Washington golf & casino resort on target for 2011 opening
The new Salish Cliffs Golf Club – an amenity of the Squaxin Island Tribe's Little Creek Casino Resort near Olympia and Seattle, Washington – showed rapid development during the summer months with favorable weather, and is on schedule to open in late spring 2011.
All 18 holes and the driving range / practice facility have been shaped and seeded with T1 bentgrass turf. In addition, construction of the log and cedar clubhouse began earlier this month and is expected to be done by winter's end.
"Watching Salish Cliffs Golf Club come to life is gratifying," says Ray Peters, Executive Director of the Squaxin Island Tribe. "We knew this property had tremendous potential, and seeing it blossom the last few months has reinforced our belief that it will offer a unique playing experience."
The clubhouse – which will reflect the style and structure of Little Creek Casino Resort – is being built next to a deep ravine situated near a bridge that spans between hole Nos. 1 and 10, boasting 360-degree views of the Kamilche Valley. The structure will feature a wrap-around porch overlooking hole Nos. 9 and 18, providing a perfect location for golfers to gather for a post-round drink and meal while watching others finish their rounds.
“We want the sightlines of the clubhouse to evoke thoughts of the Salish Cliffs name and provide a dramatic, aesthetically pleasing setting,” explains Peters. “By placing the clubhouse in this area, we will accomplish that goal and give our golfers a central meeting place with striking views of this special property.”
According to Salish Cliffs Head Superintendent Bob Pearsall, hole Nos. 10 through 17 are playable right now while the rest of the course is evolving quickly. When construction on the course breaks for the winter months in November, Pearsall and his crew will remain on site to maintain the course as it continues to grow in and mature.
Infrastructure adjacent to Salish Cliffs is also in its final stages. The road from Little Creek Casino Resort to the golf course has been completed and the parking lot has been cleared and graveled.
Created by renowned golf-course architect Gene Bates, Salish Cliffs incorporates natural vegetation, rock facings and 600 feet of elevation changes with seamless transitions. The par-72, 7,300-yard championship layout will be an intimate golfing experience with 16 of 18 holes encircled by lush forestry.
Salish Cliffs is certain to resonate with golfers who rave about other Bates layouts. These include Circling Raven Golf Club (Worley, ID) and Bayonet Black Horse (Monterey, CA), ranked "100 Greatest Courses in America" and "Best in State" by Golf Digest and Golfweek, respectively, and Soldier Hollow Golf Course (Midway, UT), which will host the 2012 USGA Amateur Public Links Championship. Bates often collaborates on designs with PGA and Champions Tour star Fred Couples.
Owned and operated by the Squaxin Island Tribe, Little Creek Casino Resort features nearly 190 luxurious, well-appointed rooms. The Indian-style gaming casino showcases more than 1,000 slots and table games, including poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and Texas Hold-Em. Top-quality, live entertainment - comedy, music and other shows - perform in the new, onsite Skookum Creek Event Center that hosts business and other events for up to 2,000 guests.
Getting there: Little Creek Casino Resort and Salish Cliffs Golf Club are conveniently located 20 and 75 minutes from Olympia and Seattle, WA, respectively. It is also a quick ride from Yakima, WA as well as Portland, Salem and Eugene, OR.
For more information: little-creek-casino.com
