Cascade Golfer Magazine December 2024

Departments

4 Publisher’s Pitch

8 Short Game

• Remembering Joey Mutcheson

• 2024 CG Cup review

• Kahler Mountain Club

• Monson Family libation legends

• Woodinville’s DeLille Cellars

• 2025 Northwest Golfers Playbook

• Duke’s Junior Golfer

18 Corona Premier Property

• McCormick Woods GC

22 Risk vs. Reward

• Jefferson Park GC | Hole No. 17

24 Monkey Shoulder 19th Hole

• James Beard Taste America cocktail

ON THE COVER

A LOOK INSIDE

28 In The Bag

• LUX XV 2.0 Cart Bag

• OGIO Woode Hybrid Stand Bag

• XXIO 13 and 11 Complete Sets

• TaylorMade Spider Tour X L-Neck

• TaylorMade MG4 Wedge

• TaylorMade P790 Copper Irons

• ECCO LT1 and BIOM Tour

• Nike 2025 shoe line

• Travis Mathew Ringer2 and Daily Pro

• Garmin Approach Z30 Rangefinder

54 Save Some Green

• Canyon Lakes GC

• Moses Pointe GC

58 Michelob ULTRA Postgame

• Tony Dear’s look back at 2024

High & Dry

Try these great winter courses in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties 36

Palm Desert’s world-famous Desert Willow Golf Resort is a true Coachella Valley jewel and ready as always for all to play. The pristine clubhouse, Terrace Restaurant and grounds are perfect during golf and after. The Firecliff and Mountain View Courses see as much play as any tracks in the U.S. yet look and play beautifully 12 months a year. Book golf and activities at DesertWillow.com.

Photo courtesy of Desert Willow.

ON THIS PAGE

This pic is a tip of the hat to the top man of Northwest golf marketing, Varsity Communications’ Simon Dubiel. He oversees sales and tournament operations of: Cascade Golfer, Seattle and Portland Golf Shows, Northwest Golfers Playbook, our Players Card, CG Cup and Match Play and Corona Premier Shootout. He sets the standard — great job in 2024 Si!

Photo by Dick Stephens at the Boeing Classic Media Day at Snoqualmie Ridge.

42

The Great Indoors

Bad weather doesn’t have to end your season — stick these indoor hot spots on your GPS and ‘hit’ ‘em up

48

52

Golf at the edge of the Earth

Volcano Golf Course is a hidden gem on the Big Island

Fit to a Tee

The many benefits of a Puetz club fitting through the lens of a local looper that found clubs just for him

PUETZ GOLF SAVINGS • 26-35

Win Free Golf and More!

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CASCADE GOLFER cascadegolfer.com

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

VARSITY COMMUNICATIONS, INC. varsitycommunications.com

EDITORIAL STAFF PUBLISHERS

Dick Stephens & Kirk Tourtillotte

EDITOR

Tony Dear

ART DIRECTION & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Robert Becker

WRITERS & COPY EDITING

Bob Sherwin, Bart Potter, Steve Hamilton & Charles Beene

FOR EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS AND INQUIRIES: Dick Stephens • Publisher stephens@varsitycommunications.com

FOR ACCOUNTING INQUIRIES: Kirk Tourtillotte • Publisher kirk@varsitycommunications.com

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

COPYRIGHT 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

Save the date for a Super Bowl weekend of golf: Seattle Golf Show Feb. 7-8 kicks off 2025!

What a year we all had with the sport of golf here in Puget Sound and all around the Northwest. With some of the best spring, summer and fall weather in recent memory, the sport here at home flourished under sunny skies, an Aurora Borealis, the longest days to play in the lower 48 and an autumn to remember.

We played host to a major with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee and heard about record numbers of rounds played all over western Washington. We live in golfing Valhalla for sure — it’s ok to pinch yourself.

Now, we crawl into the shortest days of the year — grey, windy and rainy. It’s no surprise as we are all grizzled vets and know how to navigate the Northwest winter and hunker down until April rolls in.

So, with that, we are stoked to announce the earliest date ever (Feb. 7-8) for Seattle Golf Show, which will kick off Super Bowl weekend with a two-day extravaganza for our sport on that Friday and Saturday. Fresh off the PGA Show in Orlando, Puetz Golf will showcase the world premiere of the latest and greatest in golf equipment and technology — all for sale!

Their 200-foot indoor testing and fitting range is the biggest indoor tee line in the Far West — don’t miss it. Seattle Golf Show shines a spotlight on the region’s leading golf businesses, destinations, apparel and lifestyle businesses and locations. Also enjoy the show’s simulators, chipping, driving and putting exhibits and compete for thousands of dollars in contest prizes and trips.

Learn all about our sport at every level — for beginners and advanced players alike.

Visit SeattleGolfShow.com to buy tickets, get great front door swag and make Super Bowl weekend one to remember.

Remembering our friend Joey Mutcheson

Please see our In Memoriam feature on the passing of Snohomish High School’s legendary coach and educator Joey Mutcheson who lost a hard-fought battle with cancer.

I knew Joey, his wife Jill and their children as I am from Snohomish myself having raised my family there — our kids went to school and played together. Joey’s son Palmer is one of the finest youth golfers to ever come out of Snohomish County and we have covered both over the years.

The sentiment I wish to pass on here about this great man is that he was compassionate and a class act. His students and players basked in the light of his excellence in helping boys and girls come of age and become young men and women under his tutelage — all better because of his association with them.

He will be sorely missed.

Thank you to our readers

For nearly 20 years I have been thanking you all — the

readers of Cascade Golfer — for your loyalty, support, feedback and participation. This was our best year yet. The 2024 Seattle Golf Show, the CG Cups and Match Play, our largest ever Corona Premier Shootout and the Top 20 Public Courses in Washington State issue underscores your care and love for golf here.

So, allow us all to take a bow and thank you for making this title and all we do for you our sincere pleasure. We will keep it rocking in 2025.

Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones, pine for spring golf AND AS ALWAYS, TAKE IT EASY.

THERE’S OCEANFRONT GOLF, AND THEN...

There is Hōkūala, an Award Winning Jack Nicklaus Signature Course.

One signature hole after another. One picture postcard after another. Here, where the ocean meets the land, is as good as a golfer’s life gets. The Ocean Course at Hōkūala is the longest stretch of oceanfront golf in Hawaii and the recipient of several awards, making Hōkūala the premier golf resort on Kauai, Hawaii.

“I think of Kauai as a laid-back tropical paradise. The 16th hole at the Ocean Course at Hōkūala is a standout. Be careful playing the drivable par-4. It challenges you to make the right club selection. If your tee ball travels down the slot, then you have a chance to drive it on the green and putt for an eagle. A tee shot miss and you have a tricky pitch to the green. The smart play is usually to hit a hybrid or a 3-iron, leaving you a little wedge down to the green.” – Jack Nicklaus.

Ocean Course at Hōkūala winds through mango and guava groves to dramatic seaside cliffs. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.

K Ā ’ANAPALI IS CALLING YOU.

A RICH HISTORY AND LOTS OF FUN AT KĀ‘ANAPALI GOLF COURSES

Kā‘anapali Beach Resort Maui, is ideally situated on the protected leeward coast of Maui, where residents and visitors enjoy paradise weather year-round, and the fit and fun lifestyle that comes with it. Around the world, when people think of Maui, it’s images of Kā‘anapali that come to mind.

The idyllic lifestyle is found in full force on the two resort-style 18-hole Kā‘anapali Golf Courses layouts, where championship golf has been played for decades. The Royal Kā‘anapali Course, designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones Sr., opened in 1962, and was the first resort course on Maui. One of only two courses in Hawai‘i designed by Jones, Sr., the course has hosted the best players in the world over the ensuing decades, with luminaries such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus participating in tournaments.

General Manager Karl Reul comments, “Our Royal Kā’anapali Golf Course hugs the shoreline before winding its way to the West Maui Mountain foothills. While the greens are heavily bunkered and undulating, if you keep the ball below the hole and on the same level as the pin, you’ll be rewarded with a makeable birdie putt. Take the time to come play both our amazing Royal Kā’anapali Golf Course and Kā’anapali Kai here on the beautiful Island of Maui; you’ll be glad you did!”

It’s not only “where the world comes to play”, but “where Kā’anapali is calling you.”

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GREAT PRIZES, FREE LESSONS

Activities

Puetz Golf Shop, Testing & Fitting Zone

Want to try before you buy? Check out the latest in club technology from all of the industry’s big boys in the Puetz Golf Testing and Fitting Zone, then walk over to the on-site store to take one home. Featuring most of the game’s biggest manufacturers — including Callaway, Cleveland, Cobra, Mizuno, Srixon, Titleist, Wilson and XXIO (subject to change, check SeattleGolfShow.com for the latest list) — you can spend the entire day hitting as many balls as you like with the hottest new drivers and irons of the year, all for free! In addition, you can consult with manufacturer’s representatives on-site to find the perfect fit for your game.

Putting Challenge

One of the most exciting events of the weekend is the Putting Challenge, held on a 40-foot green built right on the show floor. Every golfer who makes the putt throughout the weekend will win a round of golf and be invited back to compete in Sunday’s Seattle Putting Championship, where hundreds will gather around the green as players compete for a fabulous dream trip vacation and the title of 2025 Seattle Putting Champion!

Short Game Central

Chipping more your thing? Try your hand at the Short Game Central, where golfers chip Almost Golf Balls into holes of all sizes on an airborne banner. Every ball that sails through a hole wins a prize, including rounds of golf, golf balls, apparel and more!

Long Drive Challenge

Big hitters love the Long Drive Challenge, where golfers tee it high with the hottest new drivers and let fly on a state-of-the-art TruGolf simulator. With separate divisions for men, women and seniors, and two sessions each day, everyone has the chance to win a twosome of golf!

Closest-to-the-Pin Challenge

Of course, not everyone’s a bomber — come back to the TruGolf simulator throughout the weekend to compete in the Closest to the Pin Challenge, where golfers can flash their iron skills on some of the most famous holes in the sport to win rounds of golf!

19th Hole

Grab a cold beverage in the Corona Premier 19th Hole, where big screen TVs will show all the latest PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and college basketball action.

Spirits Tasting Room

Sip and sample world-class spirits.

T SHORT GAME

“He finished like a Panther”

Mutcheson

he western Washington golf scene lost one of its most respected members in October when Snohomish High School boys’ team golf coach, Joey Mutcheson, passed away peacefully following a seven-year battle with cancer.

Mutcheson coached the Panthers for 31 years and was a physical education teacher at Dutch Hill Elementary, the SHS Freshman Campus, and Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish. He also coached basketball and soccer at various times and levels, making friends and admirers wherever he went.

Among them was South Whidbey HS golf coach, Steve Jones, who says Snohomish golfers had a 15th, 16th and 17th club in their bag.

“They had Joey's faith, wisdom, and inspiration,” he adds. “At a prestigious local golf tournament, I watched my top golfer hit his opening tee shot out of bounds. As I was thinking about what to say to ease his mind, Joey calmly walked up to him and said, ‘Shake it off, you can't win or lose a tournament on the first shot.’ Joey's positivity was instinctive and genuine.”

