Move to Seattle: Chambers and...?

[PorkChopExpress]

Play it.

I played it in the first year they opened.

 

[duffer987]

> @desaille said:

> Play it.

> I played it in the first year they opened.

>

I have.

Did you get a bumper sticker?

 

[PorkChopExpress]

Yup

“Chambers, a rock quarry”

 

Gonna get everyone on WRX a sticker

[PorkChopExpress]

Tacoma CC runs circles around Chambers

[lhahn]

You've been super helpful :D

[PorkChopExpress]

It’s the sticker

[duffer987]

> @desaille said:

> Tacoma CC runs circles around Chambers

 

I hear Tacoma CC is good, what are the differences, in addition to one being a quarry and one being beside I5?

[PorkChopExpress]

That’s Tacoma’s downfall, by the hwy so you get some noise

And it’s south Lakewood

But if you like tree lined courses with great greens and shot rewarding course, Tacoma has it.

PNGA has their Men’s amateur there. Splitting rounds with the bumper sticker ?

[duffer987]

> @desaille said:

> That’s Tacoma’s downfall, by the hwy so you get some noise

> And it’s south Lakewood

> But if you like tree lined courses with great greens and shot rewarding course, Tacoma has it.

> PNGA has their Men’s amateur there. Splitting rounds with the bumper sticker ?

 

I like the latter two - I can give or take trees.

[HighandDry]

FYI, Aldarra is not closed during the winter. The only time it closes is when the Seattle area has a cold snap and then it closes along with all the other area courses. There are many years where it will be closed for less than 10 days.

Even though Seattle gets a lot of rain, Aldarra is very dry. When they built it, they put down tons of sand and made wetland areas for drainage.

[James the Hogan Fan]

Chambers is a fantastic course— if it’s the kind of course you’re looking for. It is artificial, it is a rock quarry, some of the holes are circusy/mickey mousey. But in spite of all that, it is a spectacular course for the views, the dramatic shots, the feel and the ambience. I played one sunset round there june 2018 and it was perhaps the most incredible day of my golfing life.

 

The only other courses I’m familiar enough to speak of are the Seattle/Everett muni’s, the Snoqualamie courses, and Willows Run.

 

West Seattle, Jackson, Jefferson in that order. West Seattle 1-13 are a great set of old-school golf holes. 14-18 are great views of the city and not rather cookie-cutter, they just ran out of land to be creative. Usually in decent shape (for a muni). Super twilight 9’s at W.S. are fantastic.

 

Jackson: A smattering of good holes (3, 10, 12, 14*, 16, 18) mixed among some quirky ones (1, 4), and some bland ones. The par 3’s are so-so.

 

Jefferson: short, tight, routing destroyed by neighbor complaints, it’s saving grace being that it drains somewhat for the winter.

[RobotDoctor]

I always liked my rounds at Willows Run back in the late 90s and early 2000s. While the golf courses are not world class, they are decent an I always thought fun to play. I have only played the Eagles Talon course as it was the longest there.

 

Side story: I met a former Oakland Raiders/Seattle Seahawks linebacker playing there and we struck up a friendship. We ended up playing a few times there and ran into each other at other times playing the course separately. He tried my new set of '99 Hogan Apex blade 6 iron on (I believe) hole 14 while I was playing on 13. The conversation started by the linebacker shouting out my name as I was coming up on 13. He comes down asks me what irons I am gaming and proceeds to take my 6 iron to try on the par 3. He said he hit a great shot and said he has to get a set of the '99 Hogan Apex blades. I asked if Mrs. Linebacker would approve of the newest impulse buy (with a smile on my face) and he gives me a wink. We both had a good laugh at that one. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met playing golf, even though he tormented John Elway during his playing career. :D

[James the Hogan Fan]

> @RobotDoctor said:

> I always liked my rounds at Willows Run back in the late 90s and early 2000s. While the golf courses are not world class, they are decent an I always thought fun to play. I have only played the Eagles Talon course as it was the longest there.

