Golf in Seattle/Washington state

[Jordan Wall]

Pete,

Thats what I meant..better than 90%

I'll dig deeper into Palouse Ridge later, WSU's course, but I've walked it and it looks awesome.

[tlavin]

Snoqualmie Ridge, a Nicklaus course that hosts a Champions Tour event is worth a visit.

[Garland Bayley]

Pete,

Thats what I meant..better than 90%
...

Man, how bad is that. Top 10% on the ACT and he can't even understand English. Guess that's why it is primarily the cow colleges that accept the ACT.
 

[Steve_Lovett]

Jordan:

Congrats on becoming a Cougar!  When I attended WSU the golf in the area was not nearly what it is today.  Between the new WSU course and a couple in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene which have come along during the past 15+ years, your opportunities for golf are excellent.  At the time, the University of Idaho course was fun and Indian Canyon was my favorite in E. Washington...  

I will warn you - courses are closed from November to March, and it seems like forever!

To the discussion on Golf in Seattle for a visitor I would suggest the following as unique "northwest" courses accessible to the public - and they haven't yet been mentioned as far as I can tell.

Kayak Point (north), Suncadia (east), McCormick Woods (west), Port Ludlow (west), and  Semiahmoo (far north).

[Garland Bayley]

If I remember correctly, Port Ludlow is a must see. Tom D gave one of the 9s there a 0.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Garland,

       That would be the Trail 9 at Port Ludlow. The Timber and Tide nines are fine though.

Steve,

        Your talking about the old guard of the Northwest there. What about Desert Canyon?  Classic Golf Club?  The old Meriwood/Vicwood courses (forgot the new names)? The other course at Gold Mountain ain't too shabby.

 

[Richard Choi]

If I remember correctly, Port Ludlow is a must see. Tom D gave one of the 9s there a 0.

Is that true? If it is, I would have even higher respect for Tom.

Man, I hated that course. Talk about a looney tunes course...

[Steve_Lovett]

Craig - It probably is the "Old Guard" - but it's been since 1991 that I have lived in the Seattle area full-time.  Northwest golf is unique in the scale of the mature trees and setting - and those on my short list represent those unique qualities.

The Classic is a terrific course - yes.  I haven't seen Merriwood/Vicwood - but I know the sites well from year's back, and Bill Overdorf's work is fun.  Desert Canyon is nearly a 3-hour drive - so I didn't include it in the Seattle list.  

Others that come to mind...  

Newcastle is overpriced from a golf perspective, but the view is remarkable.  For some reason I've always enjoyed Snohomish and West Seattle as simple, straight ahead public courses.  Harbour Pointe is good in places, and awkward in places.

I like Inglewood, Sand Point, and Everett as less talked-about fun to play private clubs.



   

[Jordan Wall]

I like Inglewood, Sand Point, and Everett as less talked-about fun to play private clubs.



   

I've still never played Ingelwood.

Everett is a GREAT little course full of quirky holes that most people even here would like.

Sand Point is a big, big, big, big, big, big, BIG waste of a beautiful hillside!
I'd rather not play at all then play there.

I think Seattle CC is an incredible course, one that goes very under the radar.

[Steve_Lovett]

Jordan:

What do you dislike so strongly about Sand Point?

I worked as a greenskeeper at Sand Point many, many years ago.  The course is tight, short, and the greens are very small.  It's generally known to be in excellent condition and I think it is very fun to play.  If you can look past it's limitations of length and acreage and accept it for what it is, I think it is really fun.  I think #'s 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 18 are terrific holes by any standard.  Plus, the views over Lake Washington toward the Cascades are amazing.

You need to find a way onto Inglewood.  It's very nice.  I played it in high school matches a few times and remember the greens to be as treacherous as any I played.  In fact, I think Chi Chi Rodriguez putted O.B. in the Senior Tour event there one year.  

I put Everett in a similar category as Sand Point. Everett has the narrowest hole I've ever played - a single-file width par-4.  

Everything about Seattle GC is wonderful.  Although I've heard it was better before it was remodled by Palmer.

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan:

What do you dislike so strongly about Sand Point?

I worked as a greenskeeper at Sand Point many, many years ago.  The course is tight, short, and the greens are very small.  It's generally known to be in excellent condition and I think it is very fun to play.  If you can look past it's limitations of length and acreage and accept it for what it is, I think it is really fun.  I think #'s 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13, and 18 are terrific holes by any standard.  Plus, the views over Lake Washington toward the Cascades are amazing.

You need to find a way onto Inglewood.  It's very nice.  I played it in high school matches a few times and remember the greens to be as treacherous as any I played.  In fact, I think Chi Chi Rodriguez putted O.B. in the Senior Tour event there one year.  

