Puget Sound Trip Report August 2018

[Argonne69]

I'm on a 6 day, 9 round trek around the south and west Sound area. I'll post course reviews throughout the trip, and pics when I get back home.

 

I started the trip with a round at The Home Course this morning. The course is a links style course along the Sound, although I was a little disappointed that there weren't more views of the water. It appears to be a built on an old mine/quarry. Similar to Chambers Bay?

 

The course is fairly wide opening off the tee, and promotes aggressive play. The views off the tee somewhat disappoint, as there are few landmarks. Many fairways have a crest near the 150 pole, so the hole really opens up on the approach. The course has a number of sod faced bunkers, which are a great touch. The greens are rather undulating, and a very good challenge. Two putts were not automatic, especially ones downhill.

 

The par 4s were decent. There are a couple of short ones that require a bit of precision off the tee. The longer ones just want you to bomb away. The greens are fairly well protected, but there are scoring opportunities. The par 5s were rather straightforward. While the par 3s look different, they basically all played the same distance, and need to be mixed up. I'd suggest moving up a tee on one or two.

 

Course conditions were generally good. There were a few dry areas, but overall the course was very playable. Green speeds were fairly fast downhill, and somewhat slow coming back up.

 

I hit the ground running with a solid round ballstriking. 10 fairways and 10 greens, with no big misses. I got up and down three times, and had a pair of birdies to offset the 5 bogies. Not unhappy with the round.

 

Overall I was pleased with the course. A little disappointed with some of the views off the tee, but many of the approaches were good looking. The weather was generally cooperative, with light winds, and light sprinkles at times. I imagine the course would play much harder in stronger winds. For the price, I thought it was a good value.

[Argonne69]

My afternoon round was on the Woodlands course at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie. I was hoping to get on the Links course, but there was a tournament. The Woodlands is a fairly tight parkland layout with tall pines lining most holes. Most holes seemed to bend in one directions or another, with a few 90 degree doglegs mixed it. While the course does have bunkers, I didn't feel that they came into the play much. The greens were fairly undulating, with very few flat spots. There was a good mix of long and short holes to keep it interesting. A handful of holes had fairly small landing areas, so it did feel like target golf at times.

 

The biggest drawback to the course was its routing through a ho hum housing development. Not the prettiest views.

 

Course conditions were very spotty. There were a good number of dead/dormant patches due to lack of rain. However, there were also some overwatered areas that were saturated. The greens were in very nice shape, and were rolling with moderate speed.

 

This course required absolute precision off the tee. I kept my focus, and managed 11 fairways and 11 greens. A couple of birdies helped offset 4 bogies. My putter was on fire, and I made over 60 feet of putts, including a nice 36 footer to save par.

 

I can't say I'd recommend the course. If you're playing a 2nd round in the same day, it suits a purpose. I would have definitely liked to have checked out the Links course.

[wkuo3]

Nice scores !

36 holes in a day is fun.

[Argonne69]

Thanks! The pub crawl after the rounds isn't bad either. I started with Top Rung Brewing near Hawks Prairie, and I'm currently at Sluggo in Tacoma. Wingman and Harmon are on tap.

 

I have an 8:50 am tee time at Chambers Bay tomorrow, so I have to be a good boy tonight. Lol.

 

 

[Edaw68]

Thanks for the reviews.

[Argonne69]

Chambers Bay this morning. The weather was near perfect, with clouds keeping the heat down, and a light breeze. I'm not going to bore anyone with a description of the course, as we've seen it several times before. This is definitely one of the top courses I've ever played, and is probably nudged out by Pebble. How anyone can complain about any aspect of the course is beyond me. There place is simply stunning visually. The golf is pretty darn amazing, too. I generally take 18 to 30 photos when I'm playing a course. I took over 200 today.

 

With the help of a good caddie I had no problems managing my way around and staying out of trouble. Yes, there is plenty of trouble if you're spraying the ball, so bring your A game. The greens are challenging, but fair. My caddie Chris was great in helping with the reads.

 

Course conditions were excellent. The greens were rolling nice with moderate speed.