>

> Side story: I met a former Oakland Raiders/Seattle Seahawks linebacker playing there and we struck up a friendship. We ended up playing a few times there and ran into each other at other times playing the course separately. He tried my new set of '99 Hogan Apex blade 6 iron on (I believe) hole 14 while I was playing on 13. The conversation started by the linebacker shouting out my name as I was coming up on 13. He comes down asks me what irons I am gaming and proceeds to take my 6 iron to try on the par 3. He said he hit a great shot and said he has to get a set of the '99 Hogan Apex blades. I asked if Mrs. Linebacker would approve of the newest impulse buy (with a smile on my face) and he gives me a wink. We both had a good laugh at that one. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met playing golf, even though he tormented John Elway during his playing career. :D

 

Great story! Never know who you are going to meet on the golf course.

 

Willows is one of those courses (and I have only played Eagle as well) that isn't one you're going to remember every hole or be blown away, but it's going to deliver consistent, above-average conditions at a mid-tier price point, and it's interesting enough to be a fun round. I really liked playing there back when I was working at the City of Redmond.

[RobotDoctor]

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> > @RobotDoctor said:

> > I always liked my rounds at Willows Run back in the late 90s and early 2000s. While the golf courses are not world class, they are decent an I always thought fun to play. I have only played the Eagles Talon course as it was the longest there.

> >

> > Side story: I met a former Oakland Raiders/Seattle Seahawks linebacker playing there and we struck up a friendship. We ended up playing a few times there and ran into each other at other times playing the course separately. He tried my new set of '99 Hogan Apex blade 6 iron on (I believe) hole 14 while I was playing on 13. The conversation started by the linebacker shouting out my name as I was coming up on 13. He comes down asks me what irons I am gaming and proceeds to take my 6 iron to try on the par 3. He said he hit a great shot and said he has to get a set of the '99 Hogan Apex blades. I asked if Mrs. Linebacker would approve of the newest impulse buy (with a smile on my face) and he gives me a wink. We both had a good laugh at that one. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met playing golf, even though he tormented John Elway during his playing career. :D

>

> Great story! Never know who you are going to meet on the golf course.

>

> Willows is one of those courses (and I have only played Eagle as well) that isn't one you're going to remember every hole or be blown away, but it's going to deliver consistent, above-average conditions at a mid-tier price point, and it's interesting enough to be a fun round. I really liked playing there back when I was working at the City of Redmond.

 

That's exactly right. Still have to execute shots to score but it won't sadistically penalize you.

 

By the way, I met Winston Moss on the course. One of the nicest people I've ever golfed with. Total opposite if his demeanor on the football field.

[bird206]

We should add Druids Glen to the list of good courses too in the South Puget Sound area. I just posted a positive review of the course on the WA St course conditions thread.

[PorkChopExpress]

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> Chambers is a fantastic course— if it’s the kind of course you’re looking for. It is artificial, it is a rock quarry, some of the holes are circusy/mickey mousey. But in spite of all that, it is a spectacular course for the views, the dramatic shots, the feel and the ambience. I played one sunset round there june 2018 and it was perhaps the most incredible day of my golfing life.

>

>

> The only other courses I’m familiar enough to speak of are the Seattle/Everett muni’s, the Snoqualamie courses, and Willows Run.

>

> West Seattle, Jackson, Jefferson in that order. West Seattle 1-13 are a great set of old-school golf holes. 14-18 are great views of the city and not rather cookie-cutter, they just ran out of land to be creative. Usually in decent shape (for a muni). Super twilight 9’s at W.S. are fantastic.

>

> Jackson: A smattering of good holes (3, 10, 12, 14*, 16, 18) mixed among some quirky ones (1, 4), and some bland ones. The par 3’s are so-so.

>

> Jefferson: short, tight, routing destroyed by neighbor complaints, it’s saving grace being that it drains somewhat for the winter.

 

Great pic!

[evanm]

Haha, Chambers is an incredible course. The best links course? No, but very good. The surroundings are incredible.

