PRESORT STD JUNE U.S. Postage PAID 2019 ISSUE THE SOURCE FOR NORTHWEST GOLF NEWS Port Townsend, WA Permit 262 Central Washington: No shortage of terrific golf The Central Washington area is loaded with championship golf courses, including places like Moses Pointe (pictured right). There are plenty of options from 18-hole courses to 9-hole tracks. For more on playing golf in and around Central Washington, please check out our special section in this month’s issue Inside Golf Newspaper. WHAT’S NEW Prante captures Washington Open Invitational PGA Professional Shane Prante of IN NW GOLF The Home Course (DuPont, WA) won the Muckleshoot Washington Open Here are the final results from 2019 Muckle- Muckleshoot Casino Washington Open shoot Casino Washington Open held at Meridian Invitational by five strokes over PGA Pro- Valley Country Club in Kent, Wash. fessional Scott Erdmann of Oswego Lake CC (Lake Oswego, OR), 2018 Champion Shane Prante 70-65-67 = 202 $8,500.00 Pepsi Northwest Women’s PGA Professional Ryan Benzel of Sahalee Ryan Benzel 66-69-72 = 207 $4,216.67 CC (Sammamish, WA) and PGA Profes- Scott Erdmann 64-71-72 = 207 $4,216.67 Open set for Twin Lakes Conner Robbins 70-71-72 = 207 $4,216.67 sional Connor Robbins of North Shore GC David Phay 65-71-72 = 208 $2,925.00 The 2019 Pepsi Northwest Women’s Open (Tacoma, WA). is set for June 24-26 at Twin Lakes Golf and Russell Grove 69-69-71 = 209 $2,500.00 Country Club in Federal Way. This is Prante’s fourth major win after Colin Inglis 69-71-69 = 209 $2,500.00 The event will bring together professionals previously winning three Northwest Open Darren Black 73-72-65 = 210 $2,041.67 and amateurs for a one-day Pro-Am and two days Invitational’s in 2013, 2017 and 2018. Jeff Coston 68-70-72 = 210 $2,041.67 of tournament play. Some of the top amateurs Jeff Coston and Chuck Congdon hold the Tony Robydek 69-71-70 = 210 $2,041.67 and club professionals are expected to take part. record for the most wins with five Washing- Austin Hurt 70-71-70 = 211 $1,782.50 Players come from around the world to play in Greg Manley 70-74-67 = 211 $1,782.50 ton Open titles. Fred Couples is also a past this event. Shane Prante The professionals are expected to play for a winner of the Washington Open. purse of $10,000. The Pro-Am is set for Monday, June 24 with a field of 20 teams, three amateurs and one pro- fessional joining up for the 18-hole event which Bandon Dunes turns 20 years old includes lunch, dinner tee prizes and more. The two-day tournament will be stroke play. See www.northwestwomensopen.com for more information. Northwest professionals, amateurs set for majors Tournament season for the Pacific Northwest’s top professionals and amateurs is right around the corner. The Muckleshoot Washington Open kicked off the championship season with a three- day tournament at Kent’s Meridian Valley Country Club. Here is a look at the rest of the major cham- pionship schedule in the Pacific Northwest… • The Oregon Open will take place June 18- 20 at Bend’s Pronghorn Golf Club at both the Nicklaus and Fazio courses. • Rosauers Invitational will be held July 19-21 at Spokane’s Indian Canyon Golf Course. • The Northwest Open Invitational is set for Aug. 19-21 at Walla Walla’s Wine Valley. And don’t forget these pro tournaments. * Aug. 8-11: WinCo Foods Portland Open, Web.com event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club near Portland. • Aug. 23-25: Boeing Classic, Champions Tour event at Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club, just east of Seattle. • Aug, 29-Sept. 1: Cambia Portland LPGA Classic, one of the longest-running LPGA events set for Columbia Edgewater in Portland. Bandon Dunes Resort turns 20 years old this year - a resort developed by Mike Keiser (upper right). Courses like Old Macdonald (above) and Bandon Trails (right) are two reasons the resort is ranked among the best in the world. The other courses at the Oregon Coast resort include Rules Quiz Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes and The Preserve. See inside for more on Bandon Dunes. A player’s ball comes to rest in a bunker. In preparing for her stroke from the bunker which of the following actions are permit- NW Golf Academy: ted? • Touching or moving loose impedi- ments. A place to get your • Digging her feet in the sand for her next stroke. game and body going • Leaning on her club/s to rest or stay balanced As you might see when you watch professional • Measuring, marking, lifting, replacing, golf on television, there are some fit men and women etc. playing on tour. There is plenty to say about that, when • Striking the sand in frustration or it comes to fitness and a swing that will add miles per anger. hour and yards to your game. Pacific Northwest Golf • Smoothing the sand in the care of the Academy in Issaquah is a place where they are working course. on getting your body and game in shape. When you Please see the answer on Page 2 of this see guys like Rory, Dustin and Brooks working out, it section of Inside Golf Newspaper. only helps their games. Here is a chance to help yours. See inside for more on Pacific NW Golf Academy. The Pacific Northwest Golf Academy crew (from left): Matt Fonner, Derek Berg, Alex Dunlop and Cory Mehl. • Page 2 • • InsIde Comments • • Inside Golf - June Issue 2019 • The name might be different, but this golf course on the Oregon Coast is still a gem It all started back in 1993, when Rees Jones with Bandon Dunes Resort an hour down the was hired to create an Oregon Coastal golf 101, Florence Golf Links has always attracted course in Florence, Ore. This was long before a crowd. The course is 60 miles west of Eugene the Bandon Boom. Jones came in and crafted a and about three hours from Portland. But Reed course through the trees and dunes and when it said the base of their play comes from the town Bob Marlatt opened as Sandpines in 1993 it was called the stretching out to about 60 miles. Publisher "Best New Public Golf Course in America." The course itself always draws raves. The And now, more than 25 years later, Jones' front nine is played through a forest of pines and Steve Turcotte Oregon Coastal masterpiece is still a gem, how- lakes with the back nine become a links-style Editor-Advertising ever a few things have changed along the way. Steve layout. The 18th hole is a dramatic par-5 finishing Welcome to Florence Golf Links, the new hole with water left and the clubhouse on a bluff Kathy Marlatt Turcotte moniker for the course after the ownership group making for a terrific backdrop. Operations Manager American Pacific International Corporation took The course has been around for over 25 over in January of 2017. The new name was in this case. A recent tournament with 60 low years, but there is still plenty new at Florence Contributing Writers unveiled in May of 2018 and fits the area and handicappers went through the hole with a 5.1 Golf Links to check out. Jeff Coston, Russ Wing, the golf course just perfectly. scoring average. "The new owners wanted to tie a new name The location has always been a plus. Florence Steve Turcotte is editor of Inside Golf Newspaper. Photography: Scott Bisch in with the town of Florence," said General Man- Golf Links sits in a tourist hotbed town. And He can be reached at [email protected]. Cartoonist: Harold Bluestein ager Rick Reed. "They wanted name familiarity with the town. And we got that with the new Subscription rates: name." $17-one year and $30-two years (U.S. This is a course which has undergone owner- funds). ship changes but has always been ranked among the best in the Pacific Northwest. In fact it has Unsolicited articles and photos are wel- a 4 1/2 star rated jewel from Golf Digest and is come, however we will accept no liability always a home for PNGA championships. Last for their loss or damage, and will only year, the Boys and Girls Junior Championships return them if prior arrangements have were held at Florence Golf Links and this month been made with the publisher. the PNGA Senior Men's Amateur was held. The new ownership group has created a air Courier Address of freshness at Florence Golf Links. Along with 460 Dennis Blvd the new name, new equipment was bought to Port Townsend, WA 98368 improve a course that already was in terrific shape. The 9,000 square foot clubhouse was Mailing Address given some inside upgrades and the outside was P.O. Box 1890 given a new coat of paint. Port Townsend, WA 98368 The course has survived just fine through the years, though the nearby Oregon Dunes Phone has created a little havoc with the par-5 seventh (360) 379-4080 hole. Sand encroached on the fairway and green, making approach shots and putting difficult. The E-mail Address hole was shortened with a new green but still [email protected] plays as a par-5. Shorter doesn't mean easier Florence Golf Links in Florence, Ore. went by the name Sandpines when it opened back in 1993. www.insidegolfonline.com Inside Golf Newspaper is a trademark of Northwest Publications, Inc.