Our readers have spoken, naming their favorites from all corners of our great state and Chambers Bay repeats as top course in Washington
By Tony Dear • CG Editor – and – Bob Sherwin • CG Staff Writer
It may take an awful lot of organization, long days and late-night counting to come up with the top 10 public course list in Washington, but it’s definitely a labor of love.
Identifying the winner(s) is always an exciting moment, but more than that it’s the confirmation we live in a state full of fantastic golf courses that really hits home.
In Washington, you, me, and everyone else be they male, female, young, old, a scratch player or once-a-year dabbler can put a tee in the ground and whack a ball towards a bounty of amazingness. Here, we are blessed that we take aim at the ocean, Puget Sound, forests, mountains, valleys, the Palouse, high desert, orchards, gorges, vineyards, dunes, rivers and cityscapes. And, except in very rare and perhaps justified scenarios (hey, we live in a capitalist society) we do so very affordably.
It probably goes without saying that we are extremely biased and perhaps even a little blinkered, but we’d say the public golf offering here is special. We acknowledge there is a generous handful of states – California, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, Alabama, Illinois (Chicagoland specifically) — whose public golf may eclipse even ours. But Washingtonians are well catered to and the visitor that comes for a week’s golf will leave satisfied, having played some of the finest and most beautiful public courses in the country.
It’s a measure of their quality that the top 10 courses in 2022 are the same courses that populated the 2019 list. Their order might have changed (see ‘Movers and Shakers’), but the 10 are the same 10 that attracted the most votes three years ago and, indeed, two years before that.
The top two are probably set for eternity (well, until someone builds something better which seems very unlikely at this point), but the winner, Chambers Bay, appears to have established itself as the course to beat. The only layout that seems capable of beating it is Gamble Sands, which took first-place honors in 2017. But golfers can be a fickle bunch so never say never.
The perennial, predictable success of the top two says a lot about firm, sand-based golf but it would be wrong to suggest those features alone are a guarantee of success. It’s all well and good having a sandy site that can be manipulated and shaped far easier than one with heavy soils, which promote captivating running golf where you should refrain from celebrating your shot or commenting on your partner’s until the ball has completed its journey.
And we still need architects of exceptional vision, experience and expertise to route the courses and craft the holes in a way that maximizes that site’s potential. That’s why golfers here will be forever grateful to Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Jay Blasi who, together, designed numerous truly great holes at Chambers Bay and David McLay Kidd and Nick Schaan (and former Kidd associate Casey Krahenbuhl) who turned almost 1,000 acres of high desert overlooking the Columbia River into a pulsating course of intrigue, discovery and sport at Gamble Sands. And lest we forget to mention the 25 acres to the northeast of the original Sands Course which Kidd transformed into the laugh-a-minute, 14-hole playground called Quicksands.
We also have the jewels crafted by John Harbottle, Dan Hixson, Gene Bates and other skilled designers who took slightly less acquiescent sites perhaps, but still forged unforgettable courses that always provide an entertaining game no matter how often we play them.
All these gents have collectively put Washington on the world’s golfing map making the Evergreen State a true destination.
The response this year was enormous, and we are, of course, extremely grateful to everyone who voted and allowed us to produce such a credible list. You need look no further than the winning course’s haul of votes the last three times we have run the contest to get an idea of how many people are getting involved. In 2017, Gamble Sands came out on top with a total of 660 points. Last time, Chambers Bay returned to the top spot with 1,107 points. This year, Chambers won again with 1,587 points.
The gap between it and Gamble Sands rose slightly from 80 to 134 points and, just as we did in 2019, we’re putting that down to the continued improvement in the greens and the fact it’s a lot easier to get to than Gamble. That said, the number of voters giving each course at least one vote was very similar this time.
Gold Mountain (Olympic) and Wine Valley did their customary flip with Gold Mountain taking third this time. And Salish Cliffs remained close enough to them both for it to feasibly crash the third/fourth party at some point in the future. The gap between fifth-placed Salish and the course in sixth place (The Home Course in 2019, Palouse Ridge this year — again, see ‘Movers and Shakers’) widened significantly in 2022 suggesting that top five is getting ever more solid.
