007-09, the bank foreclosed on over 150 unsold residential lots in the development before going bankrupt itself. White Horse went through several more owners before eventually being bought in 2010 by the Suquamish Tribe, whose nearby Clearwater Casino had opened in 2003. The tribe invested heavily, hiring Tacoma’s John Harbottle to remove trees and bunkers and generally ensure guests had a relatively pain-free day.
For whatever reason, White Horse has dropped six places since the last time we did this, and we have no idea why. The polling is so close, we’re not talking about a lot of votes, but still. After much thought, we decided to chalk it up to “one of those things.” We still rate the course very highly and recommend a visit this summer.
14
The Resort at Port Ludlow
Port Ludlow
Though he designed more than 70 highly thought-of courses after setting out as a golf designer in the 1960s, Robert Muir Graves never did reach the pantheon of golf course architects. It’s probably fair to say he wasn’t a big-budget, top-100-type designer like a Robert Trent Jones or Pete Dye, but someone whose top priority was building fun and enjoyable courses. Graves didn’t seem interested in building holes that were “resistant to scoring” (Canterwood in Gig Harbor, notwithstanding) — a popular phrase before golf course architecture wised up and made golf more about playability and enjoyment that punishment and retribution.
Port Ludlow is perhaps the perfect example of Graves’s philosophy. The first 18 opened in 1975 while a third nine followed in 1990. Unfortunately, the financial crisis in 2007-09 was responsible for the loss of nine holes, but the remaining 18 were given a major renovation in 2016 by the course’s former superintendent Dick Schmidt, who had been a big part of the project in the 1970s and who came out of retirement to revive the course. The 18 holes he left rarely fail to put a smile on visitors’ faces.
In August, the course will host a qualifying round for the U.S. Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur –championships for amateurs aged 25 and older.
15 Druids Glen
Covington
In December 2022, we ran a story titled “Is Druids Glen Poised to Become One of Washington’s Best Courses?” The previous year, owner Parks Legacy Project (PLP) had hired Forrest Richardson and his then partner Jeff Danner to draw up plans for an ambitious renovation that would remove roughly 35 acres of maintained turf, replace a lot of it with beautiful heather, rebuild the bunkers, replace the irrigation system, and build forward tees.
Excitement was high but, as the article stated, COVID had made sure the project didn’t start when planned. And because of PLP’s subsequent work on other properties in its portfolio plus investment into Grill in the Woods, the restaurant at Druids Glen, work on the course is still to happen.
Which doesn’t really explain why it has jumped four places from its 2022 position of 19th. Like we said in the White Horse text above, the voting was so close a move of four places probably isn’t that big a deal though, of course, no one’s going to turn it down. Reviews elsewhere on the internet show a wide range of opinions, but ours and, it seems, that of our readers remain solid — Druids Glen is a very good design and most definitely worth a visit.
Congratulations to these amazing Evergreen State destinations
Photo by Rob Perry/robperry.com
Avalon Golf Links
Wine Valley
Gamble Sands
Gold Mountain Olympic Chambers Bay
16
Suncadia Resort Rope Rider
Cle Elum
Rope Rider makes a very welcome return to our top 20, having slipped down the list into 26th spot in 2022. We said above a move of a few places isn’t terribly significant but a jump of 10 probably is and, to be honest, we think it’s totally justified.
Rope Rider was named the best new public course in the U.S. by Golf Magazine in 2011 and, in our first Top 10 rankings in 2013, it came in 11th. Two years later, it was eighth but then it began an about-turn falling to 14th in 2017 then 18th and finally 26th.
Clearly, it is a course that divides opinion. A few of us in the office think so highly of it; we were astonished to see how far it dropped and are very glad to see it back. Oregon’s Peter Jacobsen and Texas’s Jim Hardy routed the latter holes of the front nine around Tipple Hill, a huge mound of mining waste material that grew during the nearby town of Roslyn’s mining operation between 1886 and 1963. The design team also formed three returning loops each with six holes giving resort guests the opportunity to play six-, 12- or 18-hole rounds before coming back to the clubhouse and a fortifying glass of wine at Swiftwater Cellars. Firm ground, beautiful scenery, good greens and well-designed holes combine to make Rope Rider a superb addition to Arnold Palmer’s Prospector Course, and we can’t recommend it highly enough.
17 Bear Mountain Ranch Chelan
Some places are just so beautiful, so enduringly appealing, it doesn’t really matter how good a golf course you build on it, people are going to play it. When you build thought-provoking holes that take full advantage of the site’s natural assets, however, you have something very special on your hands.