Everett HS’s Darrell Olson was always impressed by Mutcheson’s ability to connect with his players.

“Joey touched hundreds of kids and families,” says Olson. “He taught his players how to play the game – not just teeing it up and chasing the ball, but how to play competitively and get around a golf course. He supported anything to do with golf as long as kids were involved. And he was a mentor to a number of young coaches over the years. The WESCO golf community has lost a treasured colleague and friend.”

David Smith, the golf coach at Oak Harbor HS, also remembers Mutcheson for his mentorship and the fine example he set for younger coaches in the WESCO.

“He was always cheerful and helpful, and his leadership and attitude were something all coaches should strive for. He will be missed.”

Smith’s predecessor at Oak Harbor, John Matzen, who coached the Wildcats for 25 years, was particularly close with Mutcheson and says that while he loved golf, he loved people more, and that he used golf as a “tool to influence the lives of the young people entrusted to his care.”

“When I walked and talked with Joey,” Matzen continues, “I always learned something about coaching, teaching and living the right way.”

Then there’s Rick Blankenburg, assistant professional at Bellingham Golf and Country Club and coach of the Meridian HS boys’ team in Whatcom County, who says he benefited enormously from observing Mutcheson during their time coaching the PGA Junior League’s Bellingham/Skagit All Stars.

Their sons Daniel (Blankenburg) and Palmer (Mutcheson) played for the team helping it progress to the national championship in 2018 and 2019.

IN MEMORIAM

H“I learned quickly that Joey was amazing with the kids, and I needed to take advantage of that,” says Blankenburg. “So, I asked him to be my assistant coach and he was everything to me and the team. He saw that the tournament was about more than winning or losing. It was about the relationships we made and the experiences we all got to share together.”

What lingers longest in Blankenburg’s memory, though, is Mutcheson’s relationship with his family.

“I saw how much he loved his wife and two kids (Palmer and daughter Cozette),” he says. “I know from coaching my own sons how difficult it can be to be a father and a coach to your kids. But Joey was so good at it.”

Mutcheson was clearly one of those coaches who goes above and beyond. There’d be sleepless nights spent worrying about the well-being of his players. He’d check in with their teachers to make sure their grades were where they should be. It was important to him that the team knew what it meant to represent their school and the community. And on game day, he’d prepare his players for competition and keep them battling to the end with his familiar phrase “Finish like a Panther.”

And they loved him for it. One of Coach Mutcheson’s former players, who graduated from Snohomish 10 years ago, showed up at the family house a few days after he passed.

“He just wanted to hang out for a few hours,” says Jill Mutcheson, Joey’s wife of 22 years. “He couldn’t stand the thought of Joey being gone.”

Though it came as a shock even for close friends when finding out about Joey’s illness, it’s really no surprise how little he made of it.

“He was so tough,” says Jill. “He only conceded to cancer earlier this year when he started riding a cart for the first time. By then, it had affected so much of his body there was simply no more hope. But we know he fought as best he could for years. And he finished like a Panther.”

SHORT GAME

PAROT FOR THE COURSE:

It’s teamwork that mattered in the 15th Annual Cascade Golfer Cup, and the results reflect that in 2024.

The five-event schedule, which featured various scoring formats, requires the twosomes to lean on each other, consistent ham-and-egg-ers. The names that kept repeating in the summer-long competition were Parot-Parot, Hanke-Agnew and Hiatt-McCallum.

The Parot-Parot team worked the best together among the hundreds of competitors, winning two of the five events: the June 1 two-player best ball at Salish Cliffs and the Aug. 10 two-player scramble at White Horse. The Parot duo also finished third at the April 27 two-person best ball scramble at Chambers Bay, third at the June 29 two-person stroke play aggregate at The Home Course, and fifth at the Sept. 7 two-person best ball at Oakbrook.

Parot-Parot was the only team to finish among the top five in all five summer events. They were rewarded for their efforts with prize packages that will take them to Bandon Dunes, Salish Cliffs, Suncadia, Gamble Sands and Palm Springs. That’s enough to keep them sharp and ready for next year’s Cascade Cup competition.

play

Duo wins 15th Annual Cascade Golfer Cup with string of top-5s and strong team

The Hanke-Agnew team took the opening event at Chambers, finished second at Salish and fourth at The Home Course. They won the big prize, a Hawaiian stay-and-play package, along with a couple Suncadia packages and a Whidbey Island golf package.

The Hiatt-McCallum team was third at Salish, fifth at The Home Course and sixth at the White Horse competition. The team also finished the year first in the season net scoring, edging out Parot-Parot, which won the season’s gross score competition.

earned the opportunities to play all over the Northwest, with trip packages to Bandon Dunes, Central Oregon, High Cedars and Whidbey. Each tournament, limited to 64 amateur two-player teams, was considered a separate event. More than $40,000 in prizes were awarded to the participants, including more than 160 team prizes and 50-plus individual prizes. Prizes were given away to all teams finishing in the top 10 in the gross or net divisions at every event and in the season.

The team of Agnew-Stupey won one of the other major prizes, a Mexico stay-and-play package, for the team’s second-place finish at the White Horse event.

Hiatt-McCullum

White Horse Golf Club

Chambers Bay

TRAVEL THE NORTHWEST

Kahler Mountain Club

again embraces the white stuff as they prep for XC skiing this winter

The Kahler Mountain Club near Leavenworth, Wash., is a multi-faceted Pacific Northwest recreation resort destination, whether you’re looking for golf, cross country skiing, an array of other wintertime activities, or even cozy condo lodging.

Kahler Mountain Club (KMC) is situated on the eastern slopes of the Cascade mountains, next to the picturesque shores of Lake Wenatchee, 30 minutes from Leavenworth and Stevens Pass. You’re close to a lot of things — but there’s plenty to do right there.

Let’s count the ways this winter. While the playable but consistently challenging golf course will remain closed until April or so (when weather permits a reopening), the advent of winter snow will make the landscape ideal for activities such as cross country skiing, sledding and snowshoeing (contact the Kahler Mountain Club at KahlerMountainClub.com for requirements).

The acclaimed Wildflour Restaurant is open yearround to serve your apres-ski needs. Plus, there’s nothing like settling down into a rustic, roomy condo.

Golf at Kahler

If you, in your wisdom, are already thinking ahead to a spring visit to Leavenworth or Lake Wenatchee area, Kahler Mountain Golf Course is a must-play. A course flyover video highlights clean grooming on the shortish (nearly 5,900 yards from the blue tees) layout that doesn’t overpower the natural feel of the place.

Cross country skiing — on the trails

When snow arrives at Kahler Mountain, the community gets to work creating a winter playground.

Local area volunteers and the Kahler Glen Community Association partner with Lake Wenatchee State Park and Kahler Mountain Club to provide groomed ski trails.

Cross country ski equipment rentals are available through Kahler Mountain Club.

You can also find snowshoe trails, walking trails, sledding spaces, and ice skating at Kahler Mountain. Some of these activities are limited to Kahler Glen Community Association members and their guests, so, again, check with the Kahler Mountain Club to be sure.

Lodging in Leavenworth

Luxury condos or townhomes are ready for rental for your snowy getaway. Click KahlerMountainClub.rentals/ vacation-rentals/index/htm to peruse your stayover options, or to make a reservation.

Treat yourself to one of Kahler Mountain’s condos, town homes or rentable private residences, all nestled on the golf course. All lodging options are fully stocked with kitchen amenities and include a separate dining area. Condos have two bedrooms, two fully stocked bathrooms, and sleep a maximum of six. Townhouse and private homes sleep a maximum of eight.

Dining — the art of après skiing

The Wildflour Restaurant features chef-driven food and craft cocktails inspired by cuisines from around the world and constructed with locally-foraged and farmed ingredients.

With a focus on hand-made pasta, Wildflour puts spins on classic Italian favorites while also creating entirely new culinary experiences with an international palate of tastes and flair. Quality of flavor and ingredients are the top priority of the talented and diverse kitchen staff.

Golf will be back at Kahler Mountain. Think April. In the meantime, exercise some other wintertime muscles here, where if you can’t find something to do, you’re not trying.

Monson Family Ranch nurtures diverse connections to the land and customers

BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

It always has been a matter of connections for Monson Family Ranch, the ever-evolving eastern Washington farm/fruit/wine/spirits producer. The third and fourth generations of the Monson family run the business now while honoring their direct connection to patriarch M.L. ‘Monsy’ Monson, who began the business nearly 100 years ago.

There's a deep connection to the land as well, as the Ranch’s sourcing and properties for its cattle, its fruit trees and its highly regarded grapes come from the fertile Columbia Valley soils.

The Ranch also connects to the wide range of consumers from the Depression Era to the ‘new age,’ with a variety of products from beef to apple and cherry products to world-class grapes that yield renowned wines and, more recently, are distilled into quality vodka, gin, whiskey and brandy.

“We’re probably one of the most diverse agricultural families in the state. We pretty much do everything,’’ said Taylor Monson Jackson, one of several fourth-generation

family members who are powering Monson Family Ranch success.

The business has come a long way since the 1930s when Monsy established his cattle ranch in the Yakima Valley. That humble beginning was expanded in the early 1970s to bigger cattle operations in Sunnyvale, spearheaded by Monsy’s son Arvil and his wife Suzanne. The company established a conglomerate, with other local area ranches, to supply Washington beef to consumers around the state and region.

Arvil and his three children — Molly, Valerie and Bill (currently president of Goose Ridge Vineyard) — planted the first apple orchard in 1979. Apple and cherry production soon became an integral part of the business.

“My grandfather (Arvil) and my dad (Bill) always said you have to be diverse in farming to be successful,’’ added Taylor Monson Jackson, part of the company’s sales and marketing team.

Then in 1998, another pathway opened, albeit inadvertently. The family purchased Goose Ridge, a 2,200acre rolling plot of land in the Goose Gap AVA. It was serendipitously located between Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills, two wine-grape plots that have become the highest-caliber wine-growing areas in the world. Some of the finest wines in the nation come from those soils.

“It (wine-making) happened accidentally. Our plan was to put it all into apples,’’ Taylor said. “(Then) we were approached to plant wine grapes. My dad (Bill) does not say a lot. He listens and if it makes sense for the family, he’ll do it.’’

He did it. Goose Ridge Vineyard in Richland celebrates its 25th anniversary in the wine business.

Among the vineyard’s premium wine choices are G3 (representing three Monson generations), Revelations and Among the Giants. The winery has tasting rooms throughout the state, in Woodinville, Leavenworth, Prosser, Walla Walla and Richland.

Still, the Goose Ridge folks believed there might be more opportunities for those precious cabernet grapes. That led to another more recent venture into the distillery business, producing their own vodka, whiskeys, bourbons and gin.

Bill Monson’s long-time friend Brian Morton, who had a solid reputation as a master distiller, was brought in to run Goose Ridge Distillery. The initial line of spirits was introduced in 2022, all made at a distillery in downtown Prosser, in an old armory. A tasting room behind the building was added in November.

“He (Morton) was born and raised in Washington,’’ Taylor said. “He has built distilleries all over the world. He was the perfect partner for us. He can pretty much create anything and have it be an amazing, finished product.

