Port Ludlow...

[Bob_Huntley]

Apart from housing a third of the cost of California, no State income tax, car license fee of $33.00 vs $700.00 on one particular model, is the golf any good?

[SteveTL]

Bob,

I haven't played Port Ludlow in several years, but yes, it is quite good.  And beautiful...

Port Ludlow is a sleepy little logging town on the Olympic Peninsula.  I believe the golf course was built in the 70's, on a fairly hilly and heavily wooded site.  In the early '90's a new 9-holes was constructed.  I never played the new 9 - but it was roundly criticized, very severe w/wetland encroachments and "mountain goat" golf.  Consensus is that the original 18 holes are the best.

It was designed by Robert Muir Graves - and for years was considered among the best golf courses in the northwest.  Much competition has emerged on the peninsula in the past 20 years or so (Canterwood, McCormick Woods, Gold Mountain).  As with many Seattle and northwest golf courses - it is narrow and lined with huge trees.  I recall it was often a bit wet.  The 17th is a beautiful little par 3.

Hopefully others who have been there more recently will chime it - I'd like to hear how Port Ludlow is today.

[Peter_Herreid]

When the rhododendrons are in bloom, on a crisp late-April or May day here in the northwest, Port Ludlow can be near heavenly, as one can be easily distracted by the trees, the birds, the flowers, the old and new growth forests,etc (you can't see the water as well as you might think)....

The golf, however, is a real grind--cart ball, narrow corridor, tree-lined, steep lie Northwest golf, often in less than optimal turf conditions...

One of the nines there, I think it's the Trail Nine (or whatever it's being called now) is darn near unplayable for most, with a bunch of strange blind shots, hear-90 degree doglegs, reverse cambers into OB/unplayable, etc....

Now if you back-track to either Trophy Lake or Gold Mountain-Olympic course to play, those are much nicer and playable and challenging for all levels, and usually in infinitely better shape...


Peter

[SteveTL]

I always walked Pt. Ludlow - but that was in the mid-80's.  I was in my early 20's then, and cart-ball was much less the rule compared to today...

[Craig Van Egmond]

Bob,

    I have played Port Ludlow a number of times. There are three nine's at Port Ludlow: Tide, Timber and Trail. They all were constructed by Robert M. Graves. The Tide and Timber nines are nice but nothing special, lots of trees and poor drainage. The Trails nine is an abomination and should have never been built. They have spent millions fixing it up and it still sucks.

    It is a beautiful area and as someone pointed out lots of good golf available in the area, 2 courses at Gold Mountain, McCormick Woods, Trophy Lake etc.  Except for the Olympic course at Gold Mountain none of them are in the same class as the Dunes course, but some were better than the old Shore course. Washington has a quite a few Doak scale fives and sixes but thats about as good as it gets. Maybe a few sevens, but I never played anything I would give an eight to.

   I think you will be hard pressed to find a place better than where you live now.

[JBStansell]

I've played Port Ludlow several times, and have enjoyed it every time.  Port Ludlow, along with Kayak Point on the opposite side of Puget Sound, presents the quintessential "Northwest golf experience" - narrow fairways cut through thick forests. For locals, both courses are "must plays."  I would agree with others, however, that better courses are not too far distant from Port Ludlow - Gold Mountain (Olympic) being one that I particularly favor.  If you are really serious about Washington because of inexpensive housing and low taxes, however, you might also put Bellingham on your radar screen.  A number of courses that receive favorable reviews are situated up in that area, including, in particular, Semiahmoo and Loomis Trail.

[Bob_Huntley]

Joe,

I was just struck by the economics of the area, but having gone on to The Weather Channel and learned that the temperature at nine in the morning yesterday was 37 degrees, temporarily cooled my interest.

[JBStansell]

The cool, gray weather we enjoy here is a defensive mechanism - it encourages many Californians and others NOT to move here.    

[JohnV]

Bob, if you are interested in that area, check out Sequim.  I don't know anything about the golf, but a large number of Alaska Airlines pilots live there.  The reason is that they call it the "Blue Hole" since the formation of the mountains to the west causes the clouds to part there.  Very little rain compared to other areas on the Olympic Peninsula.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Bob,
What economics?  We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, the infrastructure is collapsing, we are prone to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, Boeing is now headquartered in Chicago and they plan to outsource most of the parts for their new "Dreamliner", and although we do not have an income tax, the remaining taxes are extremely regressive.  The tax structure in this state is so archaic that even Bill Gates Sr. has gone on record saying we need a complete reform.  State government is extremely unfriendly to business with Business & Occpation taxes on gross business and extremly high L&I and Unemployment insurance rates. Microsoft is stagnant and it still rains about 6 months a year.  

I will grant you that from July 1st to October 1st it might be the nicest place on earth for weather.  After writing that I am wondering why I still live here!

[Bob_Huntley]

Gentlemen,

In a fit of pique after paying my estimated State income tax, I made an injudicious remark about seeking information on the great state of Washington and the caliber of golf there. After about thirty minutes I went out and played a eighteen holes at one of our noted Pebble Beach courses, on a sunny day, it was a delight.

I have decided to stay put, but thanks for your advices anyway. If Arnold does worse than Gray Davis the move may still be afoot.

[Mike Benham]

If Arnold does worse than Gray Davis the move may still be afoot.

Don't worry Bob, if Arnold fails, we still have a few Hollywood
 types left to run the state ... at least Clint has some
 experience in politics ...

Dirty Harry vs. The Terminator ...

T:  "I'll be back"



DH:  "Go ahead, make my day ... "




T:  "Hasta la vista, baby"




DH: "I know what you're thinking. Did he fire six shots or
only five? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement,
 I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a .44
 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and
 would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself
 one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?

[Jonathan Cummings]

Bob - Check out Confidential Guide and what TD (and his ex wife for that matter) thinks about Port Ludlow....

Cos - all you say is sadly true, but I still love the state of Washington - Seattle may be my favorite US city.  As for golf, with Alderra there is finally a bona fide top 100 modern course in the state along with a bunch of fun second echelon courses.

JC