P R ESENTED BY
What We’re Thankful For This Year By Brian Beaky
I
think we can all agree that there’s never been a year quite like this one. Many of us have lost jobs, some of us have lost family. Even if you’ve been
lucky enough to avoid either of those two fates, it’s been hard not to feel like a year of our lives was taken away — a year of birthday celebrations, weddings, holidays, tailgates, tournaments, family gatherings, vacations and all of the other notable markers by which we remember the years that pass.
The Resort at Port Ludlow • Port Ludlow
Thus, it’s with some surprise that when I looked back at 2020 for this issue,
I found myself feeling ... grateful. While, for many of us, the scars inflicted by 2020 will take a long time to heal, the lights that shone through the darkness give us hope that 2021 will bring a fresh start. In A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway writes, “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” We’re all feeling a little broken this year, no doubt. But, there’s plenty of reasons to think we can come back stronger in 2021.
So, even though it’s a bit cliché, we thought we’d share a few things we’re
thankful for around the offices — er, living rooms, dens, dining room tables and backyard patios — of Cascade Golfer this year.
And, of course, we included a few submissions from you, our readers, as
well. Your persistence and love of golf continues to amaze us and give us hope. Thanks for keeping our dreams alive.
1
The Summer That Never Wanted to End
It was a bummer of a year to be stuck inside so much, because just outside our windows was some of the nicest summer weather we’ve seen in years. July and August were kiss-your-fingers beautiful, while even September and October saw below-average rainfall, allowing golf courses shuttered in the early months to recoup some of their losses.
2 The Best Golf Rates in America Nobody — and we mean NOBODY — has it as good as we do. The climate and topography of the Northwest makes for unparalleled golf beauty, with our elevated tees, majestic mountain backdrops and abundance of trees, water and wildlife. Taken as a whole, our state’s top-50 public courses are as good or better than the top-50 public courses in almost any state in America — and our rates are far, far lower. That’s sweeter than pumpkin pie.
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DECEMBER 2020
3 The Next Generation It’s entirely possible that, 25 years from now, people will look back at 2020 as the year that saved golf in America. We’re not kidding. For the first time in decades, the number of people taking up golf for the first time outweighed those hanging up the clubs, as golf courses, retail shops and driving ranges saw huge surges in new golfers taking advantage of the only game in town. Most exciting for us was how many kids we saw out on the course this year, either taking advantage of the shorter tees many courses installed 80-150 yards out from the greens, discounted rates and special family-friendly tee times at local courses, or using Youth On Course or U On Course cards to play with their family and friends for as little as $5 a round. None of us want to go through another year trying to be our kids’ teachers, but we’re incredibly grateful for the time with them that we’ve been given.
4
The Most Amazing Golf Community in America
As publishers of a golf magazine, and managers of consumer golf shows from coast to coast, we have the chance to interact with golfers and golf industry representatives in nearly every part of the country. And, without question, the people who make up the golf community in the Pacific Northwest are among the most dedicated and passionate golf supporters in America. For the hard-working local retailers like Puetz Golf, who innovated to keep their 75-year-old family business alive; the pros, instructors, GMs, groundskeepers and support staff who worked so hard to weather the storm; the golf writers and photographers who bring our local gems to life; and the unparalleled commitment and passion of golfers young and old, male and female, who continue to grow the game in our region … Thanks. We wouldn’t be here without any of you. And, we can’t wait to get back on the tee with you next year.
cascadegolfer.com
