Golf Washington, Idaho & BC

[Doug Bolls]

A friend and I are putting the finishing touches on a 9 day driving trip including WA, ID & BC.  The routing is not totally finalized and I would appreciate any comments, suggestions etc on the courses we have chosen.  Is there anything in this general geographical area we are missing?  He lives in Boise and we will be leaving from there.
Courses include:
Jug Mountain - McCall (day trip)
Wine Valley
Palouse Ridge
Circling Raven
Tower Ranch
Tobiano
Gamble Sands
Suncadia Prospector

I appreciate any and all comments.
Doug

[Charles Lund]

I looked at driving times on google maps.  You have a few days of five hour drives,  between some excellent courses.

I think Gamble Sands might be offering replays at reduced rates.  If you could access Tumble Creek instead of Prospector,  you could skip Prospector.

Makes for long days if you are faced with any five hour rounds plus driving.

Last year was a bad year for fires in the area you would be driving through in Northern Washington and Southern B.C.  Check out the fire situation.

I am situated in Western Washington now and it looks like driving times from where I am are better than they used to be when I went up to Predator Ridge.  So I might take a run up to Kamloops and B.C.

Charles Lund

[Doug Bolls]

Thank You Charles (or do you prefer Chuck as I saw on another thread?) - Interesting you should mention Tumble Creek - I put it into my skycaddie along with Prospector with the hope we could access it - not easy.
As far as the driving you are correct.  We're trying to split it up as much as possible and also looking for the best places to stay.  Both of us prefer to play middle of the day to early afternoon rather than early AM.  If you would like to meet up with us at Tower Ranch and/or Tobiano or any of the others, we would welcome your company.

[Brent Carlson]

A friend and I are putting the finishing touches on a 9 day driving trip including WA, ID & BC.  The routing is not totally finalized and I would appreciate any comments, suggestions etc on the courses we have chosen.  Is there anything in this general geographical area we are missing?  He lives in Boise and we will be leaving from there.
Courses include:
Jug Mountain - McCall (day trip)
Wine Valley
Palouse Ridge
Circling Raven
Tower Ranch
Tobiano
Gamble Sands
Suncadia Prospector

I appreciate any and all comments.
Doug

Doug,


You will enjoy Wine Valley and Gamble very much.  They are very much to the liking of the GCA crowd.  I agree with Charles about Tumble Creek.  It's good.


I'm also biased but if you haven't played Chambers Bay, it's worth a go, albeit not at midday.  Too slow.


Enjoy your trip.

[Dan Gallaway]

If the BC courses are cornerstones of your trip, then by all means...otherwise, I'd suggest staying south of the border and playing all 3 courses at Suncadia.  Enough variety and enjoyment to each to make them worthy rounds.

[Doug Bolls]

Thanks Guys

Brent - Chambers Bay was in the discussion - we may even take a side trip to see it.  My friend has played it and I have not.  I've looked at it and I'm not sure I can make the walk with all the elevation changes - but, it sure is tempting.

Dan - Tobiano has been one of those bucket list courses for a while - that's the main reason we are going up there.  Tower Ranch looks quite good on the web - too close to pass up.  Suncadia does look like a place to spend a couple of days, though.  We'll look at that again.

[Charles Lund]

Doug,

Charles or Chuck both work.  Once I traveled more outside the U.S., I found many people calling me Jack when I introduced myself as Chuck, so I opted for Charles.

I have a couple of out of town trips going between July 26th and August 10th.  I go out of the country in late August, so any time window would be narrow.

The Suncadia courses are good courses but I have only played Tumble Creek.  Weekday lodging there is less expensive, according to a family member who stays there from time to time.

I think there is a course around Pendleton,  Oregon on the way back to Boise.  I think it is called Wildhorse.  It is run by an Indian tribe which has a casino.

Charles Lund

[Pete_Pittock]

Doug,
I would consider Predator Ridge near Kelowna. I liked their Ridge course better than Tobiano, and they also have a Predator course, which I have not played.

I didn't find anything special at Suncadia, other than Tumble Creek. The go to course in Washington east of the Cascades used to be Desert  Canyon.

If you have time near Wine Valley, then the Milton Freewater back 9 is a hoot. Rent a cart, grab a bottle, warm up on 1-4, then drive up the hill. http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,60146.msg1421838.html#msg1421838.

I'm not enamored of Wildhorse, Buffalo Peak outside of LaGrande is probably under-maintained. I enjoyed the 9 hole family built Country View, located between Ontario and Vale, but that is a day trip from Boise.

[Will MacEwen]

Ditto Pete on Predator over Tower Ranch.

Depending on where you are coming from, Fairview Mountain in Osoyoos over Tower Ranch would also be recommended.

[Dan Gallaway]

Desert Canyon holds a special place in my heart as it used to be the only significant public option in the state and next door to our "cabin" (mobile home near the water).  That said, after doing the Bear Mountain Ranch, Gamble Sands, Desert Canyon triangle last year, I vowed to play 3 rounds at Gamble next time.

[Charles Lund]

Sorry about mentioning Wildhorse if conditionind is poor.

