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Save Some Green: Riverbend Golf Complex

Heather Flyte — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:57:06 +0000

Riverbend Golf Complex

Operated by the city of Kent, the Riverbend Golf Complex — featuring a championship, 18-hole course, plus a par-3 course, driving range and mini golf course, is one of the best values in the region. The best news is, if you’ve played it before, you’re in for a treat — after more than six months of closures to move back levies along the Green River, Riverbend is scheduled to reopen its front nine Mar. 28. Original architect John Steidel was brought in to oversee the $750,000 renovation project and ensure that the necessary changes to the course’s fourth through ninth holes did not affect the integrity of his original design. That’s good news to the Riverbend faithful, who have long taken advantage of the course’s playable distance and straightforward holes for an enjoyable — and, at as low as $15 in twilight hours, easily affordable — round of golf. It should be of little surprise that at a course with water in its name, the wet stuff abounds. Indeed, only six of Riverbend’s 18 holes do not play to, from or alongside one of the course’s four water features, including three lakes and the aforementioned Green River, which meanders through and around Steidel’s footprint. By all accounts, Riverbend’s renovated design won’t vary significantly from its original course. A relatively flat and open layout features enough trees to keep things interesting, but not so many as to require Tour-like precision as you work your way around. It’s above all a fair course — make good shots, and ye shall be rewarded. Heck, you can even miss a few and it won’t punish you too harshly. All in all, it’s a fun round that won’t overly tax your game, your feet, or your wallet. Throw in the mini golf course and par-3 course, and Riverbend is an even better value for golfers with any amount of time — or family members — on their hands. After your round, be sure to visit the FireCreek Grill for the Strawberry Mascarpone, a mouth-melting dessert featuring sponge cake, jam, strawberries and mascarpone cream. Now that’s how to finish strong.

BEST HOLE

There’s no topping the 548-yard 18th, both for challenge and beauty. Water and sand threaten both your first and second shots, but it’s the stunning figure of Mt. Rainier towering over the green that will distract you on your final approach.

Yardage 5,582-6,666 yards
Rates $15-$37
Web ci.kent.wa.us/Riverbend
Tel 253-856-5199

Save Some Green: Sumner Meadows Golf Links

Heather Flyte — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:55:04 +0000

Wedged between a noisy train track and an industrial park, nearly barren of trees, the land on which Sumner Meadows Golf Links was laid is hardly the stuff of a golf architect’s dreams. Unless that golf architect is John Harbottle III. A native of Tacoma — and the man behind such Northwest gems as The Olympic Course at Gold Mountain and the all-new Palouse Ridge in Pullman — Harbottle saw not a noisy train, but a classic, character-adding visual element; not a barren, empty swamp, but a set of gentle slopes and open wetlands that, were they only in Scotland, would have been turned into pristine golf links two centuries ago. The result of Harbottle’s vision is one of the most enjoyable rounds you can find for under $30, featuring a varied collection of holes that will require the use of almost every club in your bag. With five sets of tees and junior rates as low as $15, it’s also a terrific course for beginners or parents playing with children, providing a challenging and entertaining round for golfers of almost any skill level. About the only thing you won’t find at Sumner Meadows are out-of-bounds stakes (in true links style, there are none) or trees — there are pockets here and there, but the course’s obstacles are more “wet” and “wild” than “woods.” The “wet” are the number of natural wetlands Harbottle wove his holes across and around, each guarded by long marsh grasses — the “wild.” There are enough hazards to require thoughtful planning from shot to shot, while the open layout and lack of trees still allow for plenty of opportunities to make up for any mistakes. When the train rolls by (and it will), rather than curse the noise, use the opportunity to take a breath, look around and appreciate a land that, thanks to one innovative architect, is finally receiving its just rewards.

BEST HOLE

The par-5 15th may not be the “best,” per se, but it’s certainly Sumner’s signature — at 628 yards from the tips, you can take three shots to reach the green without ever hitting anything shorter than a 3-iron.