 

Another solid day ballstriking with 10 fairways and 13 greens. I hit a few gems that left me with wedges into the greens. Best drive of the day was on the 18th, leaving me 195 into the green on the par 5. I also hit a beauty on the short par 4 12th, leaving it just 10 yards short of the green.

 

My irons were a bit off, so while I was hitting the (generous) greens, I had quite a few feet of putts. Luckily the lag putting was spot on, and I had few knee knockers for par. Two birdies helped offset the five bogies.

 

Overall it was a wonderful experience. I can't recommend it enough. Ignore the naysayers and get out here. Golf doesn't always have to be played on a tree lined pristine green carpet.

 

[jimwgt26]

Glad you had a great day. CB is on the list.

[Argonne69]

 

[Argonne69]

Silver City Brewery in the Bremerton. Good stuff.

 

[Argonne69]

The 18th at CB is a tough driving hole.

 

 

[spud3]

That's pretty much perfect weather for CB.

[Argonne69]

This morning I played the Olympic course at Gold Mountain. It's a wonderful parkland layout on rolling terrain with few flat lies (it seemed). The holes are lined with fir, pine, cedar, and spruce, and it was everything I'd expect from a PNW course. It had a good combination of short and long holes, although I did think the short par 4 18th was a bit odd for a closing hole. The par 5s were scoreable, and the par 3s had good variety. A couple had elevated tees, and looked great. The greens were undulating, but not punishing. One still needed a delicate touch on a few of the downhillers. I do believe the course could use more bunkers, especially in the fairway. Tee shots didn't give any sense of danger.

 

The course conditions were good. There were some brown patches in the fairways, but for the most part it was green. The greens were very nice, and even a little spongy in spots. The sand was wet, and needed grooming.

 

I had a great round ballstriking with 11 fairways and 13 greens. I couldn't sink a birdie putt on the front, but I did manage 3 on the back, including back to back ones on the two final holes. The best shot of the day was my 5h approach on the 17th to two feet. The three birdies offset three bogies, so I was definitely pleased with the even par round.

 

I can see why the course is rated as one of the top public courses in the state. Definitely recommended.

 

 

 

[leejohnkieh]

Can't wait for you to come play Tacoma =)

[Argonne69]

Trophy Lake this afternoon. The parkland layout can be described in one word: uninspiring. I can't remember one "Oh wow" moment during the round. The vast majority of holes are dead straight, with little trouble off the tee. There is a little elevation change, but for the most most part the holes are flat. The greens are fairly large, with few major undulations.

 

Course conditions were OK. There were a few patchy areas, but it was playable for the most part. The greens were in very nice shape, and rolled fairly quickly. The bunkers were pretty bad. I swear there were more rocks in them than sand. Leave your good sand wedge at home.

 

I started to run out of gas this round. I still managed to hit 10 fairways, but that's not saying much given their generous size. I added 12 greens, but couldn't get anything close. When the back starts tiring, the ball goes right and stays right. No birdies and six bogies made for a forgettable round.

 

Overall I can't say I'd recommend the course, at least as a primary destination. At $70 for a weekday afternoon, it's overpriced.

[Stevo85]

Great reviews! Chambers is an amazing track, though surprising to not hear anything bad about the greens in a review. How were they?

[spud3]

One thing I noticed when I took my last road trip was if I'm playing a great course in the morning, the afternoon course better be just as great, or else it seems worse than it actually may be. My opinion of Walla Walla CC suffered because I had just come off Wine Valley.

 

Let us know when you are thinking of coming to Portland!

[Argonne69]

Great reviews! Chambers is an amazing track, though surprising to not hear anything bad about the greens in a review. How were they?

 

The original greens were OK. A little bumpy, but nothing crazy. I was expecting it, so it was no surprise. I played in the morning, and I believe they get bumpier as the day goes on as the grass chases the sun.

 

There were 3 or 4 greens with new grass, and they were very nice. Eventually all the holes will have these new greens.

 

[Argonne69]

One thing I noticed when I took my last road trip was if I'm playing a great course in the morning, the afternoon course better be just as great, or else it seems worse than it actually may be. My opinion of Walla Walla CC suffered because I had just come off Wine Valley.