“The big thing with Brian is he wants everything to be a complete farm to bottle experience. He’s really big on sourcing locally.’’

Morton created a gin, Feather and Folly, that Taylor called ‘‘an American gin for the new age drinkers.’’ Morton’s vodka creation, Vido Vodka, has been on a sentimental journey. The vodka, honored as the premium vodka of the Seattle Kraken and served at Climate Pledge, was named after Arvil Monson, who died in 2014. His nickname was Vido. His profile is on the label.

“Arvil was a visionary. He was a big dreamer. Bill was the doer,’’ Taylor Monson Jackson added. “The third generation made things happen in this area. What better way to honor our grandfather than to name a spirit after him.’’

The next (fourth) generation of Monson Family Ranch members is up and running the business, spread around with various responsibilities from the cattle ranches to the vineyards to the support staff. They are in tune with the next generation of consumers, while still remembering and connecting with their past.

SHORT GAME

D2 and beyond: DeLille Cellars always seeking to build the brand and experience

BY BOB SHERWIN • CG STAFF WRITER

For more than 30 years, DeLille Cellars has been perfecting the complexity, acidity and quality of their wines as well as any of the more than 1,100 wineries in the wine-infused state of Washington. What the Woodinville-based winery also needed was more visibility.

Folks needed to know that DeLille, which began making wine in 1992, has won awards throughout the industry and now is the second biggest producer in the state. The winery has proudly put its hand-crafted products out there at tasting events, conventions, country clubs, dinner parties, as well as continuing to extend marketing connections with retailers/consumers.

But the most significant step toward building its brand was in December 2019 when DeLille moved its headquarters and production facilities from Eastern Washington to the Old Redhook Brewery in Woodinville. The winery established unique three-story tasting rooms and, in June 2021, opened The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars next door at the former Forecaster's Public House.

“At the core of our philosophy is ‘always seeking,’ ‘’ said Britney Watson, DeLille’s marketing manager. “Whether that is always seeking better grapes for the next vintage or always seeking better opportunities to put wines on display in front of customers. That was relevant to the acquisition of the Red Hook Brewery, and we are opening a second location at University Village in Seattle next summer.”

Indeed, DeLille’s connection with consumers will extend to Seattle next summer when the winery opens a retail/restaurant spot in the middle of the city’s most fashionable outdoor mall.

The location will feature a café, tasting rooms and retail space.

“It will help us further that mission, trying to reach different customers,” Watson said. “People can pop in for a visit, a quick glass of wine or a nice dinner. We bring the experience to them. We try to create different opportunities for people to try different wines.

“At our core is the idea of making sure we are the top wine producer in Washington state,” she added.

DeLille’s Seattle move will connect the entire state, end to end. All their grapes are gathered at various locations in the Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley and Red Mountain AVA. They are then trucked over in the cool of the night to Woodinville for production. DeLille is regarded as a top American producer of Bordeaux-style blends. Bordeaux, in southwest France, is roughly the same latitude as eastern Washington, meaning the same style/quality grape. Bordeaux primarily produces red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and blends.

Inspired by Bordeaux, DeLille developed its most popular, premium and celebrated red wine, D2, which is the name of the grand route du vin highway that runs through the historic chateau region from Bordeaux into the Médoc, France’s most famous wine region.

D2 is a blend sourced from various high-quality Columbia Valley vineyards including Harrison Hill, Red Willow, Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, Boushey, DuBrul, Upchurch and Grand Ciel. It’s an all-state and all-American selection.

Robert Parker, who operates an internationally renowned wine reviewing site/magazine — the Robert Parker Wine Advocate — has called DeLille Cellars “the Lafite-Rothschild of Washington State,” and the reviewer once wrote that the 2021 D2 was “built to thrill.” DeLille was one of the first five wineries in Washington to receive Robert Parker’s 5-star excellence rating.

D2 and a popular middle tier red such as Metier can be found all over, including many golf courses and country clubs. “I think there is a lot to overlap between golf lovers and wine lovers,” Watson added.

While DeLille’s growth focus has been Washington and the Northwest, the winery continues to be ‘always seeking,’ sending wine to 42 of the 50 states.

“In recent years, we’ve been looking at the national scale and seeing what opportunities are out there to continue to share our story,” Watson added. “We think our wine is fantastic and we’re trying to get our wine into the hands of more consumers.”

SHORT GAME

White Horse

Apple Tree

Wine Valley

With 120 offers, Northwest Golfers

The 2025 Northwest Golfers Playbook is here and, like its predecessors, is packed full of offers that will either help you save some green while playing on some of the best greens in the region or avoid rainy days while playing in an indoor, climate-controlled environment.

With golf still as busy as ever, the NWGPB offers golf savings at a ton of spots, including some of the top courses in the state as well as your local favorites.

When you think of Washington’s best courses, Gamble Sands and Wine Valley certainly come to mind. Well, with the Playbook, you’ll save a few coins at both. But they’re not the only great tracks where you’ll enjoy significant savings. Inside, you’ll also find Salish Cliffs, White Horse, Suncadia, The Home Course and Apple Tree along with plenty of other gems.

We are in a period when so many new players are getting involved in the game and would probably benefit from some instruction. If that’s you, you can save on golf lessons at multiple locations including Puetz Golf, GolfTec, Pacific Northwest Golfer Centers and Snohomish Valley Golf Center (SVGC). Puetz and SVGC have you covered on range balls, too, and also offer deals on golf equipment, apparel and loads of other items that will make the game more enjoyable.

Puetz Golf includes $10 in Puetz Bucks with the purchase of every Playbook in addition to their lesson, range and repair offers.

If you live north of Seattle, we have several tracks for you to hit up including Avalon, Camaloch and Gleneagle, and even some great options for you in Whatcom County with North Bellingham, Loomis Trail, Lake Padden and others.

For south-end folks, the deals are likewise plentiful, with several offers from great courses in and around Tacoma, DuPont and Puyallup. So you’ll get great rates at Oakbrook, The Home Course, Eagle’s Pride, Meadow Park, The Classic, High Cedars and plenty more.

Those looking for similarly discounted rates while on vacation should bring their Playbook if headed to Walla Walla, Suncadia, the Olympic Peninsula, Bellingham, Portland, Hood River, the Oregon Coast or Central Oregon. There are over 120 pages of deals, and you’ll just need to use a coupon or two to be in the black.

The book is sold online for $44.95. Though readers can use the code SAVEBIGONGOLF to shave $5 off that, making a good deal even better. Pick one up at NWGolfersPlaybook.com and don’t be afraid to tell someone at the course you appreciate them being in the Playbook when you make your next tee time.

Get out and play more golf! Cheers!

Port Orchard’s portrait of golfing Peninsula style

The folks at the McCormick Woods Golf Club, the distinguished 37-year-old course among the pines and firs in Port Orchard, understand that changes to the course under the turf are appreciated by golfers as much as those above.

That’s why the course’s master plan over the past few years has been to fix or upgrade the course’s irrigation system so that occasional marshy spots in the fall/winter are abated and dry patchy areas during the summer are hydrated.

“We’ve put a lot of money into our irrigation system,” said Bjorn Bjorke, McCormick Woods’ general manager.

Within the past few years, maintenance workers addressed some of the soggy areas, tearing up and replacing piping on holes 4, 6 and 8. “We still have one more drainage issue on No. 5,” Bjorke said. “It’s on our list. I’m not sure when we’ll do it. We’ll see how the winter goes.”

On the dry side, Bjorke said over the past year the course did a slew of irrigation projects designed to address areas that burn out during extended dry summer periods.

“We replaced all the pumps and lots of heads,’’ Bjorke said. “We're still working with our original irrigation system that was built in the 1980s. We're about a quarter of the way through replacing the heads. We may have 600 of them and we’ve replaced about 150.’’

Maintenance workers replaced broken heads, put in new ones, adjusted some for better spray coverage or moved some to different locations. “We were getting to the point where we couldn’t keep up with the watering. It got pretty dry,” Bjorke said.

The result is better playability.

“They (golfers) don’t see it directly, but they see it indirectly with better quality turf out there,” he added.

Bjorke said the course also made some above-ground changes. The old chipping green — about 1,000 square feet — was torn up and replaced by a redesigned one that’s seven times bigger with a grass bunker and sand bunker.

The 10th hole also was lengthened, from around 420 yards to 491 yards and adjusted from a par-4 to a par-5.

“It’s a dogleg left and what would happen is people would just hit driver and without knowing that ball would just be gone (OB) through the dogleg. That was no fun for a lot of them,” Bjorke said. “So, we lengthened it and now they're not going to lose their ball, if they hit it down the middle.”

Bjorke, who has served in the GM role for nearly nine years, has overseen most of the course changes. Here are his thoughts on our six-question Corona Premier Property survey. Visit McCormickWoodsGolf.com for complete information.

McCormick Woods upgrades and superb drainage has made it a top spot since the mid-1980s

A Bucket with GM • Bjorn Bjorke

Toughest Tee Shot

For an average golfer, I’d say No. 16 (par 4, 435 yards back tees). It’s an elevated tee, fairway slopes pretty severely left to right. Out of bounds left and a creek on the right. You’ve got to hit the fairway. If you don’t, you’re going to be facing penalties. Most people hit a driver because it’s a fairly long par 4. But you have to hit the fairway. That’s what makes it difficult.

Best Birdie Opportunity

It might be No. 10 now, but probably No. 8 (par 4, 373 yards). It’s a shorter par 4. Most golfers would hit a driver or a hybrid and a wedge. The green has some trickiness, but from most locations, you’re going to be on or close to the green putting for birdie. It’s one of those holes where you mark on the scorecard, ‘I need to make birdie here if I’m going to score well.’

Best Par 3

No. 7 (142 yards). It’s the shortest one. The green is a little higher than the tee, but there’s a dip in the middle, with a pond. It’s kind of a kidney-shaped green. Huge grass bunker in the short right corner of it. You’ve got to hit the right club there. It sits high in the back and low in the front. You miss the green right or left, it’s not a given up-and-down. You’re going to make four. And it’s a beauty, a nice background of trees and the pond in front.

Favorite Hole

Probably No. 5 (par 4, 388 yards). It’s an elevated tee. The hole is all out in front of you. It’s a demanding tee shot that has quite a bit of risk-and-reward. You can try to hit it over the pond and give yourself a wedge in, or you can lay up. If you lay up, the green is pretty difficult to hit. It’s skinny in the center of it. There’s a swamp to the right, bunker on the left.

Emergency Nine front or back?

If you want to score well, you go on the front. If you want more of a challenge you go on the back. Most people, if they had their choice, would choose the back.

Go-To Lunch Item on the Clubhouse Menu

The Monte Cristo (ham, turkey, Swiss cheese hot sandwich). People love it. Over 20 years (on the menu).

Cascade Golfer and Duke’s Seafood congratulate this year’s winners

Philanthropists

Moscrip's gracious philanthropy makes a difference Looking back at the 2024 Duke’s Scholarship winners

In the eight years since John Moscrip first awarded the Duke’s Seafood Junior Golf Scholarship, 33 individuals and three high school golf teams have been chosen as winners. Moscrip is the company’s co-owner/chief operating officer and a Seattle golfer of some repute having once tied Tiger Woods in a competitive tournament round at the 1991 Junior America’s Cup. He’s also a big supporter of youth golf in the region and he smiles every time another selection process begins, impressed again by the talents, determination and initiative of the candidates.

