Washington State Golf Course Reports

[oregongolf]

[quote name='dave willie' timestamp='1400627094' post='9334935']
I played last weekend in the Puget Sound Amateur at Chambers Bay. I absolutely love the course but the greens were pretty bad. They had 4 temporaries and several areas were covered by netting to keep people from walking where the pros will be landing their layup shots in the Open next year.

Someone who works at another course was speculating that they will dry the greens out, cut them super short and "heavy roll" them for the Open. Maybe they will do something like that, but I had a hard time imagining a US Open on such shabby greens. I think they need to bite the bullet and go to a different kind of grass instead of fescue.
[/quote]

I seriously doubt that they will have the greens stimping faster than 11. Especially if they ever want to have another event there ever again. Anything faster (I think that's still probably too fast) and some of the greens are unplayable.

I agree with your sentiment about the greens though. I personally think they should put in a fine fescue/colonial bent mix (similar to what Tetherow) did and it would help a lot.

[bpark1210]

Who's all playing this Memorial Day weekend and where?

I'll be headed out to Trophy on Sat, and praying for clear weather.

[Ben Tang]

[quote name='bpark1210' timestamp='1400793504' post='9349441']Who's all playing this Memorial Day weekend and where?

I'll be headed out to Trophy on Sat, and praying for clear weather.[/quote]

Playing Chambers Sunday.

[teckneeklyperfect]

I used to live down the road from Kayak Point GC . I have been told it is not what it once was. ( Top 100 in the US)

I miss living up there, was a great area then. It's been some time. I sold my land and got out just in time in 05.

Is Flowing Lake GC out toward Monroe still open? That used to be a fun course.

[Ben Tang]

Chambers 5/25 - decent condition all around until you get to the greens. Four temps 1/4/10/13. All the greens were inconsistent. Speed was really all over the place. Still some good views and fun times.

China Creek 5/26 - really good shape. Rough is very thick and punishing. The really long grass is pretty much impossible to look through. Greens were holding and accepting to spin. Played behind Super Bowl champ, Jermaine Kearse and his buddies too. [attachment=2243961:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169895.368149.jpg][attachment=2243963:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169907.284604.jpg]

[RainShadow]

[quote name='Ben Tang' timestamp='1401169930' post='9372399']
Chambers 5/25 - decent condition all around until you get to the greens. Four temps 1/4/10/13. All the greens were inconsistent. Speed was really all over the place. Still some good views and fun times.

China Creek 5/26 - really good shape. Rough is very thick and punishing. The really long grass is pretty much impossible to look through. Greens were holding and accepting to spin. Played behind Super Bowl champ, Jermaine Kearse and his buddies too. [attachment=2243961:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169895.368149.jpg][attachment=2243963:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169907.284604.jpg]
[/quote]
Chambers gets my vote for most overrated course I've ever played. What are the odds they get the greens going for the open, and then let them regress for us normal folk?

[RainShadow]

[quote name='teckneeklyperfect' timestamp='1401151353' post='9371019']
I used to live down the road from Kayak Point GC . I have been told it is not what it once was. ( Top 100 in the US)

I miss living up there, was a great area then. It's been some time. I sold my land and got out just in time in 05.

Is Flowing Lake GC out toward Monroe still open? That used to be a fun course.
[/quote]
Flowing lake closed last year. Most of the courses up this way are struggling enough that they've cut back on maintainence.

[turfmantim]

Any updates on the Chelan/Wenatchee courses?

[bpark1210]

[quote name='turfmantim' timestamp='1401408125' post='9392737']
Any updates on the Chelan/Wenatchee courses?
[/quote]

I played there in April during my annual Masters week golf trip. Played Highlander on the way in, Bear Mtn 36 and Desert Canyon 36. Bear was coming into shape very nicely. The fairways were well kept and maintenance just started after the winter season according to Von. Greens were a little on the slow side but quick enough.

Desert's greens have recovered very nicely from last year. They contracted the fungus that affected a lot of NW courses but seem to have it under control. The greens are a little faster at Desert than Bear. Wind is always a huge factor when playing in April and it was howling up there pretty good. I ended up getting birdie on hole #15 which I've never done before, beast of a hole at 630 yds+.

You def need to hit up Highlander. With their remodel it's a completely different back nine. The greens were some of the best during our trip. Lots of scoring opp's and consistent speeds on the greens. Just watch out for hole #17, remember it's not a par 3 anymore. We all tee'd off thinking it was a long par 3 trying to reach the green at 240yrds but later looked at the card and realized w/ the remodel it was now a par 4, doh!

[turfmantim]

Good to hear. I lived out there for a while and worked at Bear Mountain for 5 years, moved away last spring. Know the guys well.