Bear Mountain Ranch opened in 2005 on a remarkable site high above Lake Chelan and about seven miles west of the town which gives the lake its name. The course owner is Don Barth (who also owns Alta Lake GC, Rock Island, and Desert Canyon, which he bought from Jack Frei in 2010). It was built on a hillside with major elevation changes, incredible views in all directions (but most toward the lake) and it stretches to 7,231 yards from the black tees with four other tee choices (and combinations of those) for those who don’t fancy taking on something quite so long.
The front nine is probably the more memorable of the two, but the back has plenty of exciting holes including the steeply uphill short par-4 13th and 680-yard closing hole. Combine your round at Bear Mountain Ranch with a visit to a local winery and maybe some time on the water for an absolutely perfect day.
19 Avalon Golf Links
Burlington
Of course it is John Harbottle’s superb Olympic course that gets most of the love at Gold Mountain, but its neighbor and predecessor, Cascade, is popular itself — the 18th best course in the state according to our readers.
It was designed on the City of Bremerton’s 360-acre property, eight miles south of the Naval shipyard, by Ken Tyson and opened in 1971 — making it 25 years older than its sibling. Tyson is a name not many Washington golfers will be familiar with, but he also designed the excellent course at Lake Spanaway and Madrona Links in Gig Harbor. Trees are very obviously what people remember about the Cascade Course, but they tend to be back far enough from the playing corridors to allow you to shape a ball. This isn’t Sahalee claustrophobic, though we’d be lying if we told you the trees weren’t a concern. You definitely need to focus on keeping the ball in play rather than smacking it as far down the fairway as you can. The course measures 6,775 yards from the back so it’s not terribly long but, as we said, length is not your first concern on the Cascade course. In our opinion, one of the best 36-hole days in Puget Sound is at Gold Mountain and dinner in Bremerton.
Just as we were pleased to see Rope Rider back in the top 20, so too are we smiling at the return of Avalon Golf Links, 70 miles up I-5 from Seattle and outside the town of Burlington. Avalon has made the list before but not since 2015 when it tied for 19th. The 27-hole course overlooks the Skagit River Valley with views south to the Olympics and north to the Cascades. It is Robert Muir Graves’ second course here and, like Port Ludlow (14th), is just a nice place to spend a day playing golf. None of the nines — North, South, West — will beat you up, at least they shouldn’t but, as with any good course, you’ll have to earn a score that corresponds to your handicap. No one nine stands out more than the others, meaning players aren’t in a mad scramble to play a particular nine. People have their favorites, naturally, but really any of them will do. The longest and probably toughest combination is the North/South with a slope of 129 and which measures 6,774 yards from the black tees. West/South also has a slope of 129 but measures only 6,580 yards, still plenty of golf but certainly not over taxing.
Whichever nines you play, head into the Sweet Bite Café where you’ll find all the burgers, sandwiches, salads and wraps you’ll ever need.
18 Gold Mountain Cascade Bremerton
Loomis Trail
Blaine
White Horse (13th) may have been tougher than Loomis Trail when it opened in 2007 but, since the Olympic Peninsula course was softened by John Harbottle in 2011-12, Loomis surely overtook it. It has a slope from the back tees of 142 and, though you’d have to hit a pretty bad shot to find it on some holes, one could argue water comes into play on pretty much every hole. Most of the course’s marketing material says water is in play on 17 holes, but we’re betting we’ve found the wet stuff on whichever hole it left out.
The course opened in 1993 and was designed by Canada’s Graham Cooke together with Ted Locke who would later design the excellent course at North Bellingham. Despite finishing 20th on our list, Loomis
Trail is the only course here that gets a perfect 100 percent recommendation rate on golfpass.com, a measure of how highly it is regarded. Not surprisingly, perhaps, given how difficult it can be, Loomis is a genuine championship course, having hosted the NCAA Division II Men’s Championship in 2009, U.S. Amateur qualifying in 2006 and 2016, and U.S. Senior Open qualifying in 2015. Loomis can play 7,137 yards but, unless you’re a visiting professional, top-ranked amateur or collegiate golfer, you really don’t want it to. Head to the blue, white, or yellow tees for a more manageable round. There are numerous outstanding holes, but the split fairway, par-5 11th is part of the conversation for which is best as is the other three-shot holes, and the difficult par-4 17th.