From the most recent recipient — Puyallup’s Hannah Thill — all the way back to Hayden Hunskor, who was awarded the very first scholarship, every winner has demonstrated the qualities Moscrip hopes to see. “This young man epitomizes the characteristics — well-rounded, great sportsmanship, hard-working, and driven — we feel are essential to success,” he said of Hunskor in April 2016.

Four more very deserving junior golfers won the prize in 2024. In April, there were two clear winners — Kylie Nguyen, then a senior at Fife High School (now at Chapman University in California), and Brianna Nguyen, a junior at Interlake. Both played in the First Tee event on the Champions Tour at Pebble Beach — Kylie playing with Gary Hallberg and Brianna with Fred Couples. Both had resumes full of academic and sporting accomplishments but what really stood out was the part each played in staging the Nguyen Junior Amateur tournament, alongside the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, at North Shore GC. The event, which has now been played five times, raises money for the First Tee of Greater Seattle and the Duc Foundation, which benefits numerous youth organizations in and around the city.

“What Kylie and Brianna are doing is very impressive,” Moscrip said, adding “I’m very excited to have them be a part of the scholarship’s great history.”

The prize in May this year went to Auburn Mountainview freshman Esther Yu, who discovered how much she loved golf during Covid, becoming consumed by the game shortly after taking her first swings. In 2020, she qualified for the WJGA State Championship at age 11, and she was playing off a handicap of 1.3 at Meridian Valley at the time of her scholarship win — she now plays off 0.8.

Steve Calhoun, Esther’s high school golf coach, told us

how committed she was to improving her golf and helping her team, adding that she practices every day, rain or shine. Not surprisingly, she had already broken several golf records while also starting for the school’s water polo team. Mountainview Athletic Director Chris Carr weighed in too, saying how hard Esther worked on her game.

“She’s with her teammates in the afternoons then goes to the range for two hours,” he said. “She’s a very accomplished student who prioritizes high school golf while also playing WJGA tournaments most weekends.”

Her golfing achievements helped, of course but, in choosing Esther for the award, Moscrip was particularly taken by her 4.0 GPA and efforts to mentor younger players at Meridian Valley.

Hannah Thill, a junior at Rogers High School in Puyallup, was the summer issue’s winner chosen from the group of nominations for her run on the Rams’ golf team but also her 4.0 GPA (you certainly don’t have to be a 4.0 student to win the Duke’s Seafood Junior Golf Scholarship, but it doesn’t hurt), her playing of three musical instruments, and her work as a ski instructor and on the outside services team at Lake Spanaway GC. General Manager Nicholas Pike said Hannah set the standard for the team and that her positive attitude was infectious.

“She motivates her fellow team members to do their best,” Pike added. “She’s a joy to work with and very deserving of the scholarship.”

Hannah’s coach at Rogers, David Johnston, spoke of her humility and the example she set to the younger players on the team, adding that “no one outworks her.”

Hannah, Esther, Kylie, and Brianna were exactly the sort of young golfers John Moscrip had in mind when conceiving the Duke’s Seafood Junior Golf Scholarship.

“They all personify what I’m looking for when selecting the winner,” he says. “Besides their many talents and abilities, each of them has a strong work ethic and is active in their schools and communities.”

If you know a hard-working junior golfer, eager to improve their game and benefit those around them, send in your nomination for one of next year’s awards. Contact Tony Dear at tonydear71@comcast.net or Dick Stephens at stephens@varsitycommunications.com.

Kylie Nguyen Fife High School

Briana Nguyen Interlake High School

and gentlemen: John (right) and Duke Moscrip give back to the sport they love.

Hanna Thill Rogers High School

Esther Yu Mountainview High School

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

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

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

Jefferson Park

Hole No. 17 Par 5

490 yards (Blue Tees)

RISK vs. RE WARD

BY SIMON DUBIEL • SALES/MARKETING MANAGER & TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR

The Setup

Jefferson Park is a jewel in Seattle. The oldgrowth trees frame the fairways beautifully, making this a great walk in the heart of Beacon Hill. Perhaps no hole is more enjoyable than 17. The slight dogleg right invites a left-to-right tee shot to split the fairway. A well-struck shot will find the downhill slope, leaving just a mid-iron into the green. A bunker front right makes you think twice about chasing a sucker right-hand pin location.

The Risk

Although short enough for most to get home in two, where you miss with your approach makes all the difference. Sure, a shot into the middle of the green plays well, but as we all know, sometimes what we plan is not what happens. Being short-sided with a questionable lie is not the formula to get up and down. The greenside bunker reduces your chances of making a par, as well.

Final Call

The Reward

Very few par-5s offer you the opportunity of hitting a mid to short iron into the green with your second shot. Not only are those holes a blast to play, but they can give your score a real shot in the arm, too. Don’t be tempted into going pin-seeking. Just play to the fat part of the green. Your goal is to have the putter in hand for your third shot and pulling the ball from the cup with your fourth.

You blast one down the hill and sit 160 out. You laying up? Not today, tomorrow or anytime next week. This is the time to push your chips into the middle with confidence. Center of the green is the target and a great way to put at least one circle on the scorecard. Swing it smooth and start stacking chips. It is time to get greedy.

PRESENTED BY

Lady Jaye’s Owner

Sara Rosales & Mixology Master

Lady Jaye Smokehouse and Restaurant is a fixture after five years on the West Seattle scene, having survived the pandemic and flourished, with its premium-quality butcher shop/smokehouse and its sumptuous, meat-centered dining menu.

Don’t fail to check out Lady Jaye’s lineup of custom craft cocktails too, from the Bourbon Crusta (bourbon, Cointreau, lemon, absinthe) to the Rosalie (tequila blanco, fresh watermelon, lime, basil).

And now, ask for a Monkey’s Paw, the current featured Scotch cocktail in the joint.

Lady Jaye owner Sara Rosales created the Monkey’s Paw for the James Beard Taste America event in October at Seattle’s Four Seasons.

“It was crazy,” Rosales says. “I don’t get behind the bar too often anymore, but I did some cocktail shakin’ that night. My arms were sore the next day.”

Rosales had a decade and a half of bartending and experience as the manager at the opening of two Seattle eateries — Radiator Whiskey and the White Swan Public House — before she launched her own enterprise in 2019. Lady Jaye had seven months to get on solid footing before the pandemic kicked in, she says.

All the hard work has yielded another success.

19TH HOLE

A star cocktail at James Beard’s Taste America Seattle

The Monkey Shoulder Monkey’s Paw Shaken’ – Not Stirred

BY BART POTTER • CG STAFF WRITER

This world-class Scotch, the right liqueur and creative touches make this a fan favorite

The Monkey’s Paw cocktail starts with Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch, a product of the worldwide distillers and distributors William Grant and Sons.

Monkey Shoulder works for the Monkey’s Paw and other cocktails because it’s one of the most mixable of blended Scotches for its smooth melding of Speyside single malt whiskies and its honey and barley flavor profile. Its affordable price (about $50 for 750 milliliters) makes Monkey Shoulder more suitable for mixing than more expensive blends or single malts.

Rosales began with what she knew she liked: “Scotch and vanilla is my favorite flavor combination.”

Giffard Banane du Bre sil liqueur slid right in with ease. “It turns the cocktail immediately into something tropical.”

A dash of black pepper tincture tempers the drink’s sweetness just enough.

At the James Beard event, in a ballroom thick with beverage professionals and their concoctions, the Monkey’s Paw stood out.

“Several people told me it was their favorite of the night,” Rosales said.

Herewith a little-known fact about this issue’s chosen booze brand, as explained on its label: “A malt man’s skill is demonstrated as he turns the malting barley by hand. Some malt men would develop a strain injury known as ‘monkey shoulder.’ Thankfully, the condition no longer exists.”

No worries when drinking a Monkey’s Paw: Easy on the palate, easy on the shoulder.

At Home Bar Mixology

The Monkey’s Paw

By Sara Rosales • Owner • Lady Jaye Smokehouse & Restaurant • Seattle

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ounces Monkey Shoulder blended Scotch

• 1 ounce lemon juice

• 1 ounce house-made vanilla syrup

• .5 ounce Giffard Banane du Bresil

• Black pepper tincture

INSTRUCTIONS

• Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into a coupe glass.

• Garnish with a black pepper and vanilla marshmallow.

• Choose proper or interesting glassware and enjoy over ice or up.

IN THE BAG

PRODUCT REVIEWS and equipment news you can use

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

Hot 2024 holiday gift ideas to give and hopefully receive

We hope this issue finds you with a lower handicap than when the year began, and that somewhere along the way, you were able to forge some quality memories involving great shots, exceptional rounds, and enjoyable walks or rides with your families and buddies.

We trust that whatever effort you put into your game met with at least a commensurate level of success (though significantly greater success than what you deserved or expected from your practice would be ideal, of course).

We also expect that as the holidays draw near, you’re thinking about what golf gifts you might give or request. And that while though the cold and wet might be preventing you from heading out for nine or 18 right now, you’re already planning out your 2025 golf season, pondering where you might go for a buddies or couples trip (could it be Bandon Dunes or Gamble Sands or perhaps somewhere further afield, even overseas?), what you’ll be working on with your swing and which new equipment might lift your game a notch or two.

As always, Puetz Golf will have whatever implement or accessory you want — or think you need — and there are 10 items we’re fairly sure will not only make your Christmas Day a little better but also shave a stroke or two off your score. We wish all our readers a very happy holidays and hope you all enjoy your families and friends.

Ghost Golf has been around for less than five years. The company began life as a humble golf towel-maker. Its towel featured a powerful magnet that allowed them to attach easily to any metal surface. Ghost soon branched out into other categories, though, quickly establishing a reputation for quality. It is already regarded as one of the industry’s finest makers of golf bags, belts, hats, gloves, travel bags, headcovers, and other accessories, including of course, the towels. Though its towels will always be Ghost’s raison d'être, it’s probably best-known for it bags, especially the ANYDAY stand bag, which is available in seven styles — Maverick, Maverick Black Ops, Katana, Oreo, Patriot, Ronin, and Saya. It weighs 6.5 pounds., has 14 velvet-wrapped, full-length, club dividers, a large putter well, heavily padded dual straps, a stabilizing base, a magnetic pocket, water bottle sleeves, multiple personal pockets, a customizable ball pocket, a pen holder, a line-marking aid, a glove keeper, and a rain hood. That’s a lot of features, though it commands such a high price thanks to the quality of the build and materials — leather, synthetic leather, nylon, and carbon-fiber. The GT-14 Cart Bag weighs 7.4 pounds, and is likewise constructed using quality, weather-resistant materials. There are three grab handles in addition to many other features. The Weekender is a lightweight Sunday bag that weighs just 4.1 pounds and features a three-way divider for the suggested eight clubs. There’s surprisingly ample storage space for such a small, lightweight bag, and it comes with six pockets, three of which are insulated.

