Played the Classic this morning, walking it in around 4 and a half hours teeing off a little earlier than our tee time, which was 8:06. Conditions were very good, the greens were a bit quick and rolli... Continue »

Played the Classic this morning, walking it in around 4 and a half hours teeing off a little earlier than our tee time, which was 8:06. Conditions were very good, the greens were a bit quick and rolling very true. They were quite firm however, if you didn't hit your approach really solid it would release a lot more than you'd probably like. Fairways were very nice, with the exception of a few landing areas having many divots. Every where else though there was nice healthy grass to play from. Rough was quite healthy as well. Tee boxes could use a little work, some didn't feel very level, and a few of the par 3 tees were very chewed up. I found way too many bunkers, and a couple of them were a little thin, but nothing too bad. Considering you're not supposed to be in those, I understand being penalized a bit.

They've taken a ton of trees out since the last time I was here, and I was a little disappointed when I arrived to see that. The thing is though, they have so many there that the course still plays very tight, and the grass is going to stay so healthy with all of that extra sunlight, that by the end of the round I found myself pretty happy they've done it. Really the only part of the day I can complain about is my poor form. Even with a few trees less, this course really punishes your bad shots. I'll be back for sure, but I'm probably going try to time it for when I might bring a little more game with me.

Played an afternoon round here today. Unfortunately I got here after maintenance and rain that softened up the course, making play difficult and messy. Plus it was cart path only (ugh). They just tod... Continue »

Played an afternoon round here today. Unfortunately I got here after maintenance and rain that softened up the course, making play difficult and messy. Plus it was cart path only (ugh). They just today cut the fairways and greens. Very interesting older course with tight fairways lined with trees. And the rough was at least an inch high. This is a course you need local knowledge on the first time you play. With the tight fairways, comes doglegs that unless you really know where to drive the ball, you can get into trouble very quick. Many of the fairways provided good lies, while others did not. The greens are large and oddly shaped, which allows some very tough pin placements. While the greens had recently been punched, they had healed quickly and held shots very well and putted very fast. Bunkers appeared in good shape, even after the rain. They also have many grass bunkers, with high rough around several greens that make shot making even tougher. Customer services was top notch in the shop. Very old and run down clubhouse. Plus the cart paths need to be replaced in many areas, due to tree/root damage. Glad I had the opportunity to play here, but not one that I would go back for a second round.

Enjoyed a very solid round at the Classic this morning. Conditions all around very solid, about the only thing one could complain about was that a few tee boxes were not very flat. Greens, rough, fair... Continue »

Enjoyed a very solid round at the Classic this morning. Conditions all around very solid, about the only thing one could complain about was that a few tee boxes were not very flat. Greens, rough, fairways, and the one bunker I found were all very good. Quick pace, about 3:50 starting right on time at 7:20 am. Great layout, really tight and very challenging, but really quite fair as well. Definitely worth the trip from the Seattle area.

Played the Classic yesterday (Sunday, 10/27/13) morning, in an off and on drizzle. Rain wasn't too bad, and the course played very well. Greens were great, rolled a little bit slow, but very true with... Continue »

Played the Classic yesterday (Sunday, 10/27/13) morning, in an off and on drizzle. Rain wasn't too bad, and the course played very well. Greens were great, rolled a little bit slow, but very true with almost no hops or bumps. Well hit shots into them would spin back a little bit as well. Fairways were decent, a few looked like they had been verticut, but that really didn't affect the playability much at all. Just about always had a pretty good lie, and didn't get as many mudballs as you usually get in the Northwest this time of year, Tee boxes were good as well, and I didn't hit any traps so I can't say how they were. The Classic is always a solid round, even if it can feel a little punishing with how tight some of the holes are, and how you can get some impossible up and downs if you short side yourself.

Took a vacation day yesterday (4/17/13) and headed down to Spanaway to play the Classic. I'm really glad I did it, I got lucky and picked a day with lots of sunshine. The course played very well, gree... Continue »

Took a vacation day yesterday (4/17/13) and headed down to Spanaway to play the Classic. I'm really glad I did it, I got lucky and picked a day with lots of sunshine. The course played very well, greens rolled nicely, medium to fast, although you could see the remains of their punch. A couple of quick downhill putts seemed to wobble just a tiny bit, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. Fairways and rough were awesome, and all of the bunkers I found had really nice soft sand that was very pleasant to play out of. Par three tee boxes were a little bit chewed up, but not really enough to make it worth complaining about. I found a nice window in their tee sheet and teed off at around 10 am, played as a single, and made it around in about 3.5 hours without running into anyone until about #14. At something like $30, the value really can't be beat. The layout is really nice, classic Northwest feel with lots of mature pines lining every hole. Greens are interesting and tricky, will reward you if you hit the right spot, but if you miss in the wrong spot you really will pay. I only wish it were a bit closer to home.