1. Avalon
Ron Hass started his PGA career at Tam O’Shanter GC and Inglewood GC before moving to Sudden Valley GC in Bellingham in 1979. After 14 years as Head Professional, Hass moved to Avalon where his year-old, 27-hole operation was building momentum. To design his course, Hass had hired Robert Muir Graves, a stalwart of the Northwest golf scene whose numerous designs in Washington included the original nine holes at WSU, Sun Willows in Pasco, Canterwood in Gig Harbor, Meadow Springs in Richland and the magnificent Port Ludlow on the Olympic Peninsula.
Avalon’s 27 holes were built simultaneously, but the West and South nines opened in July 1991, 10 months before the North. In 1994, North and South hosted US Open regional qualifying, and did so again seven years later.
Edmonton-born Brian Kruhlack has been head professional here since day one and has seen the course blossom into something very special.
“In the last five years, since we started top-dressing the fairways each winter, the condition of the course has improved considerably,” he says. “Really, the difference is like night and day. Without the top-dressing and after a winter like the one we’ve just had, I doubt the course would have opened until May, possibly June.”
Best Hole Perhaps the best of the lot is the 9th on the North Course — a strong 554-yarder par 5 which, given the danger surrounding the green, is best approached with a short iron rather than a fairway wood.
- Yardage North 2,726 — 3428, par 36
- West 2,510 — 3,242, par 36
- South 2,808 — 3,375, par 36
- Rates $39-$49
- Web www.avalonlinks.com
- Tel (360) 757-1900 / (800) 624-0202
2. West Seattle
Given the sometimes negative effects of time (and the small matter of 70,000 rounds a year), the classic H. Chandler Egan design that opened in 1940 was looking a little tired at the turn of the century.
Last spring, West Seattle underwent a bunker restoration project. Several bunkers had been added to the course for the 1953 US Public Links Championship, bringing the total up to roughly 30. Many of them were subsequently filled in, however, primarily to reduce maintenance costs. This left only five bunkers on the whole course.
The restoration team identified the locations of the lost bunkers and rebuilt 10 while adding new fairway bunkers on the 1st, 7th, 12th and 14th holes and new greenside bunkers on the 3rd, 5th, 6th and 17th. The existing five were reshaped. Filled with beautiful white sand, the 24 bunkers give the course a classic, sophisticated look, and their depth and texture are consistent — a combination the previous bunkers certainly lacked.
“We tried to bring the condition of the course in line with the area’s private clubs,” says Superintendent John Price. “The greens are slick and the bunkers are maturing very well. In fact, the course has never looked better.”
Best Hole The 515-yard, par 5 12th where trees, bunkers, out of bounds and an uphill approach all interfere with birdie plans.
- Yardage 5,535 — 6,725, par 72
- Rates $13-$33
- Web www.seattlegolf.com
- Tel (206) 935-5187
3. Auburn Golf Course
You’d be hard-pressed to find a municipal golf course in the state that has made as many improvements in recent years as Auburn G.C.
“The city paid off the lease about 15 years ago and since then we’ve put about $200,000 a year into renovations,” said head pro Chris Morris. “We used to have the reputation of being a swamp in the winter. But we’ve done a lot of things to make this course one of the driest you’ll find in the area.”
Having the flood-prone Green River flowing by doesn’t make things easier. But by tearing up several fairways, scraping off the top layer of water-logged silt, filling in with more drain-friendly sand and rebuilding several greens, Auburn has wisely addressed its water-management issues.
But they didn’t stop there. Several holes have been reconfigured in the last five years, making the course more challenging and aesthetically pleasing.
Most notably, No. 11, the radically sidehill/uphill and previously reachable par 4 is no longer so. The tees have been moved back 40 yards and the green was built up into a platform, keeping even the biggest hitters at bay.
Several holes have been re-worked to bump the length of the course to a moderate 6,354 yards from the tips, and many putting surfaces have been wrinkled.
“All of our greens used to be very flat but we’ve added a lot more undulations in the last five years,” Morris said.
Built in 1970, Auburn’s maturity is one of its assets, with fully grown trees and minimal patchiness. The course starts fairly straight and non-descript, but really takes flight on the back side. The par 4 15th offers a tee shot off a high cliff to a 90-degree dogleg right, daring you to cut the corner. The signature hole remains the par-3 16th, with a narrow, elongated green sitting precariously behind a lake, guarded by two pot bunkers in back.
With a new 8,500-square-foot clubhouse and restaurant set to open in August, Auburn G.C. has transformed itself into one of the best bangs for the buck in the Puget Sound region.
KEEP READING: 1 2
