Unlike its private neighborhood brethren, TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge, Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course makes no pretension of country-club hauteur. And that’s just why we like it. Rated one of Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play“ in 2004, Snoqualmie Falls has managed to avoid the rush to “bigger“ and “better“ that has consumed many courses in the Puget Sound region, instead remaining true to its roots as an independently-owned, family-run track featuring well-maintained holes at a bargain price. It’s no coincidence that Snoqualmie Falls has remained impervious to the corporatization of so many other courses —­ owner John Groshell has been employed by the course since 1973, and currently counts his son, Jeff; his high-school best friend, Lee Baldwin; and his sheepdog, Baxter, among this staff. Yes, that’s right, his dog ­­— not only is Baxter the head of Snoqualmie Falls’ public relations department, he’s also on the list of the club’s certified teaching pros. “We’ve kept the course ’in the family,’ so to speak, for the last 35 years,“ Groshell says, “and when you’re here, we want you to feel like you’re a part of our family, too.“ As with the staff, the course’s general layout hasn’t changed significantly over the years. At 5,465 yards from the men’s tees, and with a relatively flat landscape and open fairways, Snoqualmie Falls won’t tax your legs. Which is good, because there are plenty of opportunities for even the middle-range hitters to throw their whole body into a shot for the chance to putt for eagle.

• Snoqualmie Falls Quick Facts
• Yardage: 5,076-5,465, Par 71
• Rates: $22-$36
• Web: snoqualmiefallsgolf.com
• Tel: (425) 392-1276 or (425) 222-5244
• Directions: From Interstate 90 eastbound, take Exit 22 to Preston. Turn left over the freeway, then right to the Preston-Fall City Road for 6.2 miles to Highway 202 East. Turn right and proceed approximately .8 miles to Southeast Fish Hatchery Road (look for a sign at the turn). Turn right to the golf course.

Play it safe and easy around a relatively tame front nine, featuring just two holes longer than 400 yards (both par-5s), and you’ll be in the mood to go for the green at the 490-yard 9th, the first of four legitimate eagle opportunities in the final 10 holes. On the back, try to avoid the herons and bald eagles that frequent the water hazards at 12, 13 and 15, but unless you have the ability to softly land a driver from 250-plus, avoid the temptation to go for the green on the 263-yard 14th, where a large sandtrap waits to gobble up anything that falls even a yard shy of the surface. Work your way around the next three holes and you’ll be set up to let ’er rip on the 507-yard 18th, which with an arrow-straight layout and no hazards in sight all but dares the player to give it everything they have left in the tank. After your round, put the money you saved on greens fees towards a drink or two in the grill and soak in the scenery, both natural — including Mt. Si and the Cascades — and wild, with deer and coyotes and yes, Baxter, passing among the pines. To book a tee time, and to take advantage of their web specials featuring up to $6 off per round, visit them online at snoqualmiefallsgolf.com.