IN THE BAG

TITLEIST

GT 2, GT 3, GT4 Drivers 4

When Callaway bought the Ben Hogan Equipment Company in 2003, it did nothing with the Hogan brand, which more or less disappeared. In 2012, it sold Hogan to Perry Ellis, an innovative fashion designer who focused on sportwear. He died in 1986, but his brand lives on, and now owns and licenses other notable fashion brands. While it licenses the Hogan name to English entrepreneur Simon Millington, it retained the trademark for the famous Apex iron, and released its first offering in 2013. It has shown Apex the respect it deserves by introducing a number of top-quality, forged Apex irons that are the flagship of Callaway’s extensive iron inventory — Paradym Ai Smoke, Rogue, Big Bertha, and Mavrik. The Apex Ai200 and Ai300 were launched in August, which helped to maintain Apex’s status as one of the most prestigious and sought-after iron models in the game. The Ai200 is the better player’s club and features a hollow body filled with Urethane Microspheres to improve feel by dampening impact vibrations. The forged 455 Carpenter Steel face (surrounded by a 1025 forged steel body) was designed using Artificial Intelligence to create Ai Smart Face which increases ball speed, launch angle, and spin-rate which results in a higher launch that enables to the ball to descend steeply and stop quicker on the green. An adjustable backweight allows fitters to customize feel and weight. Though sleek and refined-looking, the Ai300 is a larger club with significantly more offset which makes it ideal for game-improvers.

Mizuno was always the forged blade company, and while it certainly produces some of the industry’s most beautiful, better-player irons, it also offers a highly respected line of JPX cavity-backed clubs. They’ve been around for 15 years, and despite not having as big a cachet as the manufacturer’s forged blades, they have been in Brooks Koepka’s bag for his major championship wins. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the earliest JPX irons weren’t given much love, but with the rise of Hot Metal — Mizuno’s extremely strong steel used to make very thin but durable clubfaces — the franchise has grown in stature. The JPX 925 is cast using Nickel Chromoly 4335+ which was first used in the JPX 923 in 2022. The center of its clubface is a relatively thick 2.4 millimeters wide. That is a little thicker than that of the JPX923, but the areas around the center are just 1.2 millimeters. Those are referred to as “flex zones.” The difference in thickness is called CORTECH, and it enables the clubface to flex more which results in greater ball speeds. The 4-7 irons have internal, tungsten weights designed to help golfers hit higher-launching, steeper-descending approach shots. Ribs located just beneath the club’s topline enhance sound, and therefore feel. A variable-thickness sole helps to increase the amount the face flexes. The Hot Metal family also includes Pro and HL models for Koepka wannabes and golfers who need help getting the ball in the air. The tech is much the same, but its different dimensions and tweaked lofts make all the difference.

n the years since it became serious about speed, Titleist has introduced a number of drivers that all offered ample tech, but which look very similar. Of course, there were minor changes, but the non-expert glancing at each model would likely be unable to tell them apart. The GT (Generational Technology) continues the trend with its sleek, all-black, pear-shaped design. The tech continues to evolve, however. The biggest differences between the GT and previous models are the raised back part of the sole (“Boat Tail”), and multi-material clubhead — the first time Titleist has made a non-all-titanium driver since 2010. The carbon crown is a thermoform polymer and heat-treated to make it pliable and applied to the chassis using a Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP) which can be manipulated to create a more powerful sound. It also allows Titleist to make the seam between crown and chassis disappear. Internal “Split Mass” weighting sends weight to the back to improve stability, and front to lower spin and increase ball speeds, creating what Titleist calls “Total Performance” drivers. The Speed Ring is designed to maximize the club’s COR (coefficient of restitution) in the center to maximize ball speed on solid strikes. The GT 2 is designed for a high launch with increased MOI that doesn’t sacrifice speed. The GT 3’s adjustable CG track allows fitters and golfers to select between five CG locations and manipulate ball flight. The 430 cc GT4 creates less spin, and a more penetrating ball flight, ideal for better players.

IN THE BAG

TAYLORMADE

Kalea GOLD women’s package sets 5

TaylorMade’s Kalea clubs are weighted, sized, and styled specifically for women, and the GOLD package set is ideal for new players who want a quality product they can take straight from the store to the golf course. TaylorMade says Kalea is designed “to deliver maximum performance for everyone from the beginner to the club champion.” Premium components and proven TaylorMade technologies, such as Carbonwood construction, are used to create a set that promises the optimal transfer of energy while maximizing distance, forgiveness, and stability. Michelle Penney, TaylorMade’s Principal Engineer of Product Development, says she wanted to name the new Kalea clubs “GOLD” because she wanted to set the gold standard with the company’s second premier women’s line. “The most important part of the DNA of this product,” she says, “is that it’s designed by women, for women.” The driver and fairways woods are ultralight with appropriate loft to help ladies who are new to the game create some clubhead speed and get the ball off the ground. The irons feature Cap Back Design, a Thru-Slot Speed Pocket, and Inverted Cone Technology, which are all designed to carry the ball farther and control its flight. Their lie angles also give the club a slight draw bias. The multi-material Kalea Gold Spider S putter increases MOI to keep the ball on track if it’s not struck cleanly. The stand bag is available in both blue and white.

COBRA FLY XL 2 package sets 6

Cobra is a major manufacturer that makes topof-the-line clubs for low-handicappers and game-improvement (even game-starter) clubs for golfers who are less consumed by the game, yet still crave the ability to hit satisfying shots. The FLY-XL 2 complete set includes a full bag of lightweight, forgiving clubs that create an easy launch and respectable distance. The set consists of a driver, fairway-wood, 4/5 hybrids, 6-9 Irons, PW, SW, blade putter and cart bag. The titanium driver is available in 10.5- and 11.5-degree versions and has an oversized shape with heel-biased weighting to help square the clubface at impact — potentially allowing for a slight draw. The fairway-wood features a shallow profile to keep the center of gravity low and help golfers get balls airborne. The same heel-weighting promotes a draw. The hybrids are designed to create perfect gapping between the fairway-woods and irons, which provides an ideal option for 175-200-yard shots. The irons come in 6-PW and SW and have a traditional cavity-back design to increase perimeter weighting, helping novice golfers who may struggle to find the sweet spot with any regularity, to create decent ball speed, and keep it online. The blade putter has a machined face which allows for great feel and control. The premium cart bag features a 14-way divider to separate clubs. It also has a velour pocket for storing valuables, and seven other pockets for balls, tees or other items.

CALLAWAY OPUS wedges 7

Because manufacturers are so careful to release new products at precisely the most impactful time nowadays, embargoes are used to prevent the media from divulging sensitive information before the manufacturer wants it known. That is why Callaway had some of its staff players using prototype Opus wedges disguised as JAWS Raw wedges for 18 months. Jon Rahm was hitting this new club at the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, and then at the Ryder Cup in Rome, despite the club not being released to the public until July of this year. The Opus wedge is cleaner, smoother, and more refined looking than previous Callaway wedges. Its rounder, teardrop shape was preferred by the company’s high-profile testers. “Spin-Gen” technology features three elements that together are designed to create more consistent spin, regardless of the conditions. Aggressively milled grooves are positioned closer together, resulting in greater space to provide more of them. The faces are blasted using tiny quartz crystals that help to create a rougher surface. That creates more friction. Angled micro-grooves between the main grooves channel moisture away, ensuring the wedge performs much the same in wet conditions as dry. Four grind options make for clubs that are better suited for lush or tight turf and can sit either raised or flush to the ground. They are available from 48 to 60 degrees and with either a Brushed Chrome or Black Shadow finish. Opus Platinum wedges have 17 grams of tungsten in the top-line to help less-able golfers hit the ball on a lower trajectory.

IN THE BAG

TITLEIST Pro V1 with Enhanced Alignment 9

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $54.99

BagBoy has been in business since 1946 and became part of the Dynamic Brands (based in Richmond, Va.) portfolio in 2004. Its current inventory includes push or electric carts, stand bags, cart bags, plus travel bags and accessories. The Quad Pro push cart was introduced in September and is a sturdy, four-wheel product with several features that make pushing a cart less strenuous. There’s an integrated, magnetic iron plate for range finders, towels, and speakers, and the design gives you superb stability with maintenance-free tires. It offers generous storage space with an extra-deep scorecard console, large accessory bag, and a beverage or phone holder. It is compatible with Top-Lok bags meaning BagBoy and Datrek golf bags can attach to the cart securely. The handle-mounted parking brake locks the cart into a stationary position with ease, and it opens and closes with a simple, two-step procedure. The Quad Pro weighs 16 pounds, with dimensions of 24 x 17 x 15 inches in its folded position. The Slimfold has three wheels and an ultra-slim design, making it one of the smallest and lightest push carts on the market. It opens and closes quickly and easily, and like the Quad Pro, has a handle-mounted parking brake. Its large wheels maneuver easily, and the upper bag bracket is designed for all bag types and sizes. The scorecard console has a beverage or phone holder — as well as a place for balls — and it too, is compatible with Top-Lok golf bags. The Slimfold weighs 15 pounds and, in its folded position, has dimensions of 32.25 by 8.5 by 13.5 inches.

The Pro-V1 celebrates its 25th anniversary next year. Yes, it’s been nearly a quarter of a century since Billy Andrade became the first player to win with it, claiming his fourth and final PGA Tour victory at the 2000 Invensys Classic, played at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas. YouTube videos show the Massachusetts native hitting irons distances he wasn’t used to. He was stopping the ball quickly on the greens, thanks to a ground-breaking solid-core, soft-Urethane-cover design that combined the benefits of a Surlyn-covered distance ball with those of a balata-covered precision ball. Andrade shot 28-under-par at the fiveround event, beating a 30-year-old Phil Mickelson by one stroke. The ball has been through numerous iterations since then and has been used for hundreds of pro wins around the globe. The most recent model features what Titleist calls “High-gradient, dual-core technology,” and a “speed-amplifying high-flex casing layer” to lower longgame spin and boost ball speed. The cast urethane cover has 348 tetrahedral-shaped dimples that launch the ball high and give it a consistent flight pattern. The Enhanced Alignment version features an alignment line used by tour players to help aim their putters more confidently. The line is almost a third as long as the ball’s circumference, making it 65 percent longer than Titleist’s standard side stamp. The firmer-feeling Pro-V1x is used by several PGA Tour players, including Justin Thomas and Matt Fitzpatrick. It is preferred by players looking to launch the ball a little higher still, and thus, stop it a little quicker on the green.

TAYLORMADE TP5 & TP5 X Stripe 10

PUETZ GOLF PRICE $57.99

TaylorMade’s five-layered TP5 first appeared in 2017, about a year after the company found itself languishing at sixth in the golf ball market with less than 5 percent market share. The original was a success, however, and sent TaylorMade two places higher in the rankings. Though its path to success wasn’t all plain sailing, it reached a new level in 2021 with the introduction of its ClearPath Alignment Technology. The first Pix, introduced in 2019, continued to develop and gained in popularity. When Rickie Fowler came on board, the ball became widely used by fans. Early in 2022, TaylorMade added a 22-millimeter lime-colored stripe to the Tour Response ball, and the stripe became part of the TP5 earlier this year. Unlike the colored stripe (blue, red, orange, and light blue are available, in addition to the lime) on the Tour Response, however, the TP5 is white and bordered by black dots that define it. As for the ball itself, the current TP5 is the softest TaylorMade has ever created. Its most notable feature is the three layers that surround the core, each firmer than the last and infused with a Dow Chemical Company-developed substance called SpeedWrap. The results are more ball speed and lower driver spin with a softer sound. A soft, cast urethane cover (the fifth layer) improves feel and creates excellent shortgame spin. While TP5 is the softest five-layer ball, the slightly firmer TP5x is the fastest. These will be a big hit this holiday season so shop soon.

