7
White Horse • Kingston
Robert Trent Jones, Jr., has one course on this list. So does David McLay Kidd, Peter Jacobsen, and Gene Bates. John Harbottle has three.
The Tacoma native had an eye for our state that was unmatched by any modern architect — Gold Mountain’s Olympic Course is an ode to Western Washington, while Palouse Ridge shows that Harbottle understood the beauty of the eastern side of the state just as well.
His best project, though, might have been his last — transitioning White Horse into one of the most enjoyable golf courses in the state. Two years ago, White Horse squeaked into the top-10 by just two votes. This year, White Horse increased its total by 37 percent — more than any other course in the field — to jump two spots to seventh. Harbottle may be gone, but his spirit lives on.