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At Wine Valley Golf Club, you are unmistakably in the tawny,
windswept wheat fields of eastern Washington, yet the course's
design is straight out of the British Isles, and the area's overriding
allure of the nearly 100 wineries is absolutely French. Indeed, it was
a French farmer who, long ago, planted a runaway Italian onion on
the fertile landscape that would eventually turn into the famed Walla
Walla sweet. As the 21st century unfolded and wine approached
wheat as the area's number one crop, the need for a top-notch golf
course emerged.
Wine Valley Golf Club is the design of Dan Hixson, a former club
pro from Portland who was praised for his first design, Bandon
Crossings on the Oregon Coast. The 14th hole at Wine Valley is
the shortest and—according to handicap rankings—easiest on the
course. It looks simple enough, even from the back-tee distance of
160 yards, and the second largest green on the course is relatively
easy to hit. The good news is you're on the green. The bad news?
You're on the green.
There are actually three greens in one that blend together to create
an interesting challenge. Bunkers front and back leave one of the
few forced carries on the course, appropriate for such a short hole
and such a big green. But putting from one section of the green to
another can be taxing and an invitation to a three- or four-putt. The
most difficult pin placement is a small shelf in the top right corner
of the green.
Wine Valley is a wonderful design and so at home in its vast, rolling
landscape. The bunkers are large and deep. They fit the prevailing
terrain and are filled with dark, indigenous sand.
WINE VALLEY
GOLF CLUB GOLF CLUB
PAR 3 160 YARDS
Walla Walla, WA
877.333.9842
www.winevalleygolfclub.com
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Photograph by Brent Stewart
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