Arnold Palmer: the King Will Return in NW GOLF to NW for Umpqua Bank Challenge
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PRESORT STD FREE JUNE U.S. Postage PAID COPY 2011 ISSUE THE SOURCE FOR NORTHWEST GOLF NEWS Port Townsend, WA Permit 262 Pacific Amateur accepting signups for 2011 tournament The 2011 GolfWorld Pacific Amateur will take place Aug. 29-Sept. 2 at some of Central Oregon’s best courses. The top finishers in each flight will meet at Pronghorn (pictured right) for the championship. See www.pacamgolf.com for more. WHAT’S NEW Arnold Palmer: The king will return IN NW GOLF to NW for Umpqua Bank Challenge Peter Jacobsen Sports announced that Arnold Palmer has offi- cially committed to the upcoming Umpqua Bank Challenge. Along U.S. Junior Amateur with Tournament Host Peter Jacobsen, Palmer was the only player to compete in all 17 previous Challenge events. set for Gold Mountain The Umpqua Bank Challenge, which takes the place of the Fred Gold Mountain Golf Course near Meyer Challenge, will take place Aug. 28-30 at the Portland Golf Bremerton, Wash. will be the host site Club. Teams will consist of two professionals. Palmer will team up for the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur, an with tournament host Peter Jacobsen. event hosting the top junior boys from “Arnold is considered to be the greatest ambassador that golf has around the world July 18-23. ever known,” said Jacobsen, “In trying to establish The Umpqua The tournament will feature a field of Bank Challenge I can’t think of anyone better to have by my side. 156 players taking part in two days of It means the world to me that he will be there.” qualifying before the field gets cut down Other headline names for the tournament include John Cook, Ben for match play. Crenshaw, Jay Haas, Bernhard Langer and Fuzzy Zoeller. A total Volunteers are needed for the event of eight two-player teams are expected to take part in the event. and a special dinner aboard the aircraft Tickets for the tournament are on sale and are available at www. carrier John C. Stennis (see inside for umpquabankchallenge.com or by calling 866.503.2003. another story) will take place July 17 with Johnny Miller as a keynote speaker. For more information on the event or to become a volunteer, see the web site www.2011usjunioram.com. See where your UW golfer sets record favorite course is at Washington National on GolfWeek’s list When University of Washington women’s golfer Sadena Parks finished off her first round at the NCAA West of best you can play Regionals at Washington National, she GolfWeek Magazine has decided signed a scorecard that said 81. Not what are some of the Best Courses exactly the way she wanted to start such You Can Play around the country. In the a big tournament on her home course. Pacific Northwest, the top choices are But she came back strong, shooting a Osprey Meadows in Donnelly, Idaho; course-record 66 in the second round, Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Oregon and beating the old record of 67, held by Chambers Bay in University Place, former UW golfer Louise Friberg. Washington. For more on college golf, please see But other courses, like Palouse inside this issue of Inside Golf. Ridge in Pullman, Wash. (pictured left) were ranked high. In fact, Palouse Ridge checked in at third on the list in New Northwest course the state of Washington behind Wine Valley in Walla Walla. still eyes 2011 opening For more on the listings around the The Pacific Northwest will welcome Northwest, see inside this section of another golf course this year with the Inside Golf Newspaper. opening of the Salish Cliffs Golf Club, part of the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Wash. The course, designed by Gene Bates, is expected to open sometime later this summer. Broadmoor pro The course will play to 7,300 yards Inaugural Best of Bend and par-72. A total of 16 of the 18 holes are encircled by trees, giving golfers the sets record at offers up top courses feeling that they are the only ones playing Tetherow Golf Club, Pronghorn, and the golf course. Two of the par-5 holes Brasada Ranch, the three participants of the will be monsters, with those two check- Washington Open Best of Bend have partnered to offer a three- ing in at over 600 yards from the tips. Broadmoor Golf Club (Seattle) profes- day Best Ball amateur golf event June 17-19, sional Tim Feenstra left no doubt as he rolled 2011 in Bend, Oregon. Entry for the first to victory in the 2011 Washington Open annual, two-man event is $550 per person and Invitational at Glendale Country Club. includes a round of golf at each of the three Feenstra broke away from the field with courses and more. Rules Quiz a second-round 63 and then won by seven There will be gross and net scoring for In stroke play, a player searches for his ball shots over a pair of PGA Tour pros in Mi- both the open and senior divisions. Net and for five minutes and does not find it. He looks chael Putnam and Andres Gonzales to win gross prizes will be awarded to 30% of the for another minute, finds his ball and plays it. his second Washington Open title. field. Space is limited to 60 teams. For more Has he proceeded under the Rules. See Page Feenstra’s 200 three-round total broke the information and to print an entry form visit 2 for the answer. old record of 202 set by Chuck Milne. www.bestofbendbestball.com. See Page 4 for more. Tim Feenstra Printed in U.S.A. • • • INSIDE GOLF NEWSPAPER • • • ©All Rights Reserved • Page 2 • • INSIDE COMMENTs • • Inside Golf - June Issue 2011 • Sage Hills: New operator hopes to make course a NW destination stop Chad Niedermeier remembers when he first got into the golf business at age 14. He remembers working on the greens crew at Tam O’Shanter Golf and Country Club in Bellevue. He remembers doing Bob Marlatt just about everything for the five years he Publisher worked at the course. But what he remembers most is want- t e v e Steve Turcotte ing to own his own golf course. Editor-Advertising “I remember as a kid I thought golf was S the greatest thing in the world and owning a course would be the best thing ever,” Tu r c o t t e Kathy Marlatt said Niedermeier. “But I was just a kid Operations Manager back then.” about this deal.” But now, at age 43 and after spending Like all new business owners, Nieder- years working behind the scenes on golf meier must have wondered what he had Contributing Writers course maintenance crews, Niedermeier gotten himself into. He was now the boss. Jeff Coston, Kathy DeNeui, Mike Peluso, is living his dream. He signed a lease-to- The only person he had to report to was Brett Wilkinson, Brad Faller purchase agreement to buy Sage Hills himself. He was nervous, but he also knew Cartoonist: Harold Bluestein Golf and RV Resort, located in the Central that this fulfilled a life-long dream. Washington town of Warden. “It’s fun to be your own boss, but it’s Subscription rates: Niedermeier had spent the last 18 also tough at times,” said Niedermeier. $17-one year and $30-two years of his life being the head superin- “This is going to be a lot of work but it’s years (U.S. funds). tendent at Madrona Links Golf Course in what I’ve wanted to do.” Gig Harbor. But in the back of his mind, Sage Hills is an 18-hole golf course, lo- Unsolicited articles and photos are wel- had always wanted to own a course. cated right off Highway 17 about 15 miles come, however we will accept no liability He has the background to be a terrific south of Moses Lake. It is located 200 for their loss or damage, and will only golf course owner. He has spent years miles from Seattle, about a three-hour return them if prior arrangements have working on maintenance crews, went to drive and 100 miles from Spokane. The Chad Niedermeier been made with the publisher. school for golf course management, spent weather is usually terrific, with 300 days 18 years heading the crew at Madrona and of sunshine each year and the average is over here. There’s a ton of stuff to do, Courier Address even spent some time working at Pebble annual rainfall is 7.8 inches. including the golf. It’s a great area. Now 460 Dennis Blvd Beach on the maintenance crew. And not only is there golf in the area, we need to get people to find out about Port Townsend, WA 98368 So, when he heard that the Looker there is plenty more - which is why the RV it.” Family of Puyallup wanted to sell Sage resort was upgraded to 42 spots in 1997. The RV park is open year-round while Mailing Address P.O.Box 1890 Hills, Niedermeier took a look and liked There is Potholes State Park nearby, the the course can be open all year, de- Port Townsend, WA 98368 what he saw. Gorge Amphitheater is 50 miles away and pending on the weather. For more call “I like the fact that Sage Hills is a good there is also plenty of hunting and fishing 509.349.2603. Phone solid course and has a great RV park,” in the area. (360) 379-4080 said Niedermeier. “And it was an op- “There’s plenty to like in and around the Steve Turcotte is editor of Inside Golf Newspaper.