 

Let us know when you are thinking of coming to Portland!

 

No doubt that when you play a great layout in the morning, the afternoon course is held to a high standard. I'll admit that a course's rating can also be be impacted by how well one plays. When I get fatigued during the second round, it's likely to effect how I feel about the course.

 

That said, Trophy Lake was a big meh. I'm sure if I lived in the area I'd play it occasionally, but it's certainly not a destination course for the out of town player.

 

[CMCSGolf]

One thing I noticed when I took my last road trip was if I'm playing a great course in the morning, the afternoon course better be just as great, or else it seems worse than it actually may be. My opinion of Walla Walla CC suffered because I had just come off Wine Valley.

 

Let us know when you are thinking of coming to Portland!

 

No doubt that when you play a great layout in the morning, the afternoon course is held to a high standard. I'll admit that a course's rating can also be be impacted by how well one plays. When I get fatigued during the second round, it's likely to effect how I feel about the course.

 

That said, Trophy Lake was a big meh. I'm sure if I lived in the area I'd play it occasionally, but it's certainly not a destination course for the out of town player.

 

I think you'll find every public course in greater Seattle but Chambers (and possibly Gold Mountain) a let down. Honestly, public golf is below average here. You're playing a handful of solid courses, but almost nothing in the area is worthy of a special trip other than Chambers Bay. This part of the country is beyond beautiful, but the public golf is lacking. It's just not a priority to the population, which can be seen in the quantity and quality of the courses. There is nothing as good as Ravisloe, Mount Prospect, or Highlands of Elgin in Chicago.

 

That being said, it's still an amazing place to visit. Chambers, Tacoma, and the scenic drives through the evergreens still make it worth the trip!

[R4haehl]

Chambers Bay this morning. The weather was near perfect, with clouds keeping the heat down, and a light breeze. I'm not going to bore anyone with a description of the course, as we've seen it several times before. This is definitely one of the top courses I've ever played, and is probably nudged out by Pebble. How anyone can complain about any aspect of the course is beyond me. There place is simply stunning visually. The golf is pretty darn amazing, too. I generally take 18 to 30 photos when I'm playing a course. I took over 200 today.

 

With the help of a good caddie I had no problems managing my way around and staying out of trouble. Yes, there is plenty of trouble if you're spraying the ball, so bring your A game. The greens are challenging, but fair. My caddie Chris was great in helping with the reads.

 

Course conditions were excellent. The greens were rolling nice with moderate speed.

 

Another solid day ballstriking with 10 fairways and 13 greens. I hit a few gems that left me with wedges into the greens. Best drive of the day was on the 18th, leaving me 195 into the green on the par 5. I also hit a beauty on the short par 4 12th, leaving it just 10 yards short of the green.

 

My irons were a bit off, so while I was hitting the (generous) greens, I had quite a few feet of putts. Luckily the lag putting was spot on, and I had few knee knockers for par. Two birdies helped offset the five bogies.

 

Overall it was a wonderful experience. I can't recommend it enough. Ignore the naysayers and get out here. Golf doesn't always have to be played on a tree lined pristine green carpet.

 

I played Chambers Sunday morning as well, probably teed off about 30 min after you. I found the course to be extremely soft compared to other times I have played it, even in the winter months. That was due to the rain that came in late Sat night/early Sunday AM, which we haven't had in awhile and I didn't think it would affect the course much but it absolutely did from my prior experience. Wasn't getting much roll out off of drives at all. Besides that, we had a great time as per usual there.

 

Also, for others following the thread: I confirmed w/ the pro shop, bartender, and the caddie who was looping for the single with us that Chambers Bay will be shutting down in October for 5-6 months to transition the rest of the greens to poa.

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip and keep up w/ the updates!!

[duffer987]

One thing I noticed when I took my last road trip was if I'm playing a great course in the morning, the afternoon course better be just as great, or else it seems worse than it actually may be. My opinion of Walla Walla CC suffered because I had just come off Wine Valley.

 

Let us know when you are thinking of coming to Portland!

 

No doubt that when you play a great layout in the morning, the afternoon course is held to a high standard. I'll admit that a course's rating can also be be impacted by how well one plays. When I get fatigued during the second round, it's likely to effect how I feel about the course.