Yardage 5,269-6,765
Rates $15-$28
Web golfsumnermeadows.com
Tel 253-863-8198

Save Some Green: Tapps Island GC

Heather Flyte — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:51:58 +0000

Tapps Island Golf Club

You can have your vistas of downtown Seattle from Newcastle’s China Creek, or the breathtaking view from the public walking trail above Chambers Bay — for this writer’s money, there’s no more scenic view in Puget Sound golf than from Tapps Island’s second green on a day the mountain is out. The towering vision of Mount Rainier set behind the calm beauty of Lake Tapps … it doesn’t get more authentically Northwest than that. Wait, did I say “second” green? I should have said, “second and 11th greens.” Tapps Island, located literally on a series of islands lined up like mothballed battleships in the middle of Lake Tapps, is a nine-hole course — but one of the nicest nine-holers you’ll ever play. How many courses — of the nine- or 18-hole variety — can offer you multiple approaches to island greens and fairways, or large, natural water features on nearly every hole? And there’s one thing you can do on a nine-hole course that you definitely can’t on an 18 (at least, not without ticking off the group behind you or forking over additional greens fees) — make up for that double-sandy by playing the same hole twice. Of course, Tapps Island mixes up tee boxes and pin placements between the nines, so no hole is truly the “same,” even if you might find yourself right back in that same bunker again. It’s location certainly makes Tapps Island unique by Northwest standards, while its creative layout and playable distance make for a round that, depending on your skill level and style of play, might be quite challenging or quite easy — but always fun.

BEST HOLE

Having extolled the virtues of No. 2 above, we’ll use this space to recommend the par-3 third. With a tee box isolated on an island and the green beckoning from across the water, you can almost imagine you’re at Pebble. OK, at least Pebble’s nine-hole, Northwest equivalent?

Yardage 5,342 yards (2,671 per nine)
Rates $18-$33
Web tapps-island.org
Tel 253-862-7011

Rainier Valley Revival

Heather Flyte — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:50:01 +0000

By Brian Beaky, CG Editor

Perhaps never in the last 20 years — for many of us, the majority of our adult lifetimes — has the value of a dollar been of such relevance. At the same time, Americans are being asked to work longer hours for fewer benefits — making the need for a relaxing and enjoyable escape greater than ever.

Enjoyable? Escape? On second thought, maybe golf isn’t the answer.

The good news is, the Rainier Valley — which we define here as the roughly rectangular area bordered by Renton to the North, I-5 to the West, Maple Valley to the East and Puyallup to the South — is loaded with reasonable options for cash-strapped golfers who aren’t going to shelve their short game just because the cookie jar isn’t as full as it used to be.

From Auburn Golf Course, to Washington National, to Druids Glen, the high-value courses in this fertile region have made regular appearances on this page — and we’ve barely scratched the surface. Perhaps no other area of comparable size in the Puget Sound region boasts as many tracks whose return exceeds their rate.

But as those who live in the area will tell you, it’s not just about the golf. Since the mid-1990s, the entire valley has undergone a gradual facelift, evolving from a rural district of open farmland and affordable commuter housing into a thriving hub of Puget Sound commerce and entertainment. The Muckleshoot Casino came first to the area, opening in Auburn in 1995 and putting the valley on the map as a leisure destination. The Auburn Supermall and its legions of shoppers followed five months later; in 1996, Emerald Downs opened just up Highway 167 to attract the recreational sports fan, followed in 2003 by the White River Ampitheater and its capacity crowds of music lovers.

Suffice to say, the Rainier Valley today represents one of the fastest-developing areas of Puget Sound — and lucky for those of us who prefer our game balls white and dimpled, there’s plenty of affordable golf to go around.

So go ahead and save that green — after all, the $2 beverage at the end of your round is going to be a pretty good salve for these difficult times, too.

