Salish Cliffs ready for winter with new drainage

It’s not enough that Salish Cliffs has won plenty of awards since opening, but now the course can show just how good it can be as winter arrives.

Superintendent Bob Pearsall and his staff installed over two miles of additional drainage last winter and they are hoping the results really kick in this winter when Mother Nature decides to play its usual tricks on the Northwest golf scene. The additional drainage should provide drier conditions throughout the course and increased spring and fall topdressings should help even more.

“We are really looking forward to the drier conditions and that should mean better playing surfaces during the fall, winter and spring,” said head golf professional David Kass.

The course also has a dozen enclosed golf carts to make winter golf rounds warmer and even drier for golfers. “We want to become a place that people play in the winter,” said Kass.

Salish Cliffs, located in Shelton, Wash. near Olympia, has been an award winner since opening for play in 2011. Designer Gene Bates has created a terrific layout for the Squaxin Island Tribe, which owns and operates the golf course along with its Little Creek Casino.

Salish Cliffs has again been honored by a national publication, earning the No. 3 spot on GolfWeek’s 2014 “America’s Best Courses You Can Play” in Washington.

GolfWeek annually sends hundreds of “America’s Best” raters to review courses based on strength of routing, natural setting, conditioning, feature shaping, greens, variety and memorability of holes, maintenance and landscape management. The new ranking is the latest of numerous accolades Salish Cliffs has secured since opening in 2011. Salish Cliffs was also recently ranked No. 9 on GolfWeek’s “Best Casino Courses” list and last year it earned top-10 status on Golf Digest’s biennial “America’s Greatest Courses” by state list.

Other amenities at the resort include a newly remodeled casino floor that boasts 5,500 square feet of non-smoking space with the latest slots and table games, the luxury Seven Inlets Spa, a state-of-the-art RV Park and the popular Skookum Spirit Cigar and Wine Lounge.

There’s plenty to like at Salish Cliffs and the Little Creek Casino, and now there is even more to like with improved winter golf. “We are looking forward to this being a great winter for our golfers and us,” said Kass.