Wine Valley Golf Club
Wine Valley Golf Club
176 Wine Valley Road
Walla Walla, WA 99362
Gold Tees: 7,360-yards/Par-72
Rating 75.5/Slope 130
Draped across Eastern Washington’s massive wind-swept dunes like a lonely emerald carpet, Walla Walla’s Wine Valley Golf Club represents Oregon-based architect Dan Hixson’s second official offering, the other being Bandon Crosssings in Bandon, Ore., a decorated course that, unfortunately, by default plays the role of step-child to the award-winning layouts at the nearby Bandon Dunes resort.
Wine Valley Golf Club might make up for Crossing’s geography-based shortcomings. Just based on its press clippings alone (there were whispers in the golf shop about GolfWeek getting set to name the course as it’s #1 in the state of Washington), one would think Wine Valley has the potential to become a destination golf course for Walla Walla, and based on the way it plays, the young golf course definitely lives up to its media hype.
Like Crossings, Hixson’s design at Wine Valley offers up traditional links golf in a beautiful, but windy setting, where players must deal with tricky approach shots to huge, undulating greens, surrounded by ugly bunkers and deep Fescue grasses.
“It’s all about the bounce and roll around here,” said Director of Golf John Thorsnes. “On this golf course, as with most true links courses, you are better off hitting a shot 135-yards when the yardage says 150-yards.”
True to form, Wine Valley played a few yards shorter than its stated 7,360-yards, but not by much. From the tips, the 475-yard, par-4 fifth hole was a monster. After hitting a good tee shot I was left with 200-yards to the hole, into the wind, and over a massive, natural bunker. Taking Thorsnes’ advice I hit a 6-iron, which landed twenty yards short of the huge green, and stopped. After failing to properly negotiate Hixson’s trademark green ’muffin mounds’, a bogey ensued.
Wine Valley Golf Club's 475-yard, par-4 5th hole
Perhaps even more challenging was the 625-yard, par-5 seventh hole. Standing on the tee, which is located 100-yards behind the Black’s, it was difficult to see the start of the fairway. But after hitting another good drive, plus a good 3-wood second shot, I was perfectly positioned on the right side of the fairway only 125-yards away from the flagstick, which was blocked from my view by a massive dune filled with pot bunkers. Again, I clubbed down and again came up short, this time splatting in the last pot bunker at the apex of the dune. A magical bunker shot somehow saved par. It was the last par I made on the front nine.
By the turn I had taken enough abuse from the lengthy tips. My confidence with the driver was waning quickly. After picking up a beer and a Jumbo Ozaki hot dog from the lunch counter, and made the humbling decision to switch to the Black tees (3-wood country) on the back nine. We were on vacation, after all.
It was a bittersweet move, resulting in a bitter mustard stain on my new, red golf shirt, but also in sweet birdies on holes 11 and 18, two of three events that would have likely never happened playing from the distant Gold tees.
The greens at Wine Valley have some maturing to do before Hixson’s creation reaches its full playing potential, but then so do the greens at Chambers Bay. In terms of a differentiator, it’s what surrounds Wine Valley’s greens that sets it apart. The vast chipping areas Hixson created are some of the most exciting in the PNW and allow for players to use a multitude of different shots in getting up-and-down.
Since Wine Valley Golf Club is brand new (officially opened June 12, 2009) it was not included in Golf Digest’s most recent ranking of the Top-10 Golf Courses in the state of Washington. It certainly belongs, however, and probably in the Top-5. From a difficulty standpoint, it rivals the TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge. For aestetic quality, it comes close to Chambers Bay. And in terms of playability and fun, it ranks with the Members Club at Aldarra.
The next time you visit the Tri-Cities, make a stop at the Wine Valley Golf Club. For just $60 you get a chance to face one of the PNW’s most difficult golf challenges, and amongst a most miraculous setting.
Signature Holes
#2 — just 390-yards from the Gold’s, this par-4 offers what seems like a brief respite from the difficult first hole. Miss the narrow fairway with your drive, however, and you will be lucky to find your ball in the surrounding Fescue. The green on the second is no picnic either.
#7 — this 625-yard monster, as described above, at least has the most forgiving green on the golf course.
#18 – from the tee the fairway looks like a skinny, green sliver cut from the Fescue. This par-5 plays all of its 565-yards directly into the prevailing wind and requires three good shots for a chance at birdie. The views here are dramatic, as the photos illustrate.
Value
In terms of value, the Wine Valley Golf Club ranks at the top of the list in the PNW, considering it’s green fees for 18-holes are $60 during the week and $75 on weekends, and that’s during peak season.
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Great set up….lots of options on every hole….wide open allows use of the driver on every Par 4 and 5….greens full of mounds and undulations but putt true…play early to avoid the wind…bring insect repellant. Great experience at a great golf course…highly recommended!
Hey Greg, thanks for the comment. Wine Valley, I predict, will be in the top-5 for Washington within two years. The set-up is amazing. All they need to do is dial in the greens at this point. I played Dan Hixson’s Bandon Crossings a few weeks ago, which was in amazing condition. Let’s hope Wine Valley matures at the same pace as Crossings!
You haven’t played it lately. The course charges way too much for what you get. I played it in July and again last weekend (Oct, 50 degrees and sunny). Both times the bunkers were in atrocious condition! Also, the greens have alot of patches on them. There is grass growing in the bunkers by the greens) and they are hard as a rock. Yes, the layout is nice and it has alot of potential, but it’s not nearly ready for the accolades being thrust upon it. At $75 a round (no early morning discounts or October special rates) they want almost resort dollars for non-resort golf. Both times I played there was no-one else out there, which means that the locals must not like it either.
Then there was the indifference of the owner. I asked for a manager to talk to and was told there wasn’t one available. Turns out he was playing cards 20 ft. away. I went back in when I found out and he basically said, “tough, everyone loves it”. When I asked where everyone was, he waved it off.
It may have potential, but needs to grow up and needs some maintenance!
btw – shot 81 the first time and 80 the second time from the Blacks!