Post Game

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

In last August’s issue, we ran our ‘Top 10 Public Courses in Washington’ feature that has appeared biennially since 2013 (COVID messed up the dates a bit, but we’re back on track).

As well as identifying the state’s best overall, we counted the votes for best course by region and by price, the best courses chosen by people who work in the golf industry, and the most popular courses among our female readers.

And, just as it had in 2019, Port Ludlow won the ‘Ladies Top Pick’ category by a significant margin.

I can’t remember the number of times I stopped counting the votes for a moment to remark upon another win for Port Ludlow. The simple truth of the matter is that female golfers from all over the Evergreen State love Port Ludlow. And the women that frequent the beautiful layout want to tell the world how they feel about it — in this case through Cascade Golfer.

Bonnie Vahcic has been playing golf since the 1950s but moved to a house on the first hole at Port Ludlow in 1998 and quickly fell for it. “It’s just beautiful with views of Mt. Baker and Puget Sound,” she says lovingly. “If you’re lucky to play on a summer evening you can watch the cruise ships heading up to Alaska. And it’s so peaceful, too. We’re removed from the big cities, Seattle and Tacoma, but close enough to not feel totally isolated.”

Lucinda Thompson has also been at Port Ludlow since 1998 and, like Vahcic, is often overcome with a sense of peace. “By the time you reach the 11th hole, you realize there is a profound silence here,” she says. “And the 13th hole, as the sun streams down through the trees onto the green, is called ‘Cathedral’ for a reason.”

Port Ludlow opened in 1975 and was designed by Robert Muir Graves, who returned in 1990 to add a third nine on more rugged ground to the west of the original 18. That third course — named Trail — closed in 2009, sadly, but the two original nines — Tide and Timber — remained and benefitted from a thorough renovation completed in 2016 and overseen by Superintendent Dick Schmidt who had been part of the course’s original construction crew in 1971.

The course’s head professional Jim Mancill, took over from Tyler Sweet just over a year ago and, like Sweet, is planning on offering several clinics for women. “Today was supposed to be the kick-off for our ‘Knock the Rust Off’ Clinics covering putting and shortgame,” he says. “As the spring brings us some better weather, hopefully, I’ll be expanding on the number of clinics.”

“Jim’s been a great addition to Port Ludlow, and it was such a shame to miss out on the putting clinic,” says Ann Nugent who has played here since 2004 and averages three rounds a week. “I never get bored of the course,” she adds. “The two sides have their own feel and personalities. Tide feels a bit more open with views across the Sound and to Mt Baker. And you can see the Olympic Mountains from Timber, which, as the name suggests, has lots of trees to get lost in. I feel like I notice something new every time I play, which keeps me excited to come back.”

Nugent thinks part of the reason Port Ludlow is so popular with women, besides a thriving tight-knit group of 35 or so regulars, is that it has something for everyone. Thompson nods in agreement.

“The course was a lot longer for women when I first arrived, and so more difficult,” she says. “Over the years though, shorter tees were added to several holes, making the course very user-friendly for women.

This year, another set of tees has been added, giving higher-handicappers a more fun experience, and an executive-type course for lower handicaps.”

Last summer, Port Ludlow hosted a three-day tournament for 113 players from the Washington State Women’s Public Links Association, a significant event by any measure. The feedback the club received afterward was altogether positive. “We had rave reviews,” says Vahcic. “Many of our visitors said how welcome they’d been made and how much they’d like to return to Port Ludlow in the future.”

The beautiful Olympic Peninsula course is popular with just about everyone who plays it. But, for the women of Port Ludlow, it clearly is something extra special.