BREWSTER, Wash. – I’m mumbling to myself in disgust after a weak flare to the right on the par-3 sixth hole of the original David McLay Kidd course at Gamble Sands.
Arriving at the green, however, leads to an shocking revelation: playing away from the flag was the safest and smartest strategy after all. The sloping hillside has funneled my ball into the middle of the green, setting up an easy par.
And so it goes at Gamble Sands, one of the most inspiring and unlikely golf resorts in America. Bounces on the firm fescue turf above the Columbia River in the high desert of central Washington can deliver surprising results or reject your advances like an ex-girlfriend. Sort of like life and links golf, it’s the unpredictability of golf at Gamble Sands that makes it so entertaining.
The August 1 debut of DMK’s new Scarecrow Course will officially elevate Gamble Sands among the best golf resorts in the West. With 36 holes, plus the stellar QuickSands short course, the gorgeous Cascades putting course and new golf cabins designed for foursomes, this place is ready to go national. All you need is an adventurous side to get here. Golfers can fly into Seattle and drive the three-plus hours or connect into Wenatchee (90 minutes) or Spokane (2 1/2 hours) for better access. The reward is golf courses that look like Bob Ross paintings and play like pure Scottish links.
Igniting a great debate at Gamble Sands
The 10th hole of Scarecrow delivers one of the best views at Gamble Sands. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
When I first played Scarecrow last fall, it was apparent that the new project, spearheaded by Nick Schaan of DMK Golf Design, would spark a lively conversation about which course was better, the original or the sequel. Read more about it here.
I couldn’t argue one way or the other last year, having never played the original. Now that I have, I’m still at a loss. I don’t know the answer. I enjoy them both equally. Gamble Sands, managed by Troon Golf, joins the list of famous resorts like Bandon Dunes (Pacific or Bandon), Streamsong (Red or Blue) and Pebble Beach (Pebble or Spyglass) where nobody can say for sure what’s the best round in town.
“When (golf groups) are deciding where to play twice, we want there to be a debate. It shouldn’t be automatic,” Schaan told me last fall.
I think the original course still delivers more “surprise and delights”, i.e. shots kicking onto greens that first-time players would have no idea were possible. In that way, I think Scarecrow will play a couple shots tougher.
Also on Scarecrow, while the loop of holes from no. 10 to 12 is very good, featuring the best views on the entire property, I do worry about the logjam where the 10th green, 11th tees (a par 3 heading out onto a peninsula) and 12th tees (an awesome par 5 climbing uphill around a gorge) sit in close proximity. It could become congested on a busy day.
Both courses force players to question where to go from the start, depending on where and how far they hit their first tee shots. Scarecrow’s opening swing is completely blind. Fortunately, all players have to do is clear a bunker up the right side and the ball will roll down a steep fairway toward the green. My first approach on the original course was blind as well because I went too far left.
A raised bunker blocks sight lines to the first green at Gamble Sands. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
If the first hole is blind, you know the next 17 on each course will be adventurous and slightly unconventional, too.
What I love most about playing golf at Gamble Sands are the never-ending views and how it’s virtually impossible to lose a ball. The complementary golf – the Cascades putting course behind the Inn at Gamble Sands and the 14-hole QuickSands short course – is arguably better than any U.S. resort with the exception of Bandon Dunes. QuickSands delivers endless fun, while the Cascades will forever be the most scenic putting course in the world.
The Cascades putting course at Gamble Sands overlooks the Columbia River. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
It’s a minor miracle that Gamble Sands even exists. In a little over a decade, apple orchards and corn fields have blossomed into fields of dreams for golfers, all under the stewardship of the Gebbers family. Instead of growing crops, the Gebbers are now feeding golfers, one memorable round at a time.
What’s your favorite course at Gamble Sands? Let us know in the comments below.