All regional-winning courses have major talent behind them — here we meet up with one superstar from each facility
BY TONY DEAR & BART POTTER • FOR CASCADE GOLFER
Seattle / Tacoma / Eastside Region
Matt Cohen is freezing. Not literally, of course, but Chambers Bay’s new general manager is definitely feeling a little chilly.
It’s not surprising given where he came from. Just a few weeks ago, Cohen was in southern Texas where he was GM of the Wilderness at Lake Jackson, a KemperSports-run facility an hour south of Houston. The temperature there was frequently in the low 90s around the time he and his wife packed their bags to head north.
A native of Colorado and a member of the PGA of America since 2001, Cohen spent a little under two years at Lake Jackson before being made aware of the vacancy at the Pierce County-owned facility which is also operated by KemperSports.
“I enjoyed my time in Texas and have only been in the Pacific Northwest a short time, but I’m loving it so far,” Cohen says. “It’s a big change, obviously, but I can’t wait to experience everything the region has to offer.”
It's not just the change of scenery and climate that has Cohen excited, though. Wilderness at Lake Jackson was regarded as one of the Lone Star State’s top 20 or so public courses, but it would be fair to say Chambers Bay is on another level entirely.
“It’s a U.S. Open venue that draws players from all over the world,” says Cohen who, despite not yet having a firm agenda for capital improvements, does intend to optimize operations and come to grips with the course’s pace of play.
“Chambers Bay is a difficult course,” he says. “So long rounds are expected. I’ll be focusing on getting our average round time down a little so all our guests can be round in good time.”
Chambers Bay General Manager • Matt Cohen
Olympic Peninsula Region
Gold Mountain Golf Club General Manager • Daryl Matheny
Improvements to the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain began a few years back and will continue for the foreseeable future. A new irrigation pump was put in two years ago, the tees are having some work done and the bunkers have been refreshed with just four holes still to do.
General Manager Daryl Matheny says the course is looking fantastic. He’s very happy to hear the news of Gold Mountain retaining its position at third in the state (it rose to No. 3 in 2022 after dropping to fourth in 2019) but isn’t really surprised. “We have two really good courses,” he says, “and Olympic is something special.”
Owned by the City of Bremerton, Gold Mountain may be a municipal (you can still play 18 holes on the Olympic after 3 p.m. for an incredible $32 and it’s $66 at 9 a.m.) but since Columbia Hospitality began operating it in 2013, the place has had a pretty un-municipal feel. The 36-hole facility records roughly 90,000 rounds a year, shared between the Olympic Course and Cascade Course (18th best in Washington according to readers.) In May, the Olympic Course hosted the USGA for the fourth time (previously for the 2006 U.S. Publinx, 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur and 2022 U.S. Open qualifying) when it staged qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur, which New York’s Owen Corby won with a three-under 69. The course has also hosted NCAA Regionals and the Husky Invitational.
Matheny began working at Gold Mountain in 1988 and became the GM in 2012, after Scott Alexander retired following 28 years as manager. One day Matheny will retire and go someplace warm.
“And I’ll play a lot of golf,” he says. For now, though, he’s just loving where he is.
Avalon
Links
There may not be dozens of courses battling it out for supremacy between Seattle and the Canadian border, but that’s not to say the competition isn’t stiff. There are some proper gems here, and it’s a region we really couldn’t predict. Snohomish, Loomis Trail, Bellingham’s four excellent public courses, and Marysville’s Battle Creek and Cedarcrest all get their share of votes but, this time, they’re all looking up at Avalon Golf Links, an hour or so north of Seattle.
Avalon was developed by the Hass Family and opened in 1991. “It has been a life's passion for me,” says Ron Hass, the course’s director of golf as well as its owner. A graduate of UW who worked at Juanita (closed in 1975), Inglewood, Tam O’Shanter, Sahalee, and Sudden Valley at various times before moving to Avalon in 1992 by which time the course was in full operation, Hass built Avalon alongside his father and is proud of how it has evolved and sustained its dedicated staff over the years. “I was a member and employee at Sahalee at the time it opened,” Hass remembers, “and it was that experience that led us to develop 27 holes as we realized the value created by being able to mix and match the nines every day.”
The North, South, and West nines were designed by Robert Muir Graves and, together, record 47,500 rounds a year, making it one of the busiest courses north of Seattle. Despite the traffic, however, superintendent Ron Furlong invariably keeps Avalon looking good and playing firm.
