Auburn course thrives with a Husky tie-in and some steep fees

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AUBURN - On the days you get $10 off green fees by just showing your colors, they come proudly wearing crumpled Husky hats and three-sizes-too-small sweatshirts from the '70s.

My friend, Andy, was excited when they wheeled the purple-and-gold golf cart out for his use and it bore the name "Marv Harshman."

On a sunny spring day, the parking lot at Washington National Golf Club was filled with cars, the course with golfers, the pro shop with guys wearing UW golf shirts.

"Eight months later," said Alan Plusquellec, manager of the course on the plateau above the Super Mall, "we are doing better than we ever imagined."

They will do nearly 50,000 rounds this year on a course that is less than a year old and is now the second most expensive public-access operation in the state.

No other course in the state will approach the 16,000 rounds that will be played in corporate and charity tournaments this year. In fact, tournament dates for the summer and fall are pretty much taken.

Orrin Vincent had a dream, and it hasn't turned into the nightmare last winter seemed to suggest.

Eight months ago Washington National opened before its time. The course's greens were agonizingly show and bumpy, its wonderfully shaped and positioned bunkers filled with sand that hadn't settled and could actually swallow a golf ball.

Investors wanted a return on the reported $17 million they'd spent trying to create the course Vincent had wanted, a big, sprawling layout that could hold a UW Alumni event one day, and the U.S. Open the next.

Needing money, they pushed for an early opening. Then, as winter approached, they took an even more drastic step, putting Washington National and its sister course, Trophy Lake in Port Orchard, up for sale.

Vincent, the father of UW golf coach O.D. Vincent and the developer of theme golf courses all over the West, saw Washington National as the "home of the Huskies."

The previous summer the university signed a five-year contract with Vincent's O.B. Sports. Not only would the UW's men's and women's teams play and practice at Washington National, but students, faculty and alumni would on special occasions play at reduced rates.

In return, Vincent thought he had stumbled on a perfect marketing tool for his course.

As it has turned out, he was right, even though he is no longer around to enjoy it.

During the winter, majority ownership of Washington National and Trophy Lake was quietly purchased by Heritage Golf Group of San Diego. Vincent retained part-ownership, but was no longer in charge. He later moved his O.B. Sports operation to Scottsdale, Ariz.

His legacy remained, however. The fear of wholesale changes never materialized. Plusquellec, the pro under Vincent, was promoted to general manager. His assistant, Terry Balinski, became the pro. Ryan Whitney continued as marketing director.

"The relationship with the university is priceless," said Plusquellec. "Not too far down the line we will begin negotiations with Barbara Hedges to extend our commitment."

The course still has tees called freshman, sophomore, junior, senior and Husky. The front nine is the midterm, the back nine the final.

The NCAA women's championship will be played here next spring. The driving range is expected to open in August, the permanent clubhouse in 2003, the second 18-hole course, down in the valley below the first one, in 2004.

As Vincent hoped they would.

Like most courses in the area, Washington National is in good shape. It made remarkable strides after its August opening.

It played fast and fun this week, its bent-grass fairways offering tight, links-style lies, its bunkers in perfect condition, its greens acceptable for being in play less than a year.

Designed by John Fought, Washington National is a big-time layout that is surprisingly playable for the corporate-outing golfer through a strategic use of different tees that produce different angles and distances to greens.

Fought, who was involved in the design of Pumpkin Ridge outside of Portland, calls this his best work.

Washington National isn't squeezed by wetlands, as Pumpkin Ridge is. It isn't hemmed in by trees.

The course can crank back to 7,300 yards for major tournaments, and with mean pin placements and sizeable rough, could be as tough as anyone, including Tiger Woods, would want.

Two par-5s can go well over 600 yards. The final hole, into an amphitheater green, is a par-4 than can stretch to 475 yards.

With a second course, a huge driving range, parking at nearby Emerald Downs, good spectator viewing along most holes, Washington National could attract a major tournament.

"First," said Plusquellec, "we need to show we can be profitable."

Washington National thrives despite green fees that during the summer will reach $104 on the weekend and $84 during the week. Right now, a weekday rate is $69.

Included in the price is the use of one of the purple-and-gold carts - unless you request one from another Pac-10 school - and range balls, even though the range isn't open yet. You can also dip your hand into a barrel of free purple tees.

"We've found a niche," said Whitney. "We are located between Seattle and Tacoma, we have the tie-in with the Huskies, and we have a great golf experience."

Spurning the use of the Detlef Schrempf cart, I found the course very walkable. As 14-17 handicappers, we were between tees, finally choosing the longer junior tees (6,424 yards) over the shorter (5,794) sophomore tees.

For the average player, using tees that match his or her abilities, the course plays easier than Trophy Lake, for example. The slope from the soph tees is 120, from the junior tees 130.

The layout, I think, is superb, better than you'll find at Newcastle and Snoqualmie Ridge. There are two very interesting, short par-4s (No. 7 and No. 15), a sure-fire match-deciding hole at No. 17, and a waste area in the middle of No. 14 the size of Federal Way.

The only question about Washington National is the cost. The answer, as always, seems to be found in the surprising numbers of Huskies and non-Huskies out on the course.

Blaine Newnham can be reached at 206-464-2364 or bnewnham@seattletimes.com.