Looking further down the list, we’re still shocked at the quality of some of the courses that appear in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and even eighth group of 10. That a course as good as Rope Rider at Suncadia ranks 26th in the state tells you all you need to know about how golf-rich we are and, perhaps, that not enough people have played it.
Four courses received over 1,000 points, another 18 polled somewhere in the hundreds and 58 more reached double digits. Another 31 courses got at least one vote, meaning 111 courses gained some sort of recognition.
It’s the very nature of golf and golfers that some will give their local track their nod while totally rejecting a U.S. Open venue. We know people have their favorites — one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, right? We welcome the outliers and appreciate their inclusion but, at the same time, want to publish the most trustworthy ranking possible.
Given the consistency of each course’s position over the years we don’t think there can be much argument over its validity.
1
Chambers Bay • University Place
What mattered when Chambers Bay opened in 2007 is the same thing that mattered for the 2010 U.S. Amateur and the 2015 U.S. Open played at the University Place course. It was just one critical element — the greens. They turned out to be temporary greens that lasted a dozen years.
Chambers, the linksy, treeless layout poised on a hillside overlooking Puget Sound, was exquisitely designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. It was long and challenging enough to draw the USGA’s attention. What we all missed was the design flaw — fescue grass greens. They couldn’t hold up under wear from regular folks and by the time the U.S. Open competition arrived, the greens were water-starved putting patches (ask Dustin Johnson).
That changed in April 2019 when the conversion to poa annua greens was completed. That’s when Chambers Bay became what all its supporters had hoped it could be, pretty much a flawless beauty. The greens were receptive, they were consistent and true. Chambers has rallied back to No. 1 because this region’s golfers recognize that the poa retrofit was the final piece.
It’s a world-class layout that can be reliably played. Expectations among the golfing legions have been realized. It’s appropriate Chambers Bay takes the cake and title this year. The U.S. Women’s Amateur will be a showcase event this summer there.
2
Gamble Sands • Brewster
No one we know has ever taken a half-day drive to Brewster, Wash., to gaze at orchards of apple trees. But Cass Gebbers, the apple magnet who employs much of Okanogan County, had a transformative vision for those otherwise fruitful fields.
In 2014, he oversaw the establishment of a championship caliber golf course right there among the Honeycrisps. The golfing public paid off Gebbers’ gamble with overwhelming support of glorious Gamble Sands, on a scenic bluff above the mighty Columbia. It was masterfully designed by David McLay Kidd, the same guy who developed Bandon Dunes. Its opening was heralded as the best new course in America by Golf Digest and has drawn dozens of accolades along with thousands of golfers over the years. And that was just the start.
These folks don’t sit on their McIntoshes. In 2017, the 37-room Inn at Gamble Sands was completed. It’s vital stay-and-play lodging is just a minute walk from the clubhouse. Securing a room in the summer now is as easy as an albatross. Adjacent to the Inn is the 100,000-square-foot Cascade Putting Course. Kidd was brought in to design a 14-hole par-3 Quicksands course. It opened a year ago and has been enormously popular. Ever-evolving Gamble Sands and poa-powered Chambers are virtually neck-and-neck, really No. 1 and No. 1A. It seems the race for No. 1 in this state is never static.
3
Gold Mountain, Olympic • Bremerton
Gold Mountain, part of a vast 36-hole footprint (with the Cascade course) that spreads through the Kitsap Peninsula forests in Bremerton, is the unchallenged No. 1 golf course in the state — with trees. It’s third in our poll, first in firs.
The top three links courses, Chambers, Gamble and Wine Valley, have a combined, maybe seven trees. Gold Mountain’s number is just shy of a zillion, wrapping around in green ribbons and woodsy corridors with stretches of short grass interspersed. The lanky swaying pines, the trustworthy greens, popup hills and placid ponds keep your interest (and at times your golf ball) throughout Gold’s 18 diversified holes. The course, designed by late legend John Harbottle, is worth its lofty rank because of its playability and pure enjoyment. The course has gotten inside of poll voters’ heads and hearts. You breathe better and feel better when you play it, no matter your score.