Save Some Green: High and Dry

Heather Flyte — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:45:13 +0000

Just because you can’t afford a trip to Palm Springs, Arizona or Hawaii this winter doesn’t mean that you are doomed to another four months of wet fairways, slow greens, puddle-filled sandtraps and muddy lies. Several Northwest courses (see list at bottom) boast terrific drainage and are playable any time of year. Heck, given the excellent winter conditions at these courses, plus lower winter rates and less foot traffic, there’s hardly a better time of year for the in-the-know local to throw on the GORE-TEX and play some of Western Washington’s water-free winter gems.

Capitol City Golf Club

Yardage 6,578 | Rates $18-31 | Web golfcapitolcity.com | Tel 360-491-5111

Capitol City Golf Club

Sure, it’s a bit of a drive, but with so many courses seemingly underwater this time of year, who isn’t willing to drive an extra mile (or 59) for a good, guaranteed dry round? That’s exactly what you’ll find at Lacey’s Capitol City Golf Club. While the Space Needle may have topped the list of new construction projects in Western Washington in 1962, golfers have long held an even greater appreciation for fellow ’62-er Capitol City — after all, security doesn’t appreciate it much when you pull out your driver on the observation deck. Built on a base of thick, sandy soil, Capitol City has been a winter haven for Puget Sound golfers for nearly four decades due to its dry, winter-rye fairways and fast greens (yes, even in December). Even the rates are straight out of the ‘60s — prices peak (if you can call it that) at $31 ($23.25 for Access Golf members), and with carts not required, you can be knocking ‘em long on the course billed as “the driest in Western Washington” for less even than most local munis. Of course, a dry course may not always work to your advantage. As hard and fast in winter as in the summer months, Capitol City’s narrow fairways remain treacherous year-round — indeed, as you watch your ball bounce towards yet another out-of-bounds stake, you might well wish for a little muddy patch to slow it down. Furthermore, bunkers yawn wide next to every green, threatening to collect any errant approaches — particularly on the par-5 10th, short enough (just 465 from the tips) to tempt most mid-to-long hitters, but protected by sand on three sides. Equally tempting is the par-5 14th, which teases with a reachable-in-two length of just 495 yards from the tips, but requires a carry over rough between the end of the fairway and the long, narrow green, with sand left and right. Like the Needle, Capitol City has undergone regular renovation and rehabilitation over the years, including the upgrading of all tee boxes in 2007. The result is a course that plays to its strengths — year-round perfect conditions and dramatic views of Mt. Rainier — while minimizing its lack of any real water hazards (the par-3 11th boasts the course’s only significant wet stuff) by bringing the trees and sand into play on nearly every hole. But of course, the lack of water is why you’re here, right? In all, it’s not a particularly long round at around 6,500 yards, but will challenge those without consistency in their long irons. In addition, its excellent drainage makes for greens that will feel lightning-fast compared to most you play this winter, and will take 3-4 holes to adjust to (spending a few minutes on the practice green before the round is highly recommended). Capitol City also knows how to take care of its patrons after the round at the Fire Creek Ale House, featuring cheap beer, good grill-menu food (burgers, steaks, sandwiches, etc.) and occasional live music. But be warned: unlike at the Needle, if this restaurant starts revolving, it’s probably time to head home.

Eastside Values

Brian Beaky — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:46:11 +0000

by Norm Maves

At Cascade Golfer, we know that you work on a tight schedule — you don’t always want to spend an hour or driving out to a “destination” course, only to spend the next five hours rushing through your round in anticipation of having to repeat the long drive back home. We also know that our readers represent a cross-section of the Northwest golfer — from the 20-something college student eating Ramen noodles each night, to the company president looking to close a deal over an outstanding round of golf. That’s why in our debut issue of 2008, we’re premiering a new column recommending three three terrific golf options in a small geographic radius, at a price you can afford — whatever that price may be. This issue focuses on what is certainly Seattle’s most accessible golf mecca — the Eastside. With dozens of courses to choose from, ranging from local munis to some of the Northwest’s most exclusive tracks, at just about every price point imaginable, it seemed an obvious place to start. We’ve narrowed the options down to three that we think you should check out.