[bpark1210]

[quote name='turfmantim' timestamp='1401409603' post='9392883']
Good to hear. I lived out there for a while and worked at Bear Mountain for 5 years, moved away last spring. Know the guys well.
[/quote]

Yup they provide top notch service to us every year. We had some issues this year w/ some new guys that joined our group causing a ruckus but Von was great and handled it fairly.

[turfmantim]

Von's a great guy. What he does day in and day out there is great

[bpark1210]

Yup and can't believe his dog is still kickin in the shop!

[turfmantim]

[quote name='bpark1210' timestamp='1401409852' post='9392913']Yuo and can't believe his dog is still kickin in the shop![/quote]

Guinness? Great dog. How long have you been playing there?

[bpark1210]

[quote name='turfmantim' timestamp='1401409902' post='9392919']
[quote name='bpark1210' timestamp='1401409852' post='9392913']Yuo and can't believe his dog is still kickin in the shop![/quote]

Guinness? Great dog. How long have you been playing there?
[/quote]

I go out there every year for Masters week w/ a bunch of industry guys. Ex pro shop workers, cooks at courses, asst pro's, current assistant pro's etc. We've gone out every year for the past 3 or 4 yrs now. They're always accomodating and provide us an industry rate which brings us back each year. We usually rent a house in Wapato Pointe over the entire trip.

[turfmantim]

I remember that group. I was the super there until June 2012

[Ben Tang]

[quote name='RainShadow' timestamp='1401407646' post='9392693']
[quote name='Ben Tang' timestamp='1401169930' post='9372399']
Chambers 5/25 - decent condition all around until you get to the greens. Four temps 1/4/10/13. All the greens were inconsistent. Speed was really all over the place. Still some good views and fun times.

China Creek 5/26 - really good shape. Rough is very thick and punishing. The really long grass is pretty much impossible to look through. Greens were holding and accepting to spin. Played behind Super Bowl champ, Jermaine Kearse and his buddies too. [attachment=2243961:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169895.368149.jpg][attachment=2243963:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169907.284604.jpg]
[/quote]
Chambers gets my vote for most overrated course I've ever played. What are the odds they get the greens going for the open, and then let them regress for us normal folk?
[/quote]

100% agree with chambers being overrated. If not overrated, wildly overpriced. Fun course and all but I'd rather pay less than half the price and go to the Home Course or Trophy Lake. I wonder how people feel about other Public US Open Courses? Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, and Pebble can't all be this way?

[chrndwg]

[quote name='Ben Tang' timestamp='1401725048' post='9414049']
[quote name='RainShadow' timestamp='1401407646' post='9392693']
[quote name='Ben Tang' timestamp='1401169930' post='9372399']
Chambers 5/25 - decent condition all around until you get to the greens. Four temps 1/4/10/13. All the greens were inconsistent. Speed was really all over the place. Still some good views and fun times.

China Creek 5/26 - really good shape. Rough is very thick and punishing. The really long grass is pretty much impossible to look through. Greens were holding and accepting to spin. Played behind Super Bowl champ, Jermaine Kearse and his buddies too. [attachment=2243961:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169895.368149.jpg][attachment=2243963:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1401169907.284604.jpg]
[/quote]
Chambers gets my vote for most overrated course I've ever played. What are the odds they get the greens going for the open, and then let them regress for us normal folk?
[/quote]

100% agree with chambers being overrated. If not overrated, wildly overpriced. Fun course and all but I'd rather pay less than half the price and go to the Home Course or Trophy Lake. I wonder how people feel about other Public US Open Courses? Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, and Pebble can't all be this way?
[/quote]

I think if you give Chambers the amount of time that those other courses mentioned have had, it will be up there. Maybe not better than any of those 3, but I don't think there's any shame in saying a course is worse than Pebble or Bethpage Black, or to a lesser extent Torrey Pines. In terms of the turf, I'd be willing to bet they get the course in great conditions once for the open by shutting the whole place down for a few months before, and then they begin to mix in some of the more stable grasses long term. Trying to build a course 100% fescue on that soil in this region seems like a stretch - even most of the courses at Bandon, Old Mac aside, are some kind of a mix, and that land has MUCH better soil quality than the filled in gravel pit Chambers is build on.

All that being said I love the layout at Chambers - I think it's a fun variation of links golf and for my money if you gave Chambers the same turf quality as Old Mac, I'd rather play Chambers.

[RainShadow]

My beef w/ Chambers is out of the 4 or 5 times I've played it and payed near full price, only once were the greens even presentable.

