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AVALON GOLF LINKS
North Course
PAR 5 595 YARDS
Burlington, WA
360.757.1900
www.avalonlinks.com
A family-owned facility, Avalon Golf Links was built by golfers, for golfers on a tranquil
high-ground piece of property at the north end of the Skagit Valley. The Hass family
saw a need for better public golf in the Puget Sound region and filled it in the early
1990s with 27 holes designed by Robert Muir Graves. Accomplished was a course
challenging enough to host US Open qualifying tournaments but friendly enough to
be enjoyed by all.
Avalon was designed to be demanding off the tee, and the sixth North fits that
billing. With trees on both sides, joined by a bunker protecting the right side of the
fairway and a cedar limiting options on the left, players are wise to recognize it as
three-shot par 5 and try to find the fairway off the tee. With the green well-protected
by a large pond, reaching the green in two requires a strong breeze at your back and
two muscular shots. Few succeed, as the reward doesn't justify the risk.
The second shot is also demanding, since the fairway slopes from left to right with
a pond awaiting any shots that bleed to the right. Hitting a longer second shot is
advantageous, as the deeper you advance down the fairway the better the angle is
on your third shot.
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Photograph by Kamriell Welty