Bellevue Golf Course

The trouble with well-maintained, not-too-hard, nicely priced municipal courses near major metropolitan areas is the same everywhere: they’re popular and accessible, so they have a steady stream of golfers. Sometimes it can slow down play, too. There have been some complaints about the speed at BGC — but none about the course itself. David W. Kent’s user-friendly design has been around since 1968 and wears well. With its affordable rates and short distance — 5,521 yards from the longest tees — it’s a terrific options for beginners, while more experienced golfers will welcome the chance to get in a low-cost practice round before dropping $75 or more at one of the area’s more exclusive courses. The course is under the new management of Premier Golf Center, which should help the speed issue. PGC reversed the nines and has lots of discounts and specials for the cold-weather player. After the change to daylight saving time, it could be a good after (or before) work option.

Location: Bellevue

Rates: $15 – $27

Par: 71 • 5,521

Website: bellevuepgc.com

Tel: 425-452-7250

Willows Run Golf Complex

Willows Run in Redmond tries to be the one place you need to go to indulge your level of interest in the game. Eagle’s Talon is a standard (6,800 from the tips) course; Coyote Creek is a shorter, easier course if you don’t feel like wrestling the bear today. Many locals like to take advantage of the terrific twilight rates, when the courses are a little less crowded than they can be in peak hours, and the sunset over the Sound makes for stunning views of Mount Rainier and the hot air balloons floating over the Redmond Valley. But there’s more: there’s Heron Links, a nine-hole, par-3 track just for the fun of it. There’s even an 18-hole putting green for children young and old to try out their putting stroke. Bundle that with a full-service bar and grill and a practice facility, and, indeed, Willows Run has everything you need. Winter rates are terrific for peak-hour play, while in the summer, your best bet is to hit it at twilight hours, when an 18-hole round with GPS-equipped cart will set you back less than $30.

Location: Redmond

Rates: $25-$44

Par: 72 • 5,763-6,803 (Eagle’s Talon), 72 • 5,441-6,344 (Coyote Creek)

Website: willowsrun.com

Tel: 425-883-1200

Trilogy Golf Club at Redmond Ridge

This lovely little (6,419 yards max) course off Novelty Hill Road is both pretty and treacherous, especially if you have difficulty dealing with water. The wet stuff comes into play a lot, including an interesting front-side Amen Corner at the third and fourth holes. The third is a 613-yard beast with water right off the tee and down the left side; the next hole is a 160-yard par-3, but it’s all liquid from tee to green, so get it all the way there or reach for your provisional ball. All reports are that Trilogy is a delight to play that makes you keep your focus the entire round. With water on nearly every hole, being long and wild won’t help you here — precise shot-making is the key to keeping a low number on your scorecard. It’s truly a course that will reveal you for whatever kind of golfer you are, rewarding your strengths and exploiting your weaknesses. Like a lot of Puget Sound courses, convenient winter pricing makes Trilogy a tempting wet-weather option, while even the spring and summer rates are far below what you’d expect to pay for a course of this quality.

Location: Redmond

Rates: $25 – $44

Par: 72 • 5,763-6,803 (Eagle’s Talon); 72 • 5,441-6,344(Coyote Creek)