 

That said, Trophy Lake was a big meh. I'm sure if I lived in the area I'd play it occasionally, but it's certainly not a destination course for the out of town player.

 

I think you'll find every public course in greater Seattle but Chambers (and possibly Gold Mountain) a let down. Honestly, public golf is below average here. You're playing a handful of solid courses, but almost nothing in the area is worthy of a special trip other than Chambers Bay. This part of the country is beyond beautiful, but the public golf is lacking. It's just not a priority to the population, which can be seen in the quantity and quality of the courses. There is nothing as good as Ravisloe, Mount Prospect, or Highlands of Elgin in Chicago.

 

That being said, it's still an amazing place to visit. Chambers, Tacoma, and the scenic drives through the evergreens still make it worth the trip!

Agreed. On my 4-5 times a year when it's shoulder season/in season and I come up, Chambers is the only course I'm really looking forward to play from Seattle up to Vancouver.

There are some local tracks I enjoy, but nothing that get's me school-girl giddy beyond CB. But as you say I sure do miss seeing the mountains, water, and the trees :)

[Haloha]

Great reviews! Chambers is an amazing track, though surprising to not hear anything bad about the greens in a review. How were they?

 

The original greens were OK. A little bumpy, but nothing crazy. I was expecting it, so it was no surprise. I played in the morning, and I believe they get bumpier as the day goes on as the grass chases the sun.

 

There were 3 or 4 greens with new grass, and they were very nice. Eventually all the holes will have these new greens.

 

Argonne69, I love your course reviews!

Since I travel to seattle 1 or 2's a year, I'm very interested in this thread. Did you post a list of courses you will play this trip (sorry if I missed it), and will you be playing any private course in that area?

thx for your reviews!

[Argonne69]

Besides playing The Home Course, Hawks Prairie (Woodlands), Chambers Bay, Gold Mountain (Olympic), and Trophy Lake, I'll also be playing White Horse, Salish Cliffs, Tacoma CC (Private), and Washington National.

 

Salish and WN are walk ons, so I may be playing elsewhere if I can't get on in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Argonne69]

Today's round was at White Horse, a parkland course north of Bremerton. The front nine is a bit of a snoozer, with fairly flat tree lined holes. The back is much more interesting, with some decent elevation changes, and a few nice looking short par 4s. There are a few homes on the back, but they are unobtrusive for the most part. I'd say the course is a bit of a a bomber's course, as the fairways are fairly generous with few hazards. The greens are also benign for the most part. Three putts should be rare. There's a good mix of par 3s, and the par 5s are fairly straightforward.

 

The conditions were generally good. Like most courses here there were a few brown spots, but for the most part it was green tee to green. The greens looked and rolled great with moderate speed.

 

Today was a tale of two swings. Once again I was hitting my driver solidly. However, the irons were all over the map. Some of the trouble could be attributed to the many uneven lies, but a good part was my ever weakening back, which led to a few too many fat shots. Luckily I was able to salvage par on the majority of missed greens. A couple of of nice birdies didn't quite make up for the eight bogies. Still, at this stage of the trip I'll take anything under 80.

 

Overall I'd say the course is a story of two nines. If one could play the back nine twice, I'd choose it almost every time. It's not that the front is bad, it's just lackluster compared to the home stretch.

[kaschreiber]

One thing I noticed when I took my last road trip was if I'm playing a great course in the morning, the afternoon course better be just as great, or else it seems worse than it actually may be. My opinion of Walla Walla CC suffered because I had just come off Wine Valley.

 

Let us know when you are thinking of coming to Portland!

 

No doubt that when you play a great layout in the morning, the afternoon course is held to a high standard. I'll admit that a course's rating can also be be impacted by how well one plays. When I get fatigued during the second round, it's likely to effect how I feel about the course.

 

That said, Trophy Lake was a big meh. I'm sure if I lived in the area I'd play it occasionally, but it's certainly not a destination course for the out of town player.

 

I think you'll find every public course in greater Seattle but Chambers (and possibly Gold Mountain) a let down. Honestly, public golf is below average here. You're playing a handful of solid courses, but almost nothing in the area is worthy of a special trip other than Chambers Bay. This part of the country is beyond beautiful, but the public golf is lacking. It's just not a priority to the population, which can be seen in the quantity and quality of the courses. There is nothing as good as Ravisloe, Mount Prospect, or Highlands of Elgin in Chicago.

 

That being said, it's still an amazing place to visit. Chambers, Tacoma, and the scenic drives through the evergreens still make it worth the trip!

Agreed. On my 4-5 times a year when it's shoulder season/in season and I come up, Chambers is the only course I'm really looking forward to play from Seattle up to Vancouver.

There are some local tracks I enjoy, but nothing that get's me school-girl giddy beyond CB. But as you say I sure do miss seeing the mountains, water, and the trees :)

 

Playing all the way from Seattle up to Vancouver- do you play in Bellingham at all? I think that's one of the more underrated areas for golf in the state, personally. Granted that's where I largely fell in love with the game, so I could feel that way largely based on sentiment.

[duffer987]

One thing I noticed when I took my last road trip was if I'm playing a great course in the morning, the afternoon course better be just as great, or else it seems worse than it actually may be. My opinion of Walla Walla CC suffered because I had just come off Wine Valley.

 

Let us know when you are thinking of coming to Portland!

 

No doubt that when you play a great layout in the morning, the afternoon course is held to a high standard. I'll admit that a course's rating can also be be impacted by how well one plays. When I get fatigued during the second round, it's likely to effect how I feel about the course.

 

That said, Trophy Lake was a big meh. I'm sure if I lived in the area I'd play it occasionally, but it's certainly not a destination course for the out of town player.

 

I think you'll find every public course in greater Seattle but Chambers (and possibly Gold Mountain) a let down. Honestly, public golf is below average here. You're playing a handful of solid courses, but almost nothing in the area is worthy of a special trip other than Chambers Bay. This part of the country is beyond beautiful, but the public golf is lacking. It's just not a priority to the population, which can be seen in the quantity and quality of the courses. There is nothing as good as Ravisloe, Mount Prospect, or Highlands of Elgin in Chicago.

 

That being said, it's still an amazing place to visit. Chambers, Tacoma, and the scenic drives through the evergreens still make it worth the trip!

Agreed. On my 4-5 times a year when it's shoulder season/in season and I come up, Chambers is the only course I'm really looking forward to play from Seattle up to Vancouver.

There are some local tracks I enjoy, but nothing that get's me school-girl giddy beyond CB. But as you say I sure do miss seeing the mountains, water, and the trees :)

 

Playing all the way from Seattle up to Vancouver- do you play in Bellingham at all? I think that's one of the more underrated areas for golf in the state, personally. Granted that's where I largely fell in love with the game, so I could feel that way largely based on sentiment.

Back in the day (late 90s) we played North Bellingham and Padden all the time. You are correct that for a small population they've got 6 solid public course options, a couple executives, and NBGC for a private option. I wouldn't suggest crossing the country to play up there, but for local golfers it has as many courses I'd want in my regular rotation as Vancouver.

[duffer987]

Apologies for the slight turn off topic OP :)

How have you found the driving to and fro so far?

[Argonne69]

Apologies for the slight turn off topic OP :)

How have you found the driving to and fro so far?

 

Lol. I thought Indiana drivers were bad. I love the scenery, but I've been in more accident related backups this week than in the past 3 months back home.

 

Highway 3 from Bremerton to Shelton was a very nice drive, except for the truck that refused to pull over and let the 10 vehicles behind it pass. I also enjoyed having the county sheriff on my tail for 5 miles. <White Knuckles>

 

Also, I love traffic circles, but why do so many drivers STOP before entering the circle when there's no traffic? Ugh. Traffic circles are an opportunity to use my Bondurant Driving School skills.

[Phireside]

Hope you get on to Salish. IMO, it's a can't miss.

 

Really enjoying this trip report. Thank you for sharing your adventure. We should petition for a specific trip report section.

[Argonne69]

I was able to get a tee time this morning at Salish. Teeing off in 90 minutes.