Central Washington Region
Gamble Sands General Manager • Blake Froling
Golfers traveling to Gamble Sands Resort — northeast from Seattle or northwest from Spokane — will find views and topography unlike either locale.
They might feel like they’re in a different part of the world, said Gamble Sands general manager Blake Froling.
From the viewpoint of the organizations that rank golf courses — like Cascade Golfer’s Top 10 Public Courses readers’ poll — Gamble Sands in Brewster is special, too. In this year’s CG poll, Gamble Sands was rated the top course in Central Washington and No. 2 overall in the state.
Nationally, Gamble Sands came tied at No. 23 on Golfweek’s 2024 list of the top 100 public courses. “It’s important to us because we hold ourselves to high standards,” Froling said.
Architect David McLay-Kidd’s true links design and 100 percent fescue grassland is unique in the state. “The firmness for Washington — no one expects that,” Froling said. “The fescue in Washington in the high desert — nobody’s done that.”
Froling, a native of Mount Vernon, Wash., was happy to return to his home state when he came to Gamble Sands in 2021 after an eight-year stint at Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point, Calif. Earlier, he earned his PGA bona fides at the Golf Academy of America in San Diego.
“I’ve worked at golf courses that I didn’t love to play,” Froling said. But Gamble Sands? “I could play this course every day for the rest of my live and never get tired of it.”
Eastern Washington Region
Wine Valley Golf Club Director of Golf • Tyler Sweet
Placement on the “best of” lists isn’t everything to a golf course, but the kind words are nice to hear.
The way Wine Valley’s Tyler Sweet sees it, acknowledgment from the publications who make the lists — such as Cascade Golfer’s Top 10 Public Courses readers’ poll — shows that golfers appreciate how his course looks and plays and the challenge and fun they find when they come to Walla Walla to experience it.
“They all count,” said Sweet, PGA director of golf at Wine Valley since 2021. “It allows us to see how we’re doing.”
For a third straight Cascade Golfer poll, Wine Valley was rated the top course in the Eastern Washington region and No. 3 overall in the state.
Nationally, Wine Valley landed 47th on Golfweek magazine’s 2024 list of the top 100 public courses. What is Wine Valley, opened in 2009 and celebrating its 15th year, getting right? From the perspective of Sweet, with previous duty at Sunland (14 years) and Port Ludlow (three years), it starts with course architect Dan Hixson’s minimalist design.
Hixson’s landscaping model is beneficial, Sweet said, “to the way we can tune it for a major championship.”
Just this past July, Wine Valley hosted the Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s Men’s Amateur Championship and Golfweek’s Pacific Northwest Senior Championship.
Sweet calls the Walla Walla wine region the best in the nation, and pairing it with an esteemed championship golf course, he said, makes Wine Valley a good place to be.
And people are noticing.
TBest
A 59 Watch?
BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER
his year’s Boeing Classic, the PGA Champions Tour event to be held Aug. 9-11 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge, could have a suspenseful element, according to Chris Garrison, the Ridge’s head golf professional.
Garrison has been drilling down on the event for some time now, weighing past results and assessing the possible course conditions relative to the expected tournament field. He believes the winner has a chance not just to set a course record and tournament record but could venture into scoring territory rarely seen.
“Are we going to see,” he asked, “a 59 watch?”
Garrison can’t speculate who might be the one who could break the sub-60 barrier at his course but expects conditions to be optimum for a run at it. The twice-a-year sanding program has produced firm-and-fast surface conditions the pros love. Watering will be limited that week to maintain the reliable bounce in the course.
The stimpmeter rating for the greens should be in the range of 13, which is considered lightning fast. PGA Tour venues average around 12. Pro putters prefer reliably fast greens.
Kevin Sutherland established the PGA Champions Tour record with a 59 at the 2014 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in the second round. He’s the only 50-plus player to record a sub-60 score in Champions Tour tournament history.
It was Sutherland’s course record of 60 in the second round of the 2018 Boeing Classic that piqued Garrison’s interest. He also studied Scott Simpson’s scorecard in 2006 when he set the original course record of 61.
“Sutherland and Simpson both shot a 29 on the back nine,” Garrison said. “Through the first five holes (on the front nine), Sutherland was 1-under. He then went bananas after that.”
What the fans can look for as they scan the scoreboards that tournament week, he says, is how well players handle those first five holes.
“If they go like 2-under during that stretch,” Garrison added. “They can certainly go for a 59.”
Here’s a look at some players who are expected to play.
