Indian Canyon GC, Spokane, WA (with pics)

[Sean Leary]

 
While it is a tight course, the pictures make it look much tighter than it already is with regard to the trees.

I'm a little surprised that people here are as high on it as they seem to be.  Good golf course for the money.

[Kalen Braley]

Bryon,

To answer your question, I think on some of the holes, the pictures accurately portray the tightness.  For example, the tee shots on #3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 16.  However these holes with the exception of #5 play as a short Par 4 or short Par 5.  So in some sense the tightness seems appropriate to make the player hit a good shot to get par or better.

On other holes the pictures are decieving because there really is a lot more room than it looks.  These would be #7, 14, 15, and 18.  And appropriately with the exception of #18, these holes play as longer par 4s.

Then there is #9 which really is as wide open as it looks in the photo.  Yet it has a very demanding LZ that requires a draw.

Lastly there is #17 which is actually tighter and longer than it looks. It plays as a par 3, over 200 yards, thru a narrow shute.

The greens really are the joy of the course, because you can never totally figure them out.  #4, 7, 8, and 14 really are phenomenal greens where a 2 putting is playing well.  As for the rest of them while they look flattish, they have way more break to them than looks due to thier position in the canyon.


Sean,

I know many on here are against courses being over-treed, and I feel this way to a large extent as well.  However in the context of this course, I think it works really well because the course truly was routed thru a heavily forested area.  Hence it really blends in well with its natural surrondings and has a minimalist look to it.  In addition, if the course was vastly thinned out, it would lose alot of its natural defenses off the tee...even though the greens can defend themselves perfectly fine.  

Another course in the area, Downriver was also done in the same fashion and is fun to play. It just doesn't have near the creativity in fairway and green contouring.

[Michael Hayes]

As one who has played dozens of rounds of golf at Indian Canyon, I really don't consider the trees as in play.  The shortish nature of the golf course allows a player to opt for accuracy over distance on tee shots.  I don't recall hitting Driver except on the drivable par 4's and on the par 5's.  The playing corridors are generous, I would venture to say at 75 puls yards wide on average.  I have never felt cramped while golfing at Indian Canyon.  The greens have nice movement and would be really fun if they ever putted over 8 feet.  This course is the jewel of Spokane golf and is a hidden gem worth visiting when in the area.

[Garland Bayley]

Lake Spanaway and Indian Canyon?  Garland, I'll answer your question but I wonder where you might be going.

Spanaway: Opened 1967, original design by Vernon Macan.  He died prior to it being very far along and according to Jack Reimer's family, Mr. Reimer finished it.  Spanaway is very flat, but is simliar in that the greens are of a pretty typical shape and undulation for the Pacific Northwest.  Not spectacular but good poa greens. Reimer also designed Fairwood, Twin Lakes, Cascade at Gold mountain, Madrona Links and Oakbrook.  I believe he passed away in the last few years.

Indian Canyon:  Severely sloped, designed in 1930 by Chandler Egan.  With many of the the same comments above concering the greens, short par 5's etc.  Indian Canyon, last time I played there, was in need of a pretty serious makeover.  Bunkers were very rough, turf was weak, probably due to irrigation age.  

Having now seen pictures of Indian Canyon, I knew both of the courses were heavily forested. What I did not discern from the pictures was that Indian Canyon was on much steeper ground. I also did not know they differed so much in vintage. Do you think it be more worth my while to play Indian Canyon my next time in Spokane or to play Spanaway my next time in DuPont.

[Jesse Jones]

Garland,

Both courses (IC-LS) are teriffic deals.
Both are worth a midweek play.
Weekend traffic at both courses is very slow.
I also agree with Cos on conditioning issues at IC.
After hearing about the 8 million dollar renovation that will take place at Papago, I think  IC would benefit from the same treatment.
The list of improvments is about the same for both courses. Some irrigation work, rerouting of the cart paths, and of course, some fairway and greens improvements. Unlike Papago, no new clubhouse is needed.  
IC has always been a gem of the NW.
I'd like it to stay that way.

[Kalen Braley]

The greens can get a little rough at times because they sit in the shade most of the day...but they still putt pretty true.

Another comment about the fairway corridors.  They do look more narrow than they actually are because of the height of the pines.  With shorter trees they would likely look alot less constricted.