Advice on playing at Gamble Sands

Tom Coyne recently did a The Golfers Journal podcast with the course designer, David McLay Kidd, that is a fun listen and provides some of the thought behind the course. It's fun, walkable, and a beautiful course.

Advice? Go early, stay late, play 36, avoid the snakes, try the golf boards. When we go, we stay in Lake Chelan (30 minutes away), lodging is less expensive and night life a little more exciting than on the property

Thanks for the info. I am playing at the Osoyoos Golf club the two days before and hoping the Gamble Sands will be a positive experience.

Any other courses close by that you would recommend? I am making a golf holiday and trying to play as many new courses as possible in 10 days.

It depends on your definition of "nearby" ... because as you will see, there's not a whole lot out there that is "nearby" Brewster, WA. The best bet would be Bear Mountain Ranch, which is 1 hour West on other side of Lake Chelan. Fun course known for a few blind tee shots and great views of Lake Chelan. Desert Canyon is also about an 1 hour away, south of Chelan, and is also a nice track.

Depending on your direction of travel there are some great courses to be found:
1) Prospector & Rope Rider - 2.5 hours Southwest at Suncadia, on the road towards Seattle.
2) Coeur d'Alene and Circling Raven - 3 & 3.5 hours east...in case you are making a loop or headed to, um...Chicago?
3) Palouse Ridge - 4 hours Southeast in Pullman, WA, it's the home course for WSU, and an absolute gem. It's within 30 minutes of CdA and Circling Raven, so that might make for a nice side journey.

Other notable Central and Eastern WA courses...again, depending on your final destination: Apple Tree, Wine Valley, Highlander.

Sound be nice and roasty in August. Have a great trip!

Roger

Roger,

Thanks for the information, this will be a fun golf holiday. Circling Raven is only 3 hours south of my home in Trail, so it will be a nice final course to play before I go home.

I definitely have more courses to look at for my trip and I'm sure i will see some other courses along the way to play.

I played 36 in one day and the course was fantastic. I stayed at Gamble Sands and the hotel was great; the front desk people treated me like royalty by looking after all requests.

The 100,000 square foot Cascade putting course was fun to play as well. Great views of the Columbia River from several holes. The #4 hole is 142 yards and the recommended club off the tee is a putter, which was an adventure to say the least.

I was fortunate enough to witness a hole in one on #10 by the son on a golf trip with his mother. I had the privilege to take pictures of the two of them at the flag stick.

The course is definitely in the middle of nowhere, but that makes it that much more special.

I played 2 years ago, the rental club's are PGX and a 40+ hdcp. Was playing them in my group. Very hard to watch. Course is fun, the 18 hole putting course is really challenging. The same designer from bandon dunes.