THE PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR pros take aim at Snoqualmie course record
FIVE LEGENDS TO FOLLOW AUG. 9-11
The defending champion has had a resurgent postPGA Tour career, with seven top-10 finishes this season, including two victories.
Last year, he won four times, including the Boeing Classic, and was runner-up at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Overall, he has eight Champions Tour victories and 61 top 10s since joining the 50-plus tour in 2014.
Ames, 60, who lives in Vancouver, B.C., had just four career PGA Tour victories in his 394 career starts. Relative to the “59 watch,” it should be noted that Ames tied a Boeing tournament record last year with a three-round 19-under-par 197. He had a final round 63, finishing the final five holes with four birdies and an eagle. Pay attention to his start. Ames has built a local fanbase here in Seattle being a British Columbian — he’s fun to watch.
The 54-year-old, four-time major champion had a prolific PGA Tour career. He had 47 international victories, including 19 PGA Tour wins and 126 top-10 finishes.
In his four seasons on the Champions Tour, The Big Easy has not had the same dominance. He has had five Champions victories in 91 starts. He may be hitting his stride, however, this season. Beginning with his thirdplace finish at the Regions in early May, he followed that with a sixth-place finish at the KitchenAid Senior Open then back-to-back victories in June at the Principal Charity Classic and the American Family Insurance.
Els, who beat Steve Stricker in a one-hole playoff to win the American Family, may come to Seattle as the Tour’s hottest golfer. But in his three previous appearances at the Boeing Classic, he has finished tied for 11th, 40th and 18th.
Bernhard
The indefatigable 66-year-old German is a two-time Boeing champion. But then he’s a two-time champion just about everywhere he has played on the Champions Tour. He has 46 career victories, one more than Hale Irwin for the most in Champions Tour history.
He set the record in grand style, at the 2023 Senior Open, his record 12th senior major victory. He also extended his record as the oldest winner ever on Tour at 65 years, 11 months, five days. He has passed Irwin (211) for the most top 10s in Tour history, now with a remarkable 214.
Langer missed most of this season recovering from an Achilles injury. It’s the only thing anyone can remember that has successfully slowed him down in his 16-year Champions Tour career. His best finish this year was third at the Principal Charity Classic, in which he beat his age (a second-round 63) for a countless time.
Ernie Els
Stephen Ames
Langer
Bernhard
Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Jiménez is the Tour’s anti-Langer. While Langer is precise, calculating with a perpetual game-face, Jiménez is gregarious, joyous and insouciant. Called the coolest man in golf with his man-bun and ever-present stogie, the 60-year-old Spaniard swings his clubs like a swashbuckler. With his odd stretching routines and colorful play, he is a fan favorite to follow. He’s also a winner, including the 2022 Boeing Classic. He has won 13 times on the Tour. He has not had much success this season; no wins and just four top 10s as of this reporting. In fact, his victory sangria has been on ice for far too long. His last Tour victory was the Boeing (and was second last year).
Fred Couples
Far and away, Seattle native Couples, 64, is the one the gallery looks for every year. Enormously popular, Couples has said that it has been his goal to win in his home area but everything in his career has depended on the health of his back. It has curtailed his career, forcing too many withdrawals and long layoffs. He even had to walk off the course just as he started the 2012 Boeing event because of a back flare-up. He never knows. Traditionally, he doesn’t commit to the Boeing event until just weeks before. However, this season there is reason for pessimism. He played in just three early season Champions events, then at the March 24 Hoag Classic he withdrew before the second round. He has not played on the Champions Tour since but did gut it out for the Masters, missing the cut at 12-over-par. Couples has played in every Boeing Classic but one (2016 back injury) since he turned 50 in 2010. His best finish was third four times (2010, 2013, 2015 and 2019). He was T28 and T26 the past two Boeings.
FIVE PLACES TO WATCH
10th Hole BUNKER HILL
Spectators can keep track of those pros who attempt to reach the green on the drivable par-4 10th while also, turning to their left, noting the success rate of pros avoiding wet drives at the watery ninth hole.
13th Hole MT. SI-GH
Fans can see action at the par-3 13th hole — and the best course views of Mount Si and the Cascades — and turn to see drives over the canyon to the 14th hole.
14th Hole Canyon Club
The premium bleacher section just beyond the 14th green, with terrific views of the drives from tee positions high above the canyon. It’s a day-long party atmosphere.
