The Members Club at Aldarra
The Members Club at Aldarra
29125 SE Duthie Hill Rd.
Fall City, WA 98024
Championship Tees: 6,610 yards, Par 71
Rating 72.8/Slope 145
Ranked third on Golf Digest’s Top-10 list for the state of Washington and 31st in the United States for courses built since 1990, the Members Club at Aldarra is a rare Northwest treat offered by legendary golf course architect Tom Fazio. The famous designer — he’s the man in charge of the recent remodels at Augusta National – rarely displays his craft in the PNW.
“Aldarra was our first course in the Northwest, which makes it a very important golf course,” Fazio is quoted as stating on the club’s website. ”If my design firm is going to ‘fly our flag’ in a particular area, the golf can’t be just good, it has to be ‘as good as it gets.’”
Aldarra, a private golf club built on 560 acres of secluded and rolling farmland located outside Seattle that was once owned by the Boeing family, lives up to Fazio’s vision. The golf course features amazing views of the surrounding Cascade Mountains and Mount Si, enhancing its championship pedigree. It is a spectacular, yet low key setting.
Prior to arriving at Aldarra I had checked out the course map online and noticed that holes 15 through 18 were coined ‘the gauntlet’. That sounded like a brutal way to finish what looked like an already difficult track. Upon arriving at the club the first question posed to Director of Golf Doug Kauffman referred to this closing stetch of holes and was meant as an attempt to glean some local knowledge about ’the gauntlet’. Kauffman just chuckled and wished me luck in the finishing stretch, but then reminded me that, “there are 14 beautiful and difficult holes to deal with en route to the gauntlet.”
Fazio’s design at Aldarra exploits both good and bad shots, all the while keeping the player entertained and oblivious to his, or her plight on the golf course – typically the short game. In fact, he suckered me into the same trap on every single hole. From the first hole through the 18th the pattern repeated itself; hit a good drive and, or a good approach, only to watch the ball roll into some neverland or bunker, or if the approach shot found the green to fall apart getting the ball into the hole in one, or even two putts.
By the time I reached the 15th hole, the mid-day temperatures were pushing 85-degrees, dehydration was setting in (despite the vast amounts of chilled water available on the course) and I was reeling from a stupid, three-putt bogey on the 14th. The start of the fabled gauntlet was so dramatically beautiful though, with an old farm silo and a huge cedar tree framing the tee shot on this 219-yard par-3, that I became inspired rather than afraid.
After sticking a sweet hybrid approach just ten feet from the hole, visions of birdie filled my eyes, but after badly missing yet another ten-footer on Aldarra’s crazy greens, those visions were replaced by burning tears as I struggled to make par on a five-foot comeback putt. On the 427-yard, par-4 16th it happened again — another stellar approach shot to about 15-feet ended with an ugly two-putt par, and my game collapsed on the spot. It took all the energy I could muster to finish the round in bogey-bogey fashion.
Aldarra's signature closing hole. the 422-yard par-4 18th
Playing through the gauntlet, regardless of the score and in spite of my short-game woes, was a blast and a memorable way of capping off an exciting round of golf. The Members Club at Aldarra rivals Chambers Bay in terms of playbility and fun, and offers immaculate course conditions.
Signature Holes:
#3 — this 550-yard, three-shot par-5 is a doozy, especially when the pin is located on the left side of the green. Starting with an uphill and somewhat blind tee-shot, the third hole snakes right and then back to the left. Assuming your drive hits the fairway, stay left-center on the second shot to set up a manageable approach to a tricky green. As with most of Fazio’s creations, the best play is to the middle of the green, rather than the pin.
#8 — the diabolical eighth hole will test all of your golfing skills. Measuring 456-yards from the Championship tees, this downhill and dogleg left par-4 requires a huge, straight drive and a long-iron approach to the most difficult green on the golf course. Miss this green and you can forget about getting up and down for par.
#15 — the start to the gauntlet, the 15th is a beautiful par-3 with a difficult green. Hit it to the middle of the green and watch it feed towards the pin.
#18 — rated as one of the top holes in the state of Washington, this 422-yard, uphill par-4 requires two solid shots to get home in regulation. Beware, this green is massive and getting cozy with the hole location is difficult. A three-putt lurks.
Club Membership
The Members Club at Aldarra is a true player’s club, one that puts all of its focus on creating a quality golf environment, rather than providing beautiful amenitites inside some gated residential community. In fact, there are no homes surrounding Aldarra, minus the Boeing family’s old party casa located behind the eighth green, giving the course a truly private feel.
According to head golf professional Steve Smith, who recently relocated from top-ranked Sahalee Country Club, “one of the main reasons that I made the switch from Sahalee to Aldarra was because of the general pace of the club.”
“Aldarra has fewer tournaments, guests, competitions, no men’s or women’s divisions, and is generally a more relaxed atmosphere,” says Smith. “We have 9 fewer holes than Sahalee, but we also do about 30,000-less rounds of golf per year on our course. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work at both clubs, and really enjoy the time I spend here at Aldarra.”
The Members Club at Aldarra is actively seeking new members in 2009. The price of admission is set by the members at a ‘market rate’, and is very reasonable considering the quality of the golf.
In terms of a demographic for the ideal member, Kauffman and the members of the club are simply seeking, “those who love the game of golf.”
For more information on rates and initiation fees, contact Aldarra Membership Director Wes Winklepleck at 425.222.7828 or wes@themembersclubataldarra.com
More Photos
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