Gamble Sands’ David McLay Kidd-designed QuickSands Course a 14-hole short course is open for resort and daily-fee play since May 1st. The development of the golf course started in late winter 2019-20.
QuickSands is laid out to the east of the Gamble Sands clubhouse, between the range and the entry road, on a 25-acre parcel of heaving and rolling sand dunes of which the team took full advantage..
Hole-lengths vary from 60 to 180 yards and carry descriptive names such as Plinko, Crater, Donut, and Corkscrew. A course-wide sound system amps up the fun, while QuickSands’ unique design encourages group-to-group and cross-hole banter.
David McLay Kidd said
“QuickSands, however, has a different twist, wild holes, impossible to replicate on full course type holes. If you ask for the yardage you’re not getting the concept, it’s about reading the ground and imagining a shot, maybe it’s a chipped 7 iron or a low checking wedge, it might even be a putter off the tee, it could be every one of those shots in the same group.”
Gamble Sands, a “Top 100 Golf Resort” located in Brewster, Washington, reopened for resort and daily-fee play in April after being closed for the winter.
McLay Kidd’s award-winning course designs include Gamble Sands, Bandon Dunes and Mammoth Dunes. Gamble Sands is professionally managed by OB Sports with the additional support from its parent company, Troon.
Gamble Sands’ hospitality amenities: QuickSands, Sands Course….
QuickSands adds to an impressive collection of golf and hospitality amenities at Gamble Sands. The 18-hole Sands Course opened for play in 2014 to widespread acclaim, with the 100,000 square foot Cascades putting course following shortly thereafter.
The Inn at Gamble Sands features oversized rooms that perfectly match the wide-open nature of Gamble Sands as big rooms open to the big golf course, framed by even bigger views that sweep across the Columbia River Valley.
The Danny Boy Bar and Grill is a gathering place for golfers and casual diners alike. Large garage-style doors roll open to outdoor dining and more views of the Cascades and Columbia River Valley.
My comments & remarks
You might be surprised that QuickSands is “only” a 14-hole golf course. However, in the last five years, short golf courses are gaining momentum.
Would you believe that golf courses like Bandon Dunes, Cabot Links, Pinehurst, etc. all have got awesome par-3 golf courses?
Not to mention, short courses can appeal to those who have got a very busy life or have got small kids but want to have a shared family experience. These aspects came to my mind at this moment.
I also have to argue with those who consider par-3 courses as boring golf courses. Just think of Forest Dunes’ Bootlegger Short Course (opened in 2020; 10 holes).
The Golf Business found in 2020:
“According to Pitch and Putt Ireland, more than 2,000 people took up pitch and putt memberships between May and September, with numbers up by more than 200 percent at some golf clubs.
Portmarnock Pitch and Putt has seen membership go from 251 to 412 (up 64 percent) while Castleisland Pitch & Putt has seen membership almost double from 39 to 72.”