18th Hole Craftsman
This is where the action is, where most of the tournaments have had dramatic finishes, including five playoffs. The corporate tents line the left side while there is no limit to the number of fans that can fill the natural amphitheater hill behind the hole.
Final four
For those who might want to move with the gallery, especially keeping pace with the final groups, start on the right of the long par-5 15th. From there, you can turn 180 degrees to see how the pros fare on the short par-4 16th. Then it’s just a short walk to the par-3 17th followed by a parallel march with the leaders along the 18th. You can experience it all as the tournament closes.
NO. 4 Par 4 • 426 yards
From an elevated tee position, the drive needs to cling along the left ridge. Too far to the left and the ball would be lost in the bramble. It takes a precise second shot to negotiate the green opening, as bunkers guard the right side and behind. It’s the tournament’s No. 1 handicap hole.
NO. 10 Par 4 • 353 yards
This is a drivable par 4 but it takes a precise shot. On selective rounds, the distance is short enough to tempt players to go for it. However, there are bunkers galore and any ball that falls short can trundle down 30 yards.
NO.
14 Par 4 • 448 yards
The Canyon Hole. It’s all-carry to the green over a deep canyon, a classic risk/reward hole. Tournament officials generally move up the tees to allow for players to take the chance. The green is a small target. Unless a player really needs an eagle, the safe play is to hit the drive short and to the right, then wedge it tight to the pin.
NO. 17 Par 3 • 207 yards
This is not traditionally difficult (No. 16 handicap) unless the pin is in the far-left plateau. With a pond tight along the left side, the pros must clear a gigantic rock on the exact line to the pin. And their drives all need to settle quickly to remain on the surface.
NO. 18 Par 5 • 498 yards
A short par 5 that naturally creates closing chaos and drama nearly every year. If a player needs a birdie/eagle to win/tie, this hole can accommodate. Players can reach the green in two shots, but it is surrounded by bunkers, with a small entry to the green. The tournament has had more than its share of closing heroics on 18.
rain during the wet season and less heat during the
only 15 minutes from
Battle Creek Golf Course TULALIP 1 SAVE SOME GREEN
Since its opening in 1990, Battle Creek Golf Course has been a favorite among golfers seeking a well-maintained and thoughtfully designed course.
Located in Tulalip, Wash., Battle Creek is 40 minutes north of downtown Seattle just off I-5.
Players here will revel in views of Puget Sound, Camano Island and the Olympic Mountains. This 27-hole golf course is outfitted with an 18-hole championship course, a nine-hole par-3 course, and a practice area equipped with a grass-tee range, practice green, chipping green and bunker.
The 175-acre facility is accessible to golfers from beginners — who might launch their golf lives on the 1,313yard par-3 course – to experts, who will encounter significant tests of golf at Battle Creek.
The 18-hole course reaches 6,575 yards with a par of 73. There are open fairways here, but there are also treelined holes that require attention to shot-making detail.
No. 2 is a 438-yard par 5 to an elevated green. Play down the right side to avoid the large mound at 200 yards but beware the tee-to-green out of bounds close
on the right.
No. 8, a 356-yard par 4, is devilish fun with its elevated tee, new extended fairway and wicked forced carry (though recently shortened by 20 yards). This hole is rated the toughest on Battle Creek.
The signature 12th hole is a par 3 known as “The Rock” and it’s a test for sure. It can stretch out to 200 yards, and you don’t want to hit this meteor.
No. 18 is a long and tough par 4 at 421 yards that nonetheless rates as a favorite here. A natural marsh guards the green in front.
The course offers a variety of pricing options designed
for different budgets. Weekday green fees top out at $45, with a discount at $40 for juniors, seniors, military, twilight and early bird. The top weekend rate is $52 with a twilight discount at $45.
The par 3 costs a tidy $13 for nine holes.
YARDAGE (PAR 73) 5,179-6,575 yards
RATES $40-$52
TEL (360) 659-7931
WEB battlecreekgolfwa.com
* Check website for current rates
Battle Creek Golf Course • Tulalip
Peninsula Golf Club • Port Angeles
2
Peninsula Golf Club
PORT ANGELES
Situated in the marine-moderated climate of Port Angeles, Wash., Peninsula Golf Club offers a blend of challenge and scenic beauty.
This semi-private 18-hole course, open to the public seven days a week, has long been a favorite among locals and out-of-towners, known for its friendly atmosphere and well-maintained greens.
Port Angeles summer weather is typically around 70 degrees, while winter months have less rainfall than Seattle, making Peninsula pleasantly playable year-round.
