Passport to Great Golf in Washington State
While standing on the first tee with Luke Luttrell, the new Head Professional at Gamble Sands, he pointed across the valley in Brewster, Washington. Alison and I looked to see what was so interesting. He showed us the outlines of three holes that were constructed on the rocky terrain above Brewster by the well-known golf architect Pete Dye. This course was halted due to the change in the economy. For one man’s loss another one gains and David McLay Kidd’s new course that opened fully this year is a beauty http://gamblesands.com
Gamble Sands, named after a Nova Scotian who ventured to the Methow Valley in search of gold in 1885, sits on a sandy plateau overlooking the Columbia River. The Scottish architect emphasizes that he wanted to create a fun course like his spectacular Bandon Dunes and turn away from those designs he created more recently that were too punishing to average golfers. What a pleasure it was to play. Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club in Quilchena, British Columbia and one of my Canadian favourites, has a similar feel.
In a conversation I had with a gentleman from the Seattle area he mentioned how much fun it was to play Gamble Sands with his young son and wife. Fun and family fun stuck in my mind. He had played Chambers Bay many times and seemed attracted to this place, staying nearby on vacation. I had a good vibe about this setting with a smaller and charming combination clubhouse and pro shop with nice practice facilities nestled by the 18th green. There were no condos, palatial houses or other signs of human intrusion in this remote part of north-central Washington. This is links style golf, destination golf, where nature and silence reign. My kind of course and golfing experience.
The wide fairways that rolled quickly like links is evident throughout your round. What intrigued me was the way the course tempted you to try and drive shorter Par 4’s and then followed up with holes with blind tee shots and then long par 3’s. It kept your attention and you wondered what the next surprise would be. And the silence is deafening.
The second hole is a short Par 4 where you lick your chops to drive the green with a perfect water and valley backdrop. Then No. 3 is a 600 yarder where you have to tee blindly over sagebrush and scrub and then twist and turn towards the green. Knockdown 7 irons or even putters from the fairways are additional shots to hit. Fun golf indeed! Then there is a long downhill, dogleg right Par 4 that if you hit the slot in the fairway correctly the ball will run for miles down a slope. I visualized the shot and executed leaving myself a blind shot wedge over a knoll on a par 4, 495 yards. This was followed up by a very long Par 3 where Luke provided me with the inside tip that you could bail out to the right of the green to avoid the bunker guarding the left side of the green. A short Par 5 follows that dips down and then up like a rollercoaster.
The back nine had more of the same brilliance. The visible and menacing sand traps were evident throughout and you tried to avoid these hazards but their aesthetic appeal added to your wonderment of the landscape. Golfers can blast from them rather than being hard pan shots that would skull from your sand iron.
Alternative tee blocks offered different angles on how to play holes and gave choices to all levels of golfers. They were ample sized and you just let your shots flow. Sometimes you couldn’t tell where the fairway ended and the greens began. They rolled well, not too fast, and they definitely were not slow greens that you can find in the UK or Ireland. Scoring well is certainly within your reach and it is harder to lose balls as the rough is not as penal as true linksland courses you find abroad.
I hammered my final drive and had a six iron into the shorter Par 5. After a near miss for eagle I scanned the topography and found it remarkable. I can now see why the group we played through was out having another round of the day along with some adult beverages. They were like kids in a candy store enjoying their comradeship immensely. Golfers will want to return several times to play Gamble Sands and that is the ultimate compliment rather than the “one and done” feeling I have had at other golf courses. Accommodations are planned on for the site and maybe the Dye course will be resurrected to give even more reason to visit the Brewster region.
We retired into the 19th hole for a great burger and huge french fries. Whether the potatoes were from Washington or Idaho it didn’t matter because they were the largest we had ever seen and of course, delicious.
Eating inside while watching golf on television or laughing while out on the patio, this is a special place. I am coming back and will let other Canadians know that getting through customs is a ten minute, painless procedure through Osoyoos, B.C. Although you drive an hour and a quarter from the border through small towns and open country Canadians and Americans in Washington will be extremely happy they made the trek. I live only 3 and a quarter hours directly north from Gamble Sands and I will be returning. Hopefully my good friends and curious fries tasters will be in tow!