High&Dry

The Home Course

Try these great winter courses

in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties

Yes, we love golf 24 hours a day for 365 days of the year. It’s what we do, and a lot of who we are. We’ll play golf in cold, heavy rain, if the course is worthy and the company is good.

As a Pacific Northwesterner, you probably often have friends or family from other parts of the country tell you that — because it rains so often up here — you must love donning the old waterproofs, raising an umbrella, and running a towel (often drenched) up and down your grips in an ultimately fruitless attempt to keep them dry. Surely you relish the sight of another grim cloud moving

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

into position overhead and depositing its liquid contents all over you and the golf course.

Er, no. We’re used to it and have come to terms with it. We can probably tolerate it better than someone who was raised — or lives — in Arizona, Nevada, or New Mexico (the three driest states in the U.S.). But, no, we don’t love it.

While our hope is that you’ll be able to get away to somewhere warm — where the sun shines and the golf course remains firm — at some point over the winter, we know you’ll brave some inhospitable conditions at home to play the game you love. And, though you’ll no

doubt play anywhere that’s open, we wanted to recommend several courses in Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties where you stand a better chance of keeping the mud from the bottom of your trousers. You’ve probably heard that The Cedars at Dungeness on the Olympic Peninsula and Capitol City in Olympia rank among the best winter courses in western Washington, but they’re in Clallam and Thurston Counties, respectively, so don’t count here. Nor does Three Rivers, which has a great reputation for winter golf and sits on a base of silt and sand in Cowlitz County.

Pierce County

No prizes for guessing which course wins here. Located on an old sand and gravel quarry, Chambers Bay cost over $20 million to build on a site that had already cost the County $33 million to buy. When you spend that sort of money, have lots of quick-draining sand at your disposal (100,000 truckloads were taken away for cleaning before being bought back and used to shape the course’s amazing features), and an annual maintenance budget of $2.5 million, the chances are good you’re going to have a course that plays well in all conditions and at all times of the year. You won’t see many puddles or muddy areas like you probably will at courses with much lower maintenance spend and have a heavy clay base.

“Because the course was built where it was, it allows for superior drainage through the sandy soil and keeps Chambers Bay firm and playable even in the wettest conditions,” says General Manager Matt Cohen. “We performed our aeration processes on the greens, tees, fairways, and green surrounds, at the beginning of October, so the golf course is in prime condition heading into the offseason.”

Pierce County residents can play the course for $95 in December and $100 in January, while it’s $110 and $115 for anyone living in Washington.

The 2015 U.S. Open venue isn’t the only course in Pierce County that holds up well in winter, though. Twelve miles southeast of Chambers Bay is The Home Course, which might not boast anywhere near as much natural sand as its neighbor, but does have a pretty deep sand cap, nevertheless.

General Manager Justin Gravatt explains why: “In 1906, the E.I. du Pont de Nemours Company (today’s DuPont) bought the property and began making explosives,” he says. Before it was developed by the Weyerhaeuser Company (which sold it to the Washington State Golf Association and Pacific Northwest Golf Association in May of 2007), a large-scale clean-up operation had to be completed. Part of that project involved capping the course with sand. Golf course sand-caps tend to be between four and eight inches deep, depending on soils, climate, quality, access to water, budgets, and other factors.

“Because of the former land use, The Home Course was capped with a much larger amount of sand than is usual,” Gravatt continues. “Three feet covered the contaminated soil, then there was a layer of gravel and then another 12 inches of sand on top of that. This sand cap is largely responsible for how dry the course remains throughout the winter.”

Indeed, if The Home Course goes more than a day without significant rainfall, Gravatt and his maintenance team typically feel confident about allowing visitors to take carts on to the fairways, which is something of a luxury in the PNW during winter.

Other Pierce County courses with a good reputation for winter golf include Oakbrook, Lake Spanaway, and North Shore, which General Manager David Wetli says is lucky to have good drainage because of its “fairly rocky and sandy” soil.

“Also key,” says Wetli, “is that we like to do an aggressive aerification and sanding of the greens in the fall. In the years when we've been unable to do that for whatever reason, we’ve noticed quite a bit more standing water.”

Chambers Bay

Lake Spanaway

Oakbrook

North Shore

Newcastle

Washington National

Maplewood

King County

The closest you’ll get in King County to playing golf on a 233-acre former sand and gravel pit like Chambers Bay is probably at Washington National in Covington. Around the time the course opened in 2000, its designer John Fought wrote this for the owners: “The site was once covered with tall, Douglas Firs but clear cut 20 years ago (1980s) then left to revegetate naturally. With its natural, sandy basins, and because the existing soils are composed mostly of gravel, the course will be one of the driest in the Pacific Northwest for year-round play.”

Elsewhere in King County, Maplewood in Renton often crops up in conversations about good Winter courses. Course Manager, Steve Meyers, says the main factors are the amount of aerification and topdressing he and his team have done over the years, along with pockets of sandy/rocky soil. “We do have occasional wet spots,” he adds, “but, overall, the course plays very well during winter.” Newcastle and Redmond Ridge also have the means to stay dry. And Druids Glen is worth a look. The site there has quite a bit of movement which is always good for drainage and the soil in the Covington Creek watershed does have some sandy qualities.

Legion Memorial

Battle Creek

Snohomish County

A

gain, there aren’t many sand-laden courses in Snohomish County with sizeable maintenance crews, but two courses, in particular, do deserve a mention. The first is Legion Memorial in Everett which — as a $29 municipal — you never really expect to be dry in the wet … but invariably is. There are numerous group chats, forums and message boards on the internet where you’ll see it mentioned as a great winter course. And yes, sand is involved.

“We’re lucky Legion was built on an eight-inch sand cap,” says General Manager and Head PGA professional, Shayne Day. “Not many courses have that around here. And we’re definitely one of the two or three driest public courses in western Washington because of it.”

Day adds there are other factors in play such as regular top dressing, sanding, aerification (“two or three times a year”), and an effective drainage system.

Being on the far southeastern edge of the elliptical Olympic Rain Shadow might also help.

“We have a lot of players who feel our location can often give us less precipitation,” Day continues.

There might be something in that. According to Weather.com, Marysville — which is three miles to the north of the course — gets roughly 29 inches of rain a year. Seattle, 30 miles to the south, gets nearly 38. That’s a 24 percent difference, which people who are used to rain will certainly notice.

The other course is Battle Creek in Tulalip, which also averages 29 inches of rain per year. And get this, if you check in within half an hour of your tee time, and it’s raining, you get 25 percent knocked off your green fee. Should it rain after you’ve checked in, you can ask for a 25 percent off coupon for your next round (see website for details).

“As far as we know, we’re the only golf course in the world that does this,” says the course’s PGA professional, Alex Stacy. The current 18-hole rate during the week is $45. That’s $11.25 off your next round if it rains … which it does, a lot. That’s a Wilbur breakfast sandwich, or hot dog, chips, and soda in the café.

The Great Indoors

Bad weather doesn’t have to end your season — stick these indoor hot spots on your GPS and hit ‘em up

CBY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

onsistently poor weather can make golf outdoors thoroughly unpleasant to the point of actually CHOOSING NOT TO PLAY! Okay, it takes particularly nasty conditions to prevent a typical western Washingtonian from downing their clubs, but it happens.

We need a golf fix, though. Winter might be the time to do jobs around the house that have needed doing for months, but somewhere in amongst the painting, building, caulking, erecting, rewiring, tiling, cleaning, repairing, flooring, etc., we have to squeeze in some golf time.

Lucky then that America is currently enjoying an indoor golf moment — well, we believe and hope it will last significantly longer than a moment. Topgolf Callaway Brands may have announced in September that it intends to spin off its two main entities — Topgolf and Callaway — into separate, independent companies, with President and CEO Chip Brewer saying that while Topgolf remained a healthy and “high-quality, free cash flow-generating business”, he has been disappointed in the company’s stock

performance for some time (it dropped 24 percent between January and September).

But the National Golf Foundation said in April there are now an astonishing 1,200 indoor golf facilities in the U.S. while New York City-based Straits Research says the home simulator market is expected to grow from $1.3 billion in 2021 to $3.3 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 10.1 percent.

It wasn’t very long ago that western Washington had a handful (small hands) of locations where you could have a beer and some nachos while hitting a golf ball into a screen. We now know of 17 such places including everything from intimate, one or two-simulator “rooms” in residential neighborhoods, to large, nationally-ranked businesses which cater to thousands of golfers both casual and seasoned, offer full food and drinks menus, and have extensive merchandise lines.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of indoor golf facilities in Puget Sound. We’ve covered most, if not all, of them in recent years and will continue to do so. For now though, we felt this was a nice pinch of top spots to ponder this winter.

EVERGREEN GOLF CLUB

— Redmond & Tacoma

EvergreenGolfClub.com

Co-founded by former Seattle Seahawk Jermaine Kearse, and Greg Bodine — who caddies for Bryson DeChambeau and was on the bag when the 2020 winner won his second U.S. Open at North Carlina’s Pinehurst No. 2 in June — Evergreen Golf Club opened its doors at a 13,000-square-foot space in Redmond in 2022.

In October, the company built on its impressive start by adding a second space, a block north of Fircrest GC in Tacoma that, at an incredible 22,000 square feet, is thought to be the largest indoor golf complex in the country. There are 13 bays with Trackman launch monitors and a 7,000-square-feet area dedicated to the short game, which includes a large putting green and real sand bunker. There’s also space for members where they can work and even a room that can be rented.

The two owners both grew up in Tacoma, so had always intended to have a location there.

“And we had the chance to purchase a space that was ideal for us,” says Bodine. “Its openness with the Clearspan design (Clearspan has been making fabric structures and canvas buildings since 1979) made it very attractive.”

By the end of October, the Tacoma location had passed 50 members and, says

Bodine, was proving very popular with people wanting to combine work with a little play.

“We wanted to make it a place people wanted to spend a lot of time at,” he adds. “We have a conference room for business meetings, a lounge on the mezzanine where people can get work done, a fitness center, plus a private bay room with a ping pong table and multiple TVs for smaller events and parties. And then there’s the snack bar with coffee, food, popcorn and drinks.”

Bodine says Evergreen will take its time to get the Tacoma location running effectively and that, once that happens, he and Kearse will start looking for a third location.

“We’d like to end up with four or five in the Pacific Northwest,” he adds.

Memberships at Evergreen start at $199 a month which includes 10 hours of simulator time a month and access to the simulators before 3 p.m. during the week and anytime at weekends. The $399/month Rainier membership gives you unlimited simulator time at any time of the day (remote access). Yes, you can hit balls with a Trackman at four in the morning if you’re so inclined.