A golf simulator room is new at Peninsula, offering swings in a climate-controlled atmosphere. A golfer’s choice of 24 courses beckons, with a full array of technical readouts making it ideal for group play, lessons and club-fitting.
The main course features a par-72 layout stretching to just under 6,400 yards. Highlights include the risk-reward of potentially drivable par-4s at No. 3 (295 yards from the blue tees) and No. 16 (302 yards) as well as reachable par 5s – No. 10 at 475 yards is the longest.
The smooth greens predominately slope toward the sea and provide ample challenge, testing golfers of all abilities. The course’s landscaping emphasizes its natural Pacific Northwest topography, with mature evergreens and native shrubs and compelling views of the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Many fairways are wide with rolling terrain, while others demand strategic placement from the tee to leave straightforward approach shots.
Peninsula’s value proposition is based on pricing designed to be accessible, with booking available up to 30 days in advance. Regular green fees start at $47, with twilight rates of $36.
Memberships are available for the simulator room priced at $120 a month for up to four hours per week. Daily rates are set at $30 per half-hour for members and $25 for non-members, one hour at $50/$40, a five-hour pass at $200/$170, and a 10-hour pass at $375/$325.
YARDAGE (PAR 72) 5,236-6,332 yards
RATES $36-$54
TEL (360) 457-6501
WEB golfinportangeles.com
* Check website for current rates
SAVE SOME GREEN
Twin Rivers Golf Course FALL CITY 3
Nestled in the picturesque Snoqualmie Valley, Twin Rivers Golf Course in Fall City, Wash., offers golfers a scenic and affordable experience.
Established in 1994, Twin Rivers’ history (read about it at twinriversgolfcourse.com/course/) tells about a dream long deferred, finally realized in Fall City between two rivers. The course packs a punch into its smallish acreage and its homegrown landscaping at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Raging Rivers, which frame its fairways.
The course spans 6,074 yards from the longest tees, featuring a par-70 layout (par 34 on the front, par 36 on the back) that is grumpy but generally kind to golfers of all skill levels.
No. 7, a 420-yard par 4, plays usually into the wind to a green canted left to right. The green was rebuilt and enlarged recently to allow additional pin placement options.
The longest hole on the course at 583 yards, No. 13 plays alongside the Snoqualmie River tee to green. Players should favor the left side and avoid the tree 100 yards from the green.
No. 9 presents a tricky tee shot that must carry the water that flows 215 yards from the back tees — obviously, it’s easier from one of the forward tees. Once safely down on dry land, a second shot should stay left, which is the best way to reach one of the hardest greens on the course.
The par-4 11th is 396 yards of difficulty. A solid tee shot will give you an uphill second shot to a green rimmed by three bunkers. Par is a good score here.
Pricing at Twin Rivers is competitive, with weekday green fees at $45 with discounts for juniors and seniors and weekend rates at $55. Various punch card options offer 10 rounds for the price of nine.
YARDAGE (PAR 70) 4,668- 6,074 yards
RATES $40-$55
TEL (425 ) 222-7575
WEB twinriversgolfcourse.com
* Check website for current rates
Twin Rivers Golf Course • Fall City
Lake Chelan Golf Course CHELAN
Lake Chelan is considered the top summer in-state vacation getaway in Washington, drawing folks from both sides of the mountain, from Seattle to Spokane, to meet in the middle.
When going on vacation, what’s one of the most popular activities on just about everyone’s list? Golf, right? Exercise, competition, relaxation, with a measure of frustration. This is where Lake Chelan Golf Course comes to golfers’ recreational rescue, as it has for more than 50 years.
The course was conceived in the mid-1960s as a private course to serve a local resort community. But it was turned over to the City of Chelan in 1970.
The facility is run by local legend Jim Oscarson, a 1985 Chelan High School graduate, who was hired in 1991 and became Chelan’s head golf professional in 1994. He has taught thousands of Lake Chelan golfers over the years and was coach of the Lake Chelan High golf team for 16 years.
The club has a traditional feel to it, with tree-lined fairways, light rough and small elevated greens. The greens are its best defense, lightning fast in the heat of summer. What surrounds the course might be one of its best qualities: views of the lake and surrounding mountains.
The 6,459-yard layout opens with the longest par 5 on the course, 531 yards from the white tees (the yellow tees provide a better birdie break at 463 yards). Then after weaving through the picturesque course adjacent to the most scenic lake in the state, you finish with perhaps the most challenging of the four par 3s, the 182-yard 18th.