Sagebrush near Quilchena opens this summer managed by Troon Golf,

http://sagebrushlife.com/

Charles Lund

[Doug Bolls]

Charles - I thought  Sagebrush was NLE or at least closed.  Wonder what kind of shape it would be in after opening again.
Doug

[Pete_Pittock]

Sorry about mentioning Wildhorse if conditionind is poor.
Sagebrush near Quilchena opens this summer managed by Troon Golf,
http://sagebrushlife.com/

Charles Lund

Charles - You misread -Buffalo Peak may have a conditioning issue, not Wildhorse,

Also, Sagebrush has not opened this year - see the Sagebrush thread. Depending on infrastructure consyruction, it might not even open this year. http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,62141.0.html

[Pete_Pittock]

Sorry about mentioning Wildhorse if conditionind is poor.
Sagebrush near Quilchena opens this summer managed by Troon Golf,
http://sagebrushlife.com/

Charles Lund

Charles - You misread -Buffalo Peak may have a conditioning issue because of a tight budget. Wildhorse is usually in good shape.

Also, Sagebrush has not opened this year - see the Sagebrush thread. Depending on infrastructure consyruction, it might not even open this year. http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,62141.0.html

[Brad Treadwell]

Wine Valley and Tumble are both excellent.  Palouse and Circling Raven are solid.  Haven't played Gamble but have heard favorable things.  I do think Chambers is worth seeing...some really enjoyable holes (and a few duds).

[Doug Bolls]

Brad - I am excited to see Palouse Ridge at WSU - I was a microbiology lab instructor in the Vet School there in the late 60's - lived in student housing on the old golf course.  I'm sure it's a better course than it was then. 

I wish I was up to walking Chambers - I think it looked great during the Open and have heard nothing but great comments from the people I know who have played it. We'll see.

I appreciate your comments - I think Bob and I are on the right track with this trip.

Doug

[Ben Malach]

Honestly, I did the northern run of your trip at the end of May. I found Tobiano, Tower Ranch and Predator Ridge to all be very similar. All being over priced, overshaped and target golf with little chance for recovery. If I was to do this trip again I would try to hit go Kelowna G&C, Sagebrush, Spallumcheen or Talking Rock. I would also add 9 at Sonora Dunes in Osyoos.

[Doug Bolls]

Hi Ben - Thanks for weighing in here.  Your points are well taken - if we were to drop Tower Ranch out, which one of your suggestions would you pick?  From what I can tell, Sagebrush is not open and may not open.  See Pete Pittock's comment.

I appreciate the thoughtful input!

[Pete_Pittock]

Hi Ben - Thanks for weighing in here.  Your points are well taken - if we were to drop Tower Ranch out, which one of your suggestions would you pick?  From what I can tell, Sagebrush is not open and may not open.  See Pete Pittock's comment.

I appreciate the thoughtful input!

Sagebrush will re-open. They are spending too much to not have it open. IT just may later in the summer, or may not until  2017.

[Doug Bolls]

Hey Pete - Didn't mean to misquote you there.  We will be in that area on Sun July 24 - sounds like too early for their opening.

Doug

[William_G]

Gamble Sands
Gamble Sands
Gamble Sands

[Ben Malach]

I would add Kelowna G&C or Spallumcheen G&C. Both are great but Kelowna has be under going a restoration by Jeff Mingay to help return it to it's AV Macan roots. So that pushes it a head in my books.

[Bill_McBride]

Looks like you're not planning to get to the western side of BC.  Too bad, great golf there.  Capilano, Marine Drive, Shaunessy which unfortunately I haven't played, Victoria and Royal Colwood.   Much cooler weather that time of year as well. 

[Doug Bolls]

William - I get Gamble Sands - I've been told it may be the highlight of the trip!  Maybe we should play it more than once.  Have to look into the all day rate.  Good Call!

Ben - Since we'll be right there in Kelowna, we will check out the G&CC - good choice from what I can tell from the websites.

Bill - My friend lives in Boise so we are staying east in ID, WA & BC.  I think we have all the driving we can handle on this trip.  It's the old adage So Much Golf and So Little Time.

Thanks again for all your input.  I'll try to report back at the other end.
Doug

[Matthew Essig]

As others have said, try to replace Prospector with Tumble Creek.
[/size]
[/size]If you can't, I would switch Prospector with Rope Rider.
[/size]
[/size]Rope Rider has more interesting green complexes. For example, four greens slope front to back starting 1/3 of the way into the green. It was also built with the wind in mind. A normal day is 10-15mph, sometimes more. Prospector's greens are wide and have little depth and sit behind 10 foot deep bunkers. When you have the wind behind you, you have no chance to stop the ball keeping in mind the bunkers. Every time my dad and I play Prospector, we find more architectural flaws.
[/size]
[/size]As amazing Gamble Sands is, IMO, the greens are just a tad too flat in places. My personal favorite on your list is Wine Valley. Absolute blast.
[/size]As others have said, try to at least see Chambers Bay.... the parts that are great, and some of its flaws.