Notebook: Chambers Creek-area course gets design firm

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most e-mailed articles

Pierce County officials have selected the design firm of Robert Trent Jones II to design an upscale course for the Chambers Creek area south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

The course site sits on 275 acres along Puget Sound on property that was once a gravel mine.

The course is expected to open in 2006 or '07. Proponents envision the links-style layout as a "destination course" that will attract golfers the way courses at Bandon Dunes in Oregon have.

The Pierce County Council will vote May 25 on whether to approve $1.2 million for the final design work.

Chevy Chase sold

Chevy Chase Golf Course outside Port Townsend has been sold and will be renamed Discovery Bay Golf Club.

The new ownership group is led by golf-course architect Michael Asmundson. Other key members of his group are Richard DePosit of Whidbey Island and Nicolas Hurtado of Chile.

Chevy Chase, which bills itself as the oldest public course in the Northwest, has been owned and operated by the Bailey family since 1947.

"Selling the course has not been an easy decision," Barbara Bailey said in a news release. "We are emotionally attached to the property, but we don't have the resources required to take Chevy to the next level. We are absolutely delighted to sell the course to someone who shares our affection for the property. Mike's presence, creativity and love of the game will make a huge difference."

Chevy Chase Beach Cabins, across the road from the golf course, will continue to be owned and operated by Barbara Bailey, her brother Thatcher and their partner, Phil Kovacevich.

On May 24 and 25 the club will host its inaugural "Discovery Days" event that will feature a rollback in greens fees to $5. Course renovation plans, which include improvements to several holes on the original nine, will be unveiled. The new owners are deciding whether to add what they term "a small number of high-quality residential units" to the property.

Foster improvements

Several improvements have been made at Foster Golf Links in Tukwila, where three holes have been remodeled and a new hole built. Also, there is a new clubhouse in which Gordy's Steak and BBQ Smokehouse is due to open in mid-June. The restaurant will include a sports bar.

Another improvement is the addition of a practice chipping green.

Easy-to-walk Foster is a par-68 course (4,804 yards from the men's tees and 4,529 yards from the forward tees). The course is popular with senior golfers and advanced beginners.

Singles golf

Seattle has one of 50 chapters of the American Singles Golf Association.

The organization was formed eight years ago in North Carolina with the concept of bringing together singles who enjoy golf.

The Seattle chapter has a schedule of golf and social events. The organization's meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month, presently at China Harbor restaurant on Lake Union.

The organization's Web site is www.asgaseattle.com and its hotline is 206-444-4055.

New owners at McCormick Woods

New ownership is operating McCormick Woods Golf Course outside Port Orchard this season.

Shawn Cucciardi, formerly with the Northwest PGA section, and Jeff Mehlert bought the course last fall.

The public course is selling 50 20-year memberships for $25,000 that guarantee unlimited play 365 days a year.

Off the course, 500 lots on the back nine are scheduled to be developed by Granite Land Co. Cucciardi said there will be buffers between fairways and homes.

Notes

• Four Spokane municipal courses are designating one day a week as "fast-play day," during which golfers will be guaranteed to finish within a certain amount of time or get their greens fees refunded. The courses are Indian Canyon, Downriver, Esmeralda and The Creek at Qualchan.

• Golfweek ranks Sahalee (North-South nines) as the No. 79 modern golf course in its list of the top 100 in the nation.

The publication also lists its top five non-private courses in the state as: 1, Olympic Course at Gold Mountain; 2, Semiahmoo, Blaine; 3, Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, Port Orchard; 4, Desert Canyon, outside Wenatchee; 5, Port Ludlow Resort (Tide-Timber nines).

• The offices of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association (PNGA) and Washington State Golf Association have moved from Northgate to Bellevue. The new address is 355 118th Ave. SE, Suite 100, Bellevue, WA, 98005. Telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses remain unchanged.

• Sumner Meadows was on the verge of being shut down by the Sumner City Council, but will remain open for at least this season.

Residents hooked to the Sumner sewer system are charged $30 a year to help pay off golf-course debt.

• The 400-acre planned development that includes the existing Moses Pointe Golf Course is up for sale.

Majority owner Jim Tallman of Gig Harbor said: "This isn't a distress situation, but I'm 74 years old and we're looking for someone to hand it off to."

The par-72 course, which opened in 1999 to favorable reviews, continues to operate. The head pro is Bill Porter, former Washington Open champion and PGA Tour pro.

• Every Saturday morning, golfers can listen to a local talk-radio show on KTTH (770 AM). "Tee It Up: Golf is Good Business" is in its second year on the station and airs from 9-10 a.m. The hosts are Corky Frady, Jay Fiske and Jim Corbett ("Mr. Golf Etiquette").

The show features guests and discussions. Listeners can win free rounds of golf or equipment by e-mailing topics and questions to the show's Web site, www.nodivot.com.

• The 18-hole, par-64 Holmes Harbor Golf and Beach Club on Whidbey Island has a new owner — The Schuster Group. It bought the course from Jack Sikma, Sonics assistant coach and former player.

Course improvements include new benches and ball washers, reduction of some mounds on the course and improvement of the greens, according to Paul Lavin, director of golf who previously was head pro at Echo Falls outside Woodinville.

A full-scale restaurant, the Beachfire Grill, will open May 23.