I put Everett in a similar category as Sand Point. Everett has the narrowest hole I've ever played - a single-file width par-4.  

Everything about Seattle GC is wonderful.  Although I've heard it was better before it was remodled by Palmer.

Steve,

There is certainly nothing great, imo, about any of the holes you mentioned at SP.  In fact, I think the best holes were #2 and #15, none of which you mention.  The back nine is on unbelievably treacherous terrain where sveral holes go up or down at least 120 feet.  Thats a lot!  The views are definitely top notch though.

I would love to play Ingelwood sometime, it looks like a lot o fun.

Everett is a true hidden gem.  I am convinced it should be seen by more people.  Some of those green complexes are just superb, and so fun.  And Hogan's Alley is a great, original hole.  Last time I even birdied it, which was better than my double bogey the time before!  There is just so much variety on that course, I love it.  And, a new back tee will make #5 almost 440 yards up that hill.  That could be the hardest hole of that length in the entire world (for real!).

And yes, Seattle CC is awesome.  I really wish they'd let me post some of my pictures!

[Sean Leary]

Jordan,

I agree with you on Sand Point.  REALLY dislike it.  Plow it under and build homes.  2 is terrible too.

I was a member at Everett for a number of years.  Technology has made that course obsolete, but it is a great club and a neat course.

Seattle GC is one of my favorite places to spend a day, (even with you giving me horrible reads all day).

[igrowgrass]

Jordan,

I was a member at Everett for a number of years.  Technology has made that course obsolete, but it is a great club and a neat course.

The 9th and 16th at Everett are two of the great short par 4's in the state of Washington.  Number 9 is better than 16.  Everett could really benefit from a tree removal program.  

[Steve_Lovett]

Well - I haven't played Sand Point in 15 years...  Maybe my memories of the place are better than the reality.  Far Be It From Me to argue with consensus...?  

[Jesse Jones]

Leary,

So if they bulldoze Sand Point, it's younger and more treacherous kin is just down the road at Newcastle China Creek. For the love of God, doesn't Oki know how much more money he'd make by turning the course into homesites?

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan,

Seattle GC is one of my favorite places to spend a day, (even with you giving me horrible reads all day).

So lets get out there, say, in the Spring.

Sound like a plan?
Can you get a Monday off?

Jesse,
Send the family a Happy Holidays.
And by all means, bulldoze Newcastle to Hell...!

[Craig Van Egmond]

Jesse,

           Clearly Scott Oki doesn't need any more money. Golf is his passion, he's already made his money. Last I heard he owned 8 or 9 golf courses now.

           As you probable already know the site Newcastle sits on is an old construction landfill that Oki spent millions fixing and capping with sand.  The probably weren't able to build more houses than what they did.

           I always thought Newcastle would have been better as a 27  hole course. There are some really good holes up there, but also some real  clunkers.  A very severe site.

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Newcastle=good place to get married

Not a good place to play golf, providing you're not a mountain goat.  

[Jordan Wall]

Cos,

Newcastle doesn't even SMELL good.
Its an old sewage site, which would have been a better use for the place.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Jordan,

              The site Newcastle is on was originally coal mines (hence the course Coal Creek) and prior to the golf course was a construction waste dump site, not a sewage site.

[Mark Dorman]

Having spent every day of this past summer working at Newcastle, I can't say that the place literally 'stunk'.

What does stink there though is the greens fees. Between what the courses lack in architecture and conditioning it's not worth it, unless you pay employee rates, or you're not paying at all.

Which is too bad, cause that place could have been really great.  I very much enjoyed working there, even though it's the most back-asswards run facility.

I only hit a house once (China #6). Good times...

[Matt Vandelac]

I recently played Port Ludlow.  I thought the Timber 9 was worth playing, but the other 2 9's are definitely more fair.  After taking the ferry over there you may as well play all 27 and the pricing is not bad at all.  I felt after playing my 1st Muirhead design that although he tries to interject some humor (oftentimes at the expense of bordering with quirky) he built some really solid golf holes.  I thought the old growth stumps scattered about were memorable as well.  

[Bob Jenkins]

Matt,

I believe the architect at Pt Ludlow was Robert Muir Graves, not Muirhead. Haven't played there for several years but did find it very enjoyable.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Bob you are correct, Port Ludlow (all 27 holes) is by Robert Muir Graves.

The Timber/Tide were the original nines and the Trail nine came later.

[Pete_Pittock]

When I played at Newcastle I was led to believe green fees were higher to compensate for 15 minute tee intervals. Same income, less waiting for the group in front, less wear and terror.