In January, Evergreen will launch its Elite Program, which caters to competitive junior golfers who want to develop their skills throughout the winter.

THE GOLF LOFT Tumwater

Owned by former Salish Cliffs teaching professional Chris Koch, The Golf Loft also offers junior programs as well as leagues on three stateof-the-art Foresight simulators, memberships, private events, lessons, club-fitting, and a TaylorMade store at its 1,500 square foot property in Tumwater.

Since opening in December 2021, the Golf Loft has expanded its instructional programs and now offers PGA HOPE classes that introduce military veterans to the game.

“We’ve worked hard at building a culture where every player can thrive,” says Koch. “We like to think of the Golf Loft as a hub for both skill development and a love for the game.”

IRON EAGLE GOLF — Monroe

GolfIronEagle.com

Located on Main St. in Monroe and opened in early 2023, Iron Eagle Golf was named after the town’s old Iron Eagle driving range. Dennis Niemala, a Snohomish High School graduate and one of Iron Eagle’s co-owners explains how the 1,200-square-foot, unstaffed facility works.

“We’re open to the public who are given temporary access during the time of their reservation,” he says. “The majority of our business comes from members, though.”

Niemala is excited for the winter having launched reduced-price access passes and punch cards. “And we’re eager to get our winter leagues kicked off as there is nothing more fun than competing against your friends,” he says.

FIVE IRON GOLF

Capitol Hill & Kirkland

FiveIronGolf.com

Other indoor golf facilities to check out in Western Washington if the weather remains unconducive to outdoor play (anytime, really) are the superb Five Iron Golf establishments in Capitol Hill and Kirkland. Five Iron Golf, founded in 2017, now has 27 locations in 16 U.S. cities and began life on Fifth Avenue in New York City’s Flatiron District (hence Five Iron). The 12,000-square-foot Capitol Hill location opened in early 2022 partnering with avid golfer Macklemore, who said he “loved having Five Iron in my city.”

The Kirkland operation opened in October and replaced the old Lounge by Topgolf. Regional manager Mike Julian spoke with kirklandurban.com shortly before it welcomed its first guests, saying: “We see Five Iron Golf as a place that offers two unique experiences — both a social, fun scene for those hanging out with friends and casually playing golf, and a place for the more serious golfer who wants to up their game.”

STADIUM GOLF — Tacoma

StadiumGolfTacoma.com

We also highly recommend the attractively-designed space at Stadium Golf on Division Avenue in Tacoma which offers six Trackman-enabled simulators, memberships, private events, league play, and a great menu of food and cocktails. Downing some Pork Katsu sliders or sipping on a Boulevardier (or a cold beer is always good) while playing Pebble Beach, Gozzer Ranch, Cape Wickham, Valhalla or any of the other 300-plus courses that are available sounds like a great evening to us.

Two Amazing Days of Golf at Gamble Sands

Play the new course Scarecrow, before it opens to the public!

Two Day Competition

Two-Person Best Ball

Net and Gross Divisions

Daily and Overall Payout Over Thirty Team Prizes!

Edge of the Earth

Volcano Golf Course

is a hidden gem on the Big Island

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

On May 15, 2018, it’s likely your eyes widened, your heart stopped beating for a moment, and you mouthed the words “What the…” when you saw an incredible photograph somewhere on the internet of a man hitting a golf shot with a volcano erupting behind him.

The gentleman was dressed in dark grey shorts and an orange polo shirt, and was wearing an orange baseball cap. He’d just hit his ball and was posing nonchalantly at the end of his follow-through assessing its flight. He didn’t seem at all bothered by the huge plume of smoke and ash billowing 30,000 feet into the sky just a mile or so away.

The image was taken at the appropriately named Volcano Golf Course in the southeast of Hawaii’s Big Island, just the other side of the Mamalahoa Highway from the Kilauea Crater and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. At the time, the course was known as Volcano Golf and Country Club, but it closed for two years following Covid and the expiration of the owners’ lease before re-opening in March 2022 simply as Volcano Golf Course.

Now owned by non-profit Kamehameha Schools and operated by Indigo Sports, part of Troon — the world’s largest golf management company — Volcano GC first opened in 1921 with three holes “built” by eager locals. A year later, there were nine holes with small, round, sand greens and actual cups to putt into (the locals had aimed at wooden stakes originally.) When Kilauea erupted in 1925, the course was covered in ash, which proved beneficial for the Manienie turf, so the sand greens were replaced by grass surfaces.

In 1939, it was discovered three of the nine holes were within the boundaries of the national park which had opened in 1916. Because that was illegal, the course lost that part of the property, but Laura Kennedy, the wife of a wealthy, local businessman, had it rebuilt and added nine more holes which, because of WWII, didn’t open for play until 1946.

Twenty-two years later, the course’s then owner — C. Brewer & Co., one of Hawaii’s so-called ‘Big Five’ companies, which handled 25 percent of the state’s sugar production — hired course architect Jack Snyder to update it. Snyder had moved to Hawaii from Arizona in 1965 and spent three years as the superintendent at Ka’anapali (where the University of Oklahoma won its fifth Ka’anapali Classic, and third in a row, in November) on the island of Maui where he developed his own variety of Bermuda grass.

A one-time superintendent at Oakmont CC in Pittsburgh, Snyder had evolved into a course architect in the late 1950s and would design six courses in Hawaii, playing a big part in establishing it as a golf destination.

Forrest Richardson, Snyder’s associate for many years and a former president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, has been a frequent visitor to Volcano since the 1980s, last visiting in 2023. Talk to him about the course and it quickly becomes apparent he’s smitten with the place.

“There aren’t really any hidden gems anymore because of the internet,” he says. “But Volcano is probably as close as you get these days. I love it there.”

Play Volcano as part of a stay and play package after booking into the delightful Kilauea Lodge.

Because of its remote location on the opposite side of the island to the west’s more famous courses (public and private) — Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Waikoloa, Hapuna, Hualalei, Makalei, Makani, Hokulia, and Nanea — Volcano can get overlooked at times. But a visit to the national park - a World Heritage site that 2.6 million people take in every year, is a must and a trip round this century-old layout a wonderful addition especially if you appreciate courses with a bit of history, where 18 holes cost half the price of a round on the Kailua-Kona Coast, and if you like to tee it up at courses whose nearby landmarks include places with names like “Lava Tree Molds,” “Steaming Bluff,” and “Sulphur Banks.”

Granted, the words ‘lava’, ‘steaming’, and ‘sulphur’ are apt to put some people off which is probably fair enough — you shouldn’t really take volcanoes lightly, especially those listed among the world’s most active. But they didn’t prevent Laura Kennedy from rebuilding the course, C. Brewer & Co. from buying it, or Jack Snyder from redesigning it. They didn’t dissuade Indigo from getting involved either, and nor do they prevent thousands of golfers from playing it every year (Volcano records roughly 20,000 rounds annually).

Richardson has never heard of anything harmful or unpleasant happening and says the U.S. Geological Survey’s volcano-watching is so advanced these days it would be able to provide plenty of warning if any activity was picked up.

“It’s really just part of Hawaii life,” he says, suggesting that while it may be a big deal to some, it really isn’t to others. “My take is it’s like playing golf at the edge of the Earth. It absolutely is a one-of-a-kind golf experience, and I think it would be a shame to pass it up.”

More likely to keep you away than an erupting volcano or air pollution is the rain — Volcano GC gets over 53 inches a year according to weatherspark.com. It’s at its heaviest in April (7.2 inches) after which it drops off rapidly with June receiving about two inches. Strangely, some parts of the course get very different amounts to others.

“On one side, it could be raining cats and dogs while on the other there’s just a gentle mist,” says Richardson.

Don’t let rain or ash or lava or air quality or anything like that keep you away, though. Playing Volcano is a once-in-a-lifetime thing you’ll be glad to have experienced. It’s not particularly fancy, doesn’t have the architectural bones of somewhere like the Seth Raynor-designed Waialae on Oahu (venue for the Sony Open each year), and doesn’t boast Augusta National-like playing surfaces. But it is one of those courses you’ll remember and talk about for the rest of your life.

“It just has so much potential,” says Richardson. “I know Jack was always proud of what he accomplished there, and I’d love to see it become a graceful, old-school, Hawaii layout, something along the lines of Waialae or Maui Country Club. Who wouldn’t want to be an overseas or mainland member of a course like that?”

Play Volcano as part of a stay and play package after booking into the delightful Kilauea Lodge.

Links to the links

• VolcanoGC.com

• KilaueaLodge.com

• Hawaii-Guide.com

FIT TO TEE !

Having your clubs fitted could be the best thing you ever do for your golf game

The many benefits of a PUETZ CLUB FITTING through the lens of a local golfer that found clubs just for him

ABY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

Foresight GCQuad launch monitor measures all the important metrics as Jim Schmidt hits balls into a screen at Puetz Golf in Tukwila. His ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, side angle (essentially indicating whether the ball is starting right or left of the target), carry yards and total yards flash up before him and he sighs the sigh of every golfer who wishes his numbers were just a little bit better.

He’s 65 now, retired, and leaking yards a little quicker than he’d like. To his credit, though, Schmidt is determined to do something about it, driving to Tukwila to see Puetz club fitter Jack Neville, whom he hopes can customize a set of clubs that might lead to marked improvement.

Neville is a native Oregonian who’s been the store manager at Tukwila for three years. Though October and November tend to be busy but not frenetic, during the summer, Neville will typically schedule 20 fittings a month, sometimes even totaling three per day.

Most people, he says, come to find something that will help them hit the ball farther.

“I’d say about 90 percent of the golfers I fit are motivated to come by a desire for more distance,” he adds. “Although I do offer wedge, putter, and even ball fittings, the vast majority of people are here to find a few extra yards.”

Not Schmidt, though. Not today anyway. Sure, the distance he hits the ball comes up, but he’s here mainly to find a set of irons that will help him become more consistent. He’s been playing with Srixon’s ZX5 irons and SteelFiber shafts and says he’s just not hitting it as well as he likes.

“I wasn’t fit for these clubs,” he says. “I like them and can hit some nice shots with them, but I’m not sure they’re quite right for me.”

The session begins with Neville asking Schmidt what he’s hoping to achieve today, if there’s anything he specifically wants to try, or if he’d feel that he missed out if he went home without hitting something in particular. The information Neville is listening for is essential and will help him to decide where the fitting should begin. Just as important, it will also establish the right atmosphere.

“I’m really just trying to relax the customer,” he says. “I see a lot of new and inexperienced golfers who have never been fit for clubs before, and they’re often a little nervous to begin with.”

Many, Neville adds, will even wonder if they should be there at all, convinced they’re not good enough to be fit for golf clubs.

“That’s absolutely wrong,” he asserts. “Anyone of any standard stands to benefit. In an ideal world, everyone would be fit,” he says. “And it’s probably the novice or high-handicapper who will benefit the most.”

Again, this doesn’t really apply to Schmidt. He’s worked at Druids Glen GC in Kent for seven years, marshalling, cleaning carts, mowing grass, and now behind the counter in the pro shop. He’s long known the value of club fitting, seeing it work wonders for the professionals in the shop looking to break par for 18 holes, as well as the high-handicappers who come in thrilled with the one par they made the entire round.

