Tribal Triumph

BY TONY DEAR • CG EDITOR

Development of Salish Cliffs Golf Course didn’t run terribly smoothly at any stage really, but thank goodness it did eventually get built. The Squaxin Island tribe, eager to diversify its economic portfolio, first conceived the idea for a course in 2006. Not only was the golf industry in good shape and the timing right for a new course — a Golf 20/20 report determined that golf had a direct economic impact of $76 billion in 2005, and that it employed two million people with wage income of $61 billion — it would also help protect the value of the Tribe’s other major assets — the Little Creek Casino which had opened in 1995 and the adjoining hotel, added in 2003. But then, of course, the economy collapsed. Like, really badly.

“We obviously had to put it on hold for a while,” says Ray Peters, the Tribe’s Intergovernmental Affairs/Council Liaison. Gaming revenue was falling dramatically (bizjournals.com reported in May 2011 that while Washington casinos grew more than 56 percent a year from 1999 to 2009, the increase in revenue dropped to a little more than nine percent during the downturn), which obviously affected the speed with which the project could progress.

The Tribe had invested heavily in previous years establishing a seafood processing company, the Skookum Creek Tobacco Company, a day-care center and a number of retail establishments as part of its business arm — Island Enterprises, but it needed to expand its resort operation. “We wanted to capture new markets in order to safeguard the investments we already had in place,” says Peters.

Because the Tribe had those extra revenue streams elsewhere, it was able to resume the golf course project in 2008 at a time when course construction around the country, and indeed the whole world, had more or less ground to a halt. “From a business standpoint, to go out and build a golf course by itself wouldn’t have made any sense,” Peters told bizjournals.com in May 2011. “But it did make sense for us as a resort property, because we already had visitors. We wanted to build the complete resort, so we’re also looking to develop the spa and RV park.”

Two sites for the course were considered. The land originally earmarked was a strong contender because of its location close to the Sound, but the three or four miles between it and the casino/hotel worked against it. “It was a nice site with great views over the water,” says Peters, “but we wanted it to be closer to the hotel.”

The Tribe did own land adjacent to the hotel, but in order to build a golf course there it would need to purchase an extra 100 acres from a timber company. The idea for this site had been put forward by golf course architect Gene Bates whom the Tribe hired in 2006 after assessing many of his previous designs. The assumption was Bates had got the job on the back of his highly acclaimed Circling Raven course that he had built for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort outside of Worley, Idaho, which had opened in 2003. Peters says it was based on a good deal more than that though.

“We vetted Gene thoroughly,” he adds. “We knew about Circling Raven obviously, but I had seen a few more of his courses. One that stood out in particular was Carolina National (in Bolivia, N.C.), which we had seen during a conference. We liked how Gene’s courses blended with nature so well, and that every owner/developer we spoke with said he was fantastic to work with and had become a firm friend.”

The site Bates proposed was not only closer to the casino and hotel, it had a great deal of elevation change, plenty of interesting features, and also splendid views over the Kamilche Valley. “There was something like 600-foot difference from top to bottom, which does sound a bit daunting, but it rose in terraces, which actually made routing the course quite straightforward,” says Bates.

Things looked good for Salish Cliffs with a Bates plan in place and the worst of the recession past, but soon after construction begun, it became clear the choice of contractor wasn’t working. Work actually halted for a year or so as the Tribe took the opportunity to reassess its finances, build much-needed infrastructure, and add a water treatment plant.

When construction recommenced it was with a new construction company but, as if the course hadn’t dealt with enough already, that relationship soured forcing Bates to find yet another company capable of finishing the job. The course also needed a superintendent, and fast!

Regular readers will know the struggle the Tribe had in convincing Bob Pearsall to take the job. In May’s ‘Superintendent Spotlight’, Pearsall described how reluctant he had been to leave his position at The Golf Club at Hawks Prairie in Lacey, and that it was only after three calls that he agreed to meet with Peters, Bates, and Tribal Vice Chairman Andy Whitener. While the others knew of Pearsall’s excellent reputation in the Northwest and were sure he was the man for the job, Bates had no idea who he was and wasn’t so certain.

Pearsall, who brought his brother Mike and Anton Diaz with him as first and second assistant superintendents, proved himself proficient not only with turf, the Northwest climate, and growing a course in, but also the vagaries of Tribal politics. “He clearly knew what he was doing on the golf course,” says Bates, “but he worked so well with the Tribe too. He turned out to be the perfect guy for the role.”

That just left the head professional’s position to fill and, while Bates had very little impact on the Superintendent decision, he was pivotal in effecting the choice of pro. At the time, Bates lived in North Palm Beach, Fla., and played at North Palm Beach Country Club where a gentleman by the name of David Kass was Director of Golf Operations. Bates passed him on the way to the first tee one morning and told him about a course he was building in Washington state. Kass was intrigued when Bates showed him some pictures of the place and asked if Bates could get him an interview.

“My wife and I were very interested in moving to such a beautiful place,” says Kass. “And the course looked incredible. But the clincher for me was talking to the Tribe. They were just so passionate about the land and excited about the course. I wanted to be a part of it.”

Kass arrived in January 2011 and remained the Head Professional and Resort Director until May 2019 when he moved to Bear Creek Country Club in Woodinville as General Manager. He remains especially proud of his early years at Salish Cliffs when he helped build its national reputation, but two days stand out in particular. “The first was the official tribal ceremony to dedicate the course in August 2011,” he says. “It was so moving with the chants, the sage smudging, the drums. The whole ceremony was filled with emotion, and it was very powerful.”

The second happened just a few weeks later when Fred Couples, a design partner of Bates (though not at Salish Cliffs), was scheduled to perform an opening clinic on the range and hit a drive with every group that had signed up for the day. “It didn’t quite go according to plan, however,” says Kass. “It began in a light drizzle, but before long the rain had become quite heavy so we moved it to the clubhouse.”

Inside the beautiful cedar log building, the future Hall of Famer sat on a table and engaged the attendees with about an hour’s worth of stories and memories from his impressive career. “It worked out so well,” says Kass “That impromptu Q & A session with a Masters champion is probably my favorite memory of all.” He doesn’t mention them, but I’d wager the day Golfweek named Salish Cliffs one of the 10 best new courses in America for 2011, Golf Digest ranked it among the top 10 courses in Washington (five times, actually), GolfAdvisor.com readers voted it the best course in Washington (twice), or any of the other days it won prestigious industry awards (not to mention the day it became the first course to ever be assigned ‘Salmon-Safe’ status by Seattle-based Stewardship Partners), were pretty special too.

Chris Koch, Kass’s assistant from the very start, took over the head pro spot following his departure. A graduate of Western Washington University, Koch spent four years as an assistant pro at the Ko Olina Golf Club in Hawaii before joining Salish Cliffs. Acknowledging that Kass has been a tough act to follow, Koch says his job has largely been continuing where his predecessor left off, though he has been keen to add programs for younger golfers. “Together with my assistants Sheena Prante and Brian Green, I’m dedicated to growing junior golf, especially among the Tribal youth,” he says.

The combination of the Squaxin Island Tribe’s courage and foresight, Gene Bates’s clever design, Bob Pearsall’s agronomic expertise, David Kass’s industry insight and professionalism, Chris Koch’s loyalty and enthusiasm, and no doubt the contributions of numerous others behind the scenes, created something great at Salish Cliffs. We’re fortunate to have such an amazing course in our part of the world, and are enjoying watching it mature into something truly special. Here’s to its next 10 years. Call ahead to guarantee your tee time (509) 674-2226