McQueen Vineyard at Doubleback Winery • Walla Walla
Apple Tree Golf Course • Yakima
Photo by Gary Holscher
Chelan will want to play Bear Mountain Ranch, high above the lake’s south side. But you’d be wrong to leave town without also teeing it up at Lake Chelan, which shares Bear Mountain’s views yet sports just half of its greens fee. Ranked the state’s No. 1 public golf course between $40-$50 by Cascade Golfer in 2015, Lake Chelan’s small greens and frequent elevation changes challenge the best players (the course’s rating of 71.2 is even higher than that from Chambers Bay’s white tees), though a mostly open layout means even beginners won’t lose too many balls. PAIR IT WITH: On the north side of Lake Chelan, Benson Vineyards (www.bensonvineyards.com) is a must, not only for their luscious reds but also the expansive views from their hilltop tasting room. Hard Row to Hoe (www.hardrow.com) is another with a unique tasting room that pays homage to an early 20th-century brothel nearby. Wrap up your north-of-the-lake tour at Wapato Point Cellars (www.wapatopointcellars.com), before cruising over to the lake’s southern shore to hit Tsillan Cellars (www.tsillancellars.com, also a great spot for lunch) Tunnel Hill Winery (www.tunnelhillwinery.com) and Nefarious Cellars (www.nefariouscellars.com). WINE VALLEY GOLF CLUB | Walla Walla winevalleygolfclub.com | (509) 525-4653 If players at the U.S. Open thought Chambers Bay’s greens were fast and tough, they’d find new meaning for those words at Wine Valley, where speed and slope conspire to befuddle many a strong putter. The course shares much in common with the U.S. Open venue, though, from its broad fairways with few level lies, to its bunkering and green surrounds that give players multiple ways to attack the hole. Just like no tour through Washington wine country is complete without a stop in Walla Walla, no tour of Washington’s best courses is complete without a visit to Wine Valley. PAIR IT WITH: Two of the state’s most famous wineries, L’Ecole No. 41 (www.lecole.com) and Woodward Canyon (www.woodwardcanyon.com), are practically on Wine Valley’s front doorstep. Just down the road is Long Shadows Vintners (www.longshadows.com), where CASCADEGOLFERDEALS.com
Chihuly chandeliers complement terrific reds. Head into town to find the state’s big boys, including Amavi (www. amavicellars.com), Doubleback (www.doubleback.com, a winery owned by Drew Bledsoe that has earned a fast reputation for its outstanding Cabernet) and Pepper Bridge (www.pepperbridge.com). APPLE TREE GOLF COURSE | Yakima appletreeresort.com | (509) 966-5877 Perhaps the only fruit that means more to the bottom line of Washington’s agricultural industry than grapes is apples. At Apple Tree, it’s primarily the latter on display — apple trees line most holes throughout the course, while the front nine features many long drives between holes, following dirt trails through row upon row of galas and braeburns. The front nine has several of the course’s best holes, including the uphill, par-3 second and the exciting, uphill, par-4 ninth. The back nine, though, is what most golfers come to see — starting with the par-5 14th, the last five holes are each memorable in different ways, none more so than the infamous par-3 17th, whose island green is in the shape of an apple, more than 200 feet below the tee box. PAIR IT WITH: If you have time to head east, or are playing Apple Tree en route to Walla Walla, stop in at Vintner’s Village in Prosser, where you can taste wines from Airfield Estates (www.airfieldwines.com), Thurston Wolfe (thurstonwolfe.com) and a number of other excellent Washington wineries. If you’d prefer to taste right in Yakima, Gilbert Cellars (www.gilbertcellars.com), AntoLin Cellars (www.antolincellars.com) and Kana Winery (www.kanawinery.com) are clustered together on Front Street, while Owen Roe (www.owenroe.com) is less than 15 minutes down the road, and definitely worth the trip. LEAVENWORTH GOLF CLUB | Leavenworth leavenworthgolf.com | (509) 548-7267 Not every consumer wants to drive all the way to Chelan, Walla Walla or Yakima to taste wine. As a result, wineries statewide have clustered tasting rooms in various locations — if it’s too far for you to come to the wineries,
they’ll bring the wineries to you. In Leavenworth, visitors can sample the wares from more than a dozen different wineries, most located in tasting rooms on a three-block stretch at the heart of downtown. They’re also less than a mile from Leavenworth Golf Club, tucked between the Wenatchee River and Cascade Mountain peaks that make the two-hour drive to Leavenworth so scenic. You don’t go to Leavenworth, which tips out at just under 5,700 yards, for the stiffest test of your life — but then, a rough day isn’t exactly the goal of a wine-and-golf getaway, is it? Enjoy the peace and solitude provided by the river and surrounding evergreens, spot eagles and elk (maybe, if you’re lucky, a bear), make a few birdies, then head into town for lunch at The Soup Cellar (815 Front Street, 509-548-6300). HIGHLANDER GOLF COURSE | Wenatchee highlandergc.com | (509) 884-4653 The wineries of Leavenworth are also less than a half hour from Highlander, a completely redesigned course on a ridge overlooking seemingly the entire Wenatchee Valley. Constructed as a links course, it has been recast in a parkland style, preserving its strongest points — namely, those views — while adding trees, bunkers and water features, plus one of the most eye-catching holes in Washington, the 245-yard, par-4 17th. Perched on the edge of a canyon, with a nearly 200-yard carry over the chasm, it’s a reachable par-4 for almost any player. After your round, grab a burger and shake at EZ’s Burger Deluxe (1950 N Wenatchee Ave.) on your way back west; tasting wine on an empty stomach is a bad idea. PAIR THEM WITH: Both Leavenworth and Highlander can be easily paired with any number of Leavenworth tasting rooms. Starting on the east side of Front Street and moving west, my favorites include Pasek Cellars (www.pasekcellars.com), a Mount Vernon winery whose Tulip Red is one of the best under $15 in the state, Kestrel Vintners (www.kestrelwines.com) and Ryan Patrick Vineyards (www.ryanpatrickvineyards.com). If you have time, stop in at Icicle Ridge Winery (www. icicleridgewinery.com) on your way into town — built in a log home in Peshastin, it’s one of the more original tasting rooms you’ll find, with particularly good whites. AUGUST 2015
51