After devastating fire, Alta Lake Golf Course is back in business

The massive wildfires that ravaged thousands of acres in Eastern Washington in July of last year, destroying all of Alta Lake Golf Course’s buildings and many of the surrounding homes is still visible.

Down but not out, the Alta Lake clubhouse has opened for business for the first time since July. The 18-hole course was forced to close down after the Carlton Complex fire destroyed part of the property in July.

“It was fast,” said Parker Barth, who owns Alta Lake Golf Course and is also a PGA Golf Pro. Barth also lost his house in the fires.

In matter of hours fire destroyed part of the course, the pro-shop, all the equipment and 55 homes in the immediate area.

The Carlton Complex fire is on record as being the largest in Washington State history, burning thousands of acres and destroying more than 300 houses in Chelan and Okanogan Counties.

Volunteers are still coming to the area to help clean-up and restore property. The Americorps volunteers pitched in to help prepare the golf course for their re-opening.

“It’s going to be fun finally seeing golfers teeing it up again like they normally do,” said Barth.

Amazingly, the course itself is still intact. Every year a group of retired teachers from Snohomish descend on Alta Lake for their annual golf event. For some of the golfers this was their 25th year of golfing at the Alta Lake Golf Course. This year they came in March and played all 18 holes.

The new Alta Lake Golf Course pro shop will open later this month. Reservations for the course are already booking up quickly for the spring and summer months.