Neville has Schmidt hit a few balls just to see where he’s at. What he sees enables him to get a baseline in his mind and suggest a few clubs he thinks will give Schmidt what he wants. It would be a waste of time to give a 100-shooter who wanted more distance a blade or muscleback iron with an extra-stiff shaft just because that’s what the best player in the world might be using.

“Having that baseline helps me know where to start,” he says.

Neville is trained well enough, and has been doing this for long enough, that he can make a very educated guess at what sort of club a customer needs.

Unless they specify a certain club they want to try, brands won’t enter the conversation until late in the session, if at all. Early in the session, though, it’s all about finding a category or selection of clubs that would be appropriate to try.

Neville gives Schmidt Callaway, Titleist, Ping and Srixon clubs to hit, and tries each with a couple of shafts getting ever closer to the numbers and feel Schmidt is hoping to find. Neville remains genial but professional throughout, happy to get a little technical at times, as he knows Schmidt has been playing and talking golf for a long time.

“Everyone’s different,” he says. “Some people want to talk about shot apex, smash factors, dispersion patterns and the rate or angle at which a ball descends to the green, while others prefer to keep it simple. It’s rare though to get a customer who’d rather not hear anything about why he’s trying a certain club and just wants to be handed whatever works best for them.”

The magic number of balls Neville wants to see Schmidt strike is about 30.

“Any more than that, and the information I get starts to become distorted,” he says. “The golfer is beginning to lose some speed by then, and often getting a little tired.”

At that point, Neville reveals what he thinks will work best. He recommends that next spring, Schmidt should be hitting Srixon ZX4s with a graphite shaft.

“We felt the graphite shaft was important because it’s so much lighter,” says Schmidt. “That will help me swing the club a little faster without losing a lot of energy, which is important when you get to my age.”

Schmidt leaves the Tukwila store a happy man. With the help of a state-of-the-art launch monitor and his fitter’s expertise, he has found a club that he is convinced will help him swing a little faster and more consistently, claw back a few of the shots he’s lost in recent years and, most importantly, enjoy the game a lot more.

He's had fun this morning and he has a great understanding about everything Neville has explained to him. He’ll re-enter the golf world with renewed vigor, eager to hit the shots he knows he can.

“Club-fitting is so important,” says Schmidt. “I don’t think you can enjoy the game as much as possible, or be as good as you should be, until you get fitted.”

Jim Schmidt having his clubs fitted at Puetz Golf

Canyon Lakes Golf Course KENNEWICK

Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Kennewick, Wash., is known as a premium facility and a premium golf challenge… and for its 12,000-square-foot green on hole No. 12.

The 12th plays at 181 yards from the black tees and 145 from the whites to the center of the massive green. Sounds easy.

“It flat amazes me how many people don’t hit the green,” Canyon Lakes General Manager Matt Mandell says. “The water hazard collects a lot of golf balls.

“And just because you do hit the green, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a two-putt. There’s a canyon that runs through the green.”

By any measure, Canyon Lakes is a top-rated golf destination in the Tri-Cities area. The course, designed by John Steidel, stretches past 7,000 from the championship tees but is more playable from the blue tees at 6,630, the whites at 6,211, and the reds at 5,083.

It doesn’t boast green fees as low as many of its peers,

but Canyon Lakes is consistently ranked among the best value courses in the U.S. Mandell thinks he knows why.

“There are a few things,” he says. “First, the land the golf course sits on. Each hole is identifiable as its own.

“Second, the size of the greens and the quality of the greens.”

Mandell gives a shout-out to course superintendent Kim Brock, who has worked at Canyon Lakes since the course opened in 1981.

“You (golfers) get the best conditions the course is going to give. The golf course is always in great condition.”

No. 8, a par 4 at 420 yards, features a green complex that must be played to be appreciated. Mandell: “I call it the green from hell.”

Another highlight is the 9th hole, which has earned a place on the Northwest's "Dream 18" for its design and challenge.

Weekend play before 1 p.m. asks the highest rate of

$110, but there are discounts for twilight play that vary depending on the time of year.

Military Monday, for active-duty military and veterans, is $55 all day. Senior players (55 and over) love Senior Tuesday, when fees are also $55 all day.

When golfers find their way to Canyon Lakes for the first time, Mandell hears about it afterward.

“What I get from outsiders is they’re really excited when they get done because they feel like they’ve played something very fair,” Mandell says. “But the greens, they bite people.”

YARDAGE (PAR 72) 4,385-7,026 yards

RATES $55-$110

TEL (509) 582-3726

WEB CanyonLakesGolfCourse.com

* Check website for current rates

Canyon Lakes Golf Course • Kennewick

SAVE SOME GREEN

The Links at Moses Pointe MOSES LAKE

The Links at Moses Pointe in Moses Lake presents golfers an 18-hole course of challenge and beauty with its blend of open linksland and gently undulating terrain.

Moses Pointe’s rich visuals and reasonable pricing make it a popular destination in central Washington and a worthy stop on the way to Spokane, Pullman, or other points east.

Opened in 1999 and designed by Mike Moore and Dave Soushek (with a redesign by Dan Hixson in 2003), the par-72 course stretches 7,412 yards from the back tees, offering players of all skill levels a fighting chance to shoot a good score near scenic Moses Lake.

Moses Pointe is known for its broad fairways, well-stationed bunkers and some of the most interesting greens complexes around, according to Bill Porter, director of golf and a Moses Pointe fixture since 2003.

Local players would say No. 12, a visually appealing par

3 at 234 yards from the back tees, is the most difficult hole on the course. There’s no bailout here — there’s a bunker left of the green, but you don’t want to be right, either.

“If you’re having a good round,” Porter says, “you might say, ‘Oh, man, I do have to get through 12.’”

The par-4 No. 8, based on handicap, is Moses Pointe’s most difficult hole. It’s long (462 from the black tees, 402 from the whites), and its crossing bunkers force a decision on a player: lay up short of the bunkers or power it leftish to simplify your second shot. The crossing sand was part of a course-wide bunkering project in 2007.

Porter says his favorite hole — he calls it “gorgeous” — is probably the par-4 No. 16. Its uphill approach makes it look more intimidating than it really is. Hit your tee shot a little right of center and take one extra club on your shot to the green.

Moses Pointe's history as a competition venue in-

cludes hosting the Washington State Men’s Amateur Championship in 2005, 2008, and 2024, and co-hosting (with Moses Lake Golf Club) the 2023 Washington Junior Golf Association State Championship.

In terms of value, Moses Pointe offers premium play at moderate rates. In peak season (May through early October), the rate is $65 on weekdays and $75 on weekends. Discounts or packages such as twilight or super-twilight are available, and rates drop significantly in the late fall and winter months.

YARDAGE (PAR 72) 4,897-7,412 yards

RATES $36-$75

TEL (509) 764-2275

WEB MosesPointe.com

* Check website for current rates

The Links at Moses Pointe • Moses Lake

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Clubs

A look back on pro golf 2024 globally and here at home — interesting to say the least

As expected, 2024 was full of incredible golf, much of it played by Scottie Scheffler, whose year may have been tainted by a trip to a Kentucky jailhouse during PGA Championship week but who also won a second Players Championship, a second Masters, a bunch of other signature events on the PGA Tour, the FedEx Cup and, in August, an Olympic Gold Medal.

The world No. 1 shot a back-nine 29 in the final round at Le Golf National in Paris to push Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama into second and Great Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood into third. Scheffler also finished the FedEx Cup season 5.8 points clear of Xander Schauffele in the Official Golf World Ranking.

Bryson DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open after a thrilling final round at Pinehurst No. 2. Rory McIlroy had looked the likely winner but a sensational up-and-down from the front bunker at the 18th hole saw the American win by a single stroke.

Schauffele took the other two majors, winning the PGA Championship at Valhalla, then the Open Championship at Royal Troon two months later, making him the only real threat to Scheffler for PGA Tour Player of the Year honors.

The question of whose year they’d rather have — Scheffler’s or Schauffele’s — was something PGA Tour players had to ask themselves before voting. The choice between Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko would have been equally as tough for LPGA members had the Tour not decided to adopt a points system to identify its winner. Korda won six times to virtually guarantee the POY award before the end of May, while Ko claimed the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews and the women’s Olympic title in Paris.

U.S. teams won both the Presidents and Solheim Cups with Keegan Bradley claiming the wining point at Royal Montreal and Lilia Vu birdieing the last two holes to give the U.S. its first victory in the women’s team match since 2017.

CBY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

In less exciting and, frankly, tedious news, the men’s pro game continued its unseemly and self-absorbed unravelling throughout 2024 with the PGA Tour and LIV unable to make good on their June 2023 Framework Agreement. Nearly a year has elapsed since their deadline to cooperate passed and the pro game isn’t any closer to being the unified entity that promised to benefit fans, sponsors and players.

A limited number of players certainly have benefitted from massive monetary input both from Saudi Arabia’s PIF and Strategic Sports Group (SSG), which invested $3 billion into the PGA Tour in January. But sponsors appear unconvinced by the disconnect and continued absence of some star power from their fields (Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, DeChambeau, etc.) while fans rightly feel ignored. The PGA of America’s recent pricing of 2025 Ryder Cup tickets ($750 per person on each of the three competition days) is a pretty good indication of where in its list of priorities it places John E. Golf Fan.

It seems the only good thing that has resulted from two years of insatiable greed, sour dialogue and political infighting, for us anyway, has been a very short-lived mastery of legal and financial terms largely unfamiliar to non-lawyers/economists such as ‘anti-trust’, ‘discovery’, ‘deposition’, ‘market cap’, and ‘private equity.’

Between all the courtroom malarkey and disingenu-

ous press statements ensuring us recent talks involving the opposing factions were ‘constructive’ or ‘encouraging’, could it be that golf fans are losing interest in pro tournaments that aren’t major championships? McIlroy and Tiger Woods’s TGL indoor golf league, beginning in January at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach, Fla., is promising certainly, but it won’t be easy getting the attention of an audience that’s growing somewhat indifferent.

Closer to home, Korea’s Amy Yang won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee by three, Canada’s Stephen Ames earned a second successive Boeing Classic title at Snoqualmie Ridge, and, in September, Australia’s Nadine Gole beat Canadian Shelly Stouffer 3 & 2 in the final of the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship at Broadmoor GC.

It was the Seattle club’s fifth USGA event and, in June, Chambers Bay was selected to host its sixth with the U.S. Amateur Fourball returning in 2028 (it will host its fifth in 2027 — the 79th U.S. Junior Amateur).

In August, the University Place links was chosen by Cascade Golfer readers as the state’s best public course, making it three wins in a row in our biennial contest. The chances are good it will hold on to the top spot in two years’ time but, with Scarecrow at Gamble Sands just about ready to open, its 379-point lead could well be reduced. Assuming it doesn’t disappear altogether.

LIV Golf’s (left to right) Matthew Wolf, Talor Gooch, Pat Perez, Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed answer questions from the press following the LIV Tournament in Bedminster, N.J.