No doubt, golfers have bestowed value on its forest ambiance. It’s a good walk through a virtual park and has been that way since it opened in 1996. Harbottle, a Northwest native, understood as much about drawing up crafty risk-and-reward shots and he did about his showcasing of Mother Nature.
4
Wine Valley • Walla Walla
The mere fact that Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, a considerable drive from all the region’s population centers, ranks No. 4 in our poll is a tribute to its quality. There is not the volume of golfers that play this course compared to those in-demand big-city tracks. But WV proponents are unified in their passion. Their strong support is a testament to its high caliber.
The course, which opened in 2009, has climbed steadily in our voting because golfers appreciate the design brilliance of Dan Hixson. Hixson, who developed sneaky good Bandon Crossings in 2007 and highly inventive reverse-18 Silvies Ranch in 2017, took what the ground gave him at Wine Valley. His minimalist linksy design plays firm-and-fast with generous fairways and dependable greens.
It’s Scotland with better wines. Golfers negotiating the course’s gentle hills can look around and enjoy the Palouse expanse and the Blue Mountains on the horizon. They are views not available in those big cities, perhaps why they’re willing to drive such long distances to the state’s southeast border to drive long distances.
5
Salish Cliffs • Shelton
Salish Cliffs is what Washington golfers have expected from tribal ownership. The course, established in 2011 by the Squaxin Island Tribe, is a 7,269-yard test that is well designed and maintained. And while it may go unnoticed or underappreciated, the course adheres to responsible environmental standards, ancient people respecting their ancient lands.
Golfers can see it in how the tribe showcases the natural elements, as virtually every hole is surrounded by lush forests. It also is a certified salmon-safe course. How all that figures into the voting is unknown, but fifth place this year takes a substantial range of support.
The beauty of Salish is that it is adaptable. Bombers love the course and want to play here because it challenges them. But there are five tee boxes, allowing hitters of any length the opportunities to make birdies.
There are also several holes that can catch you by surprise for their design, entertainment value and environmental factors. One might be the par-3, 161-yard 17th hole. You tee off from a panoramic elevated tee, 80 feet above the valley, with trouble right, left and back. It keeps your interest throughout the round and keeps you coming back. This would be a top course in most states.
6
Palouse Ridge • Pullman
Opened in 2008, Palouse Ridge Golf Club, just three miles west of the Washington State University campus, was among a wave of new eastern Washington golf courses that provided better competitive balance, hard against the more touted west-of-the-mountains layouts such as Chambers Bay, Salish Cliffs and The Home Course.
Palouse joined other such celebrated eastern courses as Gamble Sands, Wine Valley and ‘tweener’ Suncadia and its courses, Prospector and Rope Rider. Together, they got many in the state to turn their heads east and realize that a drive to the state’s eastern corners can be richly rewarded by quality designs. And it’s reflected in our poll with four of the 10 courses located in the much less populated east side. Palouse, which replaced a nine-hole course built in 1925, was desperately needed. The $12 million project was a hit from the start. The late John Harbottle design has intrigued golfers with a back nine that features three par 3s, three par 4s and three par 5s.
For Palouse to rank this high, it takes more than mere Cougars, Eagles and Zags. It takes a substantial amount of support from both sides of the mountains.
7
White Horse • Kingston
Not enough gratitude can be bestowed on the Native American tribes that have built, rebuilt and restored so many of the state’s prominent golf courses, turning them into economic and environmental assets. In this case, the Suquamish Indian Tribe, purchased White Horse Golf Course in Kingston basically out of bankruptcy in 2010 and transformed it into an ever-glorious walk-and-swing through ancient Northwest forests. The tribe took the original design by Cynthia Dye McCarvey — the first female designer to win new course of the year (Golf Digest) — and hired the late architect John Harbottle to soften the edges for more playability.