[bpark1210]

Played the Homecourse on Sunday 06/01 and Weds 06/04

The course is in the best shape I've seen in quite a while. They're prepping for the Ladies USGA Pub Links. Spoke w/ one of the employees and he was very passionate that we keep carts out of the rough and fescue areas. They are trying to build up the areas for the tournament. The greens on Sunday were a little on the slow side, according to the starter on weekends they only keep 1/2 the groundscrew staff so there is limited grooming of the greens. The fairways were excellent. The greens are rock hard and require a good amount of spin to hold. Had a great round on Sunday shooting 82 w/ 3 birds on the card, played from Black tees 7000+ yds.

Monday went back on a golfnow deal for $26!! The course is shaping up even better than Sunday. What a diff 3 days made. The greens were top dressed w/ sand to keep them dry. Starter said the USGA is requiring it to keep the course in tourney condition. Again must keep carts out of rough and fescue areas. 90 degree rule. They are really keeping up the maintenence here for the USGA event. The greens were rolling pure and better than Sunday w/ the top dressing. Wind was up on Weds and carded an 88 from Black tees again, I swear I hit every bunker on every hole that day.

[dave willie]

Lake Spanaway is finally recovering after losing about 7 greens late last fall to some kind of fungus. They bought some of the greens from Sumner Meadows before that course closed and replanted them on the ruined patches at Spanaway. In most places the recovery is nearly complete, although you can still see the seams on a few greens. They have been top dressing and blade-aerating them periodically, but the greens are generally playing pretty well. The fairways are playing fast.

[jamie]

[quote name='dave willie' timestamp='1402002473' post='9438065']
Lake Spanaway is finally recovering after losing about 7 greens late last fall to some kind of fungus. They bought some of the greens from Sumner Meadows before that course closed and replanted them on the ruined patches at Spanaway. In most places the recovery is nearly complete, although you can still see the seams on a few greens. They have been top dressing and blade-aerating them periodically, but the greens are generally playing pretty well. The fairways are playing fast.
[/quote]
That's good to hear. I played Spanaway 5 or so times last summer and loved the course...price and conditions were worth the drive from Issaquah. I played before the greens were damaged but I heard about it. Unfortunate.

[Seattle_Maslow]

Played Druids Glen for the first time in years last week. Still a lot of bare patches, but relatively dry and fast. Going back on Sunday to see what two weeks of dry weather means for them.

[TMBob]

Salish Cliffs.....really good right now!

[Seattle_Maslow]

Played Druids again today. It's shaping up nicely. Fairways and greens are getting very firm.

[bpark1210]

Played Glen Acres CC - Sunday June 8th

First time out to Glen Acres CC yesterday; on a golfnow deal for $19 w/ tax and cart. Couldn't resist the deal. The course is famous for the greens and I paid the price heavily on Sunday for not being below the hole. The greens are rolling prob close to 13/14. When it get's this lightning fast you would think hole locations would be in a spot to keep it fair but not this past Sunday. We had pins cut 2 paces from the fringe/bunkers, holes on ridges, just nasty spots. Started off double and quad on a par 3 which I hit the green and spun back 40 yards off two tiers of the green onto the fairway! Gathered myself to go par and birdie on the next two holes then it was all down hill from their and shotgunning beers 3/4 putting. I remember having a par putt from 3 1/2 feet but playing 2 feet of break above the hole, just insane green speeds. It was a tragic day yesterday on the links shot exactly 100! I play to a 8.7 hcp currently w/ scores around the low to mid 80's.

I found the course to be kind of gimmicky, the greens are damn near impossible to play fairly. My whole group chalked it up as a well maintained course with it's greens but beyond that the fairways, length of course, tee boxes, range were average. The greens can make for a fun round if you're betting. I can imagine some really fun money games out there but to score well on this course you have to be kidding me. Great experience out there getting my a** handed to me but prob will not be going back.

[TMBob]

Anyone planning on playing Gamble Sands in August when it opens?

[Seattle_Maslow]

Definitely want to play Gamble Sands.

Played Newcastle China Creek last night. B+ type condition--greens are a bit slow and bumpy and the fairways, while dry, are fairly chewed up. Oki card twilight rate still makes it a great deal.

[oregongolf]

[quote name='TMBob' timestamp='1402495567' post='9473005']
Anyone planning on playing Gamble Sands in August when it opens?
[/quote]

I was actually going to try to get out for some of the limited preview play, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to get a free weekend.

[TMBob]

[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1402626383' post='9484765']
[quote name='TMBob' timestamp='1402495567' post='9473005']
Anyone planning on playing Gamble Sands in August when it opens?
[/quote]

I was actually going to try to get out for some of the limited preview play, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to get a free weekend.
[/quote]

How does this work....clue us in please?