Website: willowsrun.com

Tel: 425-883-1200

Great Washington Courses Under $50

Heather Flyte — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:02:40 +0000

1. Carnation

Are those 7,000-yard tracks beating you down? Tired of hitting driver-hybrid on every par 4? When your ego — and your handicap — needs a little massaging, head out to Carnation Golf Course. Short without being an executive, and challenging enough to make you work for a good number, Carnation gives you plenty of looks at birdies — or eagles, depending on how good your big stick is working. Cut through age-old cedar, Douglas fir, maple and cottonwood trees, the course sits adjacent to the Carnation Marsh, a protected wetland preserve. Of course, this dooms the golf course in the winter, especially this past one, when several trees, yard markers and even sections of fairways washed away. But the grounds crew have done an excellent job getting the course back in shape, and because it sits on such soggy soil, the course stays much softer and greener in the dog days of summer. Fairly flat and straight throughout, the course has some intrigue on the front, the long par 4 third hole is a , the familiar chorus of bullfrogs chortling in the pond behind the green. The very reachable par 5 eighth hole (425 yards) offers spectacular views of the Cascades — but not much of a look at the landing area for your drive. Don’t cut the corner too far or you’ll find the creek. The course gets going on the backside, with several great scoring holes right away. The 10th, 14th and 15th are all drivable, so swing away. There’s no better feeling than grabbing the flat stick while you’re on the tee box. The last three holes on the course also offer an opportunity to post a good score. No. 16 is a nice wide par 5, guarded by OB on the left and a big fir tree in the middle of the fairway. The par 3 16th is just a wedge to a wide green and the 18th coming home is about as wide open a par 5 as you’re going to find anywhere. With Kat’s Grill serving a variety of great dishes all day, a nice patio out back and a double-sided driving range with real grass tees, Carnation has it all.

Best Hole If you’re ever going to drive the green on a par 4, No. 14 is the perfect opportunity. At a mere 260 yards from the white tees and dead straight ahead, the putting surface beckons you to swing away.

Address: 1810 W Snoqualmie River Rd NE, Carnation, WA 98014

Yardage: par 71; 6,011 (blue), 5,462 (white), 4,540 (red)

Rates: $18-$33

Web: www.carnationgolf.com

Tel: (425) 333-4151

2. Classic

Bangers beware. The Classic Golf Club, a venerable gem of a golf challenge hidden among the mature Spanaway neighborhoods, is not so much a test of the brawn but the brain. It’s all about course management and making smart decisions, which might mean eschewing the driver in favor of the 3-wood on many holes. The Bill Overdorf layout, built in 1991, is only 6,008 yards from the whites (6,902 from the championship tees) but don’t assume it’s a snap. Qualifiers for the U.S. Public Links and U.S. Senior Open were held here because it forces the golfer to use all the clubs and both sides of the brain. For most tee shots you need to bring a couple club choices. It’s not an automatic driver course. There are holes where the trees encroach so much that sacrificing distance for safety is paramount. That is never more apparent than the short (310 yard) par-4, No. 10. Trees tightly border the hole for virtually its entire length. Stray and you pay. While some of the tree hazards are unforgiving, such as the dense forest along No. 13 and OB along No. 14, most of the trees that straddle the fairways are just pesky. Ownership has allowed the trees to grow while clearing out of brush underneath so your ball is generally playable. But once you enter the tree clusters, it’s difficult to pass through all the limbs toward the green. Most of the time your only option is a lateral pitch back to the fairway. The bent grass green complexes are substantial and undulating. This is the course’s fourth ownership and you can trust this one knows golf. It is owned by Mike Moore, father of former U.S. Amateur champion and emerging PGA star Ryan Moore.

Best Hole The par-4, 368-yard No. 5 hole can be a minefield of trouble. Bunkers and trees on both sides force you to steer the ball straight. If you can find a level lie, consider yourself fortunate.

Address: 4908 208th St. East, Spanaway, WA 98387

Yardage: par 72; 6,902 (black); 6,404 (blue); 6,008 (white); 5,656 (red)

Rates: $20-$45

Web: www.classicgolfclub.net

Tel: (253) 847-4440

Great Puget Sound Courses Under $50

Heather Flyte — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:48:04 +0000

Playing Pebble Beach or Bandon Dunes is a thrill, but there’s always the thought that hitting a small ball around a big field should never cost this much, no matter how good the views are. One of golf’s, and indeed life’s, greatest pleasures is stumbling across a really good golf course that costs peanuts to play. Washington, thankfully, has more than its share.

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.