 

I just recently moved to the bay area from Seattle. Yes, the golf is much better here, but it's probably tough to beat it anywhere. The South Sound has some solid options for affordable golf, can be a lot worse in a lot of the country. However, public golf isn't great near Seattle and the East Side should take the blame for that, lol. Everything is private on the eastside except for a couple really bad munis and a couple Oki courses that are essentially munis with really nice club houses and are insanely expensive. I was lucky enough to live next to West Seattle but the conditions and the slow play can be pretty rough. In the south end/peninsula I would suggest Druids Glen, Home Course, Oakbrook, McCormick Woods, Gold Mountain and I'm not a big fan of them but they're worth playing: Washington National, Trophy Lake and Salish Cliffs.

 

edit: Forgot to mention Hawks Prairie, probably the best Oki course for your money. The Links course can be a good deal in the offseason and the Woodlands course I think is one of the most underrated courses in the state. Another one is Lakeland Village, not well known but is probably the best deal around the sound, typically they have plenty of really cheap rounds on Golf Now.

[sway162]

I'm a Chambers fan as well, love that course. I find myself always heading to Port Orchard. McCormick Woods, Trophy Lake and Gold Mtn are great courses for the money. I live in the south sound, American Lake and so I usually go to The Home Course, Oakbrook and Eagles Pride. I've played Tacoma Country Club and Fircrest and would have to say I like TCC a little more. They have the best greens in the south sound imo.

Once you get settled in, you have to make trip out to Lake Chelan stay there and play Bear Mtn, Desert Canyon and Gamble Sands. Picture of Bear Mtn and Desert Canyon below:

 

 

 

[wkuo3]

Sorry I'm late to discover this thread.

Hope everything worked out fine with you.

I've been around this area since 1976, on both sides of Seattle and the East Side.

The golf scenes as others had chimmed in, the South Puget Sound has more choice but it really depending on what you want and where you will be working.

COmmuting is a huge factor day in, day out. The mass transit will be gradually in place in the next 30 years if we stick to the planning and expand it.

Do not forego the commuting factor to golf and housing price. You will be regretting on decisions not being thought through carefully.

Weekend traffic sometimes is worse than the work week since everyone will be in their cars going somewhere. Avoid traffic, and event schedule, you'll be fine to reach normal commuting hours.

Housing is getting very expensive for the locals, not only there are jobs, but all those fleeting from either higher local tax or the changing weather are flooding in. Our housing price is relatively low comparing to other metro region, at this point, but quickly narrowing the gap.

Condo is the preference for singles and those believe they could live worry free comparing to single family dwellings. However, when you factor in the monthly dues ( $300- $ thousands ), sometimes it'll be like paying for another mortgage and that's not recoupable. You don't need to perform the exterior maintenance, instead you fork over the money to the HOA to let them fo the exterior manitenance and also gave up some of your privacy living in a condo / apsrtment.

Building always gets old and needing more and more maintenance down the road, especially with the highrise buildings, Special assessment to the unit owners sometimes could go into 5 ,even 6 figures if the Reserve in the HOA could not meet the required maintenance.

Another issue to deal with , is, the flexibility of renting /leasing the condo out if you decided to keep it while trnsferring to another city for work. Some HOA has restrictions on leasing / rentingunits. A lot of the waiting list have projected waiting time as long as several years.

South Puget Sound housing market had been heting up in the last year or two, becu=ause the high price in the City and the East Side drove most buyer into the "more affordable" area. So, catch twenty -two, do you move into an area because of golf ? Work ? Resale ? You'll have to make na informed decision within your budget.

Like most of the buyers today, they believe thay could make a decision based on what they could research on the internet. To a certain degree, yes. But I would advise my on my own children to seek out professional help because this is not like spengi $500 on a new driver which the mistake could easily be reversed. If you're serious about your golf game, you wouldn't be seeking out free advice on driving range would you ?

Make you you get your priority straight, between, budget, job, commuting time, golf and resale ....

If you want to discuss this further, PM me .

Kep in mind, priority in life changes without notice, so plan carefully. Liek driving on the freeway, look ahead instead of focusing on the bumper in front of you.