It’s a bit unusual to finish a round with a par 3, but it’s not easy. It’s uphill, which means you might need an extra club to reach the green. There’s water on the left, trees throughout and a small elevated green target. Plus, you are under pressure to finish strong because that’s where random folks gather for post-round refreshments.
For those golfers visiting the lake this summer, there are two things to keep in mind. One, the course does have clubs available to rent so you don’t have to jam your golf bag into your trunk filled with suitcases, cornhole boards and rubber ducks. And two, the course takes tee-time reservations 30 days in advance. Once you confirm your vacation dates, give a call to (509) 682-8026 to secure your scenic tour above the lake.
YARDAGE (PAR 72) 5,058-6,459 yards
RATES $44-$70
TEL (509) 682-8026
WEB cityofchelan.us/golf-course
* Check website for current rates
Lake Chelan Golf Course • Chelan
The rapid rebirth of Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst
Same-day game stories with all the pertinent facts and figures had to be filed, of course, but if you were writing a reflection piece about the U.S. Open it was probably best to think on it for a few days before committing pen to paper (or rather, fingers to keyboards). The dust took a while to settle following what was an extraordinary championship, one that will surely be talked about for as long as the game is played.
New storylines and exciting moments came at you with a regularity and, at times, ferocity, that left you a bit breathless and wondering what might happen next. The days leading up to the tournament were filled with discussion about the brilliance of Donald Ross’s original design of Pinehurst No. 2 and especially its scary, turtle-back greens which hadn’t actually been Ross’s idea at all but were, in fact, the result of decades of aggressive top-dressing. There was renewed praise for Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s comprehensive 2011 restoration of the course, but both acclaim and critical views for the USGA’s set up of it.
John Bodenhamer, former Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and now the USGA’s Chief Championship Officer responsible for how the U.S. Open course is prepared, took Pinehurst’s playability to the very edge and, depending on your preferred criteria for identifying a champion, either managed to keep the course appropriately challenging or over-extended it.
Fans of one title contender in particular who watched their man’s ball trundle up the 5th green’s false front in the final round before it teetered on the brink and eventually retreated into an awful lie 25 yards short of the putting surface will probably tell you Bodenhamer laid it on a bit thick. Those who recognize the U.S. Open is notorious for such calamities, however, and know the difference between sweet success and ignominious failure can hinge of the roll of a single dimple probably shrugged their shoulders while thinking “Yeah, it’s the U.S. Open. It happens. Carry on.”
BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR
This U.S. Open ultimately wasn’t about Ross, Coore, Crenshaw, Bodenhamer or Rory McIlroy (the player involved in the 5th green controversy), however. And it certainly wasn’t about Tiger Woods who missed the cut by two or the world’s No. 1 player, Scottie Scheffler, who did make it to the weekend but finished it in a tie for 41st.
It will, instead, be remembered for the brilliant play, impressive mental fortitude, and genuine joy of a player who, just two years ago, was loudly criticized for joining LIV Golf, adding bulk beyond what was considered sensible, and his role as a scientific mastermind one minute and falling to the ground apparently in agony after being taken down by a gallery rope the next.
Bryson DeChambeau’s journey from being ribbed to respected, even loved, happened surprisingly quickly. This rapid turnaround began to be characterized, perhaps, by the speed with which he congratulated Xander Schauffele following his win at the PGA Championship in May.
We’re not psychoanalysts here so we can’t be sure to what we can attribute the now two-time U.S. Open
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winner’s reformation. But we are most assuredly here for it, and hope it endures. Like it or loathe it, LIV Golf has clearly been good for the 30-year-old native of California (now residing in the Dallas suburbs) whose final round 71 at Pinehurst may have been his only over-par round of the week but which concluded with an up-and-down from the bunker in front of the 18th green that will surely go down as one of history’s best. Buoyed on by his caddie Greg Bodine, a co-founder of Evergreen Golf in Redmond, DeChambeau hit a 55-yard explosion that carried about 35 yards and rolled out to four feet. He confidently holed the putt for a slender one-stroke victory over McIlroy, who had bogeyed three of the last four holes.
Like the vast majority of golfers worldwide, we sincerely hope the shellshock of this defeat doesn’t stall the Northern Irishman’s career and that he’ll bounce back quickly and emphatically. For now, though, we’ll continue enjoying video of DeChambeau’s bunker shot on loop and look forward to the next installment of the DeChambeau show.