Flora and fauna were virtually unaltered in the process, leaving an exquisite pristine setting. The only authorized damage allowed was drilling 18 four-inch holes in the earth. The course gained in popularity which brought a LPGA Senior tournament here — underwritten, not for profit, by the tribe. But golfers far and wide also have a high regard for the course, as it has been a steady top 10 selection for much of the tribe’s stewardship. Golfers also favor two other aspects, the quite reasonable green fees, $39 weekdays and $50 on the weekend, and the adventure to get there, generally via the Kingston ferry. Likeability here is to the sky.
8
The Home Course • DuPont
Timing for the opening of The Home Course in the summer of 2007 could have been better. The 7,420-yard course in DuPont opened within weeks of the more celebrated Chambers Bay only a few miles away. Chambers carried more prestige, destiny, and cache. By comparison, that made it initially difficult for The Home Course to establish its identity. It was like Chambers’ little brother, but that was just fine with its supporters. It was our little brother, owned by public golfers, cooperatively by the Pacific Northwest Golf Association and Washington Golf.
It represented the Washington golfer and provided a well-designed playground at much more reasonable prices. Golfers never lost sight of that. With so many newer or established courses in the minds of voters, such as Washington National, Desert Mountain, Desert Canyon, Apple Tree and Port Ludlow, among others, The Home Course has stood tall. Voters have supported The Home Course consistently in the top 10.
As the course has matured, it has only gotten better, and the regulars are more passionate. They understand and appreciate its history of this piece of land, going back to the Salish People for a thousand years to the Hudson’s Bay Co., to E.I. du Pont de Nemours to Weyerhaeuser. We come from that history. This is us.
9
Trophy Lake Golf & Casting • Port Orchard
If a Northwest golfer would be asked to describe what the quintessential golf course in this region would look like, the simple answer is just over to the Kitsap Peninsula in Port Orchard — Trophy Lake Golf & Casting. It has it all. Lush fir forests. Check. Sparkling meadows amid vast carpets of green fairways. Yes, yes. Breathtaking vistas featuring The Olympics and Mt. Rainier. Indispensable. Expansive and pristine white-sand bunkers, 80 of them. Yes again. And, of course, two fly-casting ponds stocked with rainbow trout.
While that last one might seem a bit incongruent, not for folks here. Golfing and fishing are two Northwest passions. Why not combine them both? That was the intention of the original Trophy owners since it opened in 1999, as symbolized by its fishing-style clubhouse. This is the Northwest in spirit, passion, and design. The John Fought-created course, measuring a mighty 7,206 yards from the tips, is a joy to play, as poll voters have agreed in ever-increasing numbers.
Trophy Lake seems to move up a notch with each poll, now solidly entrenched in the top 10. Folks are hooked on the place, in more ways than one. It’s the only place in the entire region where course management means deciding what to use that day, a club or a rod.
10
Prospector at Suncadia • Cle Elum
Driving into the woodsy Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, just east of the mountains from Seattle, you might believe you have arrived at a golf theme park. Or heaven, with a scorecard. You weave along Suncadia Dr., from I-90, with glimpses of Prospector’s lush fairways on the left, Rope Rider’s greens peeking through the pines on the right, and the wonderful private Tom Doak-designed Tumble Creek clinging to the distant valley ahead.
Prospector, opened in 2005 and built by Arnold Palmer Course Design, is the centerpiece and public face of the place. And what a face it is. Golfers/voters have always liked its well-groomed looks, consistently hoisting up this gem among the top 10 courses in the state (with nearby Rope Rider following in lockstep just behind). For many of us, Prospector is the reason we play golf. It has matured into a challenging course, inducing golfers to use their heads to get through it, a feel-good mind and body workout.
The elevation changes and high vistas are breathtaking while maintenance and conditioning are as perfect as possible. The fact that virtually everyone must drive some distance to get to this divine complex — yet still has a groundswell of top 10 support — is an indication of how special this place is.