Where the pavement of Pasco-Kahlotus Road meets dirt, farmland hills sprawling along the Snake River are a lot more than sandy bluffs in the eyes of David McLay Kidd.
Pasco, Wash.— Where the pavement of Pasco-Kahlotus Road meets dirt, farmland hills sprawling along the Snake River are a lot more than sandy bluffs in the eyes of David McLay Kidd.
“There’s just a whole bunch of things that made me see that little unicorn horn start to grow when I first came here,” Kidd said.
That’s what led Kidd to agree to design River Ranch: a destination golf course in the works by a local developer.
The distinguished architect, having relocated to Bend, Ore. when he began designing courses at Bandon Dunes, is now marrying sweeping Eastern Washington cliffs with the game of his first home.
“I find the Northwest is so similar to my Scottish homeland,” he said. “The culture, the work ethic, the weather often, is very similar to where I was raised. It seems familiar.”
With his artistry, Kidd has graced Gamble Sands in Brewster, The Castle Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, and numerous more across the United States.
“Every time I’ve been on high ground, overlooking water, it’s worked out really well for me,” Kidd chimed as he gazed out over the Snake River.
Local developer North 44 recruited Kidd to design the golf course. Kidd said he was onsite for less than an hour before he realized he would take on the project, noting its proximity to the hub of Tri-Cities Airport (roughly a 20 minute drive), location in wine country and the region’s temperate climate that allows golfers to play year-round.
“We have this amazing clubhouse and restaurant and wine and food and accommodations, but it’s centered around golf,” developer Ben Harris said.
What Harris called a ‘golfer’s village’ consisting of 60 rooms across 15 cottages for visitors to stay in sets River Ranch aside from other destination courses.
“Within that, we’ll have a big bar, a poker room. You’ll have golf simulators, a little outdoor deck where you’ll hit down on a par 3 at night,” Harris said.
Visit Tri-Cities President & CEO Kevin Lewis welcomes the development as a positive addition to the local tourism industry and economy.
“Anytime you have a destination golf course come in, it’s gonna do wonders for the [area],” Lewis said. “In terms of publicity, eyeballs, and the caliber of people that it brings in.”
Kidd hopes the Tri-Cities will grow on visitors the same way it’s grown on him.
“Everything about being here is a joy,” he said. “It’s fun. [I’m] really looking forward to the summer and being able to build what I hope to be one of the best courses in the state.”
The developers expect to open River Ranch in Summer 2027 or early 2028.