With the recent thread of Diamond Creek in the fall looking magnificent, I figured I would post my pics of Aldarra in the fall. Aldarra is IMO the best golf club in Seattle, and is a great private club experience. Aldarra opened up in 2001, and was meant to be a players club, it is a VERY hard golf course, probably one of the toughest Fazio has designed. Being in Seattle the air is thick and the ground in wet, so the golf courses play really long. Aldarra from the 6600 yard tees feels as if you are taking on a US open track, it is amazing. It seems to only be in the Pacific Northwest where golf courses play some 100-300 yards longer just because of the weather. Despite being in the Northwest, Aldarra always has great conditions to provide for the members. It is a walkers club too; many of the members enjoy spending their afternoon walking 18 holes. The golf course is split into two different sections being divided by a road. Holes 1, 2, 9-18 are all on one side, and the other side occupies holes 3-8. The side of the golf course that has holes 3-8 is just absolute heaven; it is a lush tropical rainforest. The greens here are all sectioned off into different levels, it makes it very difficult to two putt if in the wrong section.
Hole 1 Par 4 A hard opener that has a tight tee shot in between the bunkers, this is the first of 3 holes that bend hard to the left, they are all great holes though.
Hole 2 Par 3 A par 3 with distinct levels in the green
Hole 3 Par 5 This is the start of a great 6 hole stretch on this side of the property, it begins with a massive tee shot over a ravine, the hole then turns right and gets really thin approaching the green. A great par 5, best one on the golf course.
Hole 4 Par 4 A very tight tee shot, every hole at Sahalee is like this just to give people a reference. It feels very claustrophobic on the tee knowing you have to hit a dead straight driver.
Hole 5 Par 4 Another great tee shot that is through a couple tall trees over the crest of the hill and then too a raised green.
Hole 6 Par 3 A very pretty par 3 over a creek
Hole 7 Par 5 A reachable par 5, the drive is over a long environmental area, the entire hole tilts hard right to left
Hole 8 Par 4 The second of the dogleg left par 4s, this is one of the best on the course, and beautiful setting in the afternoon standing on the tee.
Hole 9 Par 3 A short par 3 that has a small green, looks very similar to a par 3 at Flint Hills National.
Hole 10 Par 4 A short par 4 that bends up to the right, the second shot is uphill to a wild green split into levels.
Hole 11 Par 5 This is the start of back to back par 5s, one goes up the hill, the other goes back down. Sort of a weak point in the round, but both holes provides good excitement and tough pars. Hole 11 is uphill being much tougher than 12 which is downhill.
Hole 12 Par 5 A downhill par 5 that has a view for hundreds of miles on a clear day.
Hole 13 Par 3 A great downhill par 3 that has redan like characteristics, it is a long shot that is best played hitting a shot short right of the green letting it release on.
Hole 14 Par 4 This is last of the doglegs left par 4s. This is my favorite of them, a great tee shot which is even better from the back tee, a beautiful approach into the green.
Hole 15 Par 3 This is the start of the “Gauntlet” the VERY HARD finish at Aldarra. . This is a very difficult par 3 that is over 220 yards to a green perched on a hill that is only 15 yards deep. Brock MacKenzie finished with 4 straight birdies for a course record of 62, which is ridiculous
Hole 16 Par 4 This is a long par 4 that has a long carry over the environmental area, a pretty setting in a open meadow.
Hole 17 Par 4 This is the eye sore of the golf course, this hole Fazio was thinking about designing a links course, and put grass faced sod bunkers. The green is probably 60 yards wide too.
Hole 18 Par 4 A great finishing hole that is also tough, a thin fairway too hit, and then you have to hit over a ravine to a small green.
This a great golf course and one of Fazio’s best that doesn’t get enough recognition IMO, the top 4 in Washington are Aldarra, Tumble Creek, Chambers Bay, and Wine Valley. The top 2 Aldarra and Tumble Creek is personal preference. If you would like to see Tumble Creek pictures in the fall, I will post them on request.