Epic Pacific Northwest Golf Trip: Coeur D'Alene, Gambles Sands, Chambers Bay

Описание: Coeur D’Alene Resort – Located in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho(about 45 minutes from Spokane, WA) is easily one of the better golf decisions I made this year.  When doing my reach about Coeur D’Alene, everyone talks about the world famous floating green and slowly I started to read people complain that the course is only about the floating green and the rest of the course is not very interesting, this could not be further from the truth.  At best, the floating green is the 4th best Par 3 on the course of 5.  The course is a very nice Resort style course, offering beautiful lake side views and challenging lakeside holes.  Like all good resort courses, the course is not designed to rough you up but rather be a fun addition to a vacation getaway.  Coeur D’Alene offers an exceptionally good combination of both beautiful fun golf and reasonably challenging golf holes.  Consider this a can’t miss experience and if you are like me, you will enjoy playing the course so much you almost forget about the floating 14th green. 


Gamble Sand – David McLay Kidd did it again with another nonstop fun course in which you might shoot your lowest score. Located in Brewster, Washington about an hour and half past the middle of nowhere is a must play course.  Gambles Sands is a real gem and often regarded as the No. 1 or 2 course in Washington.  The surrounding views of mountain ranges, forest and orchards are stunning and frame the course well.  The course is designed by one of my favorite current architects David McKLay Kidd of Bandon Dunes, Mammoth Dunes and TPCStonbrae fame.  The course has massive fairways and no rough but where you place the ball in the fairway can be the difference in a 40+ yard speed slot towards the green or a fast runoff into one of the many massive waste bunkers.  Each hole feels unique and playable in multiple ways, you should definitely make your way to Gamble Sands, which should stay a top 100 public course for many years to come.  Another reason to make your way to Gambles Sands is to play the new short course Quicksands also by David McLay Kidd.  The new trend in golf resorts is the addition of fun short courses and Quicksands, which opened this year is a fun addition to Gamble Sands, with unique and challenging holes the course can be played with three clubs and creativity. 


Chambers Bay – Located in University Place, Washington about45 minutes south of Seattle, is the Host of the 2015 US Open.  Consistently ranked a top 100 public course the constant complaints from PGA Tour Pros during the open has nothing to do with how awesome this course is to walk and play.  Set on the shores of the Puget Sounds in a gravel quarry you are blown away by the magnificence and magnitude of the property as you are shuttled down into the quarry.  The course has a feel of links as massive mounds were created into dune-like shapes, framing most holes and presenting the most challenge to navigate in addition to the massive bunkers.  Chambers Bay was the most serious challenge on this Epic Tour of the Far Pacific Northwest and the most visually stunning.  From afar the course looked like it would be a difficult walk but while the elevation change is large you are gradually navigated throughout the property with reasonable inclines and declines.  A must play, this is my second favorite Municourse just behind Bethpage Black.