Tito’s Handmade Vodka • Travel The Northwest

Rarefied Aire: Central Washington gem is worth taking the scenic route for

It’s unlikely to ever challenge Chambers Bay or Gamble Sands for “Best Course in Washington” honors. However, Desert Aire will always be one of those courses you’re really glad you found.

To be fair, it does take some finding. The usual way home to Seattle after a trip to the Tri-Cities or Walla Walla is through Yakima on I-82 before it meets up with I-90. It’s certainly conceivable, though, that one time you might go a different (even more scenic) route. How about taking Highways 240/243 to I-90? If you do, all roads lead to Desert Aire on your left side, a couple of miles north of Priest Rapids Dam.

You might not notice the golf course, however, as you pass it at 60 (okay, 70) miles per hour. Rather, you’ll probably see a large collection of houses and the Desert Aire Regional Airport without having any inkling of the narrow C-shaped layout that winds through the community, never more than two holes wide.

Trust us, though, it’s there – and you can be sure that, unless it’s outside the hours of daylight, someone is enjoying this very tidy track in likely pristine condition.

The first nine holes opened in 1970, just a few months after Seattle recreation grounds dealer Harry Davidson purchased 3,200 acres of what was once the Figure 2 Ranch. Davidson paid $1 million for the land and was shortly after building roads to 496 residential lots. He flew prospective buyers in from Seattle and even invited the Vice President of the United States to come look at the development. Unfortunately, the politician’s schedule prevented it. However, a group of employees, described by Bob Kibler in his 2006 book Desert Aire History simply as “Davidson’s crew,” began work on the golf course, eager to make the most of incredible lake and mountain views.

“The original nine takes advantage of the great topography of the area,” wrote Kibler. “The course was built on the site without making changes in the lay of the land.”

The Columbia Basin Daily Herald wrote on July 10, 1970, that people (prompted by Davidson, no doubt) were beginning to call Desert Aire “The Palm Springs of the North.” One newspaper ad called it a “land of contrasts with three miles of shoreline on an 8,000-acre lake.” Another billed it as a “deluxe desert community rivaling Arizona and Southern California with a better year-round climate.”

To have any hope of validating the claims and establishing any sort of credibility though, Desert Aire’s golf course would need a second nine holes, which finally arrived in 1992. The additional nine were designed by Jim Krause, who had gained acclaim after building a pair of popular courses in Idaho: Stoneridge in Blanchard and nine-hole Ponderosa Springs in Coeur d’Alene. Krause would eventually go on to design Twin Lakes Village Course in Rathdrum and Highlands GC in Post Falls, also in Idaho.

From the back tees, Desert Aire stretches to 6,490 yards and plays to a par of 72. Kyle Preston is the PGA Head Professional and says the course records about 22,000 rounds a year. According to Preston, its three most notable holes are:

• The par-3 3rd, a challenging 173-yard shot to a twotiered green.

• The dogleg-right par-5 12th, the course’s longest hole at 558 yards.

• The 271-yard 16th, a teasing short par-4, where longer hitters can risk going for the green with their tee shot but had better beware of OB left and a quintet of bunkers on the approach to and surrounding the green.

“The direct line to the hole definitely flirts with the out of bounds,” says Preston. “So, you want to be careful.”

Between 2006 and 2012, architect Dan Hixson completed a few small projects at Desert Aire. He added 10 bunkers and replaced a few others, removed some trees before planting others in more appropriate locations, and rebuilt the 3rd green complex.

“Some parts of the course are relatively flat while others lie on excellent ground for golf, with some really interesting elevation movement,” says Hixson.

The designer also mentioned that he had always been struck by how much its members love their golf course. “They would put together huge work parties to lay sod.” He added: “It was very impressive to watch, as many were not particularly young people, and laying sod is really hard. It’s such a pleasant community, and I always enjoyed my visits there.”

Take 243 and turn into Desert Aire Drive with your clubs in the